There’s a passion for the arts at Seven Hills that inspires our students to express themselves and fulfill their creative potential.
Expressing Yourself Confidently
We believe that the arts are an essential part to the development of each student. That’s why they’re part of our core curriculum. In Upper School, students participate in an environment that promotes meaningful collaboration, cultivates leadership skills, and focuses on working both cooperatively and independently. They are encouraged to take risks, discover new things, and challenge themselves to produce new and creative ideas.
Accordion
This performance opportunity is offered to music students in grades 9-12 who are interested in vocal music performance. Students will develop vocal technique and musicianship, as well as develop critical thinking skills through the analysis of musical elements, including form, text, and style. Performances will include concerts in the fall, winter, and spring, along with a winter chorus tour, vocal valentines, Arts Alive and a spring performance trip or performance of a choral masterwork. Participation in various performances is a requirement of the class, and will be part of the course grade. A calendar of events will be provided at the beginning of the school year, although a few additional performance opportunities may arise throughout the school year.
Enhances the standard ensemble curriculum by incorporating a personalized music theory course tailored by the instructor to address the unique requirements of each student. New learners will receive an overview of fundamental music theory elements like notation, scales, intervals, chords, keys, and basic harmony. Those with a solid foundation in music fundamentals will explore advanced topics including harmonic principles, music structure, part-writing, and score analysis.
This course offers two programs from which students can choose: Symphonic Ensemble and Contemporary Ensemble. Both groups are multi-grade experiences that focus on basic theory, sight-reading, and ear training, as well as different musical styles, aspects of theory, and unique technical skills.
This one-semester course serves as an introduction to theater and to the discipline of acting. Students will experience introductory exercises in concentration, relaxation, and ensemble-building, as well as basic stage concepts and terminology. We will study one award-winning modern playwright and complete a staged reading of one full-length play, and we will take one off-campus field trip to see a professional or college level play or musical. We will also complete a masterclass in SAFD-certified Stage Combat, experience an introduction to Shakespeare, and rehearse and perform two-person scenes from plays by top playwrights from the modern era. Each day, the work will be experienced within a supportive and ensemble-based atmosphere.
Theater 2 takes those concepts experienced in Theater 1 to a deeper level. Students will complete more advanced exercises in acting, movement, and voice. We will continue our study of choreographed Stage Combat with our SAFD-certified guest instructors. Theater 2 students will also work with guest-artist professional actors, directors, and choreographers — and we will take one off-campus field trip to see a professional or college level play or musical. Theater 2 students will delve deeper into scene and monologue work from both the modern and classical era, and will experience Shakespeare on a more advanced level . All work will be experienced within a supportive and ensemble-based atmosphere.
If you are a lover of movies and cinema – this is the course for you! In this semester-long film appreciation course, students will watch and experience some of the greatest movies of all time. This includes both serious and comic films, many of which are American-made movies, some are foreign films. Some of the movies we watch and study started out as great plays, and then were adapted into great films. Assessment in this course is driven by critical thinking skills, and student-lead critical discussion of the films we watch. This film appreciation class meets in a large, open and comfortable theater classroom which features large screen projection and a professional sound system. This course is open to all upper students grades 9 through 12.
Master Class in Theater is a year-long advanced theater course that can be repeated for credit. Master Class students will complete more advanced acting exercises, more challenging scene and monologue work, an advanced unit in armed and unarmed Stage Combat, an audition experience unit, and a study of one great film-maker. We will also focus on the work of the Director: selecting and interpreting materials, as well as exploring staging techniques. Masterclass students will learn to realize their vision, creativity, and ingenuity by working with student actors, designers, and technicians in a collaborative setting. Students in this course will also rehearse and present a play that is featured as part of the annual upper main stage theater season: the Upper Winter Play. All work will be experienced within a supportive and ensemble-based atmosphere. This course can be repeated for credit.
Students in this full year class will explore the creative, collaborative process for theatrical design through a combination of 1) analyzing dramatic literature, 2) in-class design projects and 3) executing design through hands-on building/painting/lighting/sound projects in The Schiff Center theater. This class will provide an in-depth look into the process of design for the stage in all areas (set, lights, sound, costume, props). Students will learn practical, hands-on skill in the areas of set construction, scenic painting, and executing light/sound design.
A prerequisite for all upper level art courses, this course covers the basics of two- and three-dimensional design, color theory, and introductory techniques in a variety of media.
Students will be introduced to a variety of painting media and processes. Inventive and mixed media techniques will be emphasized. Group and individual critiques will include discussions of contemporary and historical movements and issues in art
Sculpture introduces students to basic three-dimensional methods and materials. The course will stress both creativity and technique. Safe working practices will be particularly emphasized. This course has a varying format in which projects and materials will change each term. Some of the possible areas of exploration are: plaster work, metal work, ceramics, found objects, installations and other sculptural technique.
This course is an introduction to traditional and invented hand-building techniques, wheel throwing, and basic glaze techniques. The emphasis of the course is on using ceramics as a vehicle for art making. Concept, personal expression and technique will be the main focus of the class.
This course will explore techniques in basic drawing. A variety of drawing media and exercises will be introduced to foster development of personal images. Students will be required to maintain an out-of-class sketchbook.
This course will explore art history from its prehistoric beginnings until the current day. A variety of classroom activities will be used to impart this information. Class projects will explore relevant art techniques and introduce the students to the creative process of art making. The goal of the course is to impart a working knowledge of art history and more importantly an understanding about the function and nature of art.
This course will promote two-dimensional design principles with an emphasis on visual communication and creative problem solving. Students will use traditional and digital methods to realize their designs. Possible areas of study include: poster design, logo creation, t-shirt design and typography. Students will also be introduced to Industrial Design technique and be encouraged to work with 3D materials and software. Access to a 3D printer for rapid-prototyping is available and will be used.
This course introduces students to the use of the computer as an art-making tool. The emphasis will be on aesthetics rather than advanced technology. Digital photography and computer-generated imagery will be explored. Students will use their time outside of class to collect images.
This course introduces students to the art of time-based media. Students will write, compose, and produce short videos. Students must be prepared to spend time out of class for shooting, collaborative work, and to manage technical equipment. Students will be learning the specifics of lighting, camerawork, pre-planning, sound, editing, and post-production, but the emphasis will be on creativity, aesthetics, and coherent ideas. Students will also be introduced to alternative video techniques such as animation, pixilation, 3D computer graphics, and compositing.