2023 Awards

Garden City Friends of Music

The past few months have seen our music students wrap up their musical journeys with Wonka, Finding Nemo, Grease and Mean Girls and Stewart Schools performance with the Gilbert & Sullivan Troupe for Pirates of Penzance! As such, it seems a fitting time to celebrate the long awaited 2023 OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC AWARDS for 5th and 8th grades!

 Meet our 2023 5th and 8th grade winners:

GARDEN CITY MIDDLE SCHOOL

Rebecca Chau

Outstanding Achievement in Band

Rebecca began playing the flute in fourth grade with the band at Stewart School and continued at Garden City Middle School. Rebecca has developed a passion for the flute and also began playing piccolo in sixth grade. She has completed NYSSMA level 6 solos on both instruments and was selected for All-County in 2023. Rebecca was also honored to receive the NMEA Scholarship to the Pierrot Chamber Music Festival in 2022. Rebecca would like to thank Ms. Iovino and Ms. DeMarco for all the support and guidance they have given her throughout middle school. She looks forward to continuing her musical journey in high school.

Edward McCoyd

Outstanding Achievement in Orchestra

Eddie McCoyd started playing violin in 4th grade, and he received the Outstanding Achievement in Orchestra award at Stewart School in 5th grade. He has been the concert master for the Garden City Middle School (GCMS) orchestra this school year. He has participated in the NYSSMA Festival, played in Nassau’s All County Festival, and was selected to perform in the Long Island String Festival in 2020. He is currently a member of the Youth Symphonic Orchestra and the Elite Symphonic Orchestra of the Children’s Orchestra Society (COS). He performed with COS at Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center twice and will perform at Carnegie Hall this summer at the Voices Together: An International Youth Choral Festival. Eddie received the COS Dorothy and Harry Horowitz Scholarship Award and ESE High Honor Roll certificate this school year, recognizing his exemplary musicianship, hard work, and orchestral progress. Eddie also plays piano, and sings. Last year, he performed the role of the Baker in the GCMS production of the musical Into the Woods. 

Olivia Vendetti

Outstanding Achievement in Vocal Music:

Olivia Vendetti is a rising ninth grader at Garden City High School. She enjoys acting, singing, dancing, and playing both piano and guitar. Olivia has participated in the NYSSMA festival for the past few years, and her scores have earned her a spot on the 2023 All Nassau County Chorus. She has been in numerous musicals including Into the Woods Jr.(Cinderella), Descendants the Musical (Mal), Newsies Jr. (Race), The Lion King Kids (Shenzi), and many more. She has been dancing competitively for 7 years, regularly attending highly competitive local competitions and often receiving invitations to Nationals. Outside of the arts, Olivia is a member of the GCHS Varsity Kickline Team and she also enjoys tennis, reading, and surfing.

STEWART SCHOOL

Emmett Owens

Outstanding Achievement in Band

Emmett Owens is a 6th Grader in Garden City Middle School, where he is a member of the 6th grade Band, the AM Jazz and the Late Night Jazz Ensembles, under music teachers Ms. DeMarco and Ms. Iovino. He enjoys playing the trumpet and studies privately with Damien Pacheco. Emmett also plays electric guitar and loves music of all styles, especially rock and jazz. He is thankful for all of the Garden City music teachers who help nurture his love of music.

William McCoyd

Outstanding Achievement in Orchestra

William McCoyd is a cellist who recently finished 5th grade. He started playing with the Stewart School orchestra two years ago. He participated in the NYSSMA festival last year and performed in the 2022 All County Music Festival and the 2023 Long Island String Festival Association’s annual concert. He is currently a member of the Sinfonia Orchestra of the Children’s Orchestra Society (COS), in which he has performed at Adelphi University’s Performing Arts Center and the Madison Theatre at Molloy University. He also plays piano, and his original cello composition titled “My Inner Voice” won third place at the Garden City PTA Reflections this year.

Caitlin O’Mullan

Outstanding Achievement in Vocal Music

Caitlin O’Mullan has loved singing since she was a little girl, whether it be in the car or while performing a duet with her friend Leyla at the Garden City Library summer talent show. This year, at Stewart School, she was thrilled to perform the role of Dorothy in the 5th grade production of “The Wizard of Oz” under the direction of Mrs. Meredith Lavin. She also played the clarinet in the Stewart School band, led by band director Mr. Brandon Psenicka. Caitlin participated in NYSSMA for both vocal music and clarinet this spring. She is looking forward to continuing her musical journey at the Garden City Middle School! Caitlin would especially like to thank Mrs. Lavin for her dedication and positive influence.

STRATFORD SCHOOL

Zoey Baebler

Outstanding Achievement in Band

Zoey Baebler is a 6th grader at GC Middle School.  She has been playing the flute since 2021 and is continuing her music education both at the Middle School and privately.  Zoey participated in last year’s NYSSMA festival and is looking forward to this year’s event. She truly enjoys playing the flute and performing. In addition to her love for music, Zoey dances at a competitive level and plays softball. She is honored to have received the Garden City Friends of Music award at Stratford School. 

Avery Xiao

Outstanding Achievement in Orchestra

Avery Xiao began studying the violin under the guidance of Ella Hefeits in 3rd grade. In Stratford Elementary school she has been first chair in both fourth grade and fifth in orchestra. She did NYSSMA and got a full score this year in fifth grade. In her NYSSMA last year she got a good score so because of it she got to All County and LISFA. Lately she auditioned for the pre-college program at Manhattan School of Music and made it in. She had support for violin from her older sister Amy Xiao, her parents, and her orchestra teacher Melanie Kenyon for helping build up her confidence

Grace Volpe

Outstanding Achievement in Vocal Music

Grace Volpe has been singing for as long as anyone can remember, but she began her formal journey with vocal lessons beginning at age 7.  She has performed in five musicals to date: as narrator in Beauty and the Beast Junior, as Queen Iduna in Frozen Junior, as a soloist in two musical cabarets and most recently as Jasmine in Aladdin. This year, Grace was also a member of Stratford Elementary’s 5th grade select chorus. 

Grace loves being on a stage and performing for an audience and can’t wait to participate in Garden City Middle School’s chorus and theater programs. She would like to thank her music teacher, Mr. Byrne, for being such an incredible mentor and her family for all of their unwavering support. She hopes to see you from a Broadway stage one day soon! 

Garden City Friends of Music’s mission is to support music education and encourage the development of music skills in our children. Our annual membership drive and fundraisers enable us to make grants to Garden City schools to supplement and enhance the music programs. To support our efforts, please consider donating online: http://gcfriendsofmusic.org/donations/membership/

In addition to the Garden City Friends of Music scholarship award given to a graduating senior every year, students in fifth, eighth, and twelfth grades are recognized for outstanding achievement in the categories of Band, Orchestra, Vocal Music, and Music in Our Lives. Stay tuned in the summer for the 2024 winners!