Sound Shore

On Wednesday, May 25, members of the New Rochelle High School’s music program performed on one of the world’s most famous stages: Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center, in New York City. We ran this story in advance of the performance. Below are photos from the big night, snapped by Kiko Restrepo, of The Kiko Group, and provided to The Journal News by the New Rochelle school district.

More pics after the jump…

A Pelham Middle School student has written a song to raise awareness for autism. It was commissioned by the organization Autism Speaks, which is one of the leaders of Autism Awareness Day on Saturday.

Owen Saunders, a sixth-grader, composed the music and melody for “Light it Up Blue” in November. His mother, who works in the music business, wrote the lyrics. At the beginning of this year, Saunders, his brother, Wyatt, and a bunch of other Pelham students recorded tune. Watch a video here. (Look for the “Introduction Video” heading in the lower right of the page.) That’s Pelham’s Harriet Palmer, in seventh grade, singing the opening lines.

A full account of the story will appear in tomorrow’s Journal News. Meantime, set your DVRs for about 8:40 a.m., when the kids will appear on WPIX to perform their song.

(From left, that’s Owen Saunders, Justin Limardo, Wyatt Saunders, Noah Dulock [hidden], Nicholas Dulock, Harriet Palmer, Megan Lahn, Julia Fratpietro, Alex Deland and Diane Deland. Photo provided.)

The Josh Nelson Project, a band whose sound is described as “rock music with a Jewish sensibility,” will perform at Temple Israel of New Rochelle on Saturday, March 26, at 7:30 p.m. The concert is a benefit for the Youth Involvement Fund.

A press release from Temple Israel says the group’s “Jewish edge is apparent in lyrics in Hebrew or with Jewish identity themes.” Nelson is music director for the URJ Biennial Convention, is on the faculty for the Hava Nashira Music Institute and is a musical artist in residence for the JCC Maccabi Artsfest.

Advance tickets are $18 for adults, $10 for teens and $5 for children under 12. At the door, prices climb to $25, $15 and $10. Tickets can be purchased at Temple Israel, at 100 Pinebrook Blvd. Call (914) 235-1800 for more information.

If you’re itching for live, local music tonight but don’t really want to brave the elements (it’s still winter; there’s no shame in staying indoors), consider directing your browser to www.jedluckless.tv at 8 o’clock tonight. Do that, and you’ll find the Jed Luckless Band streaming a live concert, complete with colored lights and fog, from the drummer’s basement in New Rochelle.

“This takes away all the dragging your friends out to a bar,” Eric Stramiello, the drummer, said.

Stramiello, a money manager at JPMorgan Chase by day who spends his nights rocking out in “Stram Land” (that’s what he calls his basement studio), said the band’s repertoire is heavy on Phish, the Grateful Dead and all things jammy.

He and the other members, who live in Nyack and Yonkers, all play in other bands. This one, Stramiello said, is just getting off the ground. And they’re having fun.

As a bonus to viewers, the band is giving away a pair of tickets to see Furthur, which features most of the surviving members of the Grateful Dead, at Radio City Music Hall, in New York City, at the end of the month.

“Whoever wins the tickets can party with us before the show,” Stramiello said.

Tonight’s show starts at 8 p.m.

The Westchester Chamber Symphony 14th concert season at Iona College wraps up April 30 with a Haydn-heavy concert featuring Israeli cellist Amit Peled. Peled is a professor at the Peabody Conservatory of Music at Johns Hopkins University and has performed all over the world.

The concert will begin at 8 p.m. at the Christopher J. Murphy Auditorium and, in addition to Peled’s performance, will include the symphony’s Composers of the Future showcase, featuring members of the Songcatchers after-school program, in New Rochelle. For tickets or more information, click here.

Louis M. Klein Middle School music teacher Karen Froehlich has won $500 in cash and a gift certificate for placing third in a nationwide essay contest.

Froehlich competed in the “Share Your Story” contest sponsored by SmartMusic, which asked teachers to write about how its music instruction computer program has helped their students.

Froehlich won $250 cash and a $250 gift certificate for JW Pepper, a sheet music and supply store.

(Handout photo)

Musicians jamming and artists showcasing their work will take over the Playland Amusement Park boardwalk Columbus Day weekend.

“We’re trying to do this on a big scale, and we think it would be a great event for the county. It would a new event for Playland,” said Heather Patterson, a Rye artist who is organizing the festival with John Ambrose, the owner of Seaside Johnnies and Pier Restaurant & Tiki Bar, both on the boardwalk. “I think it’s such a beautiful location.”

Patterson, who does oil paintings of scenes around Rye, is looking for artists who want to sell their pottery, crafts, jewelry, and paintings.

“We’re looking to have as many possible,” she said. “Our dream is to fill the boardwalk.”

Those interested should email Patterson at Boardwalkarts@gmail.com.

The festival will be held Oct. 9 & 10. Rain date is Oct. 11.

(Credit: Heather Patterson oil painting of Pier Restaurant & Tiki Bar)

The 12 annual Port Chester Day starts with a morning 5K run and ends with fireworks Saturday evening at Lyon Park.

In between are craft vendors, food, children’s rides and music. There’s an open house at the historic Bush Homestead and hands-on crafts from the Clay Art Center.

There’s more partying going on this season at the Marina Parking Lot off Abendroth Avenue. Click here for Patch’s video of the salsa dancing scene Wednesday night. The “Dancing Under the Stars” series continues with one more show Wednesday Sept. 1, from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Details about summer concerts and other recreation programs are linked here.

(Photo: Matthew Brown/The Journal News)