School of the Arts
School of the Arts
Embedded Files
Students in the Arts Pathway explore careers in creative fields, such as visual artists, designers, musicians, actors, arts educators, theater technicians, and arts administrators. By connecting students’ high school studies with real world applications, this pathway will make sure that students are engaged in building all required skills to the level they will need to be competitive in the creative marketplace.
Additionally, studies in the Fine Arts are especially valuable to all students for the acquisition of Durable Skills. This Pathway will extend those skill-building opportunities to the entire student body.
Careers
Careers
Music Pathway
Music Pathway
The Music Pathway allows students to develop the skills needed for college study or employment in:
Visual Arts Pathway
Visual Arts Pathway
The Visual Arts Pathway can lead to careers in
Coursework
In the music pathway, students will explore music making in Concert Band, Choir, Chamber Music, Jazz and Popular & Commercial styles and contexts. Dual credit courses are available through the University of Connecticut in Music Theory and Music History. OSHS has courses in Sound Engineering and maintains a digital recording studio which students can use to develop their music production skills.
The Visual Arts Pathway begins with Art Foundations, and from there students can explore the creative arts in many different mediums, including Painting, Ceramics, Drawing, Photography and Graphic Design. Upperclassmen will develop portfolios of their work, and will have opportunities to build art exhibitions and enter contests.
Experiences
Experiences
Music
Music
Students in honors-level music performance classes build technical skills through:
Solo repertoire preparation
Auditions for New England Music Festival and/or CMEA Regional Music Festival
Public performances in support of our community (e.g. Memorial Day, Veteran's Day)
Extracurricular Activities
OSHS Fall Play and Spring Musical Theater Productions
Work-Based Experiences
Internships (e.g. Student Teaching at OSMS, Music Business at the Katharine Hepburn Center)
Select students can rehearse and perform with professional orchestras hired for the Spring Musical and the OSW Major Works Choral Festival in February
Annual in-school visits by musicians from the Chestnut Hill Concert Series
Theater tech, jazz, and voice workshops provided by the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Center
Credentials
College credit offered in Music Theory and Music History through the UConn Early College Experience Program
Visual Art
Visual Art
Students in honors-level music performance classes build technical skills through:
Portfolio preparation
Art Contest submissions
Extracurricular Activities
Art Exhibitions (e.g. OS Starlight Festival, Acton Library Art Show, OSPS Board of Education displays)
Art Club
Extended artmaking opportunities with community partners (e.g. Bee's Knees Pottery Studio, Lyme Academy of Fine Arts, other local professionals)
Work-Based Experiences
Internships (Teaching Assistants at OSHS)
Public art projects in the community (e.g. America 250 Art Show at town hall, Mural on Main Street)
Credentials
Adobe Certification (coming soon!)
Alumni and Community Stories Related to this Pathway
Alumni and Community Stories Related to this Pathway
Billy Sheahan
Billy Sheahan
OSHS Class of 2018
Music Freelancer: a combination of arts admin (specifically at a record label focusing on contemporary orchestral music), recording engineering, and playing trombone
What's a good day of work like for you?
Ideally a mix of on-site and remote work. I work remotely on editing recordings, shepherd albums through the post-production process (lots of emails and spreadsheets), and practice trombone. Most days I'll also either have a recording session to engineer or take meetings from the label office.
What did you do right after high school?
Bachelor's of Music in Trombone Performance (Boston University)
Did that program connect to what you're doing now?
Yes! Being immersed in the music industry for four years made the post-graduation transition less turbulent, even if playing trombone doesn't represent a major percentage of my income. Furthermore, being an orchestral music student during Covid forced me to pivot to recording engineering once live audiences were replaced with microphones in 2020.
Which experiences from Boston University are most valuable to you now?
Developing my ears, learning my way around a recording chain, and working closely with the big personalities that permeate the music industry.
What experiences from OSHS are most valuable to you now?
I took advantage of the fabulous arts and music classes/extracurriculars at OSHS which was invaluable, but I also ended up relying on the intensive math (AP Calc) and science (chemistry, AP bio) once recording engineering began to replace performing.
What would you recommend an OSHS student do if they're interested in a Fine Arts career?
Don't check out of your non-fine arts classes. Being well-rounded is crucial, and high school is the best place for that.
Pathway Coordinator
Pathway Coordinator
Jeremy Taylor
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