Sriram Kannan:  Sriram is a 17-year-old senior at South Brunswick High School. Sriram plays different types of saxophones,  violin, and piano. He currently plays Tenor Sax for the South Brunswick High School Wind Ensemble.  Sriram also plays for the Youth Orchestra of Central Jersey (YOCJ) Sax Choir. He has performed at the Richardson Auditorium at Princeton University with YOCJ. Sriram is tutored by Mr.Daniel Kochersberger for Saxophone and has passed Grade 5 exam offered by the Associated Board of Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) with Distinction. Sriram first started playing piano in second grade from Ms. Barbara Himesch for five years. He then went on to play violin in third grade, and saxophone in fourth grade. Other than this, Sriram also plays for the South Brunswick High School Saxophone Ensemble and Jazz Band.  Sriram has also been learning Carnatic Violin, or violin in a classical Indian style, for the past five years with his teacher Ms. Janaki Iyer.  He has performed Carnatic music at various temples throughout New Jersey.  Sriram loves to volunteer and hopes to make others as happy as him whenever he performs.

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Joey Howley is an 18 year old guitarist who is a senior at South Brunswick High School. He has been playing the guitar since the age of 8, having been inspired by some of the music his parents listened to – mainly the blues. From ages 8-10, Joey taught himself the beginnings of how to play the guitar. After that, he received private lessons from Perry Leandro for five years but currently does not. At the age of 11, Joey had his first live performance at a bar in Asbury Park. To this day, he strives to become better at the guitar and is always trying to learn new songs and techniques. In addition to the guitar, Joey also plans to eventually learn other instruments, such as the piano and the drums. Aside from music, he is also a part of JSA at the high school and plans to pursue a career in the field of Biomedical Engineering beyond high school. Joey will be attending Lehigh University in Fall 2017.

Madeline Schmidt  is an 17 year old old and a senior at South Brunswick High School. She comes from a very musical family—her dad is a pianist/accordion player and her mom is a singer. She began studying voice at age 13 with Mr. Steven Schnurmann, but currently studies with Ms. Molly Mason. Maddy also has a passion for musical theatre: she has participated in shows throughout elementary and middle school, and is now a member of SBHS’s theatre company, the Pirandello Players. Outside of school, she has performed at the Kelsey Theater, and has been a member of the New Jersey Repertory Theatre since 2012. In November of 2014, Maddy was invited to perform with NJRT in Disney World; and she will sing on the stage at Downtown Disney once again this June with the SBHS Concert Choir. In addition to Disney World, the Concert Choir has also been invited to sing at Carnegie Hall for 7 consecutive years. Back in middle school, she too played the cello, but was always seated behind the supremely talented Dan, and so she gave it up (it was too heavy anyway). Aside from performing, Maddy also dabbles in screenwriting—she has entered two screenwriting competitions with NYC Midnight, and, in the most recent competition, placed in the top 6 in her category. She aspires to someday write for Saturday Night Live, but is sure she will continue with her singing career, if only for some extra cash. Maddy will be attending Boston University in Fall 2017.

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Samantha Stanford is 17 years old and a senior at South Brunswick High School. She has been performing since age 3 when she appeared in her church’s Christmas pageant, and since then has performed in places such as the New Jersey State Theatre, Disney World, and Carnegie Hall. Samantha is instrumentally challenged, however she enjoys singing and acting. She has been training vocally with Heather Robbins at Center Stage Dance and Theatre School for 9 years, as well as training in acting with Stephen Waldrup for 5 years. She has also dabbled in tap dance, ballet, jazz, hip-hop, etc., but prefers less movement-based performances. She is involved with her school’s theatre company, the Pirandello Players, sings alto in SBHS’s Concert Choir, and performs and student directs with the New Jersey Repertory Theatre. Samantha will be attending The College of New Jersey in Fall 2017.

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Ashrita Raman is a 17 year-old senior who attends West-Windsor Plainsboro High School North. She started playing violin when she was nine years old and continues to play violin in her school orchestra. Ashrita has been a part of YOCJ (Youth Orchestra of Central Jersey) and is currently part of Nonet, a chamber ensemble in her school. In addition to playing violin, Ashrita has been learning piano for the last ten years and is a nine-time winner of the NJMTA Spring Competition. She was a Gold winner of the National Young Musicians Showcase Competition in 2014 and 2015 and has performed twice in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. Ashrita has also been playing classical Indian violin for two years and has accompanied musicians for Indian film songs. Apart from playing music, Ashrita is actively involved in NHD (National History Day) and is a five time state finalist. Ashrita will be attending Cornell University in Fall 2017.

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Catherine Wang is a 17 year old violinist and is a senior at West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North. She started playing violin at the age of 10, studying under Ms. Joyce Chang and Dr. Mia Wu, and currently, under Mrs. Ileana Ciumac. Other than performing in Hartley’s Legacy, Catherine also plays violin for patients at the Princeton Hospital as a form of music therapy and volunteers as part of the National Honor Society. She is the assistant concertmaster in her school’s Philharmonic Orchestra, which toured Italy this past spring. Catherine has also been a member of New Jersey’s Region II and All-State Orchestras. Her musical idol is Janine Jansen and would do anything to see her play live. But when she’s not playing or listening to music, Catherine is most likely watching YouTube videos, playing for her school’s varsity tennis team, debating, or researching for National History Day. Catherine will be attending the University of Pennsylvania in Fall 2017.

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Andrew Chung is a 9th grader attending JP Stevens High school.He has been a musician ever since the age of 8. He has studied the piano for 4 years. He has been focusing on the study of viola for the past 6 years and has been under the instruction of Mr.William Law for the past 3 years. In 2017, he was able to join the prestigious CJMEA Chamber orchestra and later the NJMEA orchestra. Outside of his musical career, he also participates in Odyssey of the Mind, a creative solving competition. He was able compete at the world finals in East Lansing, Michigan. He also enjoys composing music, having fun with friends, and cruising around on his skateboard.

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Yun Hyon is a 14-year-old pianist and saxophonist who attends Metuchen High School as a freshman. At the age of 5, he began playing the piano under Mrs. Jhoun. He has also finished music testing in the Associated Board of the Royal School (ABRSM). In fourth grade, he also began playing the alto and tenor saxophone. He has played both alto and tenor saxophone as a member of CJMEA’s Symphonic Band. He has also begun participating in the high school marching band and looks forward to playing in competitions. If he isn’t playing music, he is likely out with some friends or reading a novel.

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Jooahn Yoo is a 9th grader who currently goes to Edison High School. He has been playing the cello since he was eight years old and is under the instruction of Doctor Mira Kang.  Jooahn was second chair of CJMEA’s chamber Orchestra and was third chair in New Jersey State Intermediate Orchestra in 2016. Besides playing the cello, he likes to take naps, ride his bike, and occasionally reads a novel.

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John (JC) DeMaria is a singer in his senior year at South Brunswick High School. JC has been trained since age 9 by both vocal coaching and experience. He is currently trained by Molly Mason. In addition to coaching JC has also been a member of the school choir since the 4th grade. Currently, he is under the guidance of Virginia Kraft as a member of the South Brunswick High School Concert Choir. With this group, JC has been able to not only perform at community events but also on the stage at Carnegie Hall. In addition to in school activities, JC is an active member in the New Jersey community theatre scene as well as participating in shows at SBHS. He most recently won a Perry award for Outstanding Youth Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of Eugene in Grease. JC loves any chance to volunteer for the community especially opportunities like Hartley’s Legacy in which he can use his skills to bring joy to others.