Performing Arts
The Performing Arts Department fosters student learning and development of God-given talents. Students are challenged to create, express, reflect and push their limits to become well-rounded, lifelong artists. One credit hour of Performing or Visual Arts is required for graduation.
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Big Ideas: This class explores the vocal instrument and bel canto singing. This class establishes fundamental musical reading and writing skills as well as singing in 2/3 parts with accompaniment.
- Perform songs from multiple eras and genres
- Opportunities to sing a solo or in a small group, in addition to the full ensemble
- Learn new musical reading skills or build upon previous ones
- Perform in a concert and one other major public performance
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Prerequisite: Enrollment is by audition.
Big Idea: Discover a wide variety of music, theory, ear training, history and sight singing. This course is ideal for students who demonstrate vocal and ear strengths. Students will have the opportunity to sing and perform often while receiving the necessary foundation to become a well-rounded, skillful musician. While singing mostly a cappella music, the Advanced Choir would also have an opportunity to sing literature with a piano or other instruments.
- Perform music from a variety of time periods and styles
- Ear training for intervals, chords, scales and vocal lines, as well as vowels, consonants, diction, rhythm and pitch accuracy
- Learn the history and theory behind the selected repertoire (repertoire carefully selected to include a piece from the Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Contemporary eras)
- Acquire skills in sight singing that will allow for greater musicality and a faster pace for learning new music
- Eligibility to perform at Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA) Solo and Ensemble Contest
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Prerequisite: Enrollment is by audition.
Big Idea: A choir offered for students that have musical understanding, vocal development, and basic movement and dance skills. This choir sings predominantly in three parts with piano, but students will develop skills to sing in four parts. Students will have the opportunity to sing and dance in a variety of styles. Sight-reading and theory will be taught to advance the skillful musician.
- Perform music from a variety of time periods and styles
- Acquire skills in sight singing that will allow for greater musicality, a faster pace for learning
- Learn basic dance and movement skills while singing
- Eligibility to perform at OMEA Solo and Ensemble Contest
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(40 min./year – This class meets before school on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. It is .5 credits.)
Prerequisite: Enrollment is by audition or teacher recommendation. Students are expected to be able to demonstrate proficiency on their instrument.
Requirement: Two major performances are required, one each semester.
Big Idea: Mastering the fundamentals of music and applying them in a performance setting. The concert band setting includes woodwind, brass, piano and percussion.
- Music fundamentals include rhythm, pitch, harmony and form
- Performance fundamentals include tone, articulation, phrasing, keys, musical notation, vocabulary, listening skills and historical knowledge
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(40 min./year – This class meets before school on Tuesday and Thursday. It is worth .5 credits.)Prerequisite: Enrollment is by audition or teacher recommendation. Students are expected to be able to demonstrate proficiency on their instrument.
Requirement: Two major performances are required, one each semester.
Big Idea: Mastering the fundamentals of music and applying them in a performance setting. The jazz band setting includes woodwind, brass, piano and percussion.
- Music fundamentals include rhythm, pitch, harmony and form
- Performance fundamentals include tone, articulation, phrasing, keys, musical notation, vocabulary, listening skills and historical knowledge
- Performance fundamentals specific to jazz include blues scales, jazz modes, improvisation, articulation styles and jazz terminology
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(40 min./year – This class meets during Activity Blocks on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It is worth .5 credits.)Prerequisite: Enrollment is by audition or teacher recommendation. Students are expected to be able to demonstrate proficiency on their instrument.
Requirement: Two major performances are required, one each semester.
Big Ideas: The string orchestra setting includes violin, viola, cello, bass and harp/piano. This course allows students of varying ages and proficiencies an opportunity to grow and be challenged while mastering the fundamentals of music. Students learn to apply those fundamentals in a performance setting.
- Music fundamentals include rhythm, pitch, harmony and form
- Performance fundamentals include tone, articulation, phrasing, scales, keys, musical notation, vocabulary, listening skills and historical knowledge
- Perform a variety of scales, rhythmic patterns, dynamic expressions and meters with technical accuracy
- Perform musical selections, students will use good intonation, correct bowing and proper fingering while performing musical selections
- Practice and hone musical selections to improve upon playing and sightreading abilities
- Explorations of various musical historical periods and styles will increase knowledge of music history to build a musical repertoire
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(40min/year: This class meets before school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This course is worth .5 credits.)
Requirement: The class can only accommodate 10 students. An interview may be necessary should student interest exceed available materials.
Big Ideas: An introductory study of accordion, including introduction to play, musical forms, world music and theory. Students enrolled in this course will be expected to study/play daily on their own and will be given opportunities to collaborate with local musicians.
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Big Idea: Designed to introduce students to the fundamentals of music theory and how to use these fundamentals to analyze music. This course primarily focuses on analytical techniques. In addition, the course will integrate listening exercises, performing exercises and written exercises.
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Prerequisites: Those students wishing to take Advanced Placement (AP®)-level courses will have demonstrated intellectual scholarship in the subject and have received prior written approval from the department chair or previous teacher.
Requirement: Taking the AP® Music Theory Exam is mandatory. The cost is approximately $95.
Big Idea: This course will develop a student’s ability to recognize, understand, and describe the basic materials and processes of music that are heard or presented in a score. The achievement of this goal may be best promoted by integrated approaches to the student’s development of aural skills through listening exercises, sight-singing skills through performance exercises, written skills through written exercises, compositional skills through creative exercises, and analytical skills through analytical exercises. The course seeks first to instill mastery of the rudiments and terminology of music, including hearing and notating.
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Big Ideas: Develop each student’s ability to communicate effectively in her academic, business and social life. The major emphasis is on the preparation and delivery of formal speeches, but many areas of the communication process are explored. Students will understand and practice various types of verbal and nonverbal communication.
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Big Ideas: Practice the art of acting by learning acting tools that allow students to observe and analyze human behaviors. In this class, students will create new characters and tap into their acting abilities while effectively learning how to alter voice, body language and movement skills on stage.
- Explore your imagination in a variety of improvisational activities
- Use collaborative skills to work on scenes and skits for performance
- Practice giving and receiving constructive criticism through peer evaluation and critiques
- Learn and employ new acting terminology
- Grow through both monologue and scene work
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Prerequisite: Acting I
Big Ideas: Students will dive into the world of Shakespeare and learn how to interpret and perform his works. Students also go behind-the-scenes to learn the steps and jobs that go into putting on a show. While discovering the skills they learn from performing arts, they learn how those skills also translate into jobs in the business world. Individual characterization, scene study and analysis, creative thinking and group projects will be at the heart of this course.
- Understand the words of Shakespeare and perform a monologue from his works
- Explore the business aspects of producing a play and/or musical
- Examine the different jobs in the theater and learn the process of how a show is put together
- Rehearse a one-act-play for performance
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Year round; meets during Activity Blocks on Tuesdays and Thursdays
Dance: Exploration of Movement may be taken as a standard letter grade, A-F or Pass/Fail. Students wishing to take the course P/F are required to complete the Pass/Fail Waiver and inform the teacher that they would like to take the course P/F within the first two weeks of the course.
Big Ideas: A beginning study of several popular dance forms led by the dance instructors of Emjaez Studio. Semester one study includes jazz, hip hop, tap and lyrical dance. Semester two study includes musical theater, jazz, ballet and contemporary dance. The course focuses on the composition, performance and analysis of dance, and expressive movement.
