Anchali Kasemsarn first set foot into the band room at PS 158, a VH1 Save The Music Foundation grant recipient school, in September of 2005 when she was an eighth grade student. Anchali expressed to her teacher her sincere desire to study the alto saxophone. Although she was older than the rest of the beginners her teacher accepted her into the concert band.
Since she was starting the alto saxophone after many of her peers, she was far behind the other students. Amazingly within a few weeks Anchali caught up with her more-experienced classmates. Catching up with her colleagues was just the beginning. Soon after Anchali auditioned for and was accepted into the Queens Borough Wide Band and the MS 158 Jazz Ensemble. By the end of September Anchali told her teacher of her intention to audition for LaGuardia HS for the Performing Arts.
