For students at Rowland Hall, choosing an elective class is always a hard choice. With the Upper School’s vast choices for introductory and entry-level arts classes, narrowing down what class to fill your schedule with is often a struggle. 

I conducted interviews with five students from different types of elective classes to give insight into what the entry-level arts classes are really like. With this article, I hope to help students narrow down their choices of what class to take next semester and the year after. My first interview was with Brooke Wright, a freshman in studio art:

1.) Studio Art

(Interview transcript)

So Brooke, what made you want to join studio art? 

I joined studio art because I enjoy art outside of school, and it looked like a fun way to express that in a classroom setting. 

What is your favorite part about studio art?

My favorite part of the class is the individual work time we get to work on projects and create art.  I enjoy the medium of pencil drawings and sketchings the most. 

Would you take this class again or pursue it outside of school?

I would definitely take studio art again at Rowland Hall. I’ve done some art classes outside of school, and they’ve been really fun, so I hope to continue to pursue visual art.

If you could do any other elective class, what would it be? 

If I were to take an arts class besides Studio Art, it would probably be beginning guitar. I’m in it next semester, but right now I just wanted to try out studio art in the upper school and see what it’s like.

 

My first interview showed that Brooke enjoyed studio art because of the individual work time and opportunities to create visual art. If you enjoy creating visual art already or would like to learn some new skills, I would recommend this class to you. My next interview was with Bronwen Andrus, a sophomore in technical theater:

2.) Tech Theater

(Interview transcript)

So what made you want to take tech theater this year? 

Well, I took it last year in the second semester, and I really enjoyed it, so I wanted to take it again, and my second period was free, so I did it.

What's your favorite part about Tech Theatre? 

Probably working with my hands. I’ve learned a lot better tactile skills and I just think it's really fun. I also really enjoy working in the booth for some of the classes. I can force people to listen to whatever music I want them to. 

Would you take this class again or would you pursue it outside of school? 

Sure, why not? I mean, I don't think I'd pursue it at a college level, but I'd do it in later years.  I also would definitely continue to just work with the school theater program. Like, it's really cool.

If you could do any other elective class besides this, what would you do and why can't you do it right now?   

I would have taken ceramics, but I don’t know. I didn’t have any free periods to take it. And I did last year, and the clay really dried out my hands. I don't want that to happen again.

 

Bronwen shared how they’ve enjoyed tech because of some of the tactile skills they’ve picked up taking the class these past couple of years. I would recommend this class to those who are interested in learning more about what goes into the fall musical/play. Tech’s also a fun new way to learn some new crafts and ways to create art with your hands. After my conversation about tech, I interviewed another freshman, Brooke Greenberg, about her experiences in beginning dance:

3.) Beginning Dance

(Interview transcript)

What made you want to join dance? 

I joined because I enjoy dance and it looked like it would be a fun class to take.

So what is your favorite part about dance?   

Probably choreographing our bigger performances.

Is there a lot of student input in that?  

Yeah, we do a lot of small group work to make the dances come together. 

Would you take this class again or would you pursue it outside of school, do you think?

I don't think I would pursue it outside of school, but I think I would take the class again. 

If you could do any other elective or arts class, what would it be and why don’t you already? 

I’d probably do ceramics.  The reason I didn't do it already is because I picked classes really quickly when I was filling out what classes I wanted to take. But I think that would be fun.

 

Brooke Greenberg reflected on her experience in Beginning Dance and shared how choreographing dance pieces in small groups for performances is one part of the class that stands out the most to her. I would recommend dance to those who are looking for an arts class to take that integrates physical movement with visual art. My next interview was with Vivi Klein, another freshman, in ceramics.

4.) Ceramics

(Interview transcript)

What made you want to join ceramics?

I've done ceramics with Ms. Lewis when I was in middle school, and this year I really wanted to work on exploring my skills and learning to work more on the wheel because I think it's a fun art form. I also want to be able to gift the ceramics I make to people.

Beautiful answer. What is your favorite part about ceramics?

I love the freedom we get in the class. A lot of times [Ms. Lewis] will give us an assignment. She'll say, “Make a vase” but you can hand build the vase, you can throw the vase on a wheel, you can make it and glaze it however you want.

Would you take ceramics again or would you try to pursue it outside of school?

Yes, I would love to take ceramics again. It's just so fun to be able to take a break from normal school and just play with some clay. You’re able to make your imaginations pop and come true.

That's really awesome. If you could do any other elective class besides ceramics, what would it be and why don't you do it already?

I think studio art seems fun, and I think I'm in it next semester. I'd probably do it just because it seems like a nice relaxing time to talk with friends.  Art is also just a great way to express yourself, and I enjoy it.

 

Vivi reflected on how she enjoys ceramics because of the independence and the opportunities to express herself through her pieces. She also briefly talked about how taking ceramics has been a good way to create gifts for her friends and family. I would recommend this class if you’re interested in working with your hands in arts or, like Vivi said, you want a cool way to create personalized gifts. My final interview was with James Obermark, a senior taking beginning guitar:

 

5.) Beginning Guitar

(Interview transcript)

So what made you want to join beginning guitar?

I've always known that I was born to be a musician, and beginning guitar was the outlet and the key to my success further down the road. When I saw guitar on the course selection page thingy, I knew that that was going to be the key to the beginning of my life. And so I thought that there was no better time to learn guitar than in the middle of the school day for half an hour.

That's awesome. So what is your favorite part about beginning guitar?
My favorite part about beginning guitar is the exposure I get to all kinds of new music, specifically the stuff that Dr. Jackson enjoys. I feel like I'm broadening my horizons and also honing my coordination skills.

So would you take this class again or pursue it outside of school? And how would you possibly apply these skills that you've learned outside of school?
Let's see, this is actually my second time taking guitar, so I would definitely take it again. I would say I would take it as many times as I could.  And yes, I suppose I would pursue it outside of school by playing my guitar at home.

Very eloquent.  If you could take any other elective class besides guitar, what would it be and why don't you do it already?
From what I’ve seen, a lot of the electives are arts. And when I look at the arts, I think about what I don't get a chance to do on a daily basis. I think playing instruments is a really unique skill to have and to be able to learn. And so I just want to take advantage of the opportunities that I am offered here and try something new and different for me.

Finally, what type of student do you think would enjoy guitar?
I would recommend guitar to anyone who is passionate about learning some self-discipline. It takes a lot of work getting your left and right hands to agree on what to do. So I would recommend the class to anyone who is looking to practice their patience skills and is willing to devote hours to something that's minorly painful.

 

After conducting my five interviews, I was able to see the key differences and similarities of students’ experiences in our different arts class and the pros and cons that come with each. A key theme I saw across my interviews was how in each elective class, time for independent work was one of the highlights for almost all of the students I interviewed. Particularly in beginning dance and ceramics, Brooke and Vivi reflected on how having time to choreograph or create independently or in small groups was a focal point of these classes. Although different types of students obviously enjoy different styles of elective classes, when I asked these students what class they would take rather than their current arts class, many expressed interest in ceramics. A part of these desires may come from ceramics' unique opportunities to hand build gifts and pieces. One detail from James’s interview that stood out to me was his desire to try arts classes that he can’t already pursue at home. Similarly, clay sculpting is an art form that is hard for students to access outside of school, and that may be another reason why it was a popular choice for students. Overall, through my interviews I saw how each of these arts classes is exceptional in its own way and appeals to different students in different ways. I hope this story gave you some insight into some arts classes through the perspective of fellow students.