THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, May 18, 1995 TAG: 9505180255
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 08 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK ROBERTS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Short : 50 lines
After brainstorming, four Lakeland High School freshmen settled on a romantic name for their woodwinds quartet: Rhapsody Breeze.
Sara Hightower, Jenna Luisi, Mary Beth Brinkley and Ashley Gunter have been close friends since kindergarten days at Kilby Shores Elementary School, through Forest Glen Middle School and now at Lakeland.
She and Jenna play clarinet, Mary Beth plays alto sax, and Ashley is the flutist. They also play other instruments, but as Rhapsody Breeze, they are concentrating on those woodwinds.
Their range: religious music, pop ballads, Disney and classical. They will perform at 3 p.m. Sunday at Lakeland High School to honor volunteers in Suffolk public schools.
``We've played at all our churches and for groups of people like sororities,'' Sara said. ``And, we play for receptions.''
The girls were all in the talented music program in grade school. They are all honor students, all are in the school band, three of the girls are members of the Blue Wave Marching Band and all of the girls' mothers are involved in education.
Sara's mother, Sandy, is a Churchland Primary School kindergarten teacher; Jenna's mother, Debbie, teaches second grade at Kilby Shores; Ashley's mother, Karen, teaches at The Children's Center; and Mary Beth's mother, Janet, is an adult education instructor at Planters Peanuts.
One thing the girls do not have in common are life goals.
Jenna, the only one interested in music as a profession, wants to play with a symphony orchestra.
Sara wants to be a lawyer or doctor; Ashley is interested in becoming a nurse practitioner or physical therapist; and Mary Beth hopes to be a teacher.
``People are surprised that we're in the ninth grade and playing this kind of music,'' Mary Beth said. MEMO: To contact Rhapsody Breeze, call 539-8652.
ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by JOHN H. SHEALLY II
The Rhapsody Breeze quartet is made up of Lakeland High freshmen.
They are, left to right, Ashley Gunter, Sara Hightower, Mary Beth
Brinkley and Jenna Luisi.
by CNB