Principal's Message: 8th grade music and arts elective 2024

Dear 7th Grade Families,

As a student at Louis M. Klein Middle School, your child has had the opportunity to develop and refine their musical and artistic skills in a variety of courses and extracurricular activities. In 8th grade, those choices expand to reflect each child’s emerging creative voice. We are excited to introduce a new music course for the 2024-25 school year, along with our existing options for 8th-grade music, art, and theater.

The consistency of students’ band, orchestra, chorus, and general music experience creates an important community throughout middle school.  Recognizing this, students will automatically be enrolled in the 8th-grade level of their current music elective. For performing ensembles, this will be 8th-grade band, orchestra, or chorus. For general music, this will be our new 8th-grade music elective, Modern Music Studio. This course explores skills and technologies used in recording, including Digital Audio Workstations, beatmaking, songwriting, instrumental skills, and singing. 

By 8th Grade, your child may have discovered that their artistic passions live outside of music. We offer two additional electives: Theater and Elective Art. Theater introduces all aspects of the theatrical process through discussions of performances, performing short plays, and exploring various careers in theater. Elective Art provides additional opportunities for students passionate about visual arts to design and create art, explore various mediums, and learn to communicate a message through their artwork. 

If your child is interested in one of these classes or would like to change their music class in 8th-grade, the request must be made in writing via email to their guidance counselor by ___________. 

The choice of an arts elective is important, and for some students, it will be challenging to choose only one. Please feel free to contact your child’s current music or art teacher if you have any questions. They will help guide students to the course that best meets their interests. If your child is interested in several options, we strongly encourage you to explore the various extracurricular opportunities available to provide them with additional creative outlets.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact one of our school guidance counselors at 630-3057, Mr. Matthew Royal, Director of Fine and Performing Arts, at 630-3043, or me at 630-3031.
 

Scott Fried                                                                       Matthew Royal

Principal                                                                           Director of Fine and Performing Arts