McGehee School | Performing Arts

Performing Arts

Performing Arts at McGehee celebrate the musician, actress and dancer in every child, with an emphasis on music education and performance.

Pre-Kindergarten through eighth grade students strive for success in general music classes that weave vocal music, music literacy and performance skills together through an innovative and comprehensive spiral curriculum. The Orff-Schülwerk Method and Kodaly Approach are utilized by our teachers to create student-centered lessons.

Upper School Performing Arts celebrates voice through our Vocal/Choral Program. Upper School music classes are a time when students develop their voices as singers through guided vocal technique, sight-reading and choral rehearsals. Throughout all the grades, we also emphasize the historical, social and cultural impact of music with our students.

Instrumental opportunities are also a part of a McGehee girl’s Performing Arts education. Beginning in Pre-K, girls play World Percussion and Orff Instruments to accompany songs and to experience improvisation and ensemble playing. Third Graders study recorder while developing their music literacy skills. New this year, Sixth Grade students will add basic guitar and keyboard skills to their repertoire that will continue to build throughout middle school.

Lower School students develop their understanding of dance in a collaboration between the Performing Arts Department and their Physical Education classes. Our first through fourth grade girls are provided opportunities to begin developing their dance vocabulary while building skills towards their grade level performance.

Each grade participates in a grade level performance that develops not only their performing arts skills and talents but also general stage presence and confidence that will stick with McGehee girls for life. Many of the grade level performances are cross-curricular experiences with classroom teachers and other specialized teachers.

Throughout a McGehee girl’s education, she has many opportunities to dive into Broadway! She begins her journey in fourth grade with a Broadway KIDS production and continues in eighth grade with a Broadway Junior show. Upper School students as well as eighth graders take the stage each year for our Upper School Musical. Previous shows include Little Shop of Horrors, Godspell, Bye Bye Birdie and Leader of the Pack. Our Middle and Upper School Drama teacher leads the way for the Eighth Grade and Upper School Musicals and teaches seventh and eighth grade Theatre Arts.

Jessica Holl, Performing Arts Department Chair

At McGehee, we believe there is a musician, actress and dancer in every girl -- we help each student experience commitment, passion and creativity to discover her talent. While some of the students in our program will continue with music professionally and others may join in community performances and ensembles, our goal is that all will appreciate the Performing Arts for the rest of their lives.

Performing Arts Calendar