Massapequa High School senior and saxophonist James Barry recently earned the amazing honor of being selected for the High School Grammy Band. The sax player won an all-expenses-paid trip to the 44th Annual Grammy Awards, which was held Feb. 27 in Los Angeles.

James is a saxophonist in the Music Department at the Nassau BOCES Cultural Arts Center--Long Island's Public High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. He was one of 34 students selected to participate in the 2002 Grammy High School Jazz Ensemble program, and was awarded a $10,000 college scholarship.

The Grammy High School Jazz Ensemble program identifies, selects and rewards the accomplishments of talented high school musicians. James's winning audition was taped last October at the Cultural Arts Center, where fellow musicians (students and staff members) backed him. He improvised on three jazz standards that landed his win--Stella by Starlight, Now is the Time, and Once I Loved. Along with his hot ticket to the show, James performed for Grammy nominees, participated in master classes, and played at renowned jazz clubs (even at a Grammy after-party).

Among his other awards, James has earned placement in the following bands: All County Concert Band, All County Jazz Band, All State Concert Band, All State Jazz Ensemble, Adelphi University and Nassau Community College Big Bands, and Nassau/Suffolk Concert and Jazz Bands.

Congratulations to James Barry on this honor and great achievement, as well as to his music teachers Mr. Perticone and Mr. Giannotti.