The Archbishop Carroll music department is celebrating as 12 of its students were welcomed into the 2024 All-Catholic Chorus, Concert Band, Jazz Band, and Orchestra.

The winners will participate in an All-Catholic three-day musical festival held every year for selected students to show off their musical capabilities. This year it will take place on Feb. 1-3.

Each of the four ensembles have their own festivals that occur at an archdiocesan or private Catholic high school in the Philadelphia area. Carroll is one of 26 Catholic high schools that participates in this event.

A banquet is also held during the festivals to honor the students. Certificates are awarded for participating in the event. Students who participate in All-Catholic during all four years of high school receive a special award.

Auditions for the All-Catholic Chorus were held on Dec 4 at Conwell-Egan High School. Auditions for the All-Catholic concert band, jazz band, and orchestra were held on Dec. 6 at Archbishop Wood High School.

The students accepted into All-Catholic Chorus were sophomore Katherine Buentello, junior Kadin Kingston, sophomore Emilia Menna and sophomore Macie Schundler.

The students in the All-Catholic Concert Band were sophomore Francis Pham, junior Adelina D’Achille, junior An Vu, senior Sean Goodridge, junior Kadin Kingston, junior Rameer Woods and sophomore Joseph Zanoni.

The students accepted into the All-Catholic Jazz Band were junior Kadin Kingston, junior Rameer Woods and senior Alexander Rosen.

The students accepted into the All-Catholic Orchestra were junior Kadin Kingston and senior Gabriella Breault.

“It’s such a great opportunity,” said Woods. “I’m excited to participate this year.”

Vu agreed.

“I practice music all the time in and out of school, so it’s nice that I get to use my talents on an even greater level,” said Vu.

Students are invited to apply at the beginning of the school year and start to practice during their lunch periods. Carroll has a lot of opportunities to help them with their musical and vocal talents. The music department is always available and has space for students to practice. Carroll also registered with the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) to provide educational opportunities for students.

Miss Suzanne Carpenter, a music teacher at Carroll, says that Carroll has a lot of resources for students, especially the support of fellow musicians.

“Musicians often work together to learn their parts and support one another during the process,” said Miss Carpenter. “PMEA is also a wonderful resource that many students use together to become more knowledgeable in their musical skills.”