Many students involved in activities within Tyrone Area High School such as athletics or the arts get a lot of recognition for their accomplishments, but others don’t get recognized for talents that they exhibit outside of school.

Junior Hannah Gampe is a talented musician who has been playing the piano for eight years. She takes lessons from local piano teacher Jean Benn every week. Hannah also participates in the National Piano Guild every year, which requires a lot of practice.

Of all of the many songs Hannah has played, she has five favorites. The Tempest, Pagoda Bells, Dance of the Leprechauns, Shimmering Waterfalls, and Fireside Reflections.

“I love when she plays. The sound fills the whole house,” said Hannah’s mom, Christy Gampe.

Piano, being an ambidextrous instrument, gradually gets more challenging the more experience the player has. Hannah is on the intermediate level of piano.

“Hannah has so much dedication and perseverance, and that is why she has done so well. I’ve been in classes with her, and when she plays you can’t take your eyes off of her. It’s simply mesmerizing” said junior Ava McCracken.

According to Mrs. Benn, one thing Hannah needs to work on is her sight reading. Sight reading is when the player is given a sheet of new music, and they try and play through it, both hands, at a speed that they can achieve playing the speed correctly.

What Child is This is Jean Benn’s favorite song Hannah has played.

“The arrangement was lovely, and Hannah played it so expressively,” said Jean Benn.

Her strong work ethic and pleasant personality are one of Jean’s favorite parts of teaching her.  And as she continues to play, she will only get better.

A video of Hannah playing her favorite song, Shimmering Waterfalls, is available on the Eagle Eye YouTube channel.