Way to Go!: Billy McShane of West Babylon High School
By MICHAEL R. EBERT. Billy McShane, a senior at West Babylon High School, was one of 17 student musicians nationwide to perform earlier this month as a member of the 2010 Jazz Band of America, at the Music for All National Festival in Indianapolis.. McShane, who plays baritone saxophone, was selected based on a tape he sent last fall to Music for All, a nonprofit that supports music education.. "The best thing was meeting all the people there," said McShane, 17, who's played saxophone since fourth grade. "In school, there's not a huge group of people that listen to jazz. This was really different.". To prepare for the concert, McShane and his bandmates engaged in two days of nine-hour rehearsals for a show of modern big-band arrangements at Butler University. The concert featured a guest performance by professional trumpeter Wayne Bergeron.. McShane has played with the New York State School Music Association's All-State Wind Ensemble and the Suffolk County Music Educator's Association's All-County Jazz Ensemble.. He is vice president of his school's Tri-M Music Honor Society and a member of the symphonic band, jazz band and symphonic orchestra. He is also in the Math Club.
