After several months of fundraising, the director of the Barren County High School Orchestra is confident the ensemble will be able to afford to take a planned trip to New York City to perform at Carnegie Hall.

Amberly Bush said she plans for the roughly 60-member group to travel to New York by bus, mainly to avoid mishandling of expensive instruments, for an April 15 performance as part of the National Band and Orchestra Festival.

The cost of the trip, including lodging and transportation, will be more than $84,400, of which nearly $38,000 in installments have been made already and more money is in the bank.

This includes money from sponsorships, individual donations and admission charged for three concerts held as fundraisers this school year.

“It really just shows the amount of support we have from the community and it’s very encouraging,” she said.

Bush has been surprised by the turnout these concerts have had, considering that the orchestra implemented admissions fees for the first time in October, she said.

At concerts, attendees are presented with the opportunity to donate to the program and Bush said she’s found the community has stepped up more than expected.

“We’ve found that people are often giving $10 or $20,” she said.

The orchestra’s next concert is a Valentine’s Day show to be held on Saturday at the Plaza Theater in downtown Glasgow at 7 p.m. that includes a dinner priced at $50 a plate.

Admission to the show without the dinner is free, though donations are encouraged.

In keeping with the Valentine’s Day theme, the concert will feature orchestral renditions of contemporary love songs like Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” and Katy Perry’s “Dark Horse,” Bush said.

The plan is to pay for the trip with three separate payments, the first two of which, totaling $14,100 and $23,625 having already been paid.

According to a summary of funds, the last payment, which will total $46,763, is due Feb. 24.

With funding provided by the Barren County School Board and trip fees paid by the orchestra members’ parents having been collected but not yet put toward the final payment, Bush needs about $6,000 to reach her goal.

She expects Saturday’s concert to raise about $5,000 but could raise even more, she said.

“If we have a really successful event this Saturday, we could be set a month early,” she said.

While fundraising has been a challenging effort, Bush said she’s relieved that she hasn’t had to take out a loan.

“We could have pursued that avenue but I’m thankful we’ve been able to pay everything up front,” she said.

Stacy Owen, whose son plays cello in the orchestra, said she’s thrilled that the orchestra has been given the chance to play at a prestigious venue like Carnegie Hall.

“It feels absolutely incredible,” she said. “I’m just so proud of the kids and their hard work.”

The opportunity will be eye-opening for the students, especially those who have never set foot outside Kentucky before, Owen said.

“It’s such a great opportunity for our kids, especially if they want a career (in orchestral music), to see what it’s like to play on a big stage like that,” she said.

The orchestra was one of eight high school groups selected from across the country to perform in the National Band and Orchestra Festival, Bush said.

“I hope they understand what an honor it is and use it to grow as musicians,” she said. “I hope it fuels their passion for music.”