Cocoa High School chorus to perform at Carnegie Hall

Students to sing at Sept. 11 memorial service

COCOA, Fla. – The Cocoa High School chorus is preparing for the performance of a lifetime at Carnegie Hall.

The chorus has been invited to represent Florida at the 2019 "Fall Sing: Remembering 9/11" in October.

"Many of my students have never been on an airplane. Lots of them have never been out of Brevard County," said Dr. Misty Martinez, the chorus director.

The per-person cost for the trip is $1,500 for 50 students and six chaperones. Martinez said the students have at least two fundraising events per month, including a series of community concerts.

"This is a really big deal. The best musicians go to Carnegie Hall, and for us to go there is a huge honor. We have to raise a lot of money to go and we want to have a great time, so we need all the support we can get," junior Jayda Wilson said.

Senior Destinee Battle said not only is the event a life-changing trip, but chorus has changed her life.

"When I first started ninth grade, I was shy, and Dr. Martinez worked on me as a group with everyone else and one on one. And now, I've broken out of my shell and I feel so honored to know her," Battle said.

Martinez said most her students weren't alive when the Sept. 11 terror attacks happened, but it's important for them to experience history.

"And to know that you get to sing for those people -- sing for the lost lives, sing for something bigger than yourself, it's just an incredible thought. Yeah, they'll be changed forever," she said.

If you'd like to donate to their trip, visit their GoFundMe page.

 


About the Author:

Julie Broughton's career in Central Florida has spanned more than 14 years, starting with News 6 as a meteorologist and now anchoring newscasts.

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