HCS Musicians Prepare for Friday's Jazz cafe

RFH 2010, HCS News

Mon, Jun 06, 2011

The HCS Jazz Band and Jazz Choir will perform at the Jazz Café at 7 p.m. on Friday at the Palace Theatre.Admission is $3-$6.

The Jazz Band is directed by Jon Rossi, and the Jazz Choir is directed by Ellen Lefort.

Jazz Café is sponsored by the HCS Friends of Music and is a primary fundraiser for the music programs at Hamilton Central School.

The band will also recognize the accomplishments of its seven seniors:

Alisa Babcock,
Phil Douchinsky,
Nicole Kinne,
Dan Kraynak,
Joe Murphy,
Tara Rebuck,
and Charlisa Todd.

Babcock has been part of the HCS chorus and in the recently formed jazz choir. Last fall she was selected to Area-All State Chorus for her NYSSMA solo. Alisa participated in HCS musicals. She was in the chorus for “Cinderella”, had leading roles as Beauty School Angel in “Grease” and Cinderella’s Stepmother in “Into the Woods”. In this spring’s musical “Anything Goes” Alisa received ‘Meritorious Achievement in Vocal Performance’ for her starring role as Reno Sweeney. In addition to music and theater she is involved in volleyball, softball, Almeda, TATF, Mathletics, HCS yearbook Masquers and National Honor Society. Alisa will be attending Ithaca College and plans to study either occupational therapy or speech therapy.

Douchinsky has been playing trumpet since sixth grade, with seven years in band and four years in jazz band. He received the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award, and was selected to Area-All State Concert Band this past fall. Phil also plays piano and French horn and is an accomplished singer. On stage, Phil has been in the chorus for “Cinderella”, and starred as Sonnie in “Grease”, Rapunzel’s prince in ‘Into the Woods” and Billy in “Anything Goes”. In sports, he has participated in lacrosse, soccer, basketball, and baseball throughout high school. He is a member of the National Honor Society, Model United Nations and Masquers. Phil will attend SUNY Stony Brook and plans to major in biology.

Kinne has been singing in chorus since sixth grade and in jazz choir this year, as well as playing trumpet since fifth grade and for three years in jazz band. In addition to trumpet, she plays French horn, piano and guitar. Nicole has been a techie for all the HCS theater and musical productions and is a member of the International Thespian Society and Masquers. She has also been student council secretary, on the yearbook staff and performs with her ‘Praise Team’ in church. Nicole plans to attend Baptist Bible College where she will major in business and minor in music performance and piano.

Kraynak has played drums for five years in band, and both drums and piano for three years in jazz band. He has received an Oneida Jazz Festival soloist award, played drums in the pit band for “Cinderella” and also plays guitar. On the field, Dan is involved with both the Empire United Soccer Club and HCS soccer, receiving many awards and serving as captain his junior & senior years. He has also participated in lacrosse & golf and is involved in Mathletics, the Community Students Program and National Honor Society. Dan will attend Hamilton College this fall and while he hasn’t decided on his major, he will be playing soccer.

Murphy has been playing valve trombone in band since fifth grade, and performing in jazz band since seveneth grade. He has received the John Philip Sousa award, an Oneida Jazz Festival soloist award and the Director’s Award for Band. In addition to trombone, Joe plays guitar, piano & euphonium, and as a rookie senior Joe starred as Moonface Martin in “Anything Goes”. He has participated in football, golf and ski club, and is senior class president. Joe will be attending Canisius College in the fall and majoring in psychology.

Rebuck has been playing tenor saxophone for eight years in band and five years in jazz band. She received the Arion music award, an All-Star Award at the Oneida Jazz Festival and was selected to Area-All State Concert Band this past fall. Tara also plays piano, and has sung in chorus for 3 years and in her church choir for 4 years. She has been in the chorus for the musicals “Over Here”, “Kiss Me Kate” and “Cinderella”. Tara was a techie for “Grease” and “Into the Woods”, and she played one of the Angels in “Anything Goes”. She has participated in cross-country, field hockey, tennis, ski club, Almeda, Masquers, Emerald Press, yearbook, student council, French club, Mathletics and National Honor Society. Tara will attend SUNY Geneseo and spend her first semester studying in Italy. She plans on majoring in biology.

Todd has been singing in chorus since second grade, and has sung in the recently formed Jazz Choir for the last two years. She received the Director’s Award for Chorus last year, her talented NYSSMA vocal solo qualified her to perform in the Area All-State Women’s Chorus this past fall, and she has been awarded a HCS Thespian of the Year award. Charley is a member of Masquers and has had many theater roles since her debut role as the Kangaroo in the middle school production of “Seussical the Musical”. She has been the Queen in “Cinderella”, one of the fairies in “Midsummer Night’s Dream”, Aunt March in “Little Women” and the omniscient Narrator in “Anything Goes”. Charley plans to attend the American Musical & Dramatic Academy in New York City and will be majoring in musical theater.