At York, students become artists. Participation in the arts nurtures the inner person in a unique and profound way. The performing arts encourage commitment and responsibility to a group endeavor, while visual art fosters individual reflection and motivation. All of these activities, while providing an outlet for creative and emotional energy, allow students to experience success, which, in turn, develops self-esteem, poise, and discipline. The York curriculum requires work in both visual arts and ensemble performances for all students and facilitates widespread participation in arts electives. Students with exceptional ability in the fine arts, who may be considering college and professional work in the field, will find many rich opportunities at York. Students perform at the highest levels in regional, state, and national music and art competitions.
Music Department
Music plays an important role in the life of the school. Students have many options for participating in performance ensembles. The varied ensembles offered by the music department fulfill the School’s ensemble performance requirement and can be taken for academic credit. They perform several times each year, both on campus and in the community. Members of our performing ensembles are eligible to audition for county, state, and national honor groups. Most ensembles are open to all grades. Music theory and Advanced Placement Music Theory classes are available to juniors and seniors. Students are also encouraged to participate in the Solo and Ensemble Concert in the spring.
Performing Groups at a Glance:
Choir: Open to all without audition
See a video of a choir practice.
Chamber Choir: Selection by audition
Concert Band: Open to all students after placement auditions
Orchestra: Open to all string players after placement auditions; wind, brass, and percussion by audition
Jazz Ensemble: Open to all students, with auditions for limited number of positions in rhythm section; regular interaction with the Monterey Jazz Festival Visiting Clinicians
Musica Maiorum: Dedicated to performance of Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque music; admission by invitation or audition
Theatre Department
The theatre department presents challenging material that integrates the students’ analytical minds with their emotional and physical selves as they learn to connect with and inspire an audience. Whether they are considering an acting career or simply experimenting, participation in theatre enriches the lives of all students. Skills used in theatrical performance are applicable to every facet of an individual’s life—creative perspectives on situations, interpersonal connections, personal presentation, discipline, commitment, teamwork.
Productions
Watch a video about York's 2010 production of The Cripple of Inishmaan.
York normally stages three productions during the school year: an “open casting” musical in the fall, in which every student who auditions gets to be on stage; a more selective play in the early spring; and a smaller, often student-directed, performance in the late spring. Recently, the late spring production has been a presentation of one-act plays written by members of the York School community. Students are also instructed in and given the opportunity to work as assistant director, stage manager, assistant stage manager, props coordinator, lighting or sound board operator, scenic painter, dresser, stage hand, house manager, etc. Plays are chosen for production with a close eye to the educational content and the challenge of the material. Recent productions include The 1940s Radio Hour, Working (by Studs Terkel), The Baker’s Wife, Three Penny Opera, Assassins, Woody Guthrie’s American Song, A Christmas Carol, Measure for Measure, Antigone, and Translations. In 2007, we were pleased to present the world premiere of From Beginning to End, written by Dean of Students Joyce Sherry during her 2006 sabbatical.
Visual Arts
Watch a brief video about York's foundation arts class.
Our visual arts program offers students a new way of seeing their world and expressing their creativity. It is a chance to build better problem solving skills and strengthen their confidence, as well as develop passions and hobbies that resurface throughout their lives.
All students begin with a foundation art course that centers on drawing and incorporates a variety of media such as charcoal, pastel, pen and ink, color study, and printmaking. Our advanced courses offer students a firm foundation to prepare them for college and professional work. York’s art teachers are very active in their fields and are fully involved in the professional art community in Monterey County. Their experiences enhance the curriculum in the classrooms and give real world vitality to the program.
- Foundation Art
- Foundations of Two Dimensional Art
- Foundations of Three Dimensional Art
- Digital Media/Photoshop
- Foundations of Painting
- AP Studio Art
- AP Studio Art/2-D Design