Fine and Performing Arts Department Overview

Fine Arts Department Overview

Gig Harbor High School Visual Arts department provides students with the opportunity to communicate their ideas and feelings visually. Art classes give students the opportunity to learn craftsmanship, creativity, and history through hands-on projects and guest artists.

The art department welcomes students of all artistic capabilities. Students new to art will build artistic techniques while experienced students will enhance their skills.

Student art is frequently displayed in the main office and in the commons display case. Please take a moment to see and enjoy the art created by students.

Performing Arts Department Overview

The classes in the Performing Arts fulfill the Washington State full year Arts requirement. This credit cannot be waived or substituted. Students in the Theater Tech classes may also earn CTE credit.

The Performing Arts Department at Gig Harbor High School allows students to grow with new challenges as their skills increase. The bands and choirs allow growth and challenges through non-auditioned and audition-only groups. There are multiple grade concert bands and choirs as well as Jazz Ensemble (jazz band) and Vocal Motion (jazz choir). There are also many opportunities to participate in small ensembles and as soloists.

The Performing Arts Department have earned a reputation for excellence and quality productions. The bands and choirs have been recognized on regional, state and national levels and continue to perform at exceptional levels.

Each year the Performing Arts Department collaborates to produce a fully staged musical. The musicals are well received, well attended and are recognized for excellence in regional competitions.

In addition, the Creating Music class allows students to pursue their passion at a deeper level. Creating Music allows students who may not be a band, orchestra, or choir members to have the opportunity explore and create outside of classical formats.

In This Section

Band

Wind Symphony

The Wind Symphony serves as the cornerstone and highest musical ensemble in the band program. This ensemble performs literature from classic to contemporary and stresses the highest possible musical and performance excellence. Audition is required and private lessons are recommended as it will help facilitate the high difficulty of the music.

Concert Band

The Concert Band is an ensemble that focuses on high musical standards, ensemble skills, and instrument technique.

Percussion Ensemble

The Percussion Ensemble specializes in performance and technique training specific to playing all forms of percussion. Training will be focused on rudimentary, orchestral, and world drumming. These ensembles combine to form the pep band at all home football games and 6 home basketball games.

Jazz Bands

The Jazz Bands focus on music from the big band era. This group is open to trumpets, trombones, saxes, jazz guitar, jazz bass, vibraphone/percussion and drum set. The jazz band will perform at select jazz festivals throughout the northwest in addition to home concerts. Enrollment in a ‘concert’ ensemble is required for this class.

Band Boosters

Band Boosters

Drama

DRAMA 1

1 Semester Credit: .5 Grades 9-12 Prerequisite: None Graduation Requirement: Art

Introduction to performance tools including: concentration, movement, vocal and character development. Work with groups in warm-ups, pantomime, improvisation games and scenes, workshops and short scene performances. Each semester will have at least one final evening performance before an audience; several smaller performances will occur during the course before class members. Students will be required to write reflections on performances and character/scene analyses. Some class field trips may also be offered.

DRAMA 2

1 Semester Credit: .5 Grades 9-12 Prerequisite: Experience in high school drama or teacher permission Graduation Requirement: Art

This class will begin more intensive exposure to all aspects of theatre production, from acting to makeup, from lights and sound to set construction, as well as acting and directing. For our first class project all members of the class will be involved in production, crew, and technical aspects of our fall play. The semester final project will be a student run black box performance including monologues, advanced scene work and/or short plays. This class requires an extra-curricular commitment.

THEATER DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

1 Semester Credit: .5 Grades 9-12 Prerequisite: None Credit: .5 (This class can be repeated for additional credit.) Graduation Requirement: CTE and Art

Theater Design and Technology will introduce the student, both novice and experienced, to a practical approach to the technical and production aspects of musical theater and drama. Students will learn the skills needed to construct scenery, hang and focus lighting instruments, implement a sound system, and scenic artistry, all in a variety of techniques. In conjunction with the Music and Drama Departments, students will take an active role in each of the major productions at GHHS. Additionally, students will be introduced to theatrical design, and will be given an opportunity to draft their own designs for scenery, costumes and/or lighting of a theatrical production. This class offers field trips to theaters and visits from professionals in the technical theater industry.

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