VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS
An education in dance, media arts, music, theater, and visual arts aids in the development of engaged, artistically literate, creative, expressive, and responsive people.
Humans are naturally inclined toward imagination and creativity. An individual with artistic literacy understands that the arts offer opportunities for people to work together and interact with others in a welcoming setting as they prepare, present, and share artwork that unites communities. As a result, a person who is arts-literate has the ability to apply their knowledge and skills in the arts to a variety of contexts and settings, both within and outside the classroom.
Students need arts integration throughout their academic careers in order to develop into strong, diversified communicators, inventors of personally relevant work, connected to culture, history, and society, with a sense of wellness, and active members of their communities. Understanding and experiencing the connections between the artistic disciplines and other academic areas enriches students’ learning.
Music Appreciation
Students who enroll in Music Appreciation receive an introduction to the history, theory, and various musical genres, from the earliest surviving instances to the most modern in the world today. Two semesters of the course are available. Primitive and classical music are covered in the first semester. The second semester introduces diverse contemporary traditions, such as American jazz, gospel, folk, soul, blues, Latin rhythms, rock and roll, and hip-hop.
Art Appreciation (Semester Course)
A semester system divides the academic year into two sessions: fall and spring. Each session is approximately 15 weeks long, with a winter break between the fall and spring sessions and a summer break after the spring session.
Art Appreciation is a survey of the history of Western visual arts, with a particular emphasis on painting. Students first study the fundamentals of painting before learning how to evaluate and contrast other works of art. Before moving on to the Middle Ages, students study early Greek, Roman, and prehistoric art. The Renaissance and the ideas and masters that flourished in northern Europe and Italy are highlighted. Students continue their study of American art in the 20th century, a period of considerable invention when abstract painting rose to prominence. Although the course primarily focuses on Western art, students will also examine artistic traditions from Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas by the end of the semester.
Students have the chance to explore a variety of topics in elective classes, which add variety and enrichment to the academic day. Through their optional experiences, middle school students frequently find areas of special interest that are crucial to their future academics in high school and eventual career decisions.