Performing Arts
Stacy Middle School offers general music classes to all students. However, for those students who wish to pursue a more rigorous study of music with a performance element; SMS offers the performing arts ensembles. Students who enroll in these ensembles rehearse during the school day during the special subject period.
Chorus
Each grade level is offered the opportunity to sing in a chorus, including a middle school boys’ chorus. Students rehearse each day during the performing arts block. Performances throughout the year include winter, spring and vertical concerts, and other performance opportunities throughout the community. Extracurricular options include the middle school chamber choir and the opportunity to audition for the Central District honors chorus.
Concert Band
Each grade has a concert band. They rehearse daily during the performing arts block. Performances throughout the year include winter, spring and vertical concerts, Veterans’ Day and Memorial Day Parades, and other performance opportunities throughout the community.
Concert band students receive instrument lessons as well, in what are referred to as “group instrument lessons.” Students are pulled out of class in the same grade, same instrument sections to work on performance skills and instrument technique.
Concert band students can audition to participate in Stacy Jazz Band, Orchestra, Honors Jazz Band and other various small ensembles.
Orchestra
Grade six string students at Stacy participate in the Stacy String Orchestra and rehearse daily during the performing arts block. Like grade six students, grade seven and eight string students rehearse daily during their performing arts block. Grade seven and eight string students also perform together in the Middle School Orchestra that rehearses once a week after school. Top grade six string students may also audition to be part of the Middle School Orchestra. Students in grades seven and eight also prepare for central district auditions, held every February. Advanced middle school string students are invited to audition for the Milford All-School Orchestra which begins in October. There are also other extra curricular music opportunities as well.
Instrument Lesson Policy (Band & Orchestra)
Our instrumental program hits the ground running by jumping into music for concerts as well as preparing for our first performances. We do our best to schedule all of the like instruments together for the most optimal experience for each student. This allows us to work on technique, repertoire and musical concepts outside of the Performing Arts class.
Group lessons will be scheduled from the students’ core subject classes. The group lessons are in a five week cycle. This will allow for better groupings of like instruments and will ensure an equitable time frame between group lessons and core subject classes. Because of the five week cycle, any given academic subject will only be missed once every five weeks.
All students will be responsible for knowing their schedule, with a little help from the music department and the classroom teachers. Schedules will be uploaded to Google Classroom and printed copies will be available to students as well.
Students will attend each lesson unless there is a test, quiz or lab in the class that they are scheduled to leave. These group lessons are supported by the music staff, teachers and administration. Students are required to check in with the core-subject teacher before attending the lesson in order to get any work or assignments. Students are responsible for any assignments they missed. Group lessons are valuable as they do cover all areas of learning; academic as well as music. Lessons will also make up 20% of the Performing Art grade each trimester.
A copy of the Instrument Lesson Policy and acknowledgement will also be given to students for
parents/guardians to sign off on and return to Stacy Middle School.
Middle School Theater Productions
The Stacy music department performs a Middle School Theater Production each spring. An age-appropriate, junior adaptation of a popular Broadway show is produced each year, giving performing arts students at the middle school level an opportunity to showcase their talents. Recent productions have included “The Little Mermaid,” “Dear Edwina,” “Finian’s Rainbow,” and “Aladdin.”
Please Note: One must be a member in good standing of a Performing Arts Ensemble in Grades six, seven or eight to audition for a chance to be involved with the Middle School Musical.