About Fine Arts at St. Michael
The St. Michael fine arts programs help students develop their God-given talents and provides them with the opportunity to use their gifts in serving others in their community. The mission statement of St. Michael High School is to foster the spiritual, intellectual, and personal development of young men and women as committed disciples of Christ. The fine arts programs at St. Michael incorporates this mission into its curriculum as it encourages the growth and development of our students spiritually, intellectually, and personally.
Percussion Ensemble - CP
Level: College Prep
Grade Level: 9 – 12
Prerequisite: Student should be a percussionist
Description: Open to all intermediate and advanced percussionists. The class is guaranteed to keep percussionists motivated after marching season and maximize individual and group potential through small ensemble work.
Advanced Band – CP
Level: College Prep
Grade Level: 9 – 12
Prerequisite: Beginning or Intermediate Band; audition and/or recommendation.
Description: Open to all wind and brass players who have completed a beginning or intermediate band course.
Jazz Ensemble – CP
Level: College Prep
Grade Level: 9 – 12
Prerequisite: Audition
Description: Open to advanced instrumentalists who are interested in Jazz. Jazz band music is generally scored for saxophone, trombone, trumpet, and rhythm section and participation is limited to these instruments. Students will work on jazz ensemble music, theory, and improvisation in addition to concert and marching band responsibilities. The band director will fill, by audition or by recommendation, positions in Jazz Ensemble. Students must make an appointment with the band director for a recommendation and/or audition material.
Percussion Ensemble II
Level: College Prep
Grade Level: 10 – 12
Prerequisite: Student should be a percussionist
Description: Open to all intermediate and advanced percussionists. The class is guaranteed to keep percussionists motivated after marching season and maximize individual and group potential through small ensemble work.
Percussion Ensemble III
Level: College Prep
Grade Level: 11 – 12
Prerequisite: Student should be a percussionist
Description: Open to all intermediate and advanced percussionists. The class is guaranteed to keep percussionists motivated after marching season and maximize individual and group potential through small ensemble work.
Percussion Ensemble IV
Level: College Prep
Grade Level: 12
Prerequisite: Student should be a percussionist
Description: Open to all intermediate and advanced percussionists. The class is guaranteed to keep percussionists motivated after marching season and maximize individual and group potential through small ensemble work.
Art I – CP
Level: College Prep
Grade Level: 9 – 12
Prerequisite: None
Description: This course includes learning about the elements of art and principles of design. This is done through drawing, painting, oil pastels, charcoal, three-dimensional work, and the history of art.
Art II – CP
Level: College Prep
Grade Level: 10 – 12
Prerequisite: Art I.
Description: This course includes drawing, printmaking, painting, and three-dimensional work with more depth, complexity, and expansion of media than in the first course.
Art III – CP
Level: College Prep
Grade Level: 11 – 12
Prerequisite: Art II.
Description: This course expands the media experiences presented in the earlier years of art instruction. Greater variety of creative expression, use of color, and technique will be included as an approach to competitive products.
Concert Choir – CP
Grade Level: 9 – 12
Prerequisite: Audition and approval of the liturgy choir director.
Description: This course is open to those who audition for the choir director or are recommended by their middle school choir director. Concert choir is performance-based with opportunities for all-parish and all-state assessments. Music covered in this course includes selections from standard secular and sacred choral works, as well as folk songs and popular music. The choir will have at least one concert a semester both during and after-school, as well as one after-school rehearsal a month for school Mass. Such rehearsals and performances are a graded, required attendance.
Theatre I
Level: College Prep
Grade Level: 9 – 12
Prerequisite: None
Description: A course designed as an introduction to theatre including improv, scene work, scene writing, the audition process, monologues, theatre history, and an introduction to technical theatre. The intent of the course is to introduce the student to theatre while building self-confidence, boosting public speaking skills, and fostering group relationships, adaptability and flexibility.
Theatre II
Level: College Prep
Grade Level: 10 – 12
Prerequisite: Theatre 1
Description: A course designed as a performance-based theatre class which includes character analysis, monologue writing, performing Shakespeare, script analysis, and playwriting. The intent of the course is to build upon skills learned in Theatre 1 with performances in class and with an audience.
Fine Arts Survey
Level: College Prep
Grade Level: 9 – 12
Prerequisite: None
Description: This course is designed to give students an enriching and diverse “survey” of the arts, both musical and visual, throughout history. We begin with the premise that well-educated, cultured persons have an abiding appreciation of music and art. Refined people develop this appreciation for two reasons: because music and art embody much of what it means to be human on the emotional, on the intellectual, and on the spiritual plane; and because music and art envelope civilization, history, culture, and the values of the societies that produced it. The major objective of the class is to promote a better appreciation of music and art through constructive listening and understanding.