IN THE PRESS

The New York Times

As the quirky tones of a jazz trio resonates, Emily Tanner, 17, of Centerport picked at the large chunk of clay on the sculpture stand in front of her. She scratched out a skyscraper, hewed an old man's face, then rotated the mound to the other side tocarve out a pregnant woman holding a baby. "It's like the blurbs of ink with the psychiatrist," Emily said, chiseling fastidiously with a plastic tool as the improvised strains of the world music being played in the center of the art studio became more strident. "I'm just looking and seeing what I see. Tonight it's a little more risky. I wanted to do something I wasn't as comfortable with."

Most of the time, the high school students at the Huntington School of Fine Arts sculpt, paint and draw in silence. Usually the lights in the waterfront warehouse that serves as a studio are on. And, nearly always, the parameters under which they work are strictly defined.

But on this evening, their portfolios for the semester complete, the 100 aspiring artists put aside the convention. They snapped off the lights and lighted dozens of candles. And as the musicians John Purcell, Ronnie Burrage, and Matthew Garrison, performed "Art in Concert," an improvisational gig on keyboards, woodwinds, and bass guitar, sculpturs worked in oil, painters opted to mold in clay, sketchers smeared paint with their fingers and painted words instead of flowers. Only a nude model posing on a platform in the center of the drawing room seemed impervious to the sound.

"The music helps isolate the creativity and with that the creativity is able to flourish," Emily said. "The music relaxes you. They are offbeatand crazy and it influences you to do the same in your artwork. It helps you to forget about the academics and go with emotions. As the music is spontaneous, you become more spontaneous."

The music screeched, whined and whirled, briefly melliflous. Building to a crescendo, the sound boomed, reverberating through the studio. Mr. Burrage cried out. Mr. Purcell wailed.

The idea of a concert in art class, said Joseph Mack, 79, a sculptor and founder of the 19-year-old school, was to remove constrictions and inspire creativity among his students. Most of the participants are enrolled in the school's college-prer portfolio program, believed to be the only on of its kind on the Island.

Mr. Purcell, who splits his time between New York and California, visited the school earlier this year to see the artwork of his 17-year daughter, Alicia. Convinced that sound waves were the way to bring music and art together, he offered to perform. This was his second concert at the school this year.

"This is an opportunity to cross examine the visual essence of expression through the sonic release of the creative process," Mr. Purcell said, hoping to introduce the program in other artistic communities. "Normally it is always the art world and the music world. Let's bring them together; it's time."

Improvisation, Mr. Mack agreed, was no different for artists than for musicians. One medium could only enhance the other. And he told his students to translate the music into form and color.

"What is art all about but conceptual work," Mr. Mack said. "There are many people who can replicate what they are looking at, which is not necessarily art. We are trying to open up creative doors for all of them." Mr. Mack is a former advertising and promotions professional. He claims to have invented the first plastic bag with handles and promoted the Princess telephone when AT&T was his client. Always challenged to spur his students on, at the end of June, Mr. Mack will be taking a class to paint medieval villages in France, sculpture stone in a quarry and study cave paintings.

Krystyn Bellino, 18, of Cold Spring Harbor spends most of her nine hours a week at the studion drawing figures. But the concert inspired het to create a oainted thank-you note to a good friend instead. She stood at an easel, streaking red, black, and purple oils across her canvas, not quite sure in the semi-darkness how her work would look in the light.

"The music is helping me express myself more easily," Ms. Bellino said, describing her usual style as Picasso-like. "The music gives you courage to do new stuff."

And sometimes, it helps revive old techniques. On a mural in front of the band, Brendon Semigran, 18, of Huntington was finger painting. Keeping time with the music, he made sweeping circles, using oranges, reds and yellows when the tempo slowed and dipping his fingers into the purple as the beat picked up. "I get more inspired by the music," Mr. Semigran said, admitting he hadn't used his digits instead of a brush to paint since the first grade. "I took a risk and feel great about it."

But Jason Visentin, 18, of Manhasset planned to totally ignore the sound, sculpturing a Navy Seal diver out of clay, putting a skull on its belt and a dagger in his hand. "I went into this with a predetermined idea of what I was going to do," Mr. Visentin said, continuing to mold his figure even when the band stopped playing.

Despite his concentration, it was impossible to remain impervious. "The music helped it to flow freely," he admitted. "Where there were gaps in my ideas, everything went smoothly. I was able to focus. The music inspired me on a subconscious level. It was really helpful."