Performing Arts

The Performing Arts Department is comprised of both the Music and Drama programs. It seeks to enable students to experience and explore areas for self-expression and the skills and perceptions necessary to that end in these two art forms. It also provides cultural and historical study in these areas, as well as experiential, practical, and theoretical background. Performance experiences are available and encouraged in both areas. There is a Winter and a Spring evening concert, a Jazz evening, as well as student recitals during the school day. Additionally, there is an Upper School Drama production (fall) and an Upper/Middle School musical (spring) which heavily features Upper School students. Students have the opportunity to attend professional performances like: concerts, operas and theatre productions.

MUSIC PROGRAM
The Music Program is a developmental program which seeks to balance the experiential and theoretical aspects of music. Aural skills and perceptions are developed in all courses. Students are encouraged to explore many aspects and styles of music making, as well as gain insight from the music of others, both historically and culturally. Practical aspects of performance are covered in various formats. Connections are made with other aesthetic areas as well. Above all, students are encouraged to develop music as an area for self-expression and to respect it as such an area for others.

DRAMA PROGRAM
The Drama Program strives to encourage growth in students’ understanding about human behavior, themselves, and the world in which they live. Drama offers a synthesis of language, feeling, and thought, which can enrich the individual’s inner world and increase his or her awareness and understanding of the outer world. It also fosters competence and confidence. Often working thematically, students develop skills in mime, improvisation, characterization, fluency of expression, working with text and working harmoniously with others. Through class work and productions these skills and attitudes are coupled with the development of performance skills.

CREDIT FOR DRAMA PERFORMANCES

Students will receive Performing Arts credit for performing in the Fall Play or the Spring Musical. Credit is granted upon the successful completion of the production including rehearsals, tech weeks, and performances. Participation in the Fall Play or Spring Musical will satisfy one Performing Arts Requirement. Students must receive their other Performing Arts credits from one of the many Performing Arts electives.

The Spring Musical Production may count for Spring Semester PE credit. Students participating in the Musical are not required to enroll in a spring PE course. The Fall Play does not count towards PE credit.

Jazz Ensemble

Any musician is welcome to join any one of three jazz ensembles, each matching one’s instrumental and musical ability. The ensembles study and perform music from the American jazz tradition with an emphasis on the development of individual and group improvisation. The ensembles participate annually in jazz competitions in the Northeast. Past ensembles have won awards for their musicianship and proficiency and have performed at numerous functions throughout the NYC area. Study culminates with a prominent jazz artist rehearsing and teaching the ensembles and then performing with them at our annual “Jazz Night.”

Through this course, students will have the opportunity to participate in a service learning experience and earn credit hours toward their annual service requirement.

Full year course – 4 credits (Jazz Ensemble I) or 3 credits (Jazz Ensemble II & III)

Prerequisite(s): An audition
Chamber Players

Chamber Players is a class for instrumentalists who enjoy playing with an ensemble. The repertoire ranges from classical works and familiar movie themes to rock and pop arrangements. In recent years, Chamber Players has performed Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos, Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker Suite, “Eleanor Rigby” by the Beatles, and music from the Harry Potter soundtracks by John Williams. The orchestra periodically performs larger-scale masterworks in conjunction with the Upper School Chorus. Representative compositions have included Gloria by Vivaldi and Schubert’s Mass in G. The students perform together as a chamber orchestra and also rehearse and perform in smaller groups drawn from the larger ensemble. There are two concerts per year, one in November and one in April. Another component to the class is that every student participates in a form of Solo & Ensemble festival, which showcases smaller ensembles and solo presentations by each musician. Other performance opportunities often arise throughout the year. The Chamber Players class may include strings, woodwinds, brass, piano, guitar, and mandolin. Instrumentalist grades 9-12 are welcome.

Full year course - 4 credits

Prerequisite(s): An audition/permission from instructor
Concert Choir

Concert Choir is a vocal ensemble open to all students in grades 9-12. This course is designed for students wanting to engage in group singing twice per cycle without spending much time on their music between class sessions. Repertoire includes works from many cultures, languages, eras, and genres. In addition to composed repertoire, significant class time is spent developing improvisational skills and comfort. Special attention is paid to learning and maintaining a healthy vocal technique, sight-singing and ear-training, part-singing (harmony), and other musicianship skills. Works may be sung a cappella or with instrumental accompaniment. There is no audition requirement. Concert Choir typically performs in two concerts throughout the year.

Full year course – 2 credits
Chamber Singers

This course is designed for students wanting to sing four times per cycle and spend time practicing their music outside of class. Chamber Singers is an advanced group that explores close harmony, different time feels, improvisation, and vocal independence (holding one’s own part against simultaneous harmony). Members of the ensemble further develop their awareness of score reading, scale and chordal theory, and healthy use of the voice within multiple stylistic contexts. The ensemble performs a wide variety of repertoire, including but not limited to folk and traditional songs, Spirituals, jazz, musical theatre, madrigals, and classical. Chamber Singers involves a higher level of commitment and vocal independence than Concert Choir due to the more demanding song repertoire. There is a formal audition requirement and instructor permission is required in order to register for this course.

Full-year course – 4 credits
Prerequisites: Instructor permission
Acting: Intro & Public Speaking

This course is designed as an introduction to public speaking and acting. This class will develop the student’s own creativity and critical thinking as we strive to strengthen both performance and communication skills. Students will present their work throughout the semester and focus will be given to breath, enunciation, volume, and articulation. The course will help prepare students for a variety of situations where formal presentations are required. Topics will include public speaking, demonstrative presentations, persuasive speeches, impromptu and debate.

One semester course (Fall & Spring) – 2 credits
Acting: Scene Study

In this class, students will study character objectives, obstacles, and tactics by looking at scenes from many different plays. Students will analyze contemporary, classical, and Shakespeare scenes as they continue to hone their acting skills. There will be a focus on text analysis as students explore some of the more iconic roles in both American and Shakespearean theater. Students will also dive into the basics of stage combat as they learn some hand-to-hand moves and simple combinations. There will be culminating in-class presentations of contemporary scenes, Shakespeare, and stage combat scenes.

One semester course (Spring) – 1 credit
Playwriting

Students will learn the tools involved in creating a one-act play. Through reading published plays as well as in-class writing assignments, students will write several short plays over the course of the semester. Students will experiment with monologues and scenes in different styles of playwriting. Students will explore conflict, given circumstances, obstacles and character as they write and edit their work. This course culminates with a reading of the students work performed by professional actors.

One semester course (Fall) – 1 credit
Directing

Students will work in a variety of ways, using improvisations, scenes, and original work, to learn how to be the creative force behind what the audience sees on the stage. Students will explore the use of space, character, color, music, and tempo to discover the intricacies of directing a scene. Directing a ten-minute play, one-act contemporary play for a workshop production or directing a short film is the culmination of the course.

One semester course (Spring) – 1 credit
Acting: Scene Study

In this class, students will study character objectives, obstacles, and tactics by looking at scenes from many different plays. Students will analyze contemporary, classical, and Shakespeare scenes as they continue to hone their acting skills. There will be a focus on text analysis as students explore some of the more iconic roles in both American and Shakespearean theater. Students will also dive into the basics of stage combat as they learn some hand-to-hand moves and simple combinations. There will be culminating in-class presentations of contemporary scenes, Shakespeare, and stage combat scenes.

One semester course (Spring) – 2 credits
ChoreoLab

ChoreoLab is a choreography and composition class in which students will learn the craft of creating dances. By finding inspiration in improvisation, poetry, photography, visual art and their daily lives, students will learn the art of dance making, as well as know how to lead a rehearsal, design costumes and research music. This course satisfies PE requirements for the full year and also counts as Performing Arts credits. This course meets 3 periods per cycle during the school day.

Through this course, students will have the opportunity to participate in a service learning experience and earn credit hours toward their annual service requirement.

Prerequisite(s): Teacher's approval is required to sign-up for this class.
Directing

Students will work in a variety of ways, using improvisations, scenes, and original work, to learn how to be the creative force behind what the audience sees on the stage. Students will explore the use of space, character, color, music, and tempo to discover the intricacies of directing a scene. Directing a ten-minute play, one-act contemporary play for a workshop production or directing a short film is the culmination of the course.

One semester course (Spring) – 2 credits
Instrumental Studio

Instrumental Studio is a course open for all instrumentalist students in grades 9 through 12. Students who want to prepare auditions or extra recordings for university applications, pursue instrumental compositional goals, or simply develop a deeper pedagogical understanding of their instrument. This course is not intended to change one's ensemble participation; rather, it is intended to help students improve their solo and ensemble musicianship. This course gives students additional time for one-on-one and small group instruction on their instrument. The course will meet 2.5 times per cycle and students will participate in small-group instrumental training sessions. The student and teacher will work together to choose repertoire, and overall performance opportunities will be available throughout the semester. Students may enroll in this course for one or both semesters. The course does not require an audition.

One semester course (Fall) – 1 credit
Music Theory

This course is designed for all students grade 9-12. Students explore the basic components of music theory (intervals, chords, and functional harmony) and put theory into practice (analysis, composition). The ear-training component of this class requires a willingness to sing in the context of scales, intervals, and chords. However, vocal training is not a prerequisite, and students will not be assessed on the quality of their singing voice. Instrumental skills are not required, but students are encouraged to bring and use instruments to support their work. Classroom instruments (e.g. xylophones, recorders, keyboards) and technology (iPads, laptops etc.) may be used, as well. There are opportunities for collaboration with other students in the course.

One semester course (Spring) – 1 credit
Musical Theater

Musical Theater is a course designed to help students develop skills and experience in performing material from Broadway musicals. Students will learn how to choose, prepare, interpret and perform songs (solos and duets) in a supportive and structured class setting. We will spend some time discussing Broadway shows, composers, and history as we work on these performances. Throughout the course, students will learn basic vocal technique as a tool to enhance dramatic vision, and various techniques to integrate meaningful gestures and movement with singing and acting. The class culminates in the Cabaret Showcase performance of songs one evening after school. This course is open for any student in Grades 9-12 and is perfect for anyone who loves to Broadway musicals. No previous training required.

One semester course (Fall) – 1 credit
Tech Theater: Sound & Lights

Tech theater is an elective course open to students in grades 9-12. This course is
designed for students interested in learning about the backstage elements of a
production. We will take a hands-on look at how sound and lights are designed,
implemented, and run during a production. Through class exercises and
workshops, students will have the opportunity to design both lights and sound for a
variety of shows. Students will also have the opportunity to work with our
professional designers during tech rehearsals for the spring musical. There is no
pre-requisite or previous experience needed for this course.

One semester course (Spring) – 1 credit
Tech Theater: Sound and Lights

Tech theater is an elective course open to students in grades 9-12. This course is
designed for students interested in learning about the backstage elements of a
production. We will take a hands-on look at how sound and lights are designed,
implemented, and run during a production. Through class exercises and
workshops, students will have the opportunity to design both lights and sound for a
variety of shows. Students will also have the opportunity to work with our
professional designers during tech rehearsals for the spring musical. There is no
pre-requisite or previous experience needed for this course.

One semester course (Spring) – 2 credits