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Ensemble talents are recognized

By Staff | Apr 9, 2014

­ Twenty-three fourth and fifth grade students make up the A.I. Boreman After-School Choir and Percussion Ensemble who were invited to perform at the 8th Annual Arts Alive in Charleston. The group is pictured above, left to right: first row - Jordyn Potoczny, Imagen Anderson, Eden Turner, Jude Childers, Haygen Baker, Weston Henderson; second row - Ezra Reed, Bryar Glasscock, Seth Moore, Caleb Strode, Kara Lynch, Logan Wade, Abigail Ebert; third row - Briann Templeton, Romana Rice, Regan Smith, Savannah Ferrell, Michael Suter, Gracie Shepherd and Lauren Templeton. Ensemble Member who were not present for picture are: Case Landis, A.J. Benzing, and Kelsi Vandruff.

The After-School Choir and Percussion Ensemble at Arthur I. Boreman Elementary recently performed at the 8th annual Arts Alive, sponsored by the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE). This event was held on April 4 at the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences in Charleston. This invitation was extended by Christine N. Camper Moore, Ph.D., who is the Arts Coordinator at the WVDE.

Dr. Camper Moore extended this invitation to the AIB after-school ensemble after she watched their performance at the Solo and Ensemble Honors Recital during the West Virginia Music Educators Association’s state conference on March 20 in Wheeling. She also invited several other honor ensembles from the state music conference to perform at Arts Alive.

This group of students became state honors finalists for Solo and Ensemble for the second year in a row. They are the only elementary ensemble in West Virginia to ever achieve this distinction.

Arts Alive is the WVDE’s annual event to showcase outstanding arts education programs and student achievements in public schools. The work included in Arts Alive is selected from state arts conferences, festivals, and exhibits throughout West Virginia, a competitive submission process, and/or by invitation. Arts Alive is in its eighth year and has expanded collaborations and interdisciplinary partnerships to include work from the following areas: Dance, Music, Pre-Kindergarten, Science in the Arts, Theatre and Visual Arts. Students perform and exhibit work before an audience of students, family members, educators, policy makers, leaders, advocates, and philanthropists.

Arts Alive aims to support developing and established arts programs in public schools throughout West Virginia; inspire local education systems to embrace the arts as an essential part of every child’s education; and empower the broader learning community to advocate for comprehensive arts education in public schools. Arts Alive is dedicated to arts education in West Virginia and remains committed to providing a venue where the arts are paramount, inspired teaching is honored, and the work of young artists is celebrated.

The performance for Arts Alive began at 7 p.m. on April 4 in the Clay Center. AIB’s ensemble was the first group to perform that evening. The students performed the following pieces on Orff barred instruments: “Clave,” “Crunchy, Crunchy, Crunchy,” and “Hidden Treasure,” all composed by Walt Hampton. There were seventeen acts for the main stage performance that showcased talented students in music, dance and theatre.

In addition, there was an art exhibit in the Clay Center lobby that evening that displayed work from the states most talented visual artists. Tyler County students were also honored here with three entries on display for the public.

The After-School Choir and Percussion Ensemble at A.I. Boreman is comprised of twenty-three fourth and fifth grade students and are under the direction of Matt Jennings.