Bridgeport to Team Up with High School from Milwaukee for Roots & Harmony Concert
By Chris Johnson on May 11, 2025
It is often said that music is the universal language.
That notion will be made crystal clear on Friday at Bridgeport High School where Roots & Harmony, A Spring Celebration of Appalachian & Latin Rhythms will take place.
The concert, which starts at 7 p.m. is a joint effort between the BHS band and Carmen Southeast High School from Milwaukee, Wisc.
Bridgeport’s band traveled to Milwaukee for a concert with the Carmen Southeast students during the week leading up to Easter.
“Me and (BHS Band Director) Garrett Friend have a mutual friend, Seth Gillis, who works at the school in Milwaukee,” said Jeremiah Smallridge, the Director of Choir and Assistant Band/Orchestra Director at BHS. “He’s the music teacher there. We started talking about the differences in our schools. We are more of a rural school, they are inner city. We are primarily a white school, they are primarily a Hispanic school.
“We started talking about how the schools are different, how they are the same. We started talking about Appalachian music and Hispanic music and what similarities they have. He teaches a Mariachi band and we got the idea to get our students together.
The BHS students spent the day with their Carmen Southeast peers, toured an art museum in Milwaukee, rehearsed and performed. They spent some time the following day in Chicago before heading back to West Virginia.
The Carmen Southeast students will arrive on Wednesday. They plan to visit some of the area’s attractions like Blackwater Falls on Thursday, rehearse, perform the concert and then perform in the Strawberry Festival in Buckhannon on Saturday before heading home.
Smallridge said Friday’s concert, which is free of charge and will take place in the BHS Auditorium, will feature a few songs from the BHS choir, a few songs from the orchestra, a few songs from the band, a few songs form the Mariachi band and then the two schools joining forces a version of “Country Roads” complete with a Mariachi section.
“Sharing culture and engaging in musical collaboration exposes common ground and opens doors to understanding, unity, and creativity, Smallridge said. “When diverse traditions and sounds intertwine, they not only celebrate the involved group’s unique identities but also build bridges that connect beyond language, reminding us that harmony is both an art and a way of being.
“We had a great trip to Milwaukee. It was eye-opening for us. They made friends and they talk together online all the time now. The kids are really excited to see one another again. A lot of kids came up to me and said it was their favorite trip we have taken. They were kind of shy at first but we got them playing some games and playing music together really broke down the walls.”
Editor's Note: Submitted photos
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