Fine Arts
Fine Arts
Music
QSI Secondary Music gives students the opportunity to improve their musical skills as well as give them valuable experience in participating in live performances. Positive group interaction and communication skills are vital to the music course as students develop their instrumental abilities through ensemble practice. The students engage in reflection and critical thinking through keeping practice logs and post-performance feedback. In order to help students deepen their understanding of music and their instruments, they are also taught music theory and apply what they’ve learned to aid their exploration and appreciation of different musical styles throughout history and the modern age. Finally, students use their knowledge of theory and different musical styles to aid them in creative endeavors such as improvisation and composition.
QSI Elementary Music allows students to sing a variety of songs, respond to music in creative ways by listening, playing and improvising. Basic music theory and improving ear-training will also be a focus. Hearing and listening for specific qualities or characteristics of music, along with matching pitches, and moving rhythmically and creatively to music constitute the essence of this program. Learning about music of other times, places and cultures as well as developing choral music skills will also constitute a portion of this course. Students also have the opportunity to begin learning the ukulele, a band, or orchestra instrument. An important element of elementary music courses is performance as a tool of building confidence and stage presence skills. Concepts, which form the intellectual framework of the music program, are divided into five elements: rhythm, melody, harmony, form and expression (dynamics, tempo, and tone color).
Art
The Secondary Art course is designed for the secondary student preparing to take IB or AP Art along with the student choosing art as an elective in the secondary years. The course is presented to promote visual arts literacy to the student as well as artistic process. Students are engaged in creating art, while analyzing and interpreting art and art history. This course is modeled on the National Core Arts Standards for the Visual Arts. These standards are based on the artistic process of creating, presenting, responding and connecting with artistic ideas and works of art.
In our Visual Arts class we strive to enrich the students with art fundamentals and technical skills to expand their ‘tool kit’ of art techniques and understanding. Starting with fundamentals of art we explore: Line, Shape, Color, Value, Texture, Form, and Space and how they can be used to begin our students foundations.
As we move up in the grades, we strive to increase both the quality and quantities of the students' work while further deepening their understanding and application of art history, symbolism, and cultural context in art.
We explore the basic media tools: pencil, brush, clay, along with unusual ones such as q-tips, string, and bubble wrap to expand the students' view of what can be used to channel their imaginations. All the while instilling safe practices while still having fun within the arts.
Elementary Art is designed to teach visual literacy as well as artistic process to students. It is modeled on the National Core Arts Standards for Visual Arts. These standards are based on the artistic processes of creating, presenting, responding, and connecting with artistic ideas and works of art.
The traditions of QSI teaching and its philosophy of mastery learning are applied to the instruction of this course. This course supports and aligns to the success orientations, competencies and knowledge noted in the QSI Creative and Applied Arts Program Outcomes. Educators are encouraged to present works, methods, and concepts that hold relevance for their students as often as possible. This includes but is not limited to cross-curricular ties or allowances for student choice and idea-generation.