Celia Cruz Bronx High School Big Band Performs at WNYC

Essentially Ellington Festival Preview

• 🎶 The Celia Cruz Bronx High School of Music big band was selected to compete in the annual Jazz at Lincoln Center Essentially Ellington Festival.
• 🌍 This year marked the festival's thirtieth anniversary, expanding applications globally to include bands from Australia, Japan, and Spain.
• 🎙️ The students performed live in the WNYC studio as a preview of the festival, showcasing their talent and excitement.

Studio Performance and Logistics

• ⏰ The band arrived early for a three-hour setup before their performance, highlighting the significant effort involved.
• 🎧 WNYC engineers Irene and George were instrumental in ensuring the performance sounded great on the radio.
• 👨‍🎤 The broadcast was a rebroadcast, giving the segment another chance to be shared due to the extensive effort and the band's talent.

Musical Selections

• 🎷 The band performed their rendition of "I Didn't Know About You", a piece celebrating Duke Ellington's music.
• 🌟 The performance was a unique opportunity for the high school students to play live on WNYC, a rare experience for teenagers.
• 🎸 A personal note: the guitarist in the band was the cousin of one of the WNYC producers, adding an extra layer of connection to the event.