Martin High School (Arlington, Texas) - Fine Arts

Fine Arts

The Department of Fine Arts at Martin High School includes Band, Choir, Orchestra, Theatre, Speech, and Visual Arts departments.

• In 2009, The Martin Fine Arts department was the 1st place winner in the Grammy in the Schools nationwide competition, giving them a $10,000 grant to the Music Department, and naming the Martin High School Fine Arts department the #1 Fine Arts high school in the contest.

Theatre

The Martin Theatre Department (known as the Martin Players) has advanced to State UIL One Act Play Competition fourteen times since the school opened, most recently advancing in the 2011/2012 school year with August: Osage County by Tracy Letts. They have won the championship twice (1996 & 1998) as well as placing runner-up three times (1991, 1999, and 2012).

Alumni of the Theatre Department have designed for the Academy of Motion Pictures & Science's Awards (Oscars) in previous years as well as entering premier acting conservatories across the nation.

Mr. Larry Cure has headed the department since the opening of the school. The school has four venues on campus for performances including the main auditorium, the little theatre, the black box (which doubles as a theatre classroom), and the art's courtyard. The theatre department puts on 5-7 shows every year including a Black Box Series (a series of original one-act plays that are student written and directed), a UIL One-Act play, and a Mainstage musical. A show is put on in the Art Courtyard every other year. This show is usually a play, but a musical (You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown) has been performed in the courtyard before.

Choir

The choir is divided into 10 choirs, including 2 show choirs and a Chamber music group. All of the choirs are directed by Kay Owens and Betsy Clark:

• Chanticleer Non-Varsity Women's Choir
• Concert Choir (Ninth grade mixed choir)
• Choraliers (Tenth grade mixed choir)
• JV Women's Choir
• Chorale (Varsity Mixed Choir)
• Varsity Men's Choir
• Varsity Women's Choir
• Varsity Show Choir
• JV Show Choir
• Chamber (Select Vocal Ensemble)

Band

The Band is divided into four concert bands:

• Wind Symphony Director: David Carbone
• Symphonic Band Director: Stuart Shulman
• Concert Band I Director: David Carbone and Stuart Shulman
• Concert Band II Director: Stuart Shulman and Dustin Schulze

In 2008, all four bands received a division 1 rating in stage performance and sightreading. In the fall of 2010, the Warrior Marching Band was a UIL Area B Finalist. In 2011, the Warrior Band was a finalist at the Bands of America Arlington Regional Championship, finishing 8th in finals, and 6th in the preliminaries.

Orchestra

The Martin Orchestra Program is divided into five orchestras:

• Concert Orchestras—All incoming freshmen are placed into one of the following:
  • Concert I Orchestra, conductor Michael Stringer
  • Concert II Orchestra, conductor Nathan Keefer
• Sophomores and upperclass men are placed into one of the following based on audition:
  • Philharmonia Orchestra, conductor Nathan Keefer
  • Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor Jennifer Lemin
  • Symphony Orchestra, conductor Michael Stringer

The Symphony and Philharmonic are full orchestras. With the Philharmonic being one of the few non-varsity full orchestras in the state of Texas. All orchestras perform at UIL contest each year and in 2010 every orchestra from Martin that competed received a Sweepstakes ratings on both stage and sight reading. Also in 2010 the Martin High School Symphony competed in the TMEA Honor Orchestra competition and was named a finalist in Round 1 and then placed 3rd in Round 2.