What’s the fastest way to get to Carnegie Hall? Practice.

That old quip rings true for Fountain Hills High School senior Sydney Goltry, who was recently selected to take part in the High School Honors Performance Series that will be playing in Carnegie Hall next year.

According to high school band instructor Lynn Truby, members of this band “represent the finest high school performers,” and Goltry will be joining those ranks on the oboe.

In early 2017, Goltry will head to New York to work under renowned conductor Dr. Kenneth Ozzello. The program runs from Feb. 2-5, capping off with the big performance.

For Goltry, the process to be selected for the HSHPS began right as the 2015-16 school year was drawing to a close.

“Back in May or June, Mrs. Truby nominated me for the band,” Goltry said. “They give you a specific piece to play for the auditions, and then you can choose to submit an additional technical piece.”

Goltry said she prepared for the audition over the course of several months.

“The process was so taxing,” she said. “Trying to record an audition is so different from doing an in-person audition.”

Goltry explained that if you audition in person, you perform once and you are done.

“For a recording, there’s this mental thing telling you that you can do it again,” she continued. “You’ll always find something you feel you can improve upon with a recording, and it just gnaws at your brain.”

When at last she was satisfied with her “most confident recording,” Goltry sent in her audition and the waiting process began.

“I knew I was competing against kids from all over the world, so I knew that my chances of getting in were slim,” Goltry said. “So when I got that email saying I had been accepted, I was absolutely shocked.”

Goltry said she found out while she was in chemistry class and the news made it hard for her to pay attention to the lesson.

“I was just like, I’m actually going to play in Carnegie Hall,” she said. “That’s a once in a lifetime thing, and the fact that I’ll be doing it at 17, in high school, is so cool.”

Goltry will receive her music and itinerary well in advance of the trip to New York, giving her the chance to continue practicing and plan her stay. She said she’s excited for this opportunity and, as a music lover, can’t wait to perform in one of the most iconic venues in the country.

“Music has been in my family forever,” Goltry said, adding that her grandmother was a music teacher and that her father was a musician, too. “That made me want to start playing so, in second grade, I picked up the piano.”

Music came naturally to Goltry.

“I started picking up flute, piccolo, guitar, ukulele and a bunch of other instruments,” she continued. “It’s just something I’ve been really good at for my whole life and it’s the one thing I’ve been passionate about for so long.

“There are just so many types of music for me to express myself with.”

Looking ahead, Goltry said she’s excited for this upcoming adventure, which proves that practice and dedication really can take you places.

“The fact that something like this could happen proves that putting in the time and effort is worth it,” she said. “I think it’s cool that I’ll be able to do something like this.”

Next stop, Carnegie Hall.