Students work tirelessly throughout the school day to complete worksheets, finish essays, and take tests. However, art classes allow students an escape to express their creativity during school hours and build their artistic skills. Students paint, sing, sculpt, act, photograph, and play instruments for grades and recognition via the school’s art hallway displays, concerts, and theatre productions. Students with a further desire to indulge in the arts take their talent to the next level outside of school, forming bands, joining theatre troupes, and illustrating and photographing the world around them.
Postdog
Postdog is a student rock band made up of four members. The group performed on Mar. 5, and is planning to perform another show over the summer. “Postdog is probably the coolest thing I’ve ever started in my life. It’s very freeing to be in a creative space where I can express some thoughts that I really can’t express anywhere else,” senior Lucas Kissh said.
Kissh serves as a guitarist, singer, and songwriter for the band. Fans can listen to the band via the band’s Youtube channel and Bandcamp account. “When our EP comes out, it’ll eventually be on Spotify,” Kissh said.
Young Artists of America
Young Artists of America, also known as YAA, is a nonprofit educational organization geared towards young performers who want to refine their craft. Recently, YAA has performed the musical SIX: Teen Edition and is currently preparing for a production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame on Apr. 26 at 7 pm. “It’s a lot of choral music, which I am less comfortable with than the pop music of SIX… It’s a lot darker than any other show I’ve done,” junior Anika Sharma said.
Sharma has been a part of YAA for about five years, performing and taking lessons to master the craft of musical theatre. YAA offers options such as acting, singing, and dancing workshops as well as an award-winning summer program. “It’s taught me a lot about how to work as part of a team. It’s also taught me a lot about multitasking, and I enjoy it a lot,” Sharma said.
Aquatic Photography and Illustration
Junior Roger An occupies his time combining his artistic eye with his love for fish. “I really like going out, catching fish, and taking photos of them. I also draw fish all the time,” An said.
An’s artistry has extended to printing his own hoodie with a fish design and drawing a unique fish every day. “I’ve drawn too many to count,” An said.
An has also taken an interest in bugs, as he has amassed a portfolio of photos of various species of insects. “It’s more of a summer thing, because there’s no bugs in the winter,” An said.
