From graduation to Germany

Musicians Katie Beam and Tom Coates

join All American Youth in Concert tour
By:G. Natasha Zoe
   Katie Beam and Tom Coates will be heading to Europe on Saturday for a whirlwind performance tour of Austria and Germany.
   As part of the All American Youth in Concert, they will be performing in eight different cities during the 12-day trip.
   Jules Haran, the music director at the high school, nominated both Ms. Beam and Mr. Coates for the two $750 scholarships the Grand Staff Music Ensemble gave to Hillsborough High School seniors this year.
   The ensemble is comprised of Hillsborough Department of Education employees, their family members and students.
   After playing a borrowed French Horn for four years, Ms. Beam recently purchased her first French horn, in part with a $750 scholarship from the Grand Staff Music Ensemble. Prior to this, she had used a horn that belonged to the school.
   "I put the scholarship towards the stuff I needed for my horn and the horn itself," Ms. Beam said. "My horn costs $2,915."
   Other merit-based music scholarships helped complete the purchase.
   Mr. Coates’ scholarship will go "towards supplies for next year – books and that" he said. His parents are helping him with the trip to Europe and his college tuition. "Eventually I’ll pay it back – for now they are spotting me."
   Ms. Haran also nominated both Ms. Beam and Mr. Coates for the All American Youth in Concert as well as for The College of New Jersey’s Honors Band. The Honors Band was a one-day seminar in March for New Jersey high school students interested in careers in music. The students are given four musical selections at the beginning of the day. After one day of rehearsals, they perform the arrangements that evening.
   Ms. Beam will attend TCNJ in the fall to study music education.
   "My band director had a lot to do with my decision. She is my mentor. I always loved music. She helped me realize that is what I’d like to do," Ms. Beam said. She would like to teach music in a high school with a marching band someday.
   "First and foremost they are great kids," said Ms. Haran of Ms. Beam and Mr. Coates. "Once they made that decision (to peruse a music education career) they gave it their all, to make sure they were ready."
   Mr. Coates, who has been playing his own trumpet for four years, will also be attending TCNJ in the fall and studying music education. He was the drum major for the high school’s marching band and the president of the band last year and would also like to teach music in a high school. Mr. Coates received several music-related scholarships and awards totaling $2,450.
   "Anything you can think of to describe a good high school kid, they are," said Ms. Haran of Ms. Beam and Mr. Coates, "great role models for the younger ones, dependable and reliable."