Ascend Member Shawn Wyckoff Makes Musical Mark on the Eastern Panhandle

If you happened to be in Martinsburg’s historic downtown area last fall, you might have witnessed an unusual sight: a local man rollerblading down the street while masterfully playing the flute! His name is Shawn Wyckoff, and he’s a Julliard-trained flutist who has performed at Carnegie Hall, The Library of Congress, and other prestigious venues across North America. He's also a fellow member of Ascend! Shawn, who has mostly lived in big cities such as Toronto and New York, moved to Martinsburg with his wife, violinist Maria Millar, as part of the Ascend program’s first Eastern Panhandle cohort. 

Shawn and Maria perform as the musical duo Sonic Escape.

Since making the move to West Virginia, the solo and chamber musician has been enjoying his new small-town, big-adventure life. When he isn’t kicking back at his sun-soaked space with views of historic buildings, he is stopping by the nearby co-working hub, mingling with friendly neighbors and, of course, enjoying the great outdoors. “There's such a variety of enriching activities to choose from with Martinsburg as our base,” Shawn, a frequent hiker and skier, says. And he also gets to enjoy his other passion: rollerblading.

“Since we are based in the historic downtown core, we can run all errands on rollerblades – just like in Toronto,” he says. “But here, drivers stop to let you pass, share a wave or fling an arm out a window just to give you a thumbs up. We even had an impromptu dance party with a car waiting at a red light.”

In November 2023, Shawn performed a free concert with Maria at Shepherd University in Shepherdstown. Sitting in the audience were some of his new friends and fellow Ascend members. The show was just one highlight of his experience so far. 

 “Life's short!” the musician says. “I respect Ascend for having this vision and for all the people who decided to say 'yes' to the adventure!”