Excellence in Fine Arts
Throughout the year, we offer several public performances-from award-winning theatrical productions to intimate recitals and fine arts showcases featuring our visual, performing and dramatic artists. Our students and mentors enjoy amazing resources such as a full Performing Arts Center featuring several large spaces, a ceramics program, state-of-the-art audio/visual equipment and more. Our program is well supported by a parent-led booster club: Fine Arts Boosters.
I encourage anyone who is passionate about the arts to consider joining our Fine Arts Boosters and help HHCA continue to equip and enhance existing programs.
Even when school isn’t in session, our Performing Arts Center is always buzzing with activity. From summer jazz camps that draw students from all over the nation to summer stock theater, strings academy, student worship teams and art camps, there is ALWAYS something exciting happening within HHCA's Fine Arts department!
If you love the fine arts, you will love being a part of the HHCA community!
ENSEMBLES
Several ensembles perform throughout the year including:
4th Grade Band
5th Grade Band
Middle School Concert Band
Upper School Symphonic Band
Eagles Jazz Band
Eagles Pep Band / Drumline
Pit Orchestra
Middle School Chorus
Upper School Chorus
With a comprehensive band and choral program, our students are frequently seen in the community performing at various events and venues. With small class sizes, and the flexibility of smaller ensembles, our instrumental students are able to learn music quickly, performing various styles of music at a high proficiency. Our choral students in middle and upper school sing from 2-5 part harmony, often in multiple languages.
One of our main objectives in the music department is to create well-rounded musicians with a thorough knowledge of repertoire.
Lower School Music Program
Instrumental Program
Beginning in fourth grade, students have the option to join the HHCA Instrumental Program.
In fourth grade, students work to build basic proficiency on their instrument through weekly practice and rehearsals. We use the respected Standard of Excellence band method by Bruce Pearson and 4th graders have an opportunity to perform at the Christmas and spring concerts.
In MS and US band, students every other day for a regular period of band class. Our students focus on achieving personal musical goals of a higher ability and are expected to practice on a daily basis. As an ensemble class, we emphasize the fundamentals of instrumental music including blend, balance, tone, intonation, and technique. We study, practice and perform several styles of music to create versatile musicians.
All middle and upper school band students will participate in either the middle school concert band or upper school symphonic band. They will also have the option of being part of the Eagles Jazz Band or Pep Band / Winter Drumline.
Our instrumental students perform all the time: at home varsity football games, at our school concerts, in the pit for our theatrical productions, and many times in the community.
Many of our advanced instrumental students have been fortunate enough to work with organizations including the Junior Jazz Foundation, Palmetto Bluff, the Island School Council of the Arts, the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, Jazz Corner and many more!
Choral Music
Although singing is an integral part of our lower music curriculum, students are strongly encouraged to join the chorus beginning in middle school or earlier.
In middle school chorus, we aim to achieve a proficient level of choral singing by emphasizing vocal technique, tone, diction, and ensemble blend as we work up to singing in 2-3 different parts. Our upper school chorus, builds on their middle school foundation by singing in 4-part harmony with a more advanced vocal technique and ensemble blend.
All choral students are expected to complete a comprehensive study of music theory with our ‘Theory Thursdays’ program. By learning how to read notes, rhythms, and chords through practical usage of our portable keyboard lab, our choral students are well prepared to be vocalists that can also play an instrument.
Our choral ensembles also perform at several school concerts, community performances, SCMEA and Carowinds competitions and select events. Our students sing in a variety of styles from classical to jazz, pop, rock, worship, Broadway and much more.
AP Music Theory
AP Music Theory is a college-level course designed for juniors and seniors with an extensive music background who wish to pursue a degree in music at the university level.
The ultimate goal of the course is to develop a student’s ability to recognize, understand and describe the materials and processes of music that are heard or presented in a score.
With a comprehensive curriculum building on the fundamental skills of pitch, rhythm, melody, harmony, rhythm and form, students will develop aural, sight-singing, compositional and analytical skills based on several techniques. The course will culminate with an AP exam in May to serve as a guide for granting students credit or placement at the college level.
In addition to preparing for the AP exam, there is also a focus on learning important and relevant 21st century music theory skills including a thorough understanding of piano and guitar, the use of technology in music and a focus on jazz theory / improvisation.
With AP theory as the most difficult course offered in the music department, many of our students will go on to pursue further studies at the university level.
Believing that everyone is created to be creative, Art teachers Mrs. Barrett and Mrs. Knight present challenges and opportunities for students to appreciate, study, explore and create. Through study and practice, students improve and realize their own individual abilities. A variety of mediums and processes are introduced and developed as creative problem solving is encouraged. Students have the opportunity to get involved in the ever-evolving creative arts community of Hilton Head Island as we visit galleries, exhibits and installations in the area. Guest artists visit our classrooms to share their skills and experiences to further inspire and motivate our emerging artists.
Our Lower School Art Mentor, Kelly Knight, has a Bachelor of Science degree. LouAnne Barrett, Middle and Upper School Art Mentor, and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Masters in Education with an emphasis in Arts Integration. Ms. Barrett has taught Art and Design for over 30 years.
Lower School Visual Arts
Middle School Visual Arts
Upper School Visual Arts
HHCA Lower School Christmas Virtual Premiere: December 8, 2020




