Visual & Performing Arts

Broadcast Media 1 is a collaborative, hands-on course where you learn and hone broadcast media skills in the context of a full-time class. Video is central to 21st century communication culture, and this is an opportunity to develop student voice and express individual points of view in the farthest-reaching medium. We use industry standard software (Adobe Premiere and DaVinci) as the main tools for creating our work, in addition to cameras, microphones, and live-streaming equipment that give a wide variety of possibilities. The various roles students will learn include: writer, producer, director, anchor, cameraperson, audio engineer, editor, live streaming set-up and support, lighting design, and hair/make-up work. Your video-based work will generally be short-form pieces in a variety of genres including interviews, think pieces, investigative work, newscasts, documentaries, and humor. A significant portion of the content will center around the Drew Community, as we seek out collaborations with classes, clubs and other student groups. Crewing at least two livestream events outside of regular school hours is a requirement of this class.

• In Broadcast Media 2 and 3, you will continue to explore and develop your fluency in the field of Broadcast Media. Leadership and collaboration are encouraged in this second and third year, as you progress into managing the crew on shoot days. You will provide input, guidance, and experience with the collaborative process, manage the equipment, and provide critiques and feedback sessions in class. In addition to full-class projects, you will be encouraged to delve deeper, evolving from functional skills to stylistic and artistic choices in the context of more complex projects that focus on your interests and the collaborative support of your classmates. We will also focus on developing and curating our online presence, in coordination and collaboration with the Communications team. Crewing at least three livestream events outside of regular school hours is a requirement of this class.
  Prerequisite: Broadcast Media 1 or 2, or teacher approval

Theater Ensemble 1 is a hands-on experience in the art of live theater, introducing and exploring theater from page to stage. The focus is on learning to be seen, heard, understood, and believed. You will develop the confidence to tell your own story and the empathy to appreciate different perspectives. Course work includes in-class journaling, analyzing text and characters, rehearsing scenes and monologues, playing improv games, and exploring verbal and non-verbal modes of communication while building skills in creativity and collaboration.

You will attend live performances in venues on and off the Drew campus, expanding your cultural literacy and acquiring a theater vocabulary. You will gain a comprehensive understanding of the rehearsal process, engaging in self-evaluation through writing and discussion at the end of each unit. This course also examines the roles of various theater artists: actors, directors, technicians, designers, and playwrights.

In Theater Ensemble 2/3/4, you will continue to explore the art of transformational performance and assume increasingly more responsibility for the creative process. This course is designed to expand your awareness of the actor’s creative and expressive abilities, specifically in exploration of fluency with character development, self-awareness, and communication skills. Self-discipline is emphasized, and voice and movement techniques are more exacting, including the introduction of dialect work, masks, and Shakespeare’s verse. The rehearsal process underscores the ability to listen with a willingness to change, and to practice empathy. Leadership is highlighted as you take on the management of daily vocal and physical warm-ups. You are encouraged to support the growth of the ensemble as you collaborate on a variety of performance pieces—scripted, non-scripted, and original scenes and monologues. There is a continued focus on in-class journaling, discussion, and attending theatrical performances in order to enhance the experience of the ensemble.

Prerequisite: Theater Ensemble 1, 2, or 3, or teacher approval

Theater Ensemble Honors is designed to prepare the serious student for life in the theater beyond high school. Participating in a progression of creative projects, an Honors student is challenged to work as an actor, artistic director, designer, technician, stage manager, and teacher. You are expected to take control of the entire production process as a master collaborator—from research and selection of material to casting, rehearsing, design, and production. You are asked to explore the ways in which theater can be used to affect social/cultural change or bring a community together through a shared experience, and you must engage in critical reflection about the process once it is over. As an honors-level student, you will teach theater etiquette to your peers and lead improvisations, exercises, and class discussions.

Prerequisite: Theater 1, 2, and 3 (or equivalents) and teacher approval

This is a hands-on course designed to foster understanding and appreciation of the theatrical production process by providing students with a foundation in basic stagecraft. You will be introduced to the skills and equipment needed to take a theatrical event from a conceptual design through mounting a production.
Emphasis will be placed on learning about the stage and its equipment, materials, and construction of scenic, prop, and costume elements, lighting, sound, and design. Exploring these design and production elements, you will be provided the opportunity and framework to become well-rounded theater technicians. You will work on the technical aspects of Drew’s productions in the performing arts department as you design and construct sets, costumes, and props, hang lights, create special effects, and learn the skills needed for sound design and production. You will also reflect on design elements found in theatrical productions with design analysis and critique. Crewing productions at least once each semester is a requirement of this class.
Prerequisite: One year of Visual or Performing Arts

Theater Production 2 and 3 are designed specifically for students focused on preparing for higher education and life-long learning in the arts. This course advances and refines the stagecraft techniques introduced in Theater Production 1 as you further your foundation of both soft and hard skills in the practical application of stagecraft for Drew’s Performing Arts Department’s production needs. You will also assist in supervising new students with overseeing their basic safety skills, critical thinking in design, and troubleshooting issues related to production.
At this level, you will actively monitor new students in adhering to the protocols and safety standards on the grid, in the booth, and on the stage. You will also work in leadership roles as crew leads on a service-oriented team that will produce and document performing arts department productions. Additionally, you will be encouraged to specialize in a focus area of your choosing: lighting design, stage management, costume design, sound/special effects design, scenic design, or prop design. Crewing productions at least once each semester is a requirement of this class.
Prerequisite:  Theater Production 1 or 2, or teacher approval

Arrange and perform music from a variety of eras from Classical to Contemporary. Working in a project-based, collaborative environment, you will practice choosing, arranging, and preparing musical selections for performance and recording in the context of a small ensemble setting. Learn the rituals of rehearsal designed to increase your musical fluency and musicianship/technical ability. Develop your reading skills and deepen your awareness of how scales, chords, and keys articulate the diatonic system which functions across boundaries of musical style and genre. Learn how to improvise an accompaniment or melody applying your knowledge of appropriate musical ideas. Experiment, grow, and challenge yourself as you begin to develop your voice in an ensemble.

In years two and three, you will continue to develop your technical and musical skills as you take on a leadership role in the ensemble. You will take more responsibility for the trajectory of the group over the course of each iteration of the preparation/performance process, making decisions about arrangements and approaches and the overall sound of the group. You will learn how to transcribe and arrange music to present to the ensemble in lead-sheet or score notation. Dive deeper into the history and context of music that is both new and familiar to you as you continue to widen your perspective and develop your musical voice.

Prerequisite: Instrumental or Vocal Ensemble 1 or 2, or teacher approval

Students who have demonstrated the desire and commitment to work at a high level in an ensemble are invited to take Ensemble Honors. In this class, you will take even greater responsibility for planning and executing the trajectory of the group over the course of the year. Honors students will be expected to work outside of class on personal assignments to include recordings, transcriptions and research into our repertoire’s cultural and social context. You will also be encouraged to take leadership roles in the performances that punctuate our school year, and potentially participate in local and regional solo/small ensemble or honor band ensembles and events as schedules allow. This course will be of particular interest to students who may be considering continuing their music studies beyond high school.

Prerequisite: Instrumental or Vocal Ensemble 1, 2 or 3 (or equivalents) and teacher approval

Learn how to record and edit sounds from different sources using a variety of microphones and audio equipment. In this class, students are introduced to the concept of transformation, where sounds can be manipulated using the basic five editing techniques to create rhythmic and melodic patterns. Practice layering, looping, chopping, and arranging using a professional digital audio workstation (DAW) and begin to create examples of musical form which can be developed and varied to make more complete musical experiences.

Prerequisite: One year of Visual or Performing Arts

Develop more complex and polished compositions using acoustic and electronic sources and work in a variety of environments as you further develop microphone techniques, sampling, editing, mixing, and mastering. Focus on uncovering your own personal workflow. Create and curate your personal sound libraries and sample banks. Apply your compositional skills to a variety of challenges including soundtracking, mashups, remixes, and covers.

At Level 2, students have the opportunity to collaborate with their peers, work with different DAWs, and experiment with tracking and mixing live sessions on the 48-track console. In this course, you will work towards completion of a diverse portfolio which will include your own compositions and analysis of other works.

Prerequisite: Music Production 1 or teacher approval