The Thomas Stone Fine Arts Department offers a wide variety of courses involving choir, instrumental music and the theatre. These classes provide students with the opportunity to enhance their personal expression and creativity, to master basic skills, and to understand how the arts reflect humanity and culture.

Click Here to go to the Instrumental Band Web Site

Mixed Chorus
The course is open to all students who wish to sing and further develop their musical skills. The content will include the fundamentals of part-singing, vocal techniques, and music reading. Public performance may be an outgrowth of this class.

Voice Class
This class, geared to the individual performer, will involve the study of the fundamentals of good vocal production activities include the solo performance of songs and class discussion of theory, style and problems of vocal production. Phonetic readings in a variety of languages will be included.

Men's Chorus
This course is designed to help young men develop both their voices and music theory skills. This class will cover a variety of styles of music such as, but not limited to, pop music, folk music, and classical music.

Women's Chorus
This class is designed to help young women develop both their voices and music theory skills. This class will cover a variety of styles of music such as, but not limited to, pop music, folk music and classical music.

Chamber Choir
This course is designed for the student who wishes to continue to acquire more advanced skills and experience performing in a small choral performance group. Public performances outside of the regular school day are a crucial component of this course.

Concert Band
Satisfactory completion of instruction in a middle school ensemble or its equivalent is expected for admission to this class. Music of grades II, III, and IV in difficulty will be studied and performed. Students will continue developing skills in the basic music fundamentals (embouchure, technique, expression, intonation, etc.) Public performances outside the regular school day are a crucial component of this course.

Orchestra
Satisfactory completion of string instruction in a middle school ensemble or its equivalent is expected for admission to this class. Music of grades II, III, and IV in difficulty will be studied and performed. Students will continue developing skills in the basic music fundamentals (bowing, hand positioning, expression, intonation, etc.). Public performances outside the regular school day are a crucial component of this course.

Symphonic Band
Satisfactory completion of Concert Band or its equivalent is expected for admission to this class. Students will develop advanced levels of competence in the areas of technical skill, stylistic understanding, historical background, and aesthetic awareness through the study and performance of quality band literature from a variety of style and time periods. Public performances outside the regular school day are a crucial component of this course.

Jazz Ensemble
Jazz Ensemble provides the opportunity for the study of jazz, rock, and dance band styles and is open to advanced band students through audition. This course fosters creativity through improvisation and performance in the rock, jazz and swing style. Public performances outside the regular school day are a crucial component of this course.

Piano
This course is designed to teach the basic techniques of piano performance. The course will also include the study of music theory, history and literature. Activities may include improvisation, transposition, and solo and ensemble work. A possible outgrowth of this class may be public recitals. It is suggested that the members of the class have access to a piano after regular school hours for practice purposes. No prior experience in piano performance is necessary.

Survey of Music
This course is designed primarily for students who are not involved in a performing ensemble experience at the high school level and are interested in expanding their knowledge of the world of music. Music of many different styles, cultures and time periods will be studied. Students will also explore the role and importance of music in contemporary society.

Advanced Placement Music Theory
This course is designed for students who wish to take the National Advance Placement Examination in Music Theory. The goal of this course is to develop a student's ability to recognize, understand, and describe the basic materials and processes of music that are heard or presented in a score. In this course, students will be required to read, notate, compose, perform, and listen to music. The student's ability to read and write musical notation is fundamental to this course. It is also assumed that the student has acquired at least basic performance skills in voice or on an instrument.

Theatre Arts
This course provides the students with an introduction to the many aspects of theatre including acting, directing, stagecraft, theatre history, theatre criticism, and play analysis.

Play Production
This elective course is designed for the student who wishes to gain experience in the various aesthetic, technical and commercial aspects of theatre, which are essential in the production of a play for an audience.