Start spreading the news: Lee County music students heading to New York City in March

Dave Osborn, Fort Myers News-Press
·1 min read
About 85 students from six Lee County high school orchestras will travel to New York City from March 14-17 for a clinic with members of the New York Philharmonic, a performance at St. Paul’s Cathedral, and to attend various concerts including a stop at Carnegie Hall.
About 85 students from six Lee County high school orchestras will travel to New York City from March 14-17 for a clinic with members of the New York Philharmonic, a performance at St. Paul’s Cathedral, and to attend various concerts including a stop at Carnegie Hall.

Start spreading the news: A group of Lee County music students will head to New York City this month.

About 85 students from six high school orchestras (Cypress Lake, North, Bonita, Gateway, Fort Myers and South) have been preparing for a unique field trip just before spring break.

They’re visiting New York City from March 14-17 for a clinic with members of the New York Philharmonic, a performance at St. Paul’s Cathedral and will attend various high-level performances including a concert at Carnegie Hall.

Their final rehearsal is 7 p.m. Monday, March 11, at North Fort Myers High before they head to the Big Apple. The rehearsal is open to the public.

In addition to the music part of their trip, students will visit the American Museum of Natural History and take in a Broadway show or two.

"We're excited to enrich the students both musically as well as culturally," said Kayla Lisa, strings director at Cypress Lake High School Center For The Arts.

The trip originally was scheduled for the music students to visit Washington, D.C., in 2020 but the COVID-19 Pandemic canceled it.

About 85 students from six Lee County high school orchestras will travel to New York City from March 14-17 for a clinic with members of the New York Philharmonic, a performance at St. Paul’s Cathedral, and to attend various concerts including a stop at Carnegie Hall.
About 85 students from six Lee County high school orchestras will travel to New York City from March 14-17 for a clinic with members of the New York Philharmonic, a performance at St. Paul’s Cathedral, and to attend various concerts including a stop at Carnegie Hall.

"We want to show our community that strings are alive and well in Lee County and that we are better together," Lisa said. "It allows the students to get a chance to meet other musicians across the district. It gives us a chance to work together for a common goal.

What we know: How did Lee schools perform in this year's state assessment?

"Overall, we want this experience to be enriching. There are some students who've never left our county before, never left the state. We want to give them that excitement and that independence."

The help defray costs of the New York trip, contact Kayla Lisa at kaylacl@leeschools.net or send a check written to “JS BACH” (the booster association helping to fund the trip.) Attn: Kayla Lisa 6740 Panther Lane, Fort Myers, FL 33919

Dave Osborn, who played the clarinet in middle school, is the regional features editor of the Naples Daily News and News-Press. Follow him on Instagram and Threads @lacrossewriter and on X (formerly Twitter) @NDN_dosborn.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Lee County music students heading to New York City in March