Aiken Middle kicks off holidays with art

Aiken Middle School parents enjoyed an arts doubleheader before the Christmas break recently - a showcase of student artwork, followed by performances of holiday music from four AMS band groups.

The music program started off with a jazz band, followed by each of the grade-level bands, all before a capacity crowd in the school gym.

"I was very proud of all the students," said band director Denise Holley via e-mail. "They've been working hard on this music since mid-October. The sixth-graders were especially impressive, because they have only been playing since mid-September. All groups have come a long way."

Kayla Tobin, a sixth-grader, said she had no previous musical experience when school opened in August and didn't expect to participate in a concert so quickly.

"I was nervous, but it was exciting too," the baritone performer said. "I joined the band because my cousin was in it and it looked cool."

Even before her sixth-grade son Seth formally joined the band program, April Leischner was asked by Holley last summer to serve as the band booster club president. This wasn't actually a whim; Leischner's daughter Carissa played for the Aiken Middle School band and is now an Aiken High senior and band student.

"I'm known as the band mom," Leischner said with a laugh, "I helped out the (Aiken High) band program this summer at camp."

At Aiken Middle School it's important to all children that their parents be involved at this stage of their learning, she said.

"It's weird to start all over again," Leishner said of her booster club appointment. "But hearing my daughter now as a senior, I know what my son can become."

Ashley Bonnette, an eigth-grader, was one of 34 art students to win artistic excellence awards at the festival. She credits teacher Lucy Fabrick for her instruction and encouragement.

"I had started art as a kid, but had never gotten any professional training until I came here," Bonnette said. "Ms. Fabrick is really talented and taught me a bunch of techniques I didn't know before."

Fabrick said the sixth-graders worked on self-portraits, and seventh-graders focused on modern design. The eigth-graders could choose from a variety of media.

"It's wonderful to see all the quality here," Fabrick said. "The sixth-graders have no idea what they can do, and then their self-portraits just blow them away. I love it and can't think of a better career."

Other art award winners were Jesse Carver, Brandon Dooley, Brandon Foster, Alyssa Frazier, Cristian Medina, Tess Pimsner, Savanna Wiegland, Jontrez Wise, Chandler Boyd, Derrick Cadden, Chris Cardosi, Savannah Coleman, Christina Cortes, Lynsey Day, Rosie Estrada, Sara Johnson, Torah Ligons, Torah Ligons, Alyssa Massie, Samantha McCarty, Libby Peacock, Nathaniel Prescott, Kristina Rutland, Kristina Rutland, Andrew Sitler, Robert Smith, David Tucker, Caleb Waddell, Kayla Baltzegar, A.J. Hembree, Kenya McCord, Rashad Morris, Alejandro Negrete, Joshua Pryor, Vivian Wallace, Dakota Woodward and Dustin Woodward.

Contact Rob Novit at rnovit@aikenstandard.com.