By: Noor Arif, Chiara Dunson, Amrutha Juluri, Poni Larson, and Rebekah Tesfaye
On Saturday, April 8, a school-wide arts program called Arts Alive was held at the Seven Hills Hillsdale Campus. Arts Alive presents the fine and performing arts to the Seven Hills Community. All the schools, including Doherty, are involved. Throughout the day, there were a variety of things to do. High schoolers rocked out on the deck. Parents enjoyed pizza from one of the many food trucks. People got their faces painted, and kids participated in student-led scavenger hunts.
Mrs. Donovan, the middle school art teacher, explained why arts are essential to society. “Art cultivates a part of your brain that schoolwork doesn’t,” Mrs. Donovan said. The Seven Hills School values art a lot. Art helps build creativity and problem-solving that can’t be taught in other academic classes.
In 2019, the teachers thought that The Seven Hills Community needed a day to celebrate the arts together. “We had little pockets of art displays or separate concerts, but nothing celebrating all the arts together.” Mrs. Donovan said. They wanted a day when everyone could come together and experience everything in a festival-like atmosphere.
Behind the scenes, a lot is being planned. Mr. Hauser is the head of the Department of Fine and Performing Arts, and he works all year to plan this event. Did you know the teachers are already planning next year’s Arts Alive program? First, they must pick a date and time that works for everything. They must consider school dances, prom, and sports events. Then, once they have the date, they have to plan accordingly with outside performers and vendors. Once they have all the people coming, they compile a rough draft of the list or schedule planning who will perform at what time and where. The Art Boosters also helped plan and fund the event. They are a group of parents that raise money for art-related events.
Arts Alive also consists of instrumental and chorus programs.
Mrs. Kuhlman, the chorus teacher, led 5 group performances and coordinated several student soloists throughout the day. She has been preparing her singers all year for their performances. She believes “Singing is unique among the arts because a person’s voice is highly personal.” People’s voices represent who they are on the inside. She also believes “Singing in a group offers us a sense of belonging to something bigger than ourselves and enables young people of different ages and abilities to come together successfully to create something special in the arts.” When she works with her students to pick songs to share with the Seven Hills Community during Arts Alive, she tries to find a mixture of styles that best feature each group. Mrs. Kuhlman is the sixth, seventh, and eighth-grade chorus teacher.
Mr. Rising, the instrumental teacher, helped plan Arts Alive. He has composed music for middle and high school over the whole year. Mr. Rising picks music that he and the students enjoy, which is also a challenge for everyone. Mr. Rising believes “Arts are important to our education” because they help students shape their everyday lives, express themselves, and communicate information.
The Arts Alive Program was created in 2019 but was canceled due to Covid in the spring of 2020. At first, it was a small event that consisted of only middle and upper students. Now it is an all-school event showcasing the talents in the arts.
