Shady Side Academy - Academian Yearbook (Pittsburgh, PA)

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Melodi he Fine Arts Department was one that finally began to make advances in the S.S.A. curriculum. Shady Side has recognized the importance of mu- sic, art, theatre, and dance as bal- ances to academics and athletics. The visits by the Dance Alloy, the plans for a new fine arts building, and the addition of choir and en- semble periods into the school day symbolized a growing awareness of student and faculty needs to ex- plore other facets of life. The music department recently benefited from the addition of Mr. Dan Brill, who replaced Ms. Betsy Thomas as choral director. The choir expanded to include a choir concert, as well as Core, Mens', and Senior choirs, all under Mr. BriIl's direction. The quality of the performances also improved 10071. His experience in the Men- delssohn choir and with other choirs enabled him to achieve the results that he wanted, not only making the choir sound good, but also teaching them why they should sound good. Mr. Brill also taught two music classes within the S.S.A. curriculum. Music Ap- preciation, a term course which many continued for the entire year, covered a historical ap- proach to music, highlighting con- certs at Heinz Hall. Music Theory, a full year course, was an intensive study of the fundamentals of mu- sic, ranging from key signatures to the different complex chord vari- ations. Theory students analyzed many pieces of music, learning why the great composers are great, and how they manipulated the basics to achieve a desired ef- fect. For a final project, the stu- dents wrote their own 32-bar piece of music. Mr. Stan Nevola also deserved credit for his recent work with the ensembles, whose quality of per- formance also improved in the last few years. The ensembles includ- ed String, Woodwind, Jazz, and Small Jazz, which was continued this year and co-directed by Ralph Falbo. Mr. Nevola also taught Mu- sic Workshop, which enabled stu- dents to learn how to play instru- ments they might not have other- wise. Such instruments included guitar and recorder, among others, and students were allowed to work at their own pace. The choirs and the ensembles together both performed three school concerts and were able to travel and perform outside of S.S.A. Men's and Core Choir were once again invited to sing at Hartwood Acres Mansion during the holidays, as well as the Fox Chapel Racquet Club. The Jazz en- semble played at the Harmarville Rehab Center, and the String En- semble went to Sewickley for a performance. All ensembles and choirs performed this year at the GSX building downtown. 24 Academics Voices join together in Memorial Hall as a portion of the concert choir rehearses for the Dec. 13 and 14 Winter Concert perfor- mances, while under the direction of Mr, Dan Brill. Expanding horizons. members of the jazz, wood- wind, and string ensembles in addition to Mr. Stan Nevola, leam to read a dance score instead of the usual instrumental sheet music under the guidance of Dance Alloy members Ms. Christina .lowers and Mr. Scott Timm fback, centenj Body movement as a form of expression is ex- plored by Jennifer Wamhoff and Meiissa McCa- gue during a session in Mellon Gymnasium held by the Dance Alloy.

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S 5 , r 'gf A:, 4, 'i ti swwmwwfik- -' f Sharing ideas, Bill Semins, Kathy lla- vens, Todd Green, and Mike Srodes work in a group in Mr. Hench's US. History class, When Mr. Hench went on sabbatical in January, the students were forced to adjust to the new teach- ing style of replacement Mr. Bruce Jor- dan. Mv.Nfns, MW., .- . f V nov-awwrulx-w,.i,.4.,. - f l The heavy workload or perhaps adjust ing to new teachers induces senior Thatcher Montgomery to r-arch rome z's in a social studies classroom. ,V -mn . Ind endent Stud only turn but also to turn rnaturefmembers e has c ha n g e s thespirit S ill' y As in all opportunities which call for student responsibility, there is a potential risk of abuse. in order to insure that this program is iusedas intended, a guideline of re' quirements was decidedupon by the faculty. ln order fora program to be approved, a student must have a project advisor in the area of his interest and must submit the project for review by the indepen- dent Study Committee tmade up of the heads of different depart- mentsi. Approval largely hinges on the students down academic re- cord, For the students who pursue this alternative, the benefits are numerous. They are able to ex- plore creative, often unexpected ,topics of inquiry, running the gam- ut from Advanced Studies in Latin Poetry by Darah Himmelhoch, to the study of Analytical Writing by Mindy Gottfried, to Confucianism by Chris Marquis, to Journalism by Jamie Beckerman, Many found that this program enabled them to focus on a particular area more ex- tensively after taking a more gen- eral course within the SSA curricu- lum. While most are well-motivat ed by self-interest, some students find the program to be a way to test their own academic abilities. Senior Matt Braidic, who under- took an independent study in histo- ry, did so to prove to Mr. I-lench that he could write a good history paper. Darah Himmelhoch's exper- ience in taking the independent study program accurately sums up the reasons that students are turning to this alternative. i did an independent studyrbe- cause l had completed all the Latin courses offered at the Academy, and l wanted to continue it. lf l could, l'd do it again. lt was helpful to me in that there was a 'one to one' relationship with the tutor so l learned more than if l had been in ciass. lt's also more personal and flexible when you run into a tight schedule or problems. It taught me to schedule my time. Given the rewards of the pro- gram, independent studies will un- doubtedly continue to be a popular alternative for students in the fu- ture. Social Studiesflndependent Study 23

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'41 It's back to the drawing board for Amy Sil fillfll il find uiulrurnv-rrl.il 'wfll.lllfl'u pmrluf '- Advanced Art class in the calligraphy f '-1 verman as she carefully sketches during an lifrrmony ,is lull Rllfififlr-'. army. in tht- piano ru Jll'lpdlllllI lll nl lluwfirrl lllm flllllllfl fi room. rehearsal in Mr-morial Hall. .. . To Movement Motif he Art department at Shady Side was also one that made small steps throughout the year, though many agree that further inprovement of facilities and faculty number is still necessary. Motif and Metaphor, a course required during freshman or sophomore years, encom- passed aspects of the fine arts. Students learned about visual art, how objects are perceived, and how what we see affects how we think. Aural communication was aiso highlighted, as the students had to make tape recordings of their interpretations of intangible objects. The course was designed to give students an idea of the fun- damentals ofthe arts, and possibly induce life-long interest. A high- light of the M 8 M year was the two visits by the Dance Alloy. The Ai- loy worked with students on body movement and expression. Some felt that the visit was stupid and an excuse to wear jeans, but many found the dancers' sessions educational and enjoyable. Alloy member Scott Timm commented that many students are afraid of dance, of the arts. They think of it as higher culture . . . People must learn to think of the arts as a means of expression, just like writ- ing, and should place it on the same levei with sciences and math. Also available in the arts is Ad- vanced Art, a course available to those who had taken Motif and Metaphor who wished to explore art further. Students chose from a variety of media, and worked not only on individual projects, but also with faculty assistance. At the end of the year, students exhibited their finest projects in the Bayard Art Show. Many were impressed, often thinking Gee - I didn't think that so and so was so talentt ed. Mr. Philip .Joyce and Mrs. Les- lie Bodnarchuk supervised the Ad' vanced Art classes, although next year Mr. Joyce will be on sabbati- cal, and Mrs. Bodnarchuk will no longer be teaching. Both absences wiil be felt greatly. The rising M number of student participants is the key to expand sion of the theatre, and art progtatrtsiiaiapcommodate great- er iaterestfpfigas are under way for a new fartigzompiexg which would feature ani auditorium, music and dance rooms, and studios for classes such as painting and pho- tography. Aiso, next yearsincom' ing president Peter Kountz has ex' pressed his desire to expand stu- dent horizons inthe arts. So with improved facilities as well as ad- ministrative support, the future of they arts at SSA is a bright one. MusicfArt 25