Welcome to a New Year of Fine Arts at IC Imagine! Each department has started the year off with a bang, producing high quality work from their students. We’re looking forward to another fantastic year!
In the Music World
Lower School Music
LS music classes are centered on the Orff-Schulwerk approach to music and movement education. This approach, developed by composer Carl Orff, begins with what is natural to every child: their body, their voice, and play! A musical experience may start with moving the body, saying a rhyme, or playing a singing game. These playful explorations spark curiosity. Then, children begin to develop musical skills through auditory imitation, such as singing a melody or clapping a rhythm by ear. For example, we may begin by saying a rhyme or poem, which can evolve into a percussion piece as we transfer the rhythm of the words to drums. Or, we may begin by singing a song, which can expand into an instrumental ensemble as we add rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic accompaniment. Throughout the active music-making process, children compose, improvise, and choreograph their own music and movement. The emphasis on student-created music and movement is unique and important to an Orff music classroom. The simplicity of the media used: the body, the voice, and developmentally appropriate instruments, allows children to create and perform music that is rich in complexity and artistic integrity. For example, saying a rhyme while clapping/stomping a repeating rhythm can be quite musically difficult, yet it requires only the voice and body. The special xylophones which can be played in various pentatonic and diatonic keys by removing bars offer a beautiful sound immediately which allows children to improvise a melody or compose a harmonic accompaniment that sounds musically pleasing. While the media remains the same year to year, the musical complexity increases. Finally, an Orff music class fosters collaboration and community. Whether students are performing a folk dance or instrumental ensemble, the importance of everybody working together and every part being important is always emphasized.
Take a peek inside the music classroom…
Video: “Don’t Forget About the Snap” Drums
Video: “Blacksmith’s Apprentice” Groups of 4
Middle and Upper School Bands
The Bands at ICI are off to an outstanding beginning this school year!
57 beginning band students are learning basic concepts of producing a sound, counting rhythms, and playing in an ensemble. The Concert, Symphonic and Wind Symphony students are further refining these concepts and ‘diving in’ to more complex music. Our first concert of the year will be after Fall Break on October 3, at 5:30pm in the IPAC. Additionally, Wind Symphony members will begin to raise funds for our trip to Busch Gardens Williamsburg in the Spring. Stay Tuned!
Middle and Upper School Chorus
The choruses have been hard at work preparing for their first concert of the year on September 19th! The MS Beginning Chorus has been learning the foundations of good, choral singing, as well as learning how to create harmony together. The MS Intermediate Chorus has been building on their growth from the previous school years and are creating three part harmony together. The Upper School Mixed Chorus has many new faces joining the choral department and have been learning the basics of singing in a group together. The Upper School Chamber Choir is working on a challenging jazz piece for their fall concert and the Section Ensembles have been working on group pieces as well as Soprano/Alto and Tenor/Bass pieces. It’s going to be a great concert to kick off the choral performances this year!
In the Theater World
Middle/Upper School Theater
Mr. Campbell and Mrs. Nilo have been busy rehearsing our whole school production of Alice in Wonderland. It’s been so exciting seeing all the grade levels working together to bring Wonderland to life!
In the Visual Arts World
Middle School Visual Art
It has been a wonderful start to the school year. We began by learning some colored pencil techniques and now we are thinking sculpturally and working with wire and weaving. Below are just a few of the wonderful works of art that have been made.
Upper School Visual Art
In the upper school we have been busy designing T- Shirts for the Fine Arts 5k Run that's coming up in November. Art 1-2-3 have done a fabulous job with designing inspiring clothing and they will be hanging up in the hallway soon.
3D Sculptures are off to a great start by creating their first 3D sculpture out of paper tubes. They have also designed and created 3D cubes with drawings on all the sides. These colorful 3D works of art are hanging on the shelf outside the classroom so come on by and take a look.
We are currently working on making butterflies out of soda cans and designing trees for them to live on. So be on the lookout for these sculptures around the building.
Digital Photo and Digital Art Design have been busy learning all about the programs we use for creating and editing.
Art 1 has been working on contour lines and how to create values with pencil. Yesterday we took a brain break and did a quick one day abstraction work with oil pastels. Value work in a different way.
Ceramics 1 just finished up their 1st project - pinch bowls with lids
They are now learning about making low relief tiles!
Ceramics 2 - has been busy learning how to throw on the pottery wheel, as well as new firing and surface processes. These pieces were burninshed and pit fired.
2 of our ICI US art students submitted their art to the Mountain State a Fair
Sawyer Barham and Kai Boseman. Congratulations to both. Your outstanding work makes us all proud ! If you're at the fair stop by and see their work.
