Visual & Performing Arts

Who is the greatest artist of all time? Is it Leonardo daVinci? Claude Monet? Michelangelo? Pablo Picasso? Is the greatest artist of all time someone whose name has been lost to history? You will learn about some of the greatest artists while also creating art of your own, including digital art.

This course will focus specifically on the bass guitar and is the first in a series of courses that will take you from the fundamentals of playing through more advanced techniques and genre-specific skills. Basics 1 will introduce you to the bass itself, the technique fundamentals, and the beginning concepts that will lay the foundation for all of your future development on the instrument.

You will learn scales and chords. You will learn how to build chords and voice them on your guitar, and you will learn the basic skills necessary for the transposition of harmonies (this is the fancy musical language for changing the chords of a song into a new key). You will even learn how the chord changes (called "harmonic motion") in pieces creating feelings of tension and relaxation in music and how musicians use this to enhance their performances.

Students perceive and respond, using the elements of dance. They demonstrate movement skills, process sensory information, and describe movement, using the vocabulary of dance. They apply choreographic principles, processes, and skills to create and communicate meaning through the improvisation, composition, and performance of dance.

This course is directed towards students intending to pursue art and design education and careers after high school. With Advanced Design, students continue with topics from Intermediate Design with greater sophistication. Projects involve the application of the elements and principles of design to an assortment of visual communication situations.

The world of the visual arts and communication is surveyed from multiple perspectives in this course. Students develop and apply the elements and principles of art, as well as social and historical context, as they gain skills in the critical analysis and interpretation of art. In addition to developing art perception skills, creative expression and art history are surveyed from around the world.  Students have choices in how they demonstrate understanding.

This course is directed towards students intending to pursue art and design education and careers after high school.  With Advanced Design, students continue with topics from Intermediate Design with greater sophistication.  Projects involve the application of the elements and principles of design to an assortment of visual communication situations.  Graphic, fashion, product, packaging, interior, architectural, publication, culinary, and photographic design are examples of pos

Development of proficiency with photography techniques continues with this course. More advanced composition and lighting situations are explored. Student’s gain more advanced working understanding of digital photography technology and how this relates to the art of digital photography. Contemporary and historic photographs are critically examined and understandings applied to students’ work.

The course begins with a survey of the science and technology of digital photography as students become familiar with their particular camera(s). As students gain proficiency in camera handling skills in a variety of common situations, understanding of essential design principles is developed. Composition and lighting are key areas of emphasis. A series of projects will be completed, involving a range of common photographic situations and subjects.

The development of proficiency with photography techniques continues with this course.  More advanced composition and lighting situations are explored.  Student’s gain more advanced working understanding of digital photography technology and how this relates to the art of digital photography.  Photography as a fine art is emphasized throughout the course.

A blending of the creativity, techniques, and design  used to produce refined print or online e-publications. Examples of contexts include, but are not limited to, books, ebooks, slide presentations, websites or blogs, multimedia videos, graphic novels, and infographics.

Advanced Drawing is for those students interested in developing fluent drawing skills. Students should be familiar with the use of the elements and principles of art to represent depth and perspective. Intermediate drawing skills are expanded upon according to students’ particular interests.  Along with specific, skill-focused assignments, students will complete a portfolio of pieces demonstrating the range of skills and concepts developed during the course.

Beginning Drawing is for those students with little or no prior drawing experience. Basic skills in dry and wet drawing media will be introduced and practiced. Students will survey current and past drawing works of artists from around the world to develop an appreciation of the diverse ways drawing is approached and applied.

Basic skills in dry and wet drawing media will be expanded and practiced. Students will survey current and past drawing works of artists from around the world to develop an appreciation of the diverse ways drawing is approached and applied. A working vocabulary will be developed as the elements and principles of art are applied to the art of drawing, Emphasis is continued on grey-scale drawing, although color has significant importance. The basic principles of perspective are expanded.

This course is designed for the beginner drummer and focuses on creating a solid drumming foundation. Throughout the course you’ll study the fundamentals of playing the drum set. Lesson topics include developing proper technique, learning to read music for the drum set, and learning to play essential groove and fill ideas.

Welcome to the wonderful world of flute! Flute: Basics 1 lays a solid foundation for the beginning flutist.  Breathing, sound development, embouchure, posture, instrument assembly, and note reading are the first topics covered.  Throughout the course, you will be presented with progressive lessons that will gradually build your knowledge of the flute and music in general.

Welcome! You have chosen to learn to play horn!  The horn is a fantastic instrument because it has the potential to create the most beautiful sound (absolutely no bias), and it’s an incredibly versatile instrument.  Horns get to play high and low; play with the strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion at different times in orchestral and band music; and often get to play lush melodic lines that represent the hero (think Star Wars).

This course is an introduction to the guitar, guitar technique, the music played on the guitar, and some important icons in guitar performance. By taking this course, you will learn the proper way to play the guitar through the development of good technique. You will also learn how to read standard notation, tablature, chord diagrams, and chord charts. Guitar: Basics 1 also teaches you guitar care and maintenance, the history of the guitar, composition, and performance techniques.

Instrument Options (Drums I & II, Flute I & II, French Horn I & II, Saxophone I & II, Trumpet I & II)

Music Appreciation not only will provide a historical perspective on music from the Middle Ages to the 21st century, but it will also teach you the essentials of how to listen and really hear (with a knowledgeable ear) the different music that’s all around you. Learning how to truly appreciate sound and melody is the best way to ensure a continued love of this delightful art form.

Get ready to elevate your music knowledge to the next level. In this course, you will learn about Global musical traditions as you explore the function of music in a multitude of cultures. You will examine the fundamentals, sound, and structure of music to understand how music is representative of the culture it was created in. 

This course is designed to get you interested in Music Theory. During this course you are going to be introduced to the foundational concepts and building blocks of music and how to apply them to your instrument or voice. You will have a better understanding of music, and you will be better able to communicate with other musicians. As you study the concepts found in this course, you can apply them to the other courses offered through this program and enhance your learning experience.

Advanced Painting is for those students with prior intermediate –level painting experience. Students should be familiar with the use of the elements and principles of art to represent depth and perspective. Advanced skills in water-based, oil, or other media will be expanded and practiced.  Students will survey current and past works of artists from around the world to develop an appreciation of the diverse ways painting is approached and applied.

Basic skills for acrylic media are introduced and practiced. Students survey current and past paintings of artists from around the world and diverse ways painting is approached and applied. Emphasis on designing paintings, color mixing, and basic paint application techniques. Styles ranging from abstract, through semi-abstract, to representational will be explored.

Intermediate Painting is for those students with prior beginning –level painting experience. Students should be familiar with the use of the elements and principles of art to represent depth and perspective. Basic skills in acrylic media will be expanded and practiced. Students may want to begin work with oil, watercolors, gouache (opaque watercolor), pastels or mixed-media. A working vocabulary will be developed as the elements and principles of art are applied to the art of painting.

This course is designed to get you playing the saxophone as soon as possible. Within this first course, you will learn about the saxophone itself (its history, etc.), how to read notes and rhythms, and how to finger these notes on the saxophone. In addition, you will learn basic maintenance for the saxophone, simple composition, and performance techniques.

Studio Arts is for students who are engages in hands-on activities to learn, produce, refine, present, and evaluate arts. Examples of art forms include painting, sculpture in various media including ceramics and porcelain, and mixed-media productions. An individual plan is created with a teacher, focusing on personal development and learning goals in addition to logging the necessary number of hours for credit.

Lights! Camera! Action! Let’s explore the enchanting world of live theater and its fascinating relationship to the silver screen. In Theater, Cinema, and Film Production, you’ll learn the basics of lighting, sound, wardrobe, and camerawork while examining the magic that happens behind all the drama. Delve into the glamorous history of film and theater and examine the tremendous influence these industries have had on society and culture over the years.

Student engages in learning and practice of drama/acting theory and techniques as applied to theatrical performance. This course is meant for students receiving acting lessons through community course instructors, involved as an actor in the production of plays, and/or for students involved in the production of their work. An individual plan is created with a teacher, focusing on personal development and learning goals in addition to logging the necessary number of hours for credit.

This course is designed to introduce you to the trumpet in an effective, gradual, and fun way that will lay a solid foundation for growth on the instrument.  We want you to play the trumpet properly, but we also want you to have fun.  This course is an entryway to an awesome world of playing the trumpet in many styles and ensembles.  By taking our Basics courses you are preparing yourself for a lifetime of making music for your own enjoyment and the enjoyment of others.

This is a fun, portable, and affordable instrument that has continued to grow in popularity since its creation in the 19th century. In addition to being enjoyable, learning how to play the ukulele will provide you with an understanding of the mechanics of stringed, fretted instruments making it easier to pick up and learn other stringed, fretted instruments (guitar, bass, mandolin, and banjo) later if you choose.

This course has been designed to engage your personal interests and strengths, while providing a solid, foundational knowledge of singing technique. You will study anatomy and mechanics, music theory, and artistic interpretation all with the goal of making you a better, more insightful singer and artist.