There’s an old joke in show business: “How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice.” But practice has been no joke for Bemidji High School’s A Capella Choir, as they have been selected to perform at the historic New York City concert hall.

“We have worked, really, really, really, hard,” explained Bemidji High School A Capella Choir alto Helen Bartlett. “It’s been my dream to sing at Carnegie Hall since I was a really little kid, so having this opportunity as a teenager is insane to me.”

“It’s a huge deal, especially considering that we’re all, you know, young,” said Bemidji High School A Capella Choir alto Chloe Luce. “That’s a huge, huge deal, you know, being this young and being able to venture so far.”

The performance is set to take place Mar. 11 and will feature six other choirs from across the United States coming together for one larger-than-life concert.

“Besides just performing, we are doing workshops with certain artists and certain directors that will help us out, and we’ll gain a lot of experience, a lot of knowledge, from this trip,” explained Bemidji High School A Capella Choir bass Aidan Larson.

Naturally, this trip will require a significant amount of funding, which the choir is seeking to obtain through fundraising efforts and community support.

“The kids have their usual fundraiser of selling the music coupon books that we sell,” said Bemidji High School Director of Choral Music Chris Fettig. “And a lot of businesses and organizations have stepped up already in a big way, you know, to help make this affordable to the kids.”

The choir will also have two concerts before the Carnegie Hall performance, where the public will have an opportunity to donate towards this unforgettable experience.

“It is such an honor to be able to go,” added Bartlett, “We’re the only choir in the state of Minnesota that was asked to do this, and as a senior, it’s really, really exciting for that performance to be the highlight of my senior year.”

“That’s a huge opportunity that not a lot of people have.” said Luce. “And I think that’s like, mind-blowing.”

The A Capella Choir will be holding a holiday concert on Dec. 19 as well as a send-off concert set to take place on Feb. 7. Both performances will offer opportunities for people to donate to the Carnegie Hall trip.

By — Justin Othoudt