The Kentucky Center Governor's School for the Arts

GSA Daily:

Monday, June 18, 2007

As the first full day of this nationally recognized “Arts Boot Camp” dawned, students faced many challenges, from learning to navigate the cafeteria to experiencing a demanding and eventful artistic workday.

The morning presentation featured pianist and renowned motivational speaker Harry Pickens. Mr. Pickens leaned his 6’9" frame against the gleaming piano as he explained that he had bucked tradition and a begging high school basketball coach and chose to study piano intensively. He revealed his struggles with over-coming debilitating stage fright, in a tale with which many GSA students can sympathize.

In a community such as GSA, where every student is remarkably gifted, it is a jolt for students to downgrade from big fish to small fry. Mr. Pickens encouraged students to set goals and not be daunted by the enormity of the artistic world.

Architecture students start exploring space at their individual work stations.

The legendary grueling GSA schedule was shouldered cheerful by the students, who, in a manner reminiscent of a certain Disney movie, walked back to the cafeteria singing all the while. At lunch, students were given the first of many opportunities to begin giving back to GSA: a nigh-on miraculous, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to pie their chosen GSA staff member in the face!

In the following hours, students joined their faculty and discipline assistants for a jam-packed day of honing technique and craft in their particular discipline. The campus came alive with the sound of scribbling pens, tapping feet, and the gentle murmur of paintbrushes stroking canvas. Down in the GSA administrative offices, rooms echoed with the reverberations of brass instruments, percussion, and distant choirs.

Midway through the afternoon, a welcome rain settled dust and added still more moisture to the humid air. Instrumental musicians had the opportunity to participate in a clinic with renowned saxophonist and guest artist Vince DiMartino. Thankfully, the rains ceased in time for the students, accompanied by R.A.s, to cross over for dinner.

After constructing an abstract model, a visual artist starts to sketch a future masterpiece.

No one was tempted to succumb to sleep during the boisterous evening performance by DOJO, a partial acronym for the DiMartino/ Osland Jazz Orchestra. DOJO was joined by trombonist and GSA ’04 alum Colby Norton. Songs like “TV Blues” and a jazzed-up arrangement of “My Old Kentucky Home” showed off the big-band talent, accompanied by prize-winning jazz vocalist Angie Ortega. Their rollicking melodies had GSA students tapping their feet and snapping their fingers all through Carrick Auditorium. By the last song, students and staff were dancing in the aisles and the blue-gold sparks reflecting from the brass instruments caught fire in the students’ eyes as they gave DOJO a standing ovation.

Although the pizza boxes in the courtyard were empty, the beds were filled, and the class of 2007 was left to dream of the day’s successes.

Creative Writing students listen on as they each share a personal piece.

Members of DOJO jazz up the night, swinging the first day of class into an exciting close.

Poised at the bar, Dance students listen as faculty member Joe Cox speaks on technique.

Vocal Music students hear their fellow singers for the first time as each performs his or her audition piece in order to be placed with a voice teacher.

Drama students circle up to participate in a group warm-up exercise.

Harry Pickens rang in the first day of class with a message of confidence, self-realization, and personal acheivement.

A percussionist looks over her first piece...one of the many she will present on Final Day.

Students gather in the halls of Mitchell Fine Arts in anticpation of the first of a daily tradition: The Morning Announcements and Performance.

GSA Question of the Day
What inspires you as an artist?
"The challenge of working with artists who are really dedicated in their art form." -Susan Wigglesworth, Drama Faculty	"My choir teacher, Mr. Pittman." -Chris Calbert, Vocal Music, Louisville	"Seeing how different people live different ways. The person you think is the happiest is actually the saddest, and the person you think is the saddest is actually the happiest." -Lydia Aguilar, Creative Writing, Lexington
What is your first impression of dorm life?
"(My room) is actually bigger than I thought...there's a lot of space." -Robert Sharkey, Musical Theatre, Paducah	"It's very little...I was expecting a hotel!" -Nachia Woods, Louisville, Vocal Music	"The beds are a little uncomfortable..." -Nathan Hendrickson, Visual Art, Louisville

Photos of the Day: Click to enlarge

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