Long Beach High School and Middle School performance groups participated in the 2015 NYSSMA Majors Festival, held at Hofstra University and Mineola High School. The high school took top honors, with the symphonic choir and wind ensemble receiving Level 6 Gold and Level 5 Gold ratings, respectively. The concert band and jazz lab band received silver distinctions.
At the middle school level, the sixth-grade orchestra and seventh-grade band received gold honors, as did the sixth-grade band in its first NYSSMA appearance. The middle school wind ensemble, eighth-grade orchestra, eighth-grade band, middle school jazz band and Middle School Singers received silver honors.
In other music news, high school junior Jonathan Kapilian was selected as a member of the All-National Honor Ensembles Mixed Choir for Tenor 1 and will have the opportunity to perform at the historic Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee.
Art students from the middle and high school are helping to beautify areas in the community. A board featuring the work of high school students will be showcased at Pie Craft in July, and talented middle school artists created a “Vanilla Wall” mural for permanent placement outside of Synergy Gym. Middle school students also dedicated artwork to the Long Beach Food and Friendship Inn, and created a mural inspired by Brazilian artist Romero Britto for display at the Long Beach Recreation Center.