St. Thomas Aquinas High School Celebrates Their Musical Arts Program

St. Thomas Aquinas High School Celebrates Their Musical Arts Program
Posted on 10/17/2018
Students celebrate Musical Arts Program at St. Thomas Aquinas High School

Music Teachers, Eric Harty and Darcy Ura and students, Ruby Klippenstein, Jesse McIsaac, Jackson Klippenstein, Josh Wolfe, Avery Bond and Haley Yakiwchuk provided a report at the October 16, 2018 Board Meeting highlighting the Musical Arts Program at St. Thomas Aquinas High School.

The team announced that this year they are taking their school musical to the next level with support from the Board's Artist in Residence Program. The school will be partnering with industry professionals in the musical production of - Joseph and the Amazing Tricolour Dreamcoat. The spring production will partner with the elementary schools to take the performance to new heights for students across the board.

At St. Thomas Aquinas High School, students share their talents throughout the year in various competitions, performances and festivals and community events and they also provide department shows like the annual Christmas and Spring concerts and the bi-annual Vocal Extravaganza. As well, as cross-curricular endeavors such as the Gourmet Cabaret and StreetFest which have been hugely successful in the promotion of the school's arts programs in the greater community.

The school also takes 'the show on the road' by participating in various festivals and competitions such as the Winnipeg Choral Fest, the Winnipeg Optimist Fest, the Beginning Band Festival, for intermediate students, and Musicfest Canada in which the school achieved a silver medal in 2017. Locally, students participate in the Kenora Festival of the Arts.

In 2008, the Music Department initiated the local Jam Night which currently takes place at Bob's Burgers. This 10-year commitment has built new partnerships in the community and helped create and sustain venues for future performers.

The school's newest event called Play it Forward, is a partnership with the community in which students and community members perform together and all proceeds are donated to a local charity of the musician's choice.

St. Thomas Aquinas High School's current musical ensembles include: The Symphonic Winds and Percussion for Grades 9 - 12, The Intermediate Winds for Grades 7 and 8 and the Junior Winds for the Grade 5 and 6 students from the elementary schools. The vocal ensemble called Viva Voce, not only performs contemporary music but leads the school community during prayer services and school assemblies.

The Music Department has developed a vast variety of courses that inspire students from Grades 7 - 12. The school offers courses in wind, instruments, violin, guitar, vocals, wind ensembles, percussion and keyboard and piano. The school's state of the art recording studio has provided students access to industry standard technology. Students have been able to make professional level song demos, audition videos for post-secondary school admission, commercials for local radio stations and internet media projects.

The school's next initiative is the creation of the St. Thomas Aquinas High School Center of Artistic Excellence which would become the umbrella for all the performing arts - Music, Drama and Dance. The school is presently looking at restructuring the physical space to better accommodate their goals of artistic education at St. Thomas Aquinas High School.

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