Departmental Course Offerings:

·         Fine Arts:  This one semester required course introduces students to the elements, principles, and basic fundamentals of art and music, while exposing them to major works of art and musical innovations within a historical context from prehistory to modern eras.  The course includes a chronological and contextual study of the development of art and music in which students will create, analyze, and explore the styles and concerns of established artists, musicians, and genres of the fine arts.

·         Speech:  This required course develops fundamental speech skills and the related theory.  Among the topic areas are:  delivery techniques, content analysis, research skills, speech organization, visual aids, audience analysis, nonverbal communication, and listening skills.  The students will have ample opportunity to develop and to improve these speech-related skills through a variety of public speaking situations.   Students will select their topics, research the necessary materials, evaluate information in relation to the listeners’ needs, and synthesize the message.  By developing such skills, the students will be better able to take their place as responsible citizens and Christians in our society.

·         Beginning Band:  The beginning band class is for students who wish to participate in the Fenwick High School Band Program but who do not have any prior experience reading music or playing a band instrument.  The instruments that will be taught are:  flute, clarinet, alto saxophone, French horn, trumpet, trombone, baritone, tuba, or percussion.  Basic skills such as fingering, stick technique, musicality, and reading music will be taught while the student learns to play the instrument.  At the conclusion of the beginning band class, students will be able to play their instruments at a level equivalent to those who have been playing their instruments for four years.  Students will be auditioned to gain admittance to the concert band class the following year.

·         Concert Band:  The concert band class is designed for freshmen and upperclassmen with previous experience on the following instruments:  flute, oboe, clarinets, saxophones, bassoon, trumpet, French horn, trombone, euphonium/baritone, or tuba.  No audition is necessary to participate in concert band.  All members of concert band are also members of the pep band.  Performance, music history, music theory, and musical techniques are learned through large ensemble standard and contemporary band music.  Basic performance skills included in this course are recognition, rhythm recognition, key signatures, musical vocabulary, and fingerings and sticking on specific instruments.  Basic theory skills included in the course are knowledge of the circle of fifths and intervals.  A freshman or sophomore may take two consecutive semesters of concert band instead of the one semester arts course in order to complete the fine arts graduation requirement.

·         Concert Percussion:  This course is designed for percussionists with experience playing in a concert band setting.  Also, students should have experience playing a variety of percussion instruments and be able to read music.  All members of concert percussion are also members of the concert band and the pep band.  This course gives the percussion section a chance to expand their playing opportunities outside the normal concert band setting.  The students will rehearse music for pep band, concert band, and concert percussion during this class.  Students will play all of the percussion instruments including snare drum, timpani, keyboards, as well as the accessory instruments.  Rhythm, note recognition, and rudiments are concepts that are emphasized within this course.  A freshman or sophomore may take two consecutive semesters of concert percussion to fulfill the fine arts graduation requirement.

·         Wind Ensemble:  The wind ensemble is an advanced class for upperclassmen with previous experience on the following instruments:  flute, oboe, clarinets, saxophones, bassoon, trumpet, French horn, trombone, euphonium/baritone, or tuba.  An audition is required to be considered for the wind ensemble.  All members of the wind ensemble are also members of the pep band.  Performance, music history, music theory, and musical techniques are learned through large ensemble standard and contemporary band music.  Advanced performance skills emphasized in the course are expression, tone quality, intonation, and complex rhythm.  Advanced theory skills included in the course are chord structure, transposition, and composition techniques.  Two consecutive semesters of wind ensemble will fulfill the fine arts graduation requirement.

·         Wind Ensemble Honors:  Sophomore, junior, and senior students already enrolled in wind ensemble may be eligible for an honors credit.  To determine eligibility and to be accepted, students must audition during the prior school year for the band director.  Then, the following activities are required to receive the honors point:  IMEA auditions (October), Solo and Ensemble (March), monthly playing tests with the band director, and private lessons.

·         Percussion Ensemble:  This course is designed for advanced percussionists with experience playing in a concert band setting.  An audition is required to be considered for membership in the percussion ensemble.  All members of the percussion ensemble are also members of the wind ensemble and the pep band.  This course gives the percussion section a chance to expand their playing opportunities outside the normal concert band setting.  The students will rehearse music for pep band, wind ensemble, and percussion ensemble during this class.  Students will play all of the percussion instruments including the snare drum, timpani, and keyboards, as well as accessory instruments.  Advanced rhythms, complex time signatures and rudiments are concepts that are emphasized within this course.  Two consecutive semesters of percussion ensemble will fulfill the fine arts graduation requirement.

·         Percussion Honors:  Sophomore, junior, and senior students already enrolled in the percussion ensemble class may be eligible for an honors credit.  To determine eligibility and to be accepted, students must audition during the prior school year for the band director.  Then, the following activities are required to receive the honors point:  IMEA auditions (October), Solo and Ensemble (March), monthly playing tests with the band director, and private lessons.

·         String Orchestra:  The Fenwick string orchestra is a class for string players (violin, viola, cello, and double bass) with previous experience.  No audition is necessary to participate.  Performance, music history, music theory, and musical techniques are learned through music of different styles and from different time periods.  Basic performance skills included in this course are note recognition, rhythm recognition, key signatures, musical vocabulary, and bowing technique.  Basic theory skills included in the course are knowledge of the circle of fifths and intervals.  A freshman or sophomore may take two consecutive semesters of string orchestra instead of the one semester fine arts course in order to complete the fine arts graduation requirement.

·         Concert Choir Honors:  This is an academically credited class that meets daily during the regular school day schedule.  Honors status and credit is open to members of this performing group.  Emphasis is extended to solo and ensemble singing, sight-reading music, and building musical theory skills of major/minor scales as well as triads.  Students are required to participate in all regularly scheduled Concert Choir performances, and they are required to participate in a solo or ensemble (other than the required Concert Choir group entry) at the IHSA and Northwestern University music contests, as well as auditions for the IMEA choir division participation.  Honors students should also be candidates and eventual active members of the Tri-M Music Honor Society.

·         Survey of Music:  This course is an extension of the fine arts course with a focus on music theory and an advanced level of the fundamentals of music history.  Students are made aware of the basic concepts of rhythm, melodic harmony, key signatures, ear training, and musical structures.

·         Survey of Art:  This course is an extension of the fine arts course with a studio emphasis.  Through an integral studio approach to art, students will understand how art is made through the historical, political, geographical, social, and religious events that shaped each culture’s art and made it unique.  Students will be made aware of the inter-relationships of aesthetics by producing their own works of art through the studio process.  Art projects include, but are not limited to, drawing, painting, clay modeling, and printmaking.  Students will also engage in a hands-on approach to making art through museum workshops.

·         AP Art History:  This course is an introductory college course that provides an understanding and enjoyment of architecture, sculpture, painting, and other art forms within historical and cultural contexts.  Students also learn to look at works of art critically, with intelligence and sensitivity, and to articulate what they see or experience.  Visual style and analysis along with writing skills are emphasized in preparation for the AP examination in Art History.

·         Technical Drawing:  This class is for those interested in technical drawing, because they are possibly interested in the field of drafting, engineering, industrial design, architecture, or in one of the many professions that require knowledge of technical drawing.  Students will find insight with modern industry, manufacturing processes, and technology.  The primary objective of the class is to help the student achieve a solid accomplishment and thorough understanding of the skills involved by teaching the fundamentals of the subject matter.

These courses and any other prerequisites/requirements are more fully described in the Fenwick curriculum guide.

Department Faculty Members:

·         Mr. Andrew M. Arellano—(Chairperson), Speech

·         Ms. Rizelle Capito—Fine Arts, Concert Band, Concert Percussion

·         Mr. Donald Heldmann—Technical Drawing

·         Ms. Suzanne Senese—Concert Choir, Concert Choir Honors, Women’s Chorus, Men’s Chorus, AP Art History, Fine Arts,

·         Mr. Jeff Verver—Fine Arts

·         Fr. Michael Winkels—Survey of Art

·         Ms. Laura Wsol—Wind Ensemble, Wind Ensemble Honors, Percussion Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble Honors, String Orchestra, Survey of Music, Beginning Band

Additional Departmental Information:

            For additional information about this department’s faculty, courses, study recommendations, competitions, and other such matters, please refer to each member’s faculty or class/activity pages (such as band, choir, orchestra, etc.).