ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, July 4, 1996 TAG: 9607050111
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: N4 EDITION: HOLIDAY
SOURCE: NANCY GLEINER STAFF WRITER
In the old joke, a guy carrying a violin case asks the New York cab driver: ``How do you get to Carnegie Hall?'' The reply is, ``Practice, practice, practice.''
But Northside Middle School band director Greg Denton and 103 of his students not only didn't practice for their recent performance at the world-famous music hall, they didn't even bring their instruments.
On their spring trip to New York City, the group took an unscheduled tour of the hall. They must have been on their best behavior - their tour guide was impressed and asked Denton if the students would like to perform - to sing, actually - in the great hall. This was an uncommon addition to the tour.
The stage was being prepared for the evening's performance, so the group gathered in front, as close to the stage as they could get.
It was hardly a packed house, with mostly stage hands putting out chairs and maintenance workers in the rafters making up an impromptu audience.
But they were given the chance to perform.
``Whoa! What a great thrill,'' was Denton's initial reaction, quickly followed by, ``Uh-oh, we're a band, not a chorus. What do we sing?''
Denton settled on the national anthem, and the musicians did their best.
``It was like a lifelong dream,'' Denton said. ``I finally made it to the big time.''
``We got a chance a lot of people, even professionals, don't get,'' said Richard Hardy, a seventh-grader. For him, the performance held great significance. The gold tuba Hardy wears around his neck is a sign he hopes to play the instrument and be involved in music forever.
Erika Davis had heard of Carnegie Hall, but didn't realize it would be so huge, ``soooo pretty.'' The seventh-grade clarinet player wants to make a career of music, and knows the real impact of the performance will come when she's older and can say, as she put it, ``Oh, my gosh, I got to sing at Carnegie Hall.''
``I knew that hardly any kids my age were given a chance to perform there,'' said Melvin Harper, an eighth-grade tenor saxophone and clarinet player. ``I knew most of the great people who perform played there. It was cool, the best part of the trip.''
After the perfect acoustics and elaborate trappings of the great hall, the band members lunched at a more contemporary setting - The Hard Rock Cafe.
``I know some of the kids knew how special singing in Carnegie Hall was,'' Denton said. ``For those who didn't, I told them, `Someday, you'll understand.'''
For Denton, it will certainly look good on his resume.
LENGTH: Medium: 54 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: WAYNE DEEL STAFF Greg Denton directs the Northsideby CNBMiddle School band in voice at New York's Carnegie Hall. color