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Fine and Performing Arts

 

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Daphne Shululu
Director of Fine and Performing Arts
 

Introduction

Fine and Performing Arts recognizes that the study of music, art, and theatre inspires learning, critical thinking, identity development, and strong communities. We celebrate the authentic selves of all students and work to cultivate loving relationships through anti-racist, inclusive, culturally responsive practices. Students explore their artistic voices and hone their skills in music, art, and theatre through authentic performance opportunities in school and in the community.

 
Check out some of the amazing artwork from our students
 
Family sitting around a table of food black and white photo of a girl painting
Drawing of a girl with newspaper clippings around her
Wooden arched sculpture
Colorful cutout of magazine clippings
Colorful graphic design Wooden sculpture Black and white drawing of a girl in a bathtub, filled with ocean water
 
 

Jump to:
Events  |  Announcements
Pathways for Studying  |  Course Details
 

Upcoming Events

  • Footloose the Musical
    Boynton and DeWitt Middle Schools
    June 8-10 at 7 p.m. and June 11 at 2 p.m.
    Boynton Middle School Theater
 

Announcements

ICSD Music Education Program Receives National Recognition for 11th Consecutive Year
The Ithaca City School District has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education (BCME) designation from the NAMM Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education. This is the 11th consecutive year that the ICSD has received this designation.  More>>

DeWitt Students Selected to Participate in NYSBDA Honor Band
Congratulations to the following students, who have been selected to participate in the New York State Band Directors Association (NYSBDA) Honor Band in March!

Cynthia Zhang - flute
Rani Marie Sethupathy - oboe
Jorge Lynch - trumpet
Corey Fowler- trombone
Alasdair Smith- tuba
Luke Hwang- mallet percussion

The following students have been selected as alternates and will be invited to participate if an opening occurs in their section:

Maya Seroussi - oboe
Griffin Gold-Rodgers- tenor sax

ICSD Music Students Accepted to the 2022 NYSSMA All-State Performing Ensemble(s)
Congratulations to the following ICSD Music Students for being accepted to the 2022 NYSSMA All-State Performing Ensemble(s) in Rochester, NY on December 1 through December 4, 2022. Thousands of students auditioned for this honor last spring at solo and ensemble festivals throughout the State.  

We are proud of you! 

Ananya Prasaad
Anya Packard
Sam DeLisa
Anna Cummings
Claire Russell
Laura Mead
Juliet Crane
Keith McGill
Jacob Merrill
Emily Bellman

Alternates 
Ezri Rubenstein-Miller 
Stephen Yang 
Emily Bellman 
Crosby Woods 
Lei Cao
Aliza Proulx 
Athena Nie 
Crosby Woods 
Rosemary Mead 
Lyndon Hess 


Alice Burke Selected as Member of the 2022 NAfME All-National Symphony Orchestra, Violin 2 
The 2022 All-National Honor Ensembles program will take place at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland outside Washington, DC, November 3–6, 2022.

IHS Seniors Selected for NAfME All-National Honor Ensembles
Congratulations to Ithaca High School senior Will Shanton (bass trombone), who has been selected to participate in the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) All-National Symphonic Band, as well as to senior Jacob Merrill (alto saxophone), who was selected as an alternate for the Jazz Ensemble! The selected students will perform in November at the NAfME All-National Honor Ensembles (ANHE) event.

Andrew (Knox) Travis Named Lee Strebel Memorial Award Winner
Andrew (Knox) Travis was named the recipient of the 2022 Lee Strebel Memorial Award for Enthusiasm in the Performing Arts. The Ithaca High School (IHS) Underclass Awardees were announced at the June 9th award ceremony at the Ithaca High School Performing Arts Center. The Lee Strebel Memorial Award is presented each year to an IHS student who has not only participated in performing arts at the high school level but has shown extraordinary spirit in that pursuit. More >>
 

Pathways for Studying Music, Art, and Theatre

Music
Visual Art
Music Instruction K-7
Art Instruction K-7
Choir 6-12
Media Arts 7-12
Band 4-12
Ceramic Arts 9-12
Orchestra 3-12
Digital Photography 9-12
Music Production 9-12
Studio Art 6-12
Theatre/Performance
Music Production
Middle School Play
Music Production 9-12
Middle School Musical
Applied Music Production 9-12
Middle School Variety Show
 
HS Drama & Student-Directed One-Acts
 
HS Musical Technical Theater Club
 
 
 

Course Details

Music and Art Instruction (K-12)

Expressive art and music instruction K-7 allow students to further their understanding of core concepts through the arts while also deepening students' identities as artists through creating, performing, responding, and connecting to art and music.

Students creating mural at BJM
Instrumental Music: Band & Orchestra (3-12)

The band and orchestra programs begin in elementary school and provide students opportunities to further their musical identities through studying a band or strings instrument. In addition to weekly lessons, students rehearse, play, and perform with their peers in small and large ensembles with authentic field performance experiences.

Saxophone students gather in hallway

Theatre (6-12)

Opportunities to study theater, both drama and musicals, cultivate student voice, agency, and the craft of theatrical storytelling. Student leadership opportunities in assembling the theatrical productions from theatrical design to the production crew.

IHS students perform Legally Blonde The Musical

Visual and Media Art (8-12)

Students may further their identities as visual artists through studying studio arts, media arts, ceramic arts, and photography.

Wooden ceramic artwork