Marvin Avila, Soloist for "I Will Be There”

Marvin, a senior in the Program in Vocal Performance, Music Theatre at New York University (NYU); at NYU, has performed the roles of the lead character St. Brioche in The Merry Widow, Paul San Marco in A Chorus Line, and Bartley in Riders to the Sea; appeared in Pirates of Penzance, Street Scene, and Ragtime; is the inaugural recipient of the four-year Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star / NYU Steinhardt Musical Theatre Studies Scholarship; awarded two additional education scholarships from the Steinhardt School; has been selected to represent NYU to the most recent Barbara Cook Master Class program held at Lincoln Center and webcast live (Barbara Cook is a highly-celebrated classical soprano, Broadway star, concert performer, recording artist, Tony/Grammy/Drama Desk awardee, and a Theater Hall of Fame inductee); he plans to continue his studies in the Steinhardt Classical Voice Graduate Program in Fall of 2006.

Karen Agatep, Choir Member/

Soloist for “Wishing You Were Here”

Whether it be singing or dancing, she has performed with Samahan since she was 3, as a senior in HS, she has undertaken a number of achievements; as a freshman, earned the lead role in the school’s musical Annie & since, played "Anita" in West Side Story, “Dale” in the Cowgirl Trio in Crazy For You, & the “Witch” in the musical Into The Woods; sang for Second Generation’s (www.2g.org) "Concert of Excellence Event” at Carnegie Hall & Lincoln Center, is a member of the HS Show Band, “Parental Guidance,” performed at PNC Bank Arts Center & South Street Seaport in New York City; recorded a few CD's at JMM Studios, plays for the school band; sitting 1st Chair 1st Clarinet; a member of Carteret Actors Reaching Out & Educating Students (C.A.R.E.S), a group acting out monologues across New Jersey and plans to pursue a degree in Social Work.

Raquel Agatep, Choir Member, a member of Samahan since age 4; learning Filipino dances & songs & being able to perform across the State of New Jersey; made her singing debut with Second Generation at Carnegie Hall for the "Concert of Excellence" event; is currently a 7th  grader at Carteret Middle School, plays soccer for the Carteret Rec League.  This summer, she plans on learning the clarinet.  Plan the future… one step at a time!

Alyssa Alcudia, Choir Member, is 17 years old, will be 18 this coming June, has lived in Carteret, New Jersey since she was four years old; hobbies are reading, dancing, singing & playing music at the piano, loves to solve mysteries and enjoys volunteering for others; is a senior at Mother Seton Regional High School in Clark, New Jersey; plans to go to a nursing college when she will graduate this coming June.

Alyster Alcudia, Choir Member, is 13 years old, currently in 7th grade at Saint Joseph School; an active member of the Student Council, Drama Club, & Basketball Team; an altar server in Saint Joseph's Parish; takes voice lessons at The Academy of Music; his debut performance was with the Papermill Playhouse as a royal child in the "The King and I;" performed in “Kids In The Park” during the Summers of 2001 & 2002; as Mr. Fezziwig in “A Christmas Carol;” joined the New York City Opera's Children Chorus & cast in Hansel & Gretel, Carmen, Tosca, & La Boheme, but did not continue with the opera, due to his father's brain cancer.

Dane Alcudia, Choir Member, is 9 years old, a fourth grader at Saint Joseph School; helps as an altar server at Saint Joseph's Parish; plays the piano; as a member of the Samahan’s Choir, this project for the benefit of the American Cancer Society has totally inspired him because he wants to support the fight against cancer that has caused both of his grandmothers their lives and because his uncle Ariel is fighting against brain cancer as well.

Nicolette Ardiente, Choir Member, is 16 yrs.-old, a junior at Colonia High School; an active member of the Girl's Varsity Bowling Team, 11th Grade Officer of the Asian Club, French Honor Society Member & National Honor Society Member; likes to sing and play piano; aspires of being a lawyer/political ambassador to other countries; wants to major in International Relations & Political Science and hopes to fulfill these goals in her dream school in Columbia University, New York.

Ryan Ardiente, Choir Member, attends Avenel Middle School and will be graduating on June 2006; plans on going to Colonia High School; a Samahan  since 1999 and enjoys the group as he learns his culture & tradition; loves to play bowling and hope to be part of the school’s bowling team as well, his idol is Paul McCartney and has a bowl-cut as a tribute to him.

Bernadette Avila, Choir Member, is the youngest member , just turned four years old, a pre-K student at St. Joseph School, Carteret, NJ; a member of the Samahan Dance Group, which performs Philippine ethnic dances at community & charity events; her interest in music & dance is very evident when you see her just burst into spontaneous singing & dancing throughout the day; takes ballet & tap dancing lessons at the Woodbridge School of Dance & will be participating in a number of public recitals during the summer of 2006.

Matthew Avila, Choir Member, is 7 years old, a second grade student at St. Joseph School, Carteret, NJ; gets special recognition for his excellence in spelling & memory of math facts; a member of the Samahan Dance Group that performs Philippine ethnic dances at community & charity events; other extra-curricular activities: piano lessons at the Academy of Music in Rahway; arts classes (drawing and painting) at a private arts school in Highland Park, & swimming lessons at The Club of Woodbridge.

Kenneth Chinjen, Choir Member, is 14 years old, a freshman attending Carteret High School; an active member of Carteret Rambler Marching Band & plays several instruments: mellophone, trumpet, French horn, saxophone, & the electric & acoustic guitar; is a lead singer in his band called the True Fiction; a cheerful person who loves singing with the choir group as well as with friends & families; the choir has provided him an opportunity to develop his talents in singing; hopes that this CD will make a difference in the lives of people who are suffering from Cancer and to the ones who survived from it.

Steven Chinjen, Choir Member, is 9 years old, born on December 7, 1996, in 3rd grade attending Private Minue Elementary School; is naturally friendly, funny, helpful and quite creative as he loves to draw and paint; a member of the St. Joseph Parish Children’s Choir & the Samahan Children’s Choir; loves sports and plays soccer, basketball, football and baseball; one thing he likes during the weekends is preparing to cook pancakes with his Dad, although he’d rather cook it by himself; during the making of the CD, it gave him a chance to express his feelings about helping people who are suffering with Cancer and hopes that you will like and enjoy listening to the CD.

Abigail Fabe, Choir Member, is a 4th grader at Private Nichoals Minue School; enjoys being with a certain group called BLD (Bukas Loob Sa Dioyos); a member of the Samahan dance group & enjoys the experience of learning and performing at various cultural shows in New Jersey.

Glendyll Fabe, Choir Member, is a 7th grader at the Carteret Middle School; a member of the BLD (Bukas Loob Sa Diyos) organization, a member of the Samahan dance group and enjoys being part of the cultural scenes of the different counties of NJ.

Marvin Flores, Choir Member, is 17, a junior in Union Catholic Regional HS, Scotch Plains, NJ; an active member of the Performing Art Company (PAC): as Beaky in HONK!, Yertle the Turtle in Seussical & cast in the show “And the World Goes ‘Round”; a member of the Filipino Club, Big Brother & Big Sister Program, the Tennis Team; a member of Samahan performing throughout the different counties of the State of New Jersey; sang with the Children’s Choir for Second Generation during the Concert of Excellence event held at Carnegie Hall & Lincoln Center; assists as an Altar server at St. Joseph Parish, & helps with CCD in St. Joseph School.

Kimberly Alexis Ibañez Hansen, Choir Member, is 6 years old, a kindergarten student at St. Joseph School in Carteret, NJ; interests include singing, ballet dancing, swimming and cheerleading; also a member of Samahan Dance Group and the St. Joseph School’s Biddy Cheerleading Group.

Sarah Hussain, Choir Member, is 11 years old, a sixth grader at Carteret Middle School; started dancing lessons 9 years ago and takes her lessons at Across the Floor involved in gymnastic, ballet, point, jazz, & hip-hop; is a cheerleader for the Carteret Sportsmen Bulldogs who won the National Championship and aspires to be a professional dancer/choreographer or a pediatrician.  Dream, Believe, Achieve!

Florianne Jalac, Choir Member, is 13 years of age, attends Hillside Catholic Academy; plans to attend Union Catholic Academy in the fall of 2006; hobbies include drawing, playing the piano, singing, & dancing; goes to Union County Dance Centre in Rahway where she takes ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, and hip-hop; is also a part of UCDC's competition and performance groups, hopes to become a pediatrician in the future; loves being a part of the Samahan Children's Choir and is excited about all future endeavors

Marites Mallari, Choir Member, a freshman at Carteret High School; an ardent member of the music program at her school; plays the clarinet and oboe in the band, a color guard member on the field; involved with her school's performing arts program and drama club, appearing onstage in Carteret Middle School's production of "Once On This Island, Jr.;" a member of the Samahan dance group and with her love of music and the arts and aspires to attend Rutgers University's Mason Gross School of the Arts to become a band teacher herself.

Mark Jason Marban, Choir Member, known as Jason or by his peers Mason; a member of the Samahan for about 8 years; if not with Samahan, he does the normal teenage guy thing; play videogames, surf the net, play and listen to music, and hang out with his friends; however, over all these years, the recording of the CD was a first, claiming that he is not the singing type but put that  aside knowing that singing for the CD would benefit a great cause for the  American Cancer Society; after completing this CD, he believes that the time and labor put into its production would definitely be worth it all.

Rowena Lirio Songcuan, Choir Member, is 5 years old, a Pre-K student at my Very Own School in Middlesex, NJ; taking Ballet & Tap dance lessons at Rhythm & Moves in Edison, New Jersey; likes to read and watch Princess stories;

looks forward for the weekends to play and have fun with her friends and relatives; loves to sing and enjoys performing Filipino folkdances with the Samahan group during community and charity events.

Samuel SJ Syjongtian, Choir Member, is 13 years old, an 8th grader at St. Joseph's School, Carteret, NJ; since Kindergarten, a consistent recipient of the Principal's Award, graduates as Valedictorian (Class 2006), served on the Student Council, active with the Drama Club, Carteret Sportsmen: plays football as middle line backer & full back, plays basketball as a guard/forward; will be attending St. Joseph's High School in Metuchen; hopes to play with the Carteret HS football team (the Ramblers); trains in martial arts since he was 4 years old under the direction of Shihan Chirico; competed  & has been awarded as State Champion for a couple of years and received his black belt last March 2005.