Granby Memorial High’s music director Mindy Shilansky was stunned when she received notice earlier this year that not one, nor two but four students of her chorus students had been selected to perform at the 2023 National Association for Music Education’s All Eastern Honors Ensemble. The prestigious event was held in Rochester, New York on April 15 and 16, and featured the best high school vocalists and musicians from 11 eastern states.
Nationally acclaimed music professor Jason Max Ferdinand of the University of Maryland, conducted the choir of 224 talented young vocalists. The selection process included auditions and teacher recommendations.
Shilansky said, “It was extraordinary to have four students from one high school be invited to perform, especially considering the last few years of working around a pandemic with virtual concerts and other challenges as well as a lower number of students participating in choir. We’ve only ever had one student invited at a time, so this is an amazing accomplishment.” All the participants in the ensemble had to audition for a spot as part of a competitive process. She continued, “These kids are the best of the best; it’s a huge honor to be selected. It speaks to the perseverance and dedication that they all have.” The four seniors—Cooper Boyd, Christian Cusano, Ezra Holt and Trevor Thompson—are members of the Concert Choir, and Chamber Singers and have performed in the multiple GMHS Coffeehouse shows and GMHS Drama Club musicals.
Granby has always had a lot of musical talent, and Shilansky’s hope is that kids entering the high school will choose to participate in choir. “We’ve been really fortunate with our program because the older more experienced kids help the younger ones, and that helps build a lot of confidence and skill.”
All four young men are graduating seniors, attending college in the fall and all plan to continue to stay involved in chorus. Trevor Thompson stated about the experience, “The way we all instantly connected reminds me of how unifying music can be”. Christian Cusano felt, “It was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life,” and Cooper Boyd said, “I got to create amazing music with people from all over the east coast, a truly special experience.” Ezra Holt summed it up saying, “Working with Dr. Ferdinand and the other students on a professional level and also being able to go to this with three other guys I’ve known most of my life, made it very special.” All four praised Shilansky and said that they could not have achieved such a great honor without her mentorship. Shilansky, who has been a music teacher in Granby for 22 years, is confident the four will be successful in the future. “These boys all have a very high level of vocal skill and musicianship and they’re also great guys. I will miss them.”
