Hendrick Hudson Elementary Students Shine at Music Evaluations

Two students at Frank G. Lindsey Elementary School demonstrated impressive skills far ahead of schedule at the New York State School Music Association’s Spring Evaluation Festival. The two fourth graders were the only Hendrick Hudson elementary school students to participate in the NYSSMA festival.

Anushka Gurr performed a Level III piano solo and received a perfect score — 28 out of 28. Anushka played “Fur Elise” by Ludwig van Beethoven and her performance was lauded by the evaluators.

“You are very talented,” the evaluators said in their review. “If I wasn’t looking, I’d think an older person was playing — beautiful expression.”

Anushka plays cello in the fourth-grade orchestra but takes private piano lessons outside of school. She has played since kindergarten, and this was her second time at the NYSSMA Spring Evaluation Festival.

This year, she wasn’t alone. Frank G. Lindsey classmate Ben Kincaid also participated, performing a Level II snare drum solo at the evaluations. Ben played “Trident” by composer Jeffrey Funnell and received a near-perfect score of 27 out of 28.

“Perfect rudiments,” the evaluators said. “Well-prepared solo, Benjamin. Excellent work with accents and dynamics. This really made the solo fun to listen to.”

Like his classmate Anushka, Ben takes private lessons outside of school on percussion instruments. In school, he plays the oboe in the fourth-grade band.