Fine Arts

February 7, 2013

Please join us on Tuesday, February 12th for the Fifth Grade Music Share performance at 2:30 p.m. in the Nicholson Center. The fifth graders will be playing their Band and Orchestra instruments, singing, dancing, playing recorders and more! Wehope you are able to join us to celebrate their accomplishments in music so far this year.

You may be wondering why the fifth graders have their own music performance during the school day rather than performing with the 6th, 7th and 8th graders in December or January. Great question! Fifth graders choose their new instrument for Band or Orchestra the first week of school. For all of first quarter they participate in small group lessons that allow for more individual and instrument-specific instruction. They get a chance to experiment with their new instrument before playing in a larger group setting. At the start of second quarter the fifth graders jointogether as a larger Band or Orchestra. They begin learning about playing as an ensemble while still maintaining smaller group lessons in order to help them continue to progress on their individual instrument.

Throughout the year all fifth graders are in a combined Music and Choir class. They start the year by preparing for, and singing at, Grandparents and Special FriendsDay. Following this performance they continue working with soprano recorders, Orff instruments and incorporate more movement and singing into their class.

We believe that fifth graders need time to develop their skills within the safety of our classrooms and with their classmates before performing for large groups. They learn to trust each other as an ensemble, and they also learn the importance of the individual within the large group. For these reasons we choose to have a “fifth grade only” music performance every year to help them gain confidence with their playing, singing and movement. We provide a safespace, and invite friends and family, for these students to give their first performance in middle school.

We absolutely love this performance, and we know you will too. We look forward to seeing you at the Fifth Grade Music Share on February 12th!

Leah Abbe Bloem
Rosa Glade Arnold
Renae Wantock

January 30, 2013

Don’t miss the MPA Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Choir at the annual Cabaret Concert on Wednesday, February 6, at 7:30 p.m.  A number of standards including Do Nothin’ Til You Hear From Me, Summertime, and Just Friends will be featured by the Jazz Band while the Jazz Choir will perform a variety of repertoire including Duke Ellington’s Mood Indigo, a stirring rendition of Paper Moon and the favorite Over the Rainbow.  Members of the Jazz Ensemble will also be joining the Jazz Choir on an arrangement of Forty Second Street.   

For one night only, the Nicholson Center will be transformed into a jazz club complete with tables, decorations, and mood lighting.  Hope to see you there!

January 17, 2013

Please join us for the opening reception of the first semester Upper School Art Exhibition on Tuesday, January 29, from 3-4 p.m. in the Gallery. Artists from all first semester visual arts courses will have work on display: Drawing, Ceramics, Painting, Photography and Studio 2D. This is the culmination of their hard work and creative accomplishments, and many of the artists will be on hand to celebrate their work. The exhibition runs from January 29 through February 8.
 
Painting by Katie Etzold

January 17, 2013

Five MPA students have been selected to participate in the South Eastern Minnesota Band Directors Association 6-8 and 9-10 Honor Bands on Saturday, January 19th.  Nick Guiang (bari sax), Jack Gangestad (trumpet), and John Townsend (baritone) will be participating in the 6-8 Honor Band while Isabel Esch (flute) and Sofie Netteberg (bassoon) will be participating in the 9-10 Honor Band.  

The students will be traveling to Rochester, Minnesota, where they will rehearse all day under a guest conductor with other talented musicians from the South Eastern region of the state.  The final concert featuring both Honor Bands will be presented at 4:00pm at the Rochester Century High School Auditorium.  There is no cost for admission to the concert.

January 17, 2013

Theo and Sylvia auditioned in October and were chosen among many to be part of this ensemble.  The Middle Level Honors Orchestra is for students in grades 7-9.  It is an opportunity for the best string players from the state to join together for a rehearsal on Friday, February 15 and to perform at the Minnesota Music Educators Association Mid-Winter Clinic on Saturday, February 18.  Courtney Lewis, associate conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra, will conduct the orchestra.

January 10, 2013

Mounds Park Academy Theatre Arts Department will present the Winter Show, DARK OF THE MOON, by Howard Richarson and William Berney, at 8:00 PM, January 18, 19, 25, and 26, 2013, in the Black Box Theatre. Tickets are available for reservation (very highly recommended, as our seating capacity is limited) at 651-748-5660. Ticket prices are $10 for adults, and $8 for students and senior citizens.

DARK OF THE MOON is set in 1915 Appalachia, and its story takes place in two worlds: “up the mountain,” the realm of witches and conjurers, and down in the valley where the regular folk live. The two worlds intersect when John, a witch boy, wants to become human so he can be with Barbara Allen, a human girl he’s fallen in love with. The result is a dark, troublesome, moving love story. Music plays a very important part in the telling of the story, as does the powerful presence of the Church, superstition, and the supernatural. 

This production would be most enjoyed by students age 13 and up.

December 5, 2012

Middle School Art Exhibit

Please join Ms. Buck & the 5th and 7th grade artists for an

exhibition of their art

*Opening reception*

Thursday, December 13th

“art and cocoa”

8:00- 8:45 a.m. in the Gallery

The exhibit will run from Thursday, December 13th through Winter Break.

November 15, 2012

On Wednesday, November 28th, the Upper School Bands and Orchestras will play their first performance of the year.  Every live performance brings a wide range of emotions for performers and conductors alike.  There is a feeling of excitement and energy in the air as we anticipate sharing our hard work with the audience. We have lived with and worked on the music for months, and we want to show our friends and families what we have accomplished and what we are able to do.
 
Almost every performance also includes a degree of nervousness as well. Will we play as well as we know we can?  How will that tricky spot in the opening piece go?  What if we get off?  No matter how much any musician prepares for a performance, the unexpected can and does occasionally happen.  Yet, that is the beauty of live performance.  No two performances are ever the same, and the audience and musicians get to experience that thrill together. Audience and performers experiencing the music together as it continues to unfold throughout the evening – that’s the magic of any concert!
 
Please join the Upper School Band and Orchestras at their Fall Concert on Wednesday, November 28th, at 7:30pm in the Nicholson Center, to experience the joy of live music. The concert will feature the Upper School Band, Jazz Band, Woodwind Ensemble, Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra.

Rosa Glade Arnold-MS/US Orchestra Director
Renae Wantock-MS/US Band Director

November 8, 2012

We hope you can join us on Tuesday, November 13 at 7:30 p.m. For “How Can I Keep from Singing?”, the theme of this fall’s US Vocal Concert.  You’ll hear the Men’s Chorale sing the enchanting “Down By the Salley Gardens” and a gospel treatment of  “He Ain’t Heavy He’s My Brother” while the Women’s Chorale performs Craig Hella Johnson’s setting of Will There Really Be a Morning? along with Shiru,  a contemporary setting of a Hebrew text.  Concert and Chamber Choirs are working on pieces that range from a Bach chorus, to an evocative Venezuelan piece to a fun, but challenging setting of the folk song, Old Dan Tucker.  Guest instrumentalists will provide beautiful accompaniments to the choirs singing.  Hope to see you there!

November 8, 2012

The little town of Guttenberg is the home of the sacred WORD VAULT, where all of the words in the English language are kept.  But, one morning, a word goes missing.  And then another!  Soon, the entire town is in a panic, and turns to the bizarre and unpredictable Robin White for help.  So begins a hunt not only for the words, but for the criminal mastermind behind their disappearance!  And you’ll NEVER believe who it is.  Funny, fun, full of crazy characters and ridiculous action, “MPOSSBLE:  THE CASE OF THE MSSNG LETTERS, will be a hilariously good time for everyone!

Performances will take place on:  November 16, 7:00 PM and November 17, 3:30 and 7:00 PM

Where:  Black Box Theatre

Tickets:  $7 for Students and Seniors and $9 for Adults

Ticket Reservations:  (ESSENTIAL!)  Call 651-748-5660

THIS SHOW IS APPROPRIATE FOR ALL AGES!