Peters Township Students
Shine on Stage at
Carnegie Hall
PE TE RS TOWN SH I P S C HOO L D IS TRI C T NE WS
eters Township
F
or most students, performing on
their high school stage in front of
friends and family is as good as it gets for
these amateur performers. This spring,
however, Peters Township High School
students kicked things up a notch and
traveled to New York City to sing on stage
at Carnegie Hall.
Under the direction of teacher and choral director Ryan Perrotte, 28 students from
the school’s Rowdy Rhythm acapella group made the trip of a
lifetime to the famed stage as part of the Total Vocal Show produced by
Students Performing
Deke Sharon, the nationally known singer, composer and producer of the
at Carnegie Hall:
Pitch Perfect movies.
Emily Beinhauer
It was Sharon himself who invited the students after seeing their
Michaela Bieda
entry in the Macy’s Acapella Challenge earlier this year and videos of
Jake Dabkowski
the group’s performance last summer at Consol Energy Center with the
Lexi DeLucia
Barbershop Harmony Society. Sharon contacted Perrotte and said he
Abbey Donina
wanted them in New York for his show.
Mason Dowd
In all, 28 students made the trip that included not only the Carnegie
Jacob Dumas
Hall performance, but also a chance to see “Finding Neverland,” on
Cory Ensle
Broadway and a behind-the-scenes tour of Radio City Music Hall in
between rehearsals for the March 20th show.
Madison Johnson
“The students worked with music professionals of the highest caliber,”
Riley Kelly
said Perrotte. “This really was the opportunity of a lifetime.”
Emily Koerbel
Students had the opportunity to meet and talk with Sharon who
Abby Mackay
shared his career failures and triumphs on his way to success. Sharon
Patrick Manning
described acapella as a family, and made personal connections with
Cole McGlumphy
many of the students, offering guidance if they needed it down the road.
Chloe Mesogitis
But Perrotte was quick to point out that while this trip may seem like
Charlie Meyers
they have reached the top for this program, he has great plans for the
Kayley Morrow
future and there is much excitement ahead.
Olivia Nix
“The connections we all made in New York were just as impressive as
Ariana Ranallo
the performances, I’m excited to see where this takes our program in the
Zachary Rothhaar
future,” he added.
Hannah Salley
He has already been in discussion with the District’s chorus teachers
Chad Spencer
at both the Middle School and McMurray Elementary to talk about what
acapella can look like for students in grades 4-8. Building this program
Bennett Spernak
will also include a new acapella class among the course offerings at the
Hannah Taylor
High School next fall that has sparked the interest of many students as
Anna Traumiller
they schedule for the next school year.
Mary Waigand
“Having the chance to work with the best, can sometimes be just as
Jaydon Whisker
great as actually being the best in many ways,” Perrotte explained. “We’ll
Erin Wipperman
just keep getting better. We’re building on from here.”
96 Peters Township
Media Students
Earn Recognition
for Total Vocal
Promotion Video
Distinguished Concerts
International New York City (DCINY),
sponsors of the Total Vocal Show,
have named Peters Township has
the winner of the “Best Video” for
the social media and promotional
competition.
The contest challenged schools
to produce a fun and engaging video
detailing their preparation for the
Carnegie Hall performance. A group
of students from the Peters Township
Media Team, led by junior Meah
Watson and senior Reilly McGlumphy,
eagerly accepted the challenge,
having already worked with Rowdy
Rhythm on their entry into the Macy’s
Challenge this fall.
“The students at Peter Township
High School received this distinction
because of their obvious dedication,
technical skills and high level of
creativity demonstrated by their final
product,” said Andrea Macy, Associate
Director of Marketing, Box Office and
Promotion for DCINY.
As the winning school, Peters
Township will receive a printed photo
from the concert and a Total Vocal
2016 poster, signed by Deke Sharon,
The Filharmonic, Andrew Fitzpatrick,
and featured artists from the show.
You can see the video on YouTube
at: https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=-VOaK8zOamY