DUNMORE, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — It is not just anyone who can say they played at New York City’s Carnegie Hall, but an 11-year-old Dunmore girl is about to add her name to the list.
Her journey to perform at the acclaimed venue has been years in the making.
The arts are everything for Reilly Urbina. She acts, sings, and plays the piano.
In fact, the sixth-grade straight “A” student at Dunmore Elementary Center has been playing ever since she began taking piano lessons when she was five years old.
“I just started playing a bunch of random notes and I’m just like ‘Oh, I can really play this.’ I’m pretty good at this so I worked harder so that I could get into harder songs,” said exclaimed Reilly.
Reilly’s mom says she knew that her daughter had a knack for music at a very young age.
“When Reilly was two, she came out singing. She wasn’t even talking yet, right. She wasn’t even, like, saying sentences. She was obsessed with Broadway music. I mean, she was singing ‘Rent’ at age three,” said Katie Urbina, Reilly’s Mom.
Reilly’s singing became known quickly throughout the Dunmore community.
“My math teacher in 5th grade asked me if I could sing at one of the events so I’m like yeah, sure. And they heard me sing. Almost everyone cried,” said Reilly.
She had the honor of singing the national anthem at a recent Dunmore Girl’s High School basketball game. Another honor awaits Reilly, a piano performance in New York City.
“So I’m really glad that hard work paid off to get into Carnegie,” said Reilly.
She performed the song, “The Wild West” by Timothy Brown at her formal audition in January and was accepted to play at the prestigious Carnegie Hall in March.
It took dedication and hard work to make the cut.
“I had to go to practice once a week, like, every time. And then we’d usually play about two phrases like per note,” explained Reilly.
Whether she’s playing for personal enjoyment, or performing for a crowd, Reilly is proof that having passion, persistence, and talent can pay off.
“She is so enthusiastic about doing things other than what she should be doing right. So, doing good in school and being kind and being a good person in society so all these extra things are just extra gifts,” said Katie Urbina.
Reilly will play Carnegie Hall in March. Looking to the future, she would like to be a pediatrician or perhaps an actress when she grows up.
Here’s to you, Reilly.
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