RAHWAY, NJ — On Monday, March 24, the Rahway High School Performing Arts Department announced that 11 of its students had just been accepted into the prestigious New Jersey Region II Honor Jazz Choir. Never before have so many RHS students been so recognized.
The New Jersey Jazz Choir is overseen and organized by the New Jersey Association for Jazz Education and the New Jersey Music Educators Association.
Rahway’s choir director and performing arts teacher, Robert Van Wyk, on making the announcement, said, “This state-level choir consists of the best student vocalists from Hunterdon, Monmouth, Mercer, Somerset, Middlesex and Union counties. All the students auditioned by singing scales, a jazz standard and an improvised ‘scat’ solo and were evaluated by a team of New Jersey’s music teachers.”
Those recognized RHS students are Mia Point-Du-Jour, Madison Moran, Angelyna Bonilla, Nicole Weathers, Elijah Gonzalez, Jeffrey Lopez, Charles Japheth Ello, Brendan Gilliard, Synsere Hancock, Michael Nieves and Ronald Toth.
Sophomore Hancock, one of the Rahway choir members, said, “I was very glad when I found out that I had gotten in, since the audition process was nerve-wracking. I especially look forward to the upcoming concert.”
That concert will take place in April, with the students performing as part of the ensemble.
Congratulations to the Rahway students, their teachers and all the members of the Rahway High School Performing Arts Department.
Article by David Brighouse.