Eldred School a cappella group to perform at Carnegie Hall; Still need to raise money

Posted 8/21/12

ELDRED, NY — An a cappella group at Eldred Junior and Senior High School called “The Eldred Key Elements” will have a very special opportunity when it goes to perform at New York City’s …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Eldred School a cappella group to perform at Carnegie Hall; Still need to raise money

Posted

ELDRED, NY — An a cappella group at Eldred Junior and Senior High School called “The Eldred Key Elements” will have a very special opportunity when it goes to perform at New York City’s Carnegie Hall this spring. The performance is called Total Vocal and it is a concert by a cappella groups from all around the world that had to audition to get in. The show is presented by Deke Sharon, executive producer of “The Sing Off” and vocal director and coach of the popular movie “Pitch Perfect.” The Key Elements worked with Sharon last year, and so they got an invitation from Sharon himself to join the Carnegie show.

The Eldred Key Elements was formed five years ago by Justin Glodich, the choral and theatre director at Eldred. He has an extensive background in a cappella, beginning in college when he was in an a cappella group. He then left college to join a group professionally for three years, and it appeared on “America’s Got Talent.” He holds a Bachelor of Music Education from The Crane School of Music at Potsdam College, and a Masters of Music Education, Choral Conducting from The Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford. “A cappella is something I’ve been involved with” Glodich said, “and I wanted to bring it here and expose them to a new art form.”

The Key Elements sing a variety of songs, from pop to 80s-themed. A cappella is music with only vocals, unaccompanied by instruments. However, the singers sometimes use their voices to imitate instruments, as in beat boxing. They also harmonize their voices frequently. A cappella groups are common in high schools and colleges. The longest continuously singing group is The Whiffenpoofs of Yale University, which was formed in 1909 and once included Cole Porter as a member.

The Key Elements includes students from seventh to 12th grade, and right now it has 21 members. Three senior girls in the group said it is like “a big family.” It performs in school concerts as well as many other places and the Sullivan County a cappella night that Glodich started. This past week it went to the Highland Senior Center to sing Christmas songs. At the recent holiday school concert, the group sang “Chandelier” by Sia, “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square,” a romantic British popular song written in 1939, and “Happy” by Pharrell Williams.

They are all very excited at the possibility of performing at Carnegie Hall. “It’s very prestigious; we’re very lucky to have gotten in,” said Elena Mir, a senior. The concert takes place on March 29, with a weekend residency starting on Thursday, March 26, when they will rehearse. The trip will be expensive and they are still raising money for it. So far they have done many fundraisers and they have a Go Fund Me page where people can donate. As of press time they raised $963 of the $1,500 goal. To learn more and to make a donation, go to www.gofundme.com/KeyElementsToCarnegieHall. “We want to make sure everyone that wants to go can, because it’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing,” said Key Elements President Kayla Carcone.

All the members of The Key Elements sang their praises for Glodich. “He’s the best; he is fun to be around. He does his job but he has fun and he makes other people have fun,” said seventh-grader Kailee Mohan. “He gives us confidence,” Mir said. And Paige Spradling, seventh grade, said of The Key Elements, “I used to be really shy, but this helped me.” The senior girls, who are also in chorus and the school musicals, said Glodich wrote them letters of recommendations for college. “He knows us better than we know ourselves,” said Krissy Morgan.

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here