Local music students to perform at Grammys viewing benefit party

Eric Leake

Friday, Feb. 21, 2003 | 4:18 a.m.

Four local high school students will perform at an exclusive Grammy Awards party to benefit public school music programs.

Carol Pereida on the cello, Salvador Villa on the violin, and Shantel Swain and Shannon Utter on the viola are members of the Blue Orchestra, which will debut at Sunday's party.

"They have beeen in New York the last few days rehearsing together. For many of them, this is their first time in New York," said Julie Ferriot, spokeswoman for Blue for Save the Music.

"They sound great. They really do, especialy given the fact that they are coming together here for the first time," Ferriot added.

The orchestra is a joint effort of the VH1 Save the Music Foundation and Blue from American Express. The group includes 17 middle and high school students from across the country who have benefited from a VH1 Save the Music grant.

"All of the children that are part of the Blue Orchestra have benefitted from Save the Music programs," Ferriot said.

All the Las Vegas students are ninth and tenth graders at the Las Vegas Academy.

The evening viewing party benefits awareness for school music education programs. It will be held at Madison Square Garden and is not televised.

Comedian Whoopi Goldberg will host the event to coincide with the awards show. The orchestra will also share the stage with recording artists Pete Yorn, Coldplay and Wyclef Jean.

The VH1 Save the Music Foundation is a nonprofit group dedicated to restoring music programs in public schools nationwide. Since 1997, the organization has donated more than $21 million worth of musical instruments to 900 schools in 75 cities.