BCHS Hosts Fine Arts Afternoon

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Bath County High School Band, and Grades 5 through 7 as well, played as Part Two of a Fine Arts Afternoon on Sunday May 11th. The whole afternoon and into the evening was a feast for the senses with a huge range of visual art to be taken in by viewers, tasty snacks and punch as part of the reception, followed by a truly wonderful concert with another spectrum of talent and practice including performances by the High School Color Guard.
The artwork by students from grades Pre-K through 12 spread through the gym and the auditorium foyer used all of the following media: drawing, painting, ceramics, digital photography, sculpture and others. When asked how she helps young artists develop such strong technique as showed so clearly in the upper classes’ pieces, Art Teacher, Courtney Horner shared,
“Well, I like to start with drawing for all my students, and then we work up from there. Some of the mediums I hold off on because they’re not ready for it. They need to learn a little bit more.”
What is some advice to share with students who have a picture in their minds of what they want to make, but just can’t quite create it?
“Just keep trying. The only way you get better is by practicing.”
And all that practicing pays off when there is an exhibit to see such as the one that afternoon, or a concert to hear as well. When asked what a listener should expect Band director, Melinda Hooker said,
“You’re going to see kids playing on trashcans; you going to see all kinds of crazy stuff happening, boomwhackers, and just some very classic band literature as well. So it will be kind of a mix of everything.
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Courtney Horner, Art, and Melinda Hooker, Band, are both used to travelling between the two Elementary Schools and the High School so the fact that they are able to help such a range students consistently produce fantastic results is remarkable.
Mindy Hooker, on preparation for the concert:
“We try to pick two songs for the 6th and 7th graders. They’re a little more advanced. So they have two songs that are pretty different than each other, one that’s a little heavier and louder and more raucous, and one that’s a little quieter, and more musical. So you’ll hear different varieties for everything. The idea is that we create peaks and valleys through the entire show, so that it’s fun for the audience and the players.”

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