Way to Go! Brittney Aiken

Brittney Aiken now can say she's performed on one of the world's biggest stages -- twice.

Aiken, a junior at North Babylon High School, performed a vocal solo last month during the Golden Key Music Festival at Carnegie Hall in Manhattan. It was the second straight year she was selected for the show.

To earn a spot, Aiken auditioned Mozart's "Non So Piú Cosa Son" -- the same song she performed at Carnegie -- and received a gold award. "I've been singing since I was a little girl," said Aiken, 16. "That's what I love to do: sing."

The festival included group performances by 41 gold award winners from throughout the United States, Aiken said, along with interspersed solos by a handful of students, including herself.

Having performed last year, Aiken said she wasn't fazed by the crowd of several hundred people in attendance at Carnegie's Weill Recital Hall. On the contrary, she said: "Seeing people's reactions when I sing gives me a good feeling."

"Brittney is a magnificent student," said North Babylon chorus teacher Christina Henderson. "Every day she is focused, and she always challenges herself and strives to improve."

Aiken also is a member of her school's select, vocal jazz, concert and Hebrew choirs.