The musical group was selected to play in the New York Wind Band Festival during the school's spring break last month, earning a gold medal for its performance of two pieces.

"It was just like a blur. It was the shortest 25 minutes of my life," said senior Katie Miano, a Los Gatos resident who plays percussion. "It was amazing, the acoustics and the perfection."

Miano said the experience fulfilled a dream she had held since childhood. As a little kid, she had thought, "If I could actually play at Carnegie Hall, that would be pretty cool."

"Actually seeing it in person and actually playing there, it's incredible," said French horn player Tysen Cole, who lives in Los Gatos. "I was disappointed to come back and play at mediocre places after playing at the world's best performance hall."

"Having played in churches and cafeterias, this was by far a big step up," Miano added.

"We were all just awestruck, standing on the stage," said band director Rich Alipaz. "As their teacher, giving the kids the experience is something I will always treasure."

The April 2­6 festival featured performances by four other high schools and two colleges from around the country. Dressed in tuxedoes and black dresses, Leigh musicians played "October," by Eric Whitacre, and "To Tame the Perilous Skies," by David Holsinger.

The latter, Alipaz said, is a "fast, exciting, energetic" piece that celebrates the 100-year anniversary of flight. "October," on the other hand, "is a slow, very lyrical, very beautiful piece," Alipaz said. While conducting that piece, "I was totally overcome with emotion. I was choking back tears," Alipaz said. "The songs totally show off all the kids' talents."

In a recent band newsletter, parent Tom Erbes wrote, "I knew it was perfect because during the standing ovation, I could see the tears on Rich Alipaz's face. This was the crescendo of the perfect day."

Getting to Carnegie Hall was a two-year process for the wind ensemble. It was at a 2001 music event in Hawaii that festival organizers first heard the Leigh group play and asked the school to audition for the New York showcase. Last June, Alipaz received an acceptance letter; after band season ended, the ensemble started practicing in earnest with evening and weekend rehearsals.

"They busted their butts. I was cracking a heavy whip," Alipaz said. "But it was worth it to see the smiles on their faces." According to Alipaz, going to Carnegie Hall was about the journey and not merely about the destination—"how far they came, how much they grew."

Cole said the intense practices were worthwhile. "We never questioned it. We knew that we had to be completely ready," she said.

"We couldn't really go out there and screw up because it's Carnegie Hall," Miano added. All the musicians "realized that this is it."

And after months of preparation and a journey across the country, the wind ensemble played perfectly after only a short sound check, earning the top rating among the bands in "all scoring, musicality-wise," Alipaz said.

"They play very well and they're hard workers—just a spirited group of kids who love to play music," Alipaz said. "It's really a joy for me to take the kids on trips like this, giving them an experience that some of them will never have again."

Cole said, however, that it was Alipaz's role that made it an unforgettable trip for her. "The best part of playing at Carnegie Hall wasn't me playing—it was seeing him standing up there and conducting with the lights behind him," she said. "I'm proud of myself for making it there, but I'm more proud of him for getting us there."

For Alipaz, the performance was his first at Carnegie Hall, as well as his first trip to New York. And for Miano and Cole, it was icing on the cake for their years of involvement in Leigh's instrumental music programs.

"It was like the perfect ending," Miano said.