By Donatella Bavaro
When my music teacher, Ms. Rege, first introduced the chance to perform at Carnegie Hall, I was both thrilled and scared to death. I had never been good with crowds and Carnegie Hall is a major venue. Nonetheless, I happily accepted and waited to receive the music. The piece we were singing was ‘La Doncella’ which is entirely in Spanish. Now mind you, I have never taken a day of Spanish class in my entire life. I had absolutely no idea what the piece was even about except for the few English translations at the beginning. I was still excited though and had a blast learning the music alongside the other Kearney girls.
On the day of the performance, my anxiety was at an all time high. I knew the music and the steps, but this was Carnegie Hall – The Carnegie Hall. The group of us took the train to the final rehearsal before the show and Mother Nature was anything but kind to us that day; it was pouring outside. I must have stepped in a dozen puddles on the way there. But once we stepped into Carnegie Hall, it was well worth it. When I stepped on stage and looked out onto the empty seats, I was amazed. Everything was so beautifully illuminated by tiny golden lights. From where I was standing, you could see the gold trim around the many rows of burgundy seats.
It was like nothing I had ever seen before. I knew the performance was going to be great.
When seven o’clock rolled around, it was finally time to perform. Backstage, all of the singers rushed to put on the final touches to their makeup and dresses in the enormous Hollywood-style mirrors. Then we lined up and marched down the steps onto the stage buzzing with anticipation and excitement. There was a big crowd and it was nerve-wracking.
However, as soon as the orchestra started playing and the chorus started to sing, all was well. Hearing how we intertwined with the orchestra gave me goosebumps. If I could experience it over and over again, I would. My experience at Carnegie Hall was definitely one I will never forget. I loved having the opportunity to perform and what I loved even more was being able to do so alongside my Kearney sisters.
Donatella Bavaro is a rising senior at Bishop Kearney H.S., Bensonhurst.
If you’re interested in writing for ‘Around the School Bell’, contact youth editor menaje@desalesmedia.org.
