Sandy High School junior Denali Barrett noted she comes from a musical family, with her parents singing to her since she was young.

But last month, Barrett, who sings with the high school chorus and has taken lesson since she was eight, had the unique experience of singing at Carnegie Hall in New York City as part of the High
School Honors Treble Choir concert.

“I don’t think I had any expectations,” she said. “I knew everybody there was
going to be super talented, so I was looking forward to that. It turned out
really awesome.”

The opportunity arose last summer when she found out about the concert,
produced by WorldStrides, an educational travel and experiences organization
that offers a number of programs, including in the performing arts. Barrett,
17, recorded her audition, sent it off and found out a month later that she was
selected, noting that just 1,400 singers out of 15,000 made the cut.

“It's kind of weird. What's the likelihood to get in?” she said.

Barrett received the pieces she would perform in early December to learn
them prior to her arrival in New York. Once in the Big Apple she rehearsed
from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with her group, consisting of 90 young women, before
the Feb. 6 concert.

After rehearsals, Barret (who was visiting New York for the first time) took
part in a planned activity, including going to a Broadway show, a private yacht
on the Hudson River and a visit to the top of the Rockefeller Center.
“New York is super overwhelming, but I love cities so it was really cool,” she
said, noting the buildings are “massive.” “The concert itself was the best part
for sure. Other than that, the yacht ride was pretty cool.”

Barrett noted that when the group arrived at Carnegie Hall and performed
their sound check, the acoustics of the space were notable, particularly after
rehearsing in a room at a hotel.

“You could hear all the sounds and the voices envelop you,” she said, adding
that she enjoyed all the music they sang, but her favorite was “As the Rain
Hides the Stars” due to the harmonies.

Barrett’s parents made the trip with her, and her mom, Julie, noted that they
enjoyed exploring the city, including visits to Central Park, the Natural History
Museum, the 9/11 memorial, while also reflecting on what it was like seeing
her daughter on stage at Carnegie Hall.

“Are there any words? Overwhelming, amazing, proud,” Julie said. “I know my
girl’s going places.”

Denali plans on studying music in college, and in the meantime, she’s
planning on auditioning for the AllStars group at the Portland School of Rock,
where she has studied.