Way to Go! William Floyd student making mark in music
Kellie Tang performrf in the piano showcase at the New York State School Music Association's All-State Festival. Credit: William Floyd School District
A William Floyd High School student who is legally blind has hit high notes in the field of music.
Kellie Tang, a senior at the Mastic Beach school, was recently one of 12 students selected out of nearly 100 applicants to perform in a piano showcase during the New York State School Music Association's All-State Festival in upstate Rochester. To be eligible, students must obtain a perfect score performing a memorized solo in Level 6 of a NYSSMA solo festival.
Tang, who uses sheet music with larger print because of her vision impairment, performed Beethoven's "Sonata No. 17, Mvt. 3" at the showcase in December.
"I had a lot of fun playing there," said Tang, 18, who has played the instrument since kindergarten. "When I was little I saw this piano at Costco, and I was really drawn into it for some reason."
Tang's other achievements include having participated in Stony Brook University's Young Artist Program, a mentor program through the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, and a summer piano intensive through the Cleveland Institute of Music. She also plays the violin, is an officer in the Tri-M Music Honor Society, and a member of her school's chorus and literary magazine.
"Kellie is a wonderful student with a determined spirit and a positive attitude," said William Floyd's music department chairwoman Amy Sckipp.
— MICHAEL R. EBERT
Michael R. Ebert is an education researcher and has worked for Newsday in various capacities since 2003. He was part of an 11-person team named as 2008 Pulitzer Prize finalists for investigative coverage of the LIRR's platform safety issues.
