2006–2007
NORTHWOODARTS
Bit by Bit Putting It Together A recent report from the Surdna Foundation, Powerful Voices, noted common elements in the most successful arts programs… • Students are art makers, not only audience members. Students are responsible for presenting, installing, and/or performing the arts. • Students have a sustained participation throughout multiple years or long-term projects. • Students have training with professional artists and often apprenticeships with adults. •S tudents are held to rigorous artistic standards and expectations. •S tudents are provided with safe spaces for their physical and creative security. (Dana Founda-
tion’s Arts Education in the News January 2007). Northwood High School offers a wealth of such arts education opportunities for students. Coursework, extracurricular activities, competitions, concerts, and clubs provide a wide variety of learning and performing experiences for a diverse student body. Lori Major Carlin chairs the NHS Arts Education Department and heads the Drama program. Eugene Cottrell heads Instrumental Music and Leslie Burwell is Northwood’s Visual Arts teacher. Newest department members are Dance teacher Leah Smith and Vocal Arts instructor Amy Loch.
We know that arts education “makes a tremendous impact on the developmental growth of every child and has proven to help level the ‘learning field’ across socioeconomic boundaries” (Catterall, 1998). In addition to disciplinespecific knowledge and mastery, arts education strengthens problem-solving skills, helps students develop a sense of craftsmanship, quality task performance, and goal-setting skills (Business Circle for Arts Education in Oklahoma, 1999). This report offers a short retrospective of arts education and celebrates accomplishments of the NHS students and faculty during the 2006–2007 school year.
THEATER ARTS Lori Major Carlin
Mystery & Magic Highlight NHS Theater Arts Program Classes, Clubs & Camps
• Introduction to Theatre—32 students (per semester) • Technical Theatre I —32 students • Technical Theatre II —27 students • Acting I—17 students • Acting II—14 students Extracurricular • Players Club (improvisation & fundraising), leadership opportunities, field trips • Technicians for community events in auditorium • NHS Annual Spring Musical • Summer Drama Camp (Two 1-week sessions for students ages 8-13. Leadership opportunity for drama students who participate as counselors. Students work on technique, stage presence, general movement & characterization, and improvisation. Camp culminates with a show produced for family & friends.)
Program Resources The Drama classroom is located adjacent to auditorium with connecting doors to hall, stage, & exterior. Two small costume closets are located on the 800 hall. The Benjamin Lee Auditorium seats 535, one of the largest performance spaces in Chatham County. Much work by the Drama Department in recent years has enhanced sound for productions. Resources now include 9 lapel mics, 3 floor mics, 4 hanging mics, 1 cordless, and 2 corded mics.
Creating the Royal Court, Part 2 Once again this year, artisans and builders, musicians, dancers, students, and teachers have gathered to create a home for the royal court in residence at the Benjamin J. Lee Auditorium. Disney’s Beauty & the Beast followed irreverent re-telling of the Princess & the Pea in Once Upon a Mattress, the 2006 production.
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Highlights of the Year Disney’s Beauty & the Beast marked Ms. Carlin’s 10TH Anniversary of Spring musicals. Though she began with a $3000 deficit in 1997, through careful budgeting and successful shows, she now has an annual operating budget of nearly $10,000. This year’s production required almost all reserves, but proved so successful, funds have been replaced for the coming year. Participation in the musical is open to the entire student body. After December auditions, rehearsals begin in January [~12 hours/week from January through March]. This year, over 150 students participated, along with five faculty members and community volunteers. Student positions included performers, technicians, grips, publicity designers, set decorators, makeup artists, costumers, and box office and concession workers). A preview was added this year for a total of four performances. Two shows were sold-out. The company toured area primary and middle schools with a musical preview and a presentation highlighting NHS Arts opportunities. Recent auditorium upgrades include the installation of a projector screen and front house lights maintenance. The program received grants from Chatham Education Foundation [as it has for eight of the past ten years] and the Fearrington Arts and Crafts Club. Chatham Arts Council provided scholarships for NHS
2006–2007 Productions • Rehearsal for Murder • Disney’s Beauty & the Beast
Building a Tradition of Excellence Among Carlin’s students are ten Governor’s School attendees and three NC School of the Arts Graduates. Five students have attended school for theatre exclusively and four are professionally employed. Countless others continue to be involved in school and community productions.
Drama Camp. Arts Education patrons/sponsors grew to more than 40 individuals, families, and businesses. Drama students created several short films shown at the NHS Spring Film Festival, and, along with choral students, took a field trip to the NC Theatre/ Broadway Series South production of High School Musical with local Wake County student cast. Drama awards included the 2007 Technical Theatre Award to Eli Burke and the 2007 Theatre Arts Director’s Award to Stephen Shore. (Shore has been accepted into Tisch School of the Arts, Stella Adler Drama Conservatory at NYU. His only training has been NHS & Governor’s School.]
Professional Development • Admitted to PhD Candidacy Nov 2006. (Dissertation: Expecting Success: The AVID Teacher’s Perspective). Completion date/graduation December ’07. Major area of study – Educational
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• • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Research & Policy Analysis with a concentration on cultural studies and curriculum. Elected to Phi Kappa Phi International Grad. Student Dean’s List (’01–’07) Who’s Who Graduate Students Who’s Who Among American Teachers (4 years) ADK Chatham County Honor Society for Teachers (1 year) Member Kappa Kappa Gamma Educational Advisory Council Attended NCCAT ’99 – “At the Movies” Duke University Summer Southeastern Media Studies Institute ’99 (scholarship recipient). Attending NCCAT ’07 “Treasures by the Sea” Site-Based Management Representative Strategic Planning Committee for District ’05–’06 Arts Ed. Department Chair ’05–Present Mentor Teacher NovaNet Site Director ’06–’07
INSTRUMENTALMUSIC Eugene Cottrell
These kids have really outdone themselves this year. This is a strong group with lots of very good leaders. We will graduate twentythree seniors at the end of this season, some of which I have had in band for seven years including their tenure at Horton. Leadership that strong will not be easy to replace. –Eugene Cottrell
HeartBeat is Centerpiece of Stellar Musical Season Classes, Clubs, & Camps
2006–2007 Productions
• American Music History—30 students • Marching Band—74 Students • Concert Band—40 Students • Symphonic Band—30 students • Percussion Ensemble—18 students Extracurricular • Jazz Band—17 students • Christmas Ensemble ~12 students, self-directed • Musical pit ~12 students • Summer Marching Band Camp—74 students • All-District/All-State
• Heartbeat!, Program for Marching Band Competition Season and NHS Football Halftime Shows • Pittsboro & Siler City Holiday Parades • Fearrington Village Christmas Music Ensemble (Ronald McDonald House fund raiser) • Winter Concert (CORA’s largest food drive, 6TH year) • Jazz band at various community functions • Middle school tour with concert and jazz band • Parent preview concert • NC Central District Bandmasters’ Association Spring Music Festival competition • Memorial Day Concert • Jazz band invitational festival in VA
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Other Highlights This year, Chatham County Commissioners’ issued a Proclamation to honor the accomplishments of the 2006 Marching Band. Joe Graybeal was named All-District (1ST chair). Robert McCraw was named All-District and received the John Philip Sousa Award. Michael Harriss received the Semper Fidelis Award and Eric Ramsey Award. Seniors Kevin Harrison (bass clarinet) and Michael Harriss (percussion) were accepted by the UNC-Greensboro School of Music as music majors for Fall 2007 semester. The band booster program instituted a volunteer service award [the Richardson Award] to honor a parent or community member who provides meritorious service to the NHS Instrumental Music Program. The inaugural award was presented to, and named for, Jerry Richardson.
Major Accomplishments Marching Band Competition Results Dixie Classic | Danville, VA a. Class AAA 1ST Place Band b. Rating Superior c. 1ST Place Drum Major, 1ST Place Colorguard, 1ST Place Percussion, 1ST Place Music, 1ST Place General Effect, 1ST Place Marching West Stokes Wildcat Invitational | King, NC a. Class AAAA 1ST Place Band, Band of the Day Grand Champions b. Rating Superior c. 1ST Place Drum Major, 1ST Place Colorguard, 1ST Place Percussion, 1ST Place Music, 1ST Place General Effect, 1ST Place Marching
Professional Development ✦ Member— • National Association for Music Education • NC Music Educators’ Association • NC Central District Bandmasters’ Association ✦ 2006–2007 Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers (4TH consecutive edition) ✦ Acquired Pyware Visual Software (marching drillwriter application) in order to create original drills for fall competition programs.
Yamaha Cup Competition | Giant Stadium, the Meadowlands, NJ a. Group 4A, 2ND Place band by .005 of a point b. Best Overall Effect Caption Award c. 11TH place out of all 50 bands from around the country regardless of band size. Central NC Band Festival | Elon, NC a. Class AAA 2ND Place Band b. Rating Superior c. 1ST Place Drum Major, 2nd Place Percussion, 2ND Place General Effect Brick Capital Classic | Sanford, NC a. Class AA 1ST Place Band Grand Champions— regardless of class or size b. Rating Superior c. 1ST Place Percussion, 1ST Place Colorguard, 1ST Place Music, 1ST Place General Effect, 1ST Place Marching, 2ND Place Drum Major
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VOCALARTS Amy Loch
New Choral Ensembles Premier as Enrollment Expands
Loch Adds Solo Performance Studies and Show Choir with Choreography, Costumes Amy Loch’s second year as director of the NHS Vocal Arts Program was marked by increased student enrollment, more community performances, and new opportunities for students as soloists, ensemble members, and accompanists.
Show Choir and Voice Ensemble are two new class opportunities for Northwood singers.
Classes & Extracurricular Activities • NHS Concert Choir • Voice Ensemble [audition required] • Lyric Choir [audition required] • Northwood Chorale [audition required] • NHS Show Choir [audition required] Extracurricular • NHS Spring Musical [vocal audition required for leads & chorus]
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Program Resources Choral music enrollment increased by 50% from 2005–2006 to 2006–2007 with 3 class periods a year increasing to 6 classes (3 each semester). During the ’05–’06 school year, 39 students participated in choral ensembles. That number increased to 80 the following year.
Students rehearse in the Choral Music classroom or the Benjamin Lee Auditorium. The program purchased a Yamaha Clavinova at the beginning of the 2005– 2006 school year that is used in rehearsals and performances. Ensembles use choral risers and acoustic panels for concerts. The program has NHS choral robes and a library of approximately 1100 works on file.
2006–2007 Productions • Fall semester choral students sing National Anthem at the NHS Homecoming football game. • Northwood Chorale performance at Fearrington in December. Holiday Cheer, annual winter concert • with NHS Bands. Largest fundraiser of the year for CORA Food Pantry. • Winter Voice Recital • Lyric Choir performance for CCCC Child Abuse Awareness Month event • NHS Show Choir performance for Spring CCCC Wellness event • Spring musical, Disney’s Beauty & the Beast • Spring Voice Recital • Spring Choral Concert, That’s Entertainment! NHS Graduation performance by Spring • choral students, accompanied by NHS’ foreign exchange student.
Concert in the Barn Northwood Chorale performs seasonal works for their neighbors at Fearrington Village.
Annual Highlights Fall 2006 marked the premier season for NHS Voice Ensemble. The NHS Show Choir was introduced in Spring semester. Increased community performances were a feature of many of the groups. During the winter break, students Kevin Harrison and Liz Alderman along with Ms. Loch traveled to Spain for a choral concert tour as members of the Duke University Chapel Choir. A major focus of Spring 2007 was the production of Disney’s Beauty & the Beast, with more than 150 student performers, musicians, technicians, and artisans. Ms. Loch prepared all singers and conducted the band for the four performances at the end of March. In conjunction with the NHS drama classes, choral students traveled to Raleigh to see a collaborative effort of Wake County Schools, NC Theatre, and Broadway South. The sold out performances of High School Musical, featured a cast of Wake County students. In May, NHS Show Choir members performed selections from this show at their That’s Entertainment! Concert. Awards were presented at commencement to Outstanding Male Chorus Member, Zach Wood and Outstanding Female Chorus Member, Danielle Reynolds. This marked Amy Loch’s final year at Northwood. She and her husband have moved to California.
Looking Ahead Ryan Ostrander joins the faculty in 2007 as NHS’ new choral teacher. He is a graduate of James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA where he majored in piano and music industry. Previously, Mr. Ostrander was the Director of Choral Activities at Waynesboro High School in Virginia, where he was named as one of the “Superintendent’s Exemplary First Year Teachers.”
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VISUALARTS Leslie Buwell
Student Artists Excel in School, in Community, and Beyond The goal of an active arts education program is to spread beyond the classroom and provide students with art experiences in the community. Activities and involvement with artists in our town has lead to committed art students. Art club has actively participated in ChathamArts for Hearts. At the Pittsboro Street Fair, students paint faces and Henna tattoos. Each year ChathamArts has chosen a NHS student to work at their gallery as an intern. Students have also attended field trips to local and state museums. Students attend Governors School for Visual Arts-George Lemontangue & Jessica Heinz (2002), Abbey Wilson & Mark Gusman (2003), and Daryn Lane & Lilly Smith (2004). In the past six years many students have pursued visual arts degrees. Abbey Wilson, Gretchen Niver and Katie Hobbs are majoring in Visual Arts Education. Claire Fahrbach, Melanie Jansen, Karyn Devinney, Luey Bright, Abby Taylor, and Sarah Simmons are all NHS alumni attending a North Carolina college for visual art, design or architecture. George Ultramontane, Mark Gunman and Stephanie Jansen are attending NC State School of Design. This very competitive design school accepts only 100–105 students each year. Molly Carlson has just graduated from Brevard College with a BFA in Painting. She plans to continue with an MFA in painting at Chicago Institute of Art. We celebrate the success of these students educated in Chatham County.
Spring Art Show An annual NHS event, this year’s show was held in conjunction with the NHS Film Festival. The show features Senior Exhibitions as well as work from students in each of the visual arts classes.
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As technology has increased the need for visual artists and designers, so has the demand to prepare our graduating high school students with skills to pursue the highly competitive field of Art. The increased demand by our students to enroll in art classes calls for an investment to provide additional space, resources, and instructors for this vibrant program.
Classes & Extracurricular Activities • Art I –Introduction to basic drawing, painting, 3-D design, stop-motion animation and art history. • Drawing & Painting (prerequisites: Art I and a portfolio packet.) Students refine drawing and painting skills preparing for a portfolio. Includes a study in the History of Painting. • Fine Crafts (prerequisite: Art I) Students develop skills in the following fine crafts: Clay Sculpture and Hand Building, Printmaking, Glass Fusion, Shibori and Book Arts. Study of the NC crafts traditions at Penland, Campbell School of Crafts, and Black Mountain College. • Senior Exhibit (prerequisite: completion of 3 art courses) Students in this a class interview a community artist, exhibit work at a community gallery, and research an artist in history. They create a portfolio of work with a theme or media concentration, write a senior statement,
2006–2007 Productions • Winter & Spring Student Art Shows at NHS • Fall CCCC Exhibit, Chatham Studio Tour Opening • Senior Art Exhibit at Northwood. • Spring Senior Exhibit at ChathamArts Main Street Gallery Inaugural National Art Honor Society Induction • Ceremony • Publicity Design, Set Design & Decoration for 2007 NHS Spring Musical
Highlights of the Year
create show invitations, learn to hang artwork, install, attend and break down an art show. Students spend 25 hours outside of class to complete all course requirements. Extracurricular • National Art Honor Society- Meets the 2ND and 4TH Wednesday of each month. Provides members access to NAHS scholarships and juried art shows. Students must have completed one semester of art with a 3.0 GPA. • Art Club- Meets 3RD and 4TH Wednesday of the month. Open to all students interested in art. • Set Painting for Spring Musical- Open to any art student. Saturdays and after school.
Program Resources The art classroom accommodates 30 students per class period. Resources include digital cameras, clay, slab roller & stop-action animation software, a kiln, relief and screen printmaking, painting, drawing, glass fusion, batik and bookmaking supplies. Lacking permanent gallery space, portable gallery boards are used for temporary art exhibitions.
• Established NHS chapter National Art Honor Society (NAHS) • Student card and calendar sale • Dinner & A Show—Dinner fundraiser held in conjunction with Winter Art Show • Entries, field trips to the Chatham County Fair and the NC State Fair • Art Club field trip to NYC Museum of Modern Art and Broadway plays • Received Chatham Education Foundation grant for cameras & animation software Student intern at the ChathamArts Main Street • Gallery: Daryn Lane • NAHS Senior Star Award Winners: Eli Burke, Katie Hobbs, Gretchen Niver • North Carolina Teaching Fellow Scholarship Award: Katie Hobbs (Art Major) • Accepted to North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston Salem to study art: Kaitlyn Phillips
Professional Development • • • • •
Attended NCAT for National Board Preparation Scholarships as a studio assistant at Penland National Board Certification Application Member, National Art Education Association Member, Americans for the Arts
Looking Ahead Continuing growth in enrollment for art classes is great enough to warrant an additional art teacher and additional classroom/art lab space. This would facilitate the much needed program expansion to include higher level classes and art AP class offerings. The addition of design & graphic art coursework would enhance the program and more adequately prepare students for future education and career opportunities. Dedicated gallery space would facilitate continuous exhibitions and public display of student work.
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DANCESTUDIES Leah Smith
In October, the Dance Company traveled to Meredith College to participate in a day of master classes with professional dancers.
Dance Students Study Technique, Choreography & Performance Northwood’s dance program is the oldest in the NC public schools. It began in 1974 when Superintendent Perry Harrison applied for a National Endowment for the Arts grant to fund a proposal called Project Entice. Since that initial three-year grant, dance has continued to be an integral part of NHS arts education. This is Leah Smith’s second year as dance instructor. Previously, she taught dance and art at Eastern Alamance High School in Mebane. Smith is a graduate of East Carolina University and will be sending several students there in the Fall of 2007 to continue their dance studies.
Classes • Dance 1: 60–65 Students per school year • Dance 2: 28 students • Advanced Technique: 25 students
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• Dance Company: 15 students [audition required] • Dance Ensemble: 17 students [audition required]
Program Resources Classes take place in the dance studio. It has a wooden floor that mimics the auditorium floor so students get comfortable performing in bare feet, as they do during concerts. Dance performances take place in the auditorium. Concerts make extensive use of the sound system with onstage monitors for dancers in addition to the house speakers for the audience. Lighting is a critical aspect of the concerts and lighting design is part of the design concept when pieces are choreographed. Recent upgrades include the purchase of three portable, adjustable ballet barres for teaching the unit on ballet and ballet history.
2006–2007 Productions
Looking Ahead
The Dance Department mounts a Winter and a Spring Concert each year. Concerts features original dance pieces choreographed by Smith. Additionally, students in Dance 2 may audition to choreograph a piece as well as for solos and duets. Concerts constitute a portion of dancers’ semester grades.
Smith plans to collaborate with arts education faculty to develop works for future dance concerts. Other goals included increasing the level of technique in concerts and including more student choreography. By improving publicity, the program hopes to increase attendance for each performance. Needed auditorium improvements include a streamlined, easy to operate, advanced lighting system; a refinished stage floor; and an improved sound system. Smith plans to increase volunteer opportunities to assist with props and costumes in the coming year.
Highlights of the Year During the fall, the Dance Company traveled to Meredith College to participate in a day of master classes with professional dancers. After the classes, they performed a piece from their upcoming Winter Concert for master class participants. Roughly 500–600 people attended each dance concert during the year. Smith choreographed, and her dancers performed in, the spring musical, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Student Awards • Choreographer’s Award, Governor’s School for Dance, Student Choreographer – Spring Concert: Heather Beau Overall Excellence in the Arts, Student Choreographer-Spring • and Winter Concerts: Jenna Arthurs • Director’s Award: Sapphire Devore • Seniors majoring in Dance Education: Jenna Arthurs, Heather Beau, Kourtney Timm
Professional Development Master classes every summer in various disciplines.
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An Opportunity and a Challenge
2007–2008 Calendar of Events (tentative) September 22 Marching Band Competition, Dixie Classic, Danville, VA 29 Marching Band Competition, Mid-Atlantic Contest of Champions, Myrtle Beach, SC October 20 Marching Band Competition, Central NC Band Festival, Elon, NC 27 Marching Band Competition, Brick Capital Classic, Sanford, NC November 3 Marching Band Competition, TBA 15 Drama Performance, 7 PM 16 Drama Performance, 7 PM 17 Drama Performance, 7 PM
The performing arts are a powerful means of expression and a valuable learning tool. Each year, our community has the opportunity to match the efforts of this dedicated cadre of students and teachers. By investing our own combined talents, creativity, vision, determination, and resources to this program, we can ensure that it will continue to flourish in the decades to come. All community members are invited the join the NHS Band Boosters, a support group for the instrumental music program, as well as the newly organized NHS Arts Education Foundation. We encourage you to join us as a volunteer, patron, sponsor or contributor to Arts Education activities at Northwood High School. Make plans to attend a band competition, a drama performance, a choral recital, a dance concert or art exhibit. We look forward to seeing you!
Links of Interest 1. 2. 3. 4.
December 11 Choral Recital, 7 PM 13 Band & Choral Winter Concert, 7 PM 15 Dance Concert, 7 PM 16 Dance Concert, 3 PM
Chatham County Schools Northwood High School Northwood Marching Charger Band Website NHS Marching Charger Online Band Shop
NHS Faculty Leslie Burwell Visual Arts lburwell@chatham.k12.nc.us Lori Major Carlin Theater Arts lmajor@chatham.k12.nc.us Eugene Cottrell Instrumental Music cottrell@chatham.k12.nc.us Ryan Ostrander Vocal Arts ostranderwr@chatham.k12.nc.us Leah Smith Dance lksmith@chatham.k12.nc.us
January 10 Art Show & Dinner, 6 - 9 PM February 21 Band Middle School Tour 22 Band Middle School Tour March 13 Spring Musical, 7 PM 14 Spring Musical, 7 PM 15 Spring Musical, 7 PM April 22 Percussion Ensemble/Jazz Ensemble Concert – 7 PM
Make Your Contribution Today May 3 4 8 22
Contact Lori Major Carlin Chair, Arts Education Dept. Northwood High School Pittsboro, NC 27312 919.542.4181 lmajor@chatham.k12.nc.us
Dance Concert, 7 PM Dance Concert, 4 PM Choral Recital, 7 PM Band Memorial Day Concert, 7 PM
June 7 Art Show & Film Festival, 6 - 9 PM
© 2007 Northwood High School Arts Education Department Northwood High School, Pittsboro, NC 27312 Photos: Jerry Richardson, George Gregor-Holt, Amy Loch, & Gina Harrison Design & Layout: Gina Harrison Contact Lori Major Carlin for digital copies of this report.
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