Pursuing an in-depth experience in the arts, three Bridgeport High School rising juniors attended the 2014 Governor’s School for the Arts. Attending the three-week summer session at West Virginia Wesleyan College were Maggie Lohmann, Cassie Perry and Sierra Shreves, concentrating on instrumental music, studio arts and acting, respectively. 

 

Lohmann shared some highlights of the experience. 

 

“It was amazing,” she said. “Not only did I get to grow with my playing of the violin and improve my musical skills, but I also got to see a lot of other art forms and grow in those art forms, as well.” 

 

In her primary discipline of instrumental music, Lohmann worked with Dr. James Moore, director of music at WVWC and director of the college’s jazz ensemble.

 

“We listened to a lot of jazz and we wrote our own blues. He broke us up into workshop ensembles of 20 instrumental students and gave us chords to play and key progressions,” Lohmann said. “It was really great because I’ve never really gotten to write music. We did a lot of playing by ear, then when we got back into our strings class, we focused on tuning with people around us and being aware of everyone.”

 

 In the small group settings, recordings were made in a studio set up in the WVWC auditorium. That, too, was a first-time experience for Lohmann. At the conclusion of the three-week academy, students performed two of the student-written orchestra pieces for parents.

 

“That was really the only time we read music,” Lohmann said.

 

Including two classes with her major discipline of instrumental music, she took part in acting, creative writing, vocal music, dance, studio arts and digital arts.

 

In addition to on-site activities, the program included trips to Charleston and Pittsburgh and some Buckhannon attractions beyond the WVWC campus. The road trip to Charleston was for a mentor luncheon.

 

“Each student got to nominate a mentor who helped them,” Lohmann said. “I had lunch with my third grade teacher, Mrs. Kay Burnett. She encouraged me with all my different art forms and helped me to be a better person.”

 

Lohmann said she also named her fourth grade strings teacher as a mentor, but she was unable to attend.

 

While in Charleston, the group toured the Capitol and state archives, as well as the Clay Center and Planetarium. The Pittsburgh trip featured a visit to the Andy Warhol Museum, a showing of “Cats” at the Benedum Center and dinner at the Spaghetti Warehouse. In Buckhannon, the students witnessed glass blowing by Ron Hinkle, dinner at CJ Maggie’s and the Buckhannon Farmers Market, which included bluegrass music by Americana band, “The Stray Birds.” The young musicians even got to share the stage for a couple numbers.

 

Lohmann highly recommends that underclassmen consider applying for GSA in the future. It was indeed three of the best weeks of her life, she said.

 

“It really opened my eyes open that I want to continue playing the violin when I get older,” she said. “It’s a really great experience and not intimidating at all. It was really fun to meet great people and some of us have been keeping in touch since we left. We’re hoping to get together for reunions and maybe even get together to play sometime.” 

 

Editor's Note: Lohmann is shown top with instrumental music students of GSA 2014.