Considering an Arts Program?

by Mark Friedman

International students often find that arts programs play an especially appealing role in selecting a boarding school in the United States. In fact, you may be considering a U.S. education because both contemporary and traditional arts are flourishing in this country, and many of our boarding schools excel in arts instruction.

To be sure, arts programs vary widely from school to school. Some schools specialize in the arts, with intensive classes in dance, theatre, music, and so forth. Some offer a strong arts program in connection with a more traditional curriculum. Other schools offer relatively little instruction in the arts.

Selecting a program

Finding a school which matches your interests requires some thought about the nature of your needs and goals and how they may change over time. Understanding this will help you determine what resources you desire.

Spend time reading each school's literature and exploring its website. Examine the facilities available - the theater, studios, practice rooms. If at all possible, consider campus visits.

Meet or correspond with teachers in your area of interest. Ask them how much time is available each day to pursue your artistic endeavors, and the school's success record in placing its students in universities and institutes with opportunities in the arts. Find out what special arrangements the school may make if you have an unusual interest or talent. For example, you may be able to study privately with a local performer or join classes at the city's dance academy.

Finally, make note of resources near the school. Is it located near a major city such as New York, Boston or Los Angeles? How does the school take advantage of cultural events near campus?

Wide variety of arts programs

The Masters School, a co-educational school of 400 students located in suburban Dobbs Ferry, New York, offers some sense of these possibilities. At the Masters School we take pride in our balanced, traditional curriculum, where students can get a taste of music, studio art, drama or dance by taking an introductory course or immerse himself or herself in a chosen field. Over 100 of our students take music lessons on campus in everything from violin to Celtic harp. Especially talented students commute to world-renowned music schools in New York City, 20 miles away.

For those with a strong interest in either the performing or studio arts, Masters provides additional time each weekday afternoon to pursue creative projects.

The Masters School's 450-seat theatre features state-of-the-art computerized lighting and audio/visual effects. On this set, a recent adaptation of Alice in Wonderland combined computer graphics with both live and taped action on a twelve-foot video screen.

If you are dedicated to a career in the arts, you may prefer a program that permits you to specialize in your chosen field while still in secondary school. Such a program is the Idyllwild Arts Academy in California, which offers pre-professional study in creative writing, dance, music, theatre and visual arts, combined with a challenging college prep academic and ESL program.

Idyllwild Arts students attend afternoon and evening art classes pursuing their major field, and the school sponsors frequent concerts, plays, art exhibits and field trips to nearby Los Angeles.

Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan is another boarding school for fine arts students also offering academic and ESL programs. On Interlochen's 1200-acre campus surrounded by forests and lakes are several performance spaces, including a new theatre, and piano and percussion facilities.

Interlochen students perform frequently as part of a year-round arts festival featuring guest artists from all over the world. You can also study there for four or eight weeks in the summer.

Each program is unique

Each boarding school offers its own resources, culture and instructors. Consequently, finding a proper match with your interests will require both sensitive self-evaluation and diligent research. The promise of a warm relationship with the arts requires nothing less.

Mark Friedman is Assistant Director of Admission at The Masters School.

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