Pearl River Earns High Marks at Music in the Parks

Not all of the competition was friendly for the Pearl River High School Jazz Choir and Women's Glee Club in Hershey Park's annual Music in the Parks competition.

The Pearl River students shared a warm-up room with groups from other schools. Some of them laughed when they saw the jazz choir's costumes and choreography.

The Pearl River groups proved once again to be nothing to laugh at, with the Jazz Choir and Women's Glee Club both winning their divisions and the Women's Glee Club taking first place among all divisions for high school choirs.

"A lot of them said when they were leaving, 'I wish we did that," said Pearl River High School teacher Shareen Way, who is the director for both clubs. "They were sincere. In the end, we probably won them over."

It was the second consecutive year both groups won their divisions in the competition.

"We prepared for it for a lot of our practices that we have," said sophomore Dominique Carrieri, who is in both groups. "We were all looking forward to it. It gives us a chance to get out of the district and show other places our talent."

"And it's Hershey Park," junior Amelia Marino added, smiling.

The students who took part in each group on the trip were as follows.

• Jazz Choir -- George Delgrosso, Jack McKenna, Brian Campbell, Peter Mills, Amelia Marino, Sarah Sharrin, Shannon Quinlivan, Kim O’Toole, Dominique Carrieri, Alex Mormile, Jean Beckerle, Cristelle Sens-Castet, Joanna McIntyre, Prima Bautista, Jillian Gilbride
• Women’s Glee Club -Amelia Marino, Sarah Sharrin, Shannon Quinlivan, Kim O’Toole, Dominique Carrieri, Alex Mormile, Jean Beckerle, Cristelle Sens-Castet, Joanna McIntyre, Prima Bautista, Megan McDonough, Zoe Hraska, Helen Schneider, Caitlin Pendleton

There are 10 students who are part of both groups and the connections among the members is one of the reasons they enjoy the trip.

"I look forward to going on the rides," said Marino, who was also part of the group that went last year. "The whole environment is great. Having all your friends around. We're really close, not just as a choir, but as friends. It's a lot of fun."

"We were excited," Carrieri said. "We are all pretty close as a choir. We always have fun wherever we go. On the whole trip up, we sing. On the whole trip back, we sing. We're one of those choirs that never stop singing."

Four members present backed up that claim by performing for Patch. Check out the video clip with this article for a sample.

"It's their outlet, so they really pour themselves into it," Way said. "It's the right group of kids, but it is also their chance to shine. Every chance they get to perform, they take advantage of it."

They did the entire trip in a day, riding out early in the morning. The competition is spread among sites all around Hershey. Pearl River's groups were at the Emmanuel United Methodist Church in Annville-Cleona, PA. They competed against groups form Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

"For each site, they have the best in division, which is your type of singing," Way said. "Then they have best overall. It's sort of like a beauty contest. You ahve your age group and you have one overall (winner)."

The trip made for an interesting challenge for Way, who is pregnant and due at the end of July.

"My ankles were swollen," Way said. "The bus trip, I had to sit and not change positions much."

Way brings her training in music and her own experience as a performer to her work as Pearl River's music department. In addition to working with the Jazz Choir and Women's Glee Club, she is the choral instructor and co-director of The Modulators, an a cappella choir. Way is an active performer with a semi-professional a cappella group out of Vernon, NJ called Zephyr and with the Hudson Lyric Opera.

"(Zephyr) is so great," Way said. "A lot of music teachers who are really good singers got together and decided they would forma  choir. It is all a cappella music. That means no piano. It is classical music, but also lighter stuff like the Mission: Impossible theme.

"I would say that definitely influences what I do with the kids. Not only repertoire-wise, but style-wise. I definitely have a lot more to share with the kids having done it in my own groups."