Twelve Blendon students got to work with Dr. Andrea Ramsey at the Columbus Children’s Choir Festival.
This past Saturday, twelve 7th and 8th grade Blendon Choir students attended the sixth annual Columbus Children’s Choir Festival with their director, Chelsey Campbell. Pupils prepared four pieces of music on their own prior to attending the festival, where they combined their voices with other singers all across Ohio, as well as Columbus Children’s Choir’s acclaimed New World Singers. Students spent their entire Saturday working with composer, conductor, and pedagogue, Dr. Andrea Ramsey. Dr. Ramsey, hailing from Arkansas, has more than 100 works to her credit, and has also served as a professor of Music Education at The Ohio State University and the University of Colorado. The day concluded with a performance for the community to present their work. “It was an incredibly rare experience for middle school singers to be rehearsed and conducted by the actual composer of the music on the concert,” said Campbell. “These students made beautiful music together this weekend by working together for a common goal, investing in the music mentally and emotionally, growing in their knowledge, and of course, by having fun. They represented Blendon Middle School with pride and confidence.” Student participants were Kathryn Cohen, Madison Banks, Nicole Fernandes, Teresa Ramos, Olivia Wheeler, Ava Kellar, Corissa Regner, Megan Hamlin, Haley Wellman, Corinne Femia, Riley Bannister, and Tiwonge Thewu.