Performing Arts
Fall Production - Diary of Anne Frank
We have already gotten started with meetings for actors and tech crew members for our upcoming Fall Production of Diary of Anne Frank. Auditions begin Tuesday, August 31st and rehearsals and tech crew work days begin Thursday, September 2nd. The Cast List will be posted later this week!! We have also scheduled a Tech Work Day for SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18th, 2010 from 9 a.m. on. We will focus on cleaning out and re-organizing the Prop Room and getting ready for the year! Parent volunteers are needed - see below!!
Performing Arts Association
Our first call for Parent Volunteers is for our Tech Work Day Scheduled for September 18th, 2010 from 9 a.m. on. We need to reorganize the Prop Room and need your help! Please contact Ms. Janson or Ms. O'Neill to sign up today!
PAA PARENT PRODUCTION MEETING is scheduled for Thursday, September 9th at 7:00 p.m. in the auditorium. If you have a student in the cast or crew, this is a mandatory meeting for all parents. You will obtain important production information, paperwork, and opportunities to volunteer for the program. See you there!
Rainbow Riders
The students who participated in the Mammoth Retreat got a great start for the year and also performed at our recent Fall Mixer. If you have a freshman or transfer student who is interested in auditioning, please contact Ed Archer at earcher@stmonicahs.net as soon as possible. Space is limited, but there may still be a space for you! Be sure Mr. Archer has your correct e-mail address and watch performing arts page for more information!
Fall Mixer
Our Fall Mixer was a great success! Huge thanks to Dawnelle Davis and the other parent volunteers for our sumptuous and refreshing repast! Parents met our new Principal, President and other members of the Administration and Performing Arts Staff. Students who participated in the Mammoth Retreat also performed to the delight and enjoyment of all! If you have not e-mailed Ms. O'Neill with your correct e-mail address, please do so to be included in all Performing Arts News and activities (toneill@stmonicahs.net). Thanks!
Why learn music?
There are many benefits for students of all ages to study music. Music is mathematical requiring singers and instrumentalists to subdivide time into fractions instantaneously - there's no time to work it out on paper! Music is also a foreign language. Musicians use terms that are in Italian, German or French while also learning the symbolic notation of notes, rests, etc. Music notation is a shorthand of symbols that represent musical ideas. The semantics of music is considered the most complete and universal language. Music is history and reflects the stories and events of humankind at the time it is composed/created. It is the aural photography of our past. Music is also physical eduction because it requires amazing coordination of fingers, hands, arms, lip, cheek and facial muscles. It also requires control to breathe properly, elements of good posture, etc. It requires every participant to be completely and physically in control of the sounds they contribute to the music being produced. Music is also, of course, art. It allows us to express all of these things with emotion that touches our very souls. What is better than that!! Be a part of our music program and let's make music! (Excerpted from PMEA News).
The Performing Arts department prides itself on presenting opportunities for students to gain an understanding and appreciation of Artistic Perception of Music and Theatre by developing their skills through coursework offered. By students’ active participation and performance, students learn to create and perform in music and theatre. By studying the history and cultural context of music and theatre, students learn to appreciate the unique role that the arts play in the recording of history and influence they have played upon our cultural and moral development. By developing skills in performance, students learn to respond, analyze and critique their (and their peers’) performance. Through their understanding of music and theatre, students connect and apply their learning in the arts to life.
The courses offered during the regular curricular day include Acting, Coro di Concerto (chorus), Dance, and Music Production. Our show choir, “Rainbow Riders” performs for our own St. Monica community and the community at large. They have won “gold medal status” in their participation of choral festivals. Our Fall and Spring Productions provide students with many opportunities for acting, singing, dancing, set construction, costume construction, backstage work, lighting and sound.
Ms. Tica M. O'Neill
Performing Arts Chair
(310) 394-3701
toneill@stmonicahs.net
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