CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Many musicians around the world hope to visit Carnegie Hall in New York City – some even dream of performing on that iconic stage.
That dream is becoming a reality for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wind ensemble.
Thursday we take you behind-the-scenes of their preparation.
Madi Coffey started playing the clarinet ten years ago thanks to a casual suggestion.
“I had a friend who was a couple grades older than me, and she was like, ‘I play the clarinet, you should play too,’ and I was like, ‘okay,’ and then I just did and stuck with it.”
Now, Madi and 58 other UTC musicians are taking center stage in New York City’s Carnegie Hall.
The university’s wind ensemble was invited to perform a full concert at the iconic music venue later this month.
Something Madi thought she wouldn’t be able to cross of her bucket list until years down the road…
“It’s something you really don’t think you’d be able to experience until way later on in your career, so being able to do it in college is the most incredible experience.”
Some of these musicians are music majors. Others are studying topics ranging from business to biology.
“Many of them have never been to New York City or Carnegie Hall, so this will be a really eye-opening, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for them,” UTC Head of Music Randall Coleman says.
One of the concert pieces will feature the principal trombonist of the New York philharmonic.
That means hours of preparation a week…
“This is very much like our super bowl. The students being able to play in one of the most revered concert halls in the world — to play a concert on our own of probably 30/45 minutes worth of music — get to play with the principal trombone of the new york philharmonic. I mean, it just doesn’t get any better than this,” Coleman says.
It’s music that echoes far beyond UTC’s walls.
“We’re representing our university, of course, but our city and our state at this venue, and we’re very excited to do that,” Coleman says.