North Jersey Area Band Selects Kinnelon Students

The following was submitted by Kinnelon High School Band Director Ryan Stroud. Have something you want to announce to the community? Upload it here.

The North Jersey Area Band is an Honor Band that auditions and selects students from nearly 50 middle and high schools in northern New Jersey. These selected students are invited to a weeklong festival that culminates in a performance at Mt. Olive High School on Jan. 13. The NJAB has been in existence for 50 years providing outstanding music students with an opportunity to play music at a high level with guest conductors and clinicians. This year, at the high school level, 400 students auditioned for 140 available positions in the band.  

From Kinnelon High School, six students were accepted. Michelle Milone, Alex Graham and Hawkins Gardow were selected to perform in the Symphonic Band (conducted by Kinnelon’s own Bonnie Hendricks). Gabe Goldberg, Matt Zajac and Sudheesha Perera earned high honors, being selected to the NJAB Wind Ensemble. Special congratulations to Matt Zajac and Sudheesha Perera for earning 1st chair overall honors, a tremendous achievement in a highly competitive audition. 

From PRM, nine students were selected for the NJAB Junior High Band; Chris Singer, Julia Ramirez, Kayla Mandel, Hunter Stuart, Anna Rose Collins, Dominique Molee and Tom Dwane.

Special congratulations to Erin Mickey and Robert Dromsky-Reed, who continued the seven-year long tradition of holding a first chair position from PRM.