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Lucy Scorziello, 12, landed one of 12 spots to sing at the international tennis event in New York. Scorziello will perform the song on Tuesday, Aug. 30.
The seventh-grader at Rippowam Middle School earned the invitation after a highly competitive nationwide audition. More than 200 singers ages 14-and-under sent recordings to a selection committee, and 60 were selected to sing at Ripley-Grier Studios in New York. The singers performed "America The Beautiful” in front of a panel of judges, who selected the 12 singers for the tournament.
Scorziello reached the call-back stage last year. Determined to get another opportunity, she improved her vocals and stage presence in the past year, and learned in late July that she had been selected.
“I was surprised because last year I didn’t make it,’’ she said. “I feel like I achieved something new, something I’ve never done before. When I found out I had been selected I started screaming, jumping and crying. I told all of my friends.”
Scorziello's U.S. Open gig is the biggest accomplishment of her blossoming musical career. She sang “God Bless America” at a baseball game last year at Fenway Park in front of a crowd of more than 37,000 fans. (Click here to watch the performance). Arthur Ashe Stadium, the site of the Open, holds more than 23,000 fans.
“I feel I’ve definitely improved the past year,’’ she told Daily Voice. “I’ve gotten a lot more comfortable being on stage and I feel like my voice has improved a lot. When I sang at Fenway, I feel like I was a little inexperienced and didn’t really have the feel for performing. I’ve grown a lot more comfortable and confident.”
Scorziello performs at a number of events in the area. In June, she performed at the Hope In Motion road race in Stamford, and seemed more poised, polished and confident than last year. Click here to watch the the video.
“I think this is the best gig I’ve gotten so far as a singer,’’ Scorziello said. “It feels like it’s more of an achievement than singing at Fenway. I had to go through the process, and not getting selected last year, it made me feel I achieved something really significant.”
Scorziello has spent a lot of time in recent weeks rehearsing for her New York appearance with the help of her voice coach, Luciana LaMonico. She likes to rehearse at her home, where her parents, Amy and Steve, older sister Sophia and younger brother Lorenzo critique her.
Family and friends are planning to hear Scorziello's big moment. “I definitely feel like I’ve achieved one of my goals,’’ she said. “I’m going to be nervous, but I’m excited. My family and friends have been supportive, and that’s been great to have.”
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