April 2022

When did you attend CVSM and who were your teachers?

My first class at CVSM was Musikgarten with Susan Whitelock when I about was 4.  Afterward, my parents enrolled me in piano lessons with Bob Parini. Marie Hershey and Brian Helman then became my teachers.

Where do you currently live and what do you do?

I’m back in Franklin County teaching at CVSM and Dickinson College. I’ve undertaken a recording project of the complete piano sonatas of William Bland (a former CVSM instructor) which has one CD out so far on Bridge Records. I am also the church musician at St. Andrew’s Episcopal in Shippensburg.

Do you still participate in music activities?

That’s literally my life!

What is your best/favorite memory of your time at CVSM?

In my senior year of high school, Brian (Helman( prepared me for my college auditions, which required over an hour of solo repertoire, memorized, and playing to the best of my abilities. That level of preparation eventually became the norm in my undergrad and graduate work but was not at all the norm when I was a teenager. It was an intense time for me, the first time music and piano really became the main focus of my life, and I was beyond fortunate to have Brian as a teacher during that time.

What are three words to describe CVSM?

Musical, creative, and fun!
 

What was the most unusual or interesting job you’ve ever had?

My first job was washing dishes at the Cracker Barrel on Wayne Avenue. I think I lasted 2 weeks.

If you could instantly have any talent, what would it be?

To be able to sing, then I wouldn’t have to play the piano! 😉

What is one thing you can’t live without?

Worcestershire sauce

In what places have you lived?

Born in Chambersburg, PA, moved to Potsdam, N.Y. for undergrad, then to Montreal, QC.

What is your favorite quote?

“Life is a gift”

Gene is originally from the Williamsport, PA, area with a BS in Education from Clarion and an MEd in Reading from Shippensburg. Sally was born and raised in Chambersburg, then moved to Shippensburg when they got married. They have a daughter, Andi, and a grandson, Lyric. Sally retired as Executive Director of Chambersburg Community Theatre (CCT) after 25 years but continues to volunteer & perform with the group.

Sally is a singer, having studied voice with Peg Weeks as a teenager, and with Marjorie Hirsch at Juniata College. She continues to perform in her church choir and, when available, with the Mercersburg Area Community Chorus, as well as being an independent performer.

Sally knew Meagan Boozer from Chambersburg Community Theatre prior to the opening of CVSM, so she has known about the school from the beginning. Gene was first introduced to CVSM when someone mentioned they were looking for a board member and knew that he had experience with serving on non-profit boards.  Watching students perform and grow as a result of their experience with CVSM made him feel as if a non-talented person like him can still contribute to the arts.

Three words to describe CVSM: Gene—Talent, Growth, Opportunity; Sally—Excellence, Creativity, Passion

CVSM exists to provide people of all ages the opportunity to explore and grow their talent and interests in the arts. This is an economical alternative for the students and a chance for qualified teachers to reach more students through the school’s promotions of their offerings.

CVSM competes with local schools and private tutors, but no one else in the area is doing everything that CVSM does. The organized efforts of the CVSM staff allow for tutors to teach under the CVSM roof and reach a wider audience for their own talents as educators.

Gene and Sally consider CVSM a worthwhile local charity because of the opportunities the school provides local residents who wish to take advantage of them. It has brought over the years a high degree of talent both to and from our community. It helps to showcase the quality of talent and people that are here in South Central Pennsylvania and inspires them to continue offering financial support where they can. Having a background in the performing arts (dance, drama, music), Sally feels it is so important to support organizations that promote a love of the arts. Everyone enjoys music even if they don’t sing or play an instrument. Life without music would be a very dull existence.

Gene has bored his family and friends since his college days with stories of when he spent two summers hitchhiking around the country. That gave him a chance to see a lot of the country and experience the people from the areas he visited. Traveling in other parts of the world with Sally when she was on concert tours gave him additional travel experiences.

All of us fortunate enough to live in this area experience good people and good opportunities. CVSM is one of many and they are pleased to be a part of the community and to participate in its growth and its cultural development.

For how long have you attended CVSM and which teachers have you studied with?

I have studied for about 4 years with Brian Helman and Kevin Gorman.  However, I have also eavesdropped during my children’s lessons for many years, on Richard Overcash, Valerie. Merriman, Geoff Weeks, and Deb Stotelmyer!

Where do you attend school and what grade are you in? 

I am not in school at the moment, but I have taken music classes recently at Gettysburg College and Messiah University.

What are your favorite music activities?

I love to sit at the piano and play for myself in the evenings, but also enjoy concerts and listening to music. 

What is your best/favorite memory of your time at CVSM? 

Playing with Brian Helman in the recital hall downstairs

What do you do for fun? I love to read to my grandchildren and watch them figure things out!

If you could instantly have any talent, what would it be? To play any piano piece on sight!

What is your favorite memory? 

As a young child, my mom worked evenings and my dad worked during the day.  After my sister and I went to bed at night, my dad would stand in the doorway of our bedroom, silhouetted against the hall light behind him, and talk to us about the music he played on the record player: Scheherazade, Pictures at an Exhibition, the Grand Canyon Suite, La Mer, the 1812 Overture, the Firebird Suite, and Swan Lake. 

In what places have you lived?

I grew up in New Jersey but moved to Mercersburg after finishing my pediatric residency.  Now I live in Greencastle.

Where is the best place you have traveled to and why? 

I hiked part of the Annapurna circuit in Nepal several years ago with the Sierra Club and it was so beautiful there are no words to describe it.

What is the weirdest thing you have ever eaten?

Toenails!  I still bite my fingernails but haven’t been able to reach my toes since I turned 36 years old.

Where is your favorite place to eat?

You can’t beat the Falafel Shack.  But I like Sheetz and McDonald’s too!