King’s Academy students to perform at inauguration

The group was one of 12 chosen to perform for Donald Trump.

When part-time Palm Beach resident and President-elect Donald Trump takes his oath of office in Washington on Friday, he will have a taste of Palm Beach County at the ceremony.

The King’s Academy is sending 80 students to perform at the inauguration, including a choir of 69 singers and 11 dancers. The group was one of 12 chosen to perform, many of which were collegiate or professional acts.

Students at the Christian school in suburban West Palm Beach have performed for Trump and his wife, Melania, several times during the past two decades, said artistic director David Snyder.

But being chosen for this show is a testament to the hard work put in by the teenagers, who practice for more than three hours each day during and after school.

He said this is one of the most talented groups he has had in his nearly 20 years at the school.

“This event is life-changing for them and for their families,” he said. “It’s pretty amazing.”

They’ll be performing a medley of American classics with a nod to the troops and closing with “Peace on Earth.”

The students perform dozens of shows every year, but they say this one is going to be special.

Graham Popadic, a 16-yearold junior, can already visualize it. He’s picturing a huge crowd and a great performance.

“We’ve done a lot of shows over the years, but I think this will be at the top of the list,” he said. “It’s going to be crazy.”

It will be a quick turnaround for senior Summer McCarty, who wants to pursue musical theater as a career.

After the performance, McCarty plans to fly to New York for an audition for Point Park Univer- sity, a liberal arts school based in Pittsburgh.

For McCarty, performing at an inauguration isn’t just another show.

“It’s just going to be really an honor more than anything,” she said.

The choir also has an international flavor with students from Brazil, Germany and China among the group traveling to the nation’s capital.

Luis Henrique do Nascimento Pollon became interested in music from his father, who played in a

PHOTOS BY RICHARD GRAULICH / THE PALM BEACH POST Vocal music students from the King’s Academy Conservatory of the Arts practice Wednesday with choir director Sonia Santiago for their upcoming performance at the 58th presidential inauguration festivities on Friday.

Luis Henrique do Nascimento Pollon (left), 17, and Graham Popadic, 16, perform with their fellow vocal students at the King’s Academy Conservatory of the Arts on Wednesday.