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Carnegie Hall Brings a Dream to Life For Ranney Performers


View the Carnegie Hall program and the Carnegie Hall Playbill.

“Everywhere in the world, music enhances a hall, with one exception: Carnegie Hall enhances the music.” Those words spoken by Isaac Stern, a violinist once considered one of the great instrumentalists of the 20th century, perfectly summarize the recent performances by Ranney School’s choral groups, bands and orchestras at the renowned Hall in New York City. More than 200 students from all three divisions, Lower, Middle and Upper School—including some newcomers in the 3rd grade who had the thrill of experiencing their first live performance anywhere –took to the stage with confidence and skill at Judy and Arthur Zankel Hall for a remarkable and memorable Sunday winter afternoon of music before a sold-out crowd of family and friends.

“Our collective efforts made that performance possible," said Dr. Lawrence S. Sykoff, Head of Ranney School. “A culture of high expectations, one that rewards children for being thoughtful, innovative, creative and dedicated to learning, bestows upon them timeless memories that last a lifetime. Being part of this dream – from RSPA Panther Hall to Carnegie Hall – has been one of the greatest experiences in my history with our school.” The concert featured rousing performances from Lower, Middle and Upper School Chorus and Orchestras, Lower School Band, Middle School Concert Band and Upper School Jazz Band. Music genres represented the school’s rich and diverse curriculum, ranging from classical, patriotic and contemporary music to pop, rock, jazz and Broadway show tunes and represented months of planning, preparation and practice.

The road to Carnegie Hall, in fact, resulted from years of rapid progress in the performing arts, strategic planning, and parent support of the school’s stellar performing arts faculty that has allowed Ranney students to benefit from a first-rate program. Ranney School’s general music curriculum serves Beginners (age 3) through ninth grade, with music theory, band, orchestra, chorus and drama offered as elective options in grades 10 through 12. The school’s educational philosophy emphasizes that providing a strong foundation in performing arts will not only allow students to experience musical performance with greater understanding, but will also encourage young students to lead musically enriched and inspired lives.

During the afternoon, Dr. Sykoff received the Crystal Star Award from Ranney faculty to symbolize his commitment to music education and to making the dream of Carnegie Hall come true. Tess Nielsen, Director of the Performing Arts Program, said, “In his 20 years of leadership, Dr. Sykoff has remained committed to the vibrancy of cultural life. His abilities in strategic planning and philanthropy have greatly influenced the Performing Arts program. The past five years have marked unprecedented growth. From Ranney Voices 50th Anniversary Concert, to special guest artists Pacific Encore Opera, New York Voices, Atlantic Brass Band, even our annual Holiday Express benefit concert and seemingly countless student performances, so much wonderful music has filled Panther Hall since its doors opened in 2008. And now, 4 ½ years later, we find ourselves at Carnegie Hall!

Within the Performing Arts department are distinguished music educators who specialize in vocal and instrumental music as well as dramatic arts. Mrs. Lisa Geene, Mrs. Lillianne Torrente, and Mrs. Tess Nielsen are the general music and choral specialists in each division, providing the fundamental skills necessary for budding artists to build upon. Dr. Dorothy Sobieski and Mr. Kevin Cotter are instrumental specialists in orchestral strings and concert instrumental music. Mr. John Doyle, Middle and Upper School Drama teacher, oversees the drama curriculum and advises on performing arts concert productions. Together, the performing arts faculty comprise a talented group of professional performers, authors, and sought-after presenters in their field.

Starting early as sixth grade, Ranney students successfully audition for competitive regional and divisional National Association for Music Education (NAfME) Middle School bands and orchestras. Several Ranney students have also been invited to work with MTI Broadway Jr.’s summer training program. This participation has led Ranney students to be honored with prestigious awards including being named Outstanding Award Winners at the Music in the Parks Music Festival and the Jr. Tri-M Music Honors Society winning “Chapter of the Year” and consistently maintaining a spot in the top-three rankings.

Upper School students have also achieved a great deal of success through their commitment and passion for performing arts. Accomplishments include acceptances into the All-Shore, All-Regional and All-State Vocal and Instrumental Ensembles, National Association of Music Education award winners in opera and choral music, Count Basie Theater Awards nominees and winners, acceptances into Two River Theater Metro Scholar and Playback Program, consistent Forensic Award winners at Regional and State Tournaments and being named Gold Award Winners at the Heritage Music Festival. Performing Arts students have also been accepted into respected college music programs including Manhattan School of Music, NYU Clive Davis School of Music Production, Princeton Drama Program, Yale Music Program, NYU Steinhardt School of Music Industry and Drexel School of Music Industry.

Dr. Sykoff expressed that “after many years of seeing what can happen when you dare to dream, I remain deeply thankful for what our school means to children. Carnegie Hall represented yet another opportunity to witness first-hand the meaning of the Ranney experience and the impact that such experiences have on our students. For generations to come, the memories of that day shall never fade but will live on with heartfelt pride.”

Tess NielsenTess Nielsen:"Performing at Carnegie Hall was a great experience! In preparing for the concert, step by step, we came closer to achieving a goal, and students learned a lot from the process. There’s no denying it was a lot of hard work, but playing and singing on a big stage was fun! Kids realize once they get better at music, opportunities will arise for sharing their talent in many ways. I’m just imagining which student will return one day for an encore solo performance when they are grown!"




Kevin CotterKevin Cotter: Ranney School has always been a vehement supporter of the performing arts program in our school community. However, our performance at Carnegie Hall further punctuates the school's commitment to its music students in a meaningful and very public way. We have placed an exclamation point behind our goal to bring the passion and discipline of music to all our students for years to come. I am humbled and honored to have been given this opportunity. I will cherish this once in a lifetime experience with fond memories.




John DoyleJohn Doyle: The performance at Carnegie Hall brought to mind the following lyrics from “Sunset Boulevard”:
The whispered conversations in overcrowded hallways
The atmosphere as thrilling here as always
Feel the early morning madness
Feel the magic in the making
Why, everything's as if we never said goodbye



Lisa GeeneLisa Geene: The Carnegie Hall winter concert was such a wonderful performing experience for my chorus students. They understood the significance of the event and worked hard to prepare for it. Many were nervous before the performance, but once they walked onto the stage felt confident and sang very well. Comments I received from parents included “We know our children are getting a once-in-a-lifetime experience as Ranney students and we are so grateful.”, “They were so confident and poised and were a joy to watch, it was truly a day to be proud of our school.”, “It was a wonderful moment we believe they will always remember.” This was a valuable opportunity for band, orchestra, and choral students and faculty to collaborate across divisions for a shared experience. We appreciate the support of the teachers, administrators, parents, and staff that made this endeavor possible.


Lilliane TorrenteLilliane Torrente: "Students in the MS Chorus were looking forward to performing and anxious to do well. The pressure was great for these young musicians, but I saw them come together and perform beautifully. Sarah Killian, the MS Chorus student accompanist, was making her Carnegie debut not only singing with the group, but accompanying for us on piano, and for a 12-year-old girl playing three songs that night, the pressure was on. I was very proud of how she and other the members of the group (especially MS Chorus soloists Evan Schultz, Carmine Mastrokostas, and Leah Nawy) supported each other and handled the pressure by rising to the occasion. They played and sang most beautifully! I knew they had reached new heights when several parents remarked on their poise, beautiful tones, and wonderful interpretation of difficult choral repertoire. This high praise makes it all worthwhile. Bravo Middle School students!"
 

Dorothy SobieskiDorothy Sobieski: “The moment I stood on Zankel Hall stage, in front of 64 string students from Lower, Middle and Upper Schools, holding my baton in my hand, and looking at the faces of my students beaming with excitement, happiness, readiness, and focus – that moment was simply priceless.  My heart was filled with memories of every single class I taught here at Ranney School since 2008, when I began building our String Program.  My eyes were filled with tears of joy, and pride to see our dream finally come true.  Nothing can ever replace that.”




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Ranney School

235 Hope Road
Tinton Falls, NJ 07724
Tel. 732.542.4777
Our mission is to know and value every child, nurturing intellectual curiosity and confidence, and inspiring students to lead honorably, think creatively, and contribute meaningfully to society.