Holden Stach Downunder

This is my sweet and talented nephew Holden. I am helping him with this campaign in order to achieve a dream, and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity he has been given. He has been chosen to perform in the 2018 Highschool Honors Performance Series at the Opera House in Sydney, NSW Australia in July 2018. Earlier this year Holden auditioned for the Honors Performance Series and was accepted after a review by the Honors Selection Board. He is one of 250 performers chosen out of 18,000 applicants. Acceptance to this elite group is a direct result of his dedication, talent, and achievements demonstrated in his application and audition recording. Holden will join other performers from 43 United States, the District of Columbia, Guam, Australia, Canada, China, Hong Kong ,Qatar, and South Korea for a special performance at the world famous Sydney Opera House, a venue that marks the pinnacle of musical achievement! They will spend 6 days learning from world renowned conductors, work with other finalists and get a taste of Sydney. The performance will be held Saturday July 21, 2018 with tickets available 60 days prior. Music is life for this kid! He can pick up just about any instrument and play it. He started playing piano at the age of 7, and he is currently a percussionist in Hill City Highschool band. He has been playing percussion for 6 yrs and is shifting focus to learn acoustic guitar. He has received multiple superior ratings for percussion and voice solos in various school music contests. He was accepted and performed for both 2016/2017 South Dakota All-State Chorus and 2017 South Dakota Junior Honors Choir. He is also a former member of the Shrine of Democracy Men's Barbour Shop Chorus. He has performed at Open Stage/Mic at High Country Guest Ranch and has also begun to learn the techniques of sound engineering. Through research and personal experience, he has begun to create/produce his own music in his home studio. He hopes to become a better and larger producer of "real songs" in the future! As many of you know, Australia is near and dear to our family, so this is an extra special honor. Holden's great- grandmother Jean is from Australia, and his great-grandfather Louie was stationed there during WWII. He will take the same stage his great-grandmother took while delivering her international Toast Masters speech over 30 years ago. While they are no longer with us, this is greatest gift he could give them. We know " Irish eyes" will be smiling down upon him. However we have lots of 'rellies" downunder he is excited to be acquainted with! This monatary goal is HUGE for an adult, and this can seem a near impossible goal for a 15 yr old. Anything you can contribute towards this amazing educational opportunity for him and his family is greatly appreciated. His mother and sisters would love to watch him perform live at the Opera House. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts and G'day mate! Learn more by visiting www.honorsperformance.org www.worldstrides.com