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Young Musicians Join Central Jersey Music Honors Festivals

For the first time in Ranney's history, elementary students will participate in the CJMEA's Honors orchestra, band and chorus.
Updated April 15, 2016

A large group of young Ranney musicians have the unique opportunity to be part of the Central Jersey Music Educators Association’s 2016 Elementary Honors Festivals, taking place this spring. CJMEA provides a wonderful opportunity for children to participate in a full-instrumentation string orchestra, as well as a large band and chorus, while also meeting children from other schools with a shared interest in music.
 
Ranney Lower School string players in grades 4 and 5 auditioned for the Elementary Honors Orchestra in March by performing: In the Bleak Midwinter - PART A; Swallowtail Jig - Part A (D Major, Compound Meter, hooked bowing, form); Song for Maria (D Major, anacrusis, slurs, 4th finger); Variations on a Familiar Song (G Major, C natural, slurs, form), and Scales. After a successful audition, the following students were accepted into the 2016 CJMEA Elementary Honors Orchestra:
 
Ashley Ajello, Grade 5
Lindsay Berliner, Grade 4
Mason Bindler, Grade 4
Angelina Emma, Grade 5
Rowan Johnson, Grade 5
Hamin Kim, Grade 5
Dylan Oster, Grade 4 
Kiri Patient, Grade 5
Emilia Redman, Grade 5
Riya Sikand, Grade 4 
Adele Sobieski, Grade 5
Jason Woska, Grade 4
Balkan Yildirim, Grade 4
 
T​hese young string players traveled to East Brunswick High School to perform on April 9, 2016, alongside their peers representing more than a dozen other elementary school string programs. Students performed in three orchestras (Red, White and Blue). First on stage was the Red Orchestra with Riya Sikand '24 in the cello section performing Miniature Symphony by Richard Meyer and Simple Square Dance by Dorothy A. Straub. Next, the White Orchestra took the stage with Mason Bindler '24 in first violins and Dylan Oster '24 in second.  They performed Medieval Kinds by Soon Hee Newbold, Ode to Joy by Beethoven, arr. by John Caponegro, and Clog Dance by Elliot Del Borgo. The concert ended with the Blue Orchestra with Adele Sobieski '23 in first violins, Angie Emma '23 in second, Ashley Ajello '23, Emilia Redman '23, Hamin Kim '23 and Kiri Patient '23 in the viola section, Rowan Johnson '23 and Balakn Yildirim '24 in the cello section and Jason Woska '24in the bass section. They performed the most challenging pieces, including Humoresque by Dvorak, arr. by Robert Longfield, Linus and Lucy by Vince Guaraldi, arr. by Robert Longfield, and Symphony No. 40 by Mozart, arr. by John Caponegro.
 
In addition, for the third year in a row, CJMEA has extended an invitation to Ranney’s All-Division Orchestra Director Dr. Dorothy Sobieski to conduct one of the Elementary Honors Orchestra ensembles.  
 
Mr. John Propper’s Lower School Band students will participate in the CJMEA Elementary Honors Band Festival on April 16, 2016 at Carl Sandburg Middle School. Ankush Govil, Grade 5 (Alto Saxophone), Akshay Mann, Grade 5 (Percussion) and James Crowley, Grade 4 (Trumpet) were nominated based on their progress in band class. This is the first time in Ranney history that students will participate in the CJMEA Elementary Honors Band.   
 
Last but not least, Ms. Lisa Geene’s Lower School choral students and Mrs. Lillianne Torrente’s sixth-grade choral students held auditions internally for the CJMEA Honors Treble Chorus. Fourth-graders Katie Bauer, Lily Aspen, Starlette Dettro, Araiya Casriel as well as sixth-graders Gabriela Cohen and Maya Jacoby were all accepted! “This is a wonderful opportunity for young singers to perform with other talented students from around the region and meet with children from other schools who share an interest in music,” says Music Teacher Lisa Geene. This is the first year that Ranney School will be participating in the choral event, taking place on May 21 at Edison High School. 
 
“We have full representation in the CJMEA honors ensembles for the first time in Ranney history,” says Dr. Sobieski. ““I am very proud of all our students who have worked hard and now are looking forward to proudly representing the Ranney music program this spring.”
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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. 

We envision Ranney School as a nurturing learning community, in which families, faculty, alumni, and all of Ranney’s constituents collaborate to know and value every child, foster individual talents, sustain powerful connections between children and adults, and graduate resilient, globally-minded citizens.