Mount Saint Mary Academy | Visual and Performing Arts

Visual Arts

The Creative Arts Department at Mount Saint Mary Academy provides students with a multitude of opportunities to create new and imaginative pieces and to showcase their work. Student art is on display throughout the Mount campus for the duration of the school year. The annual Spring Art Show offers parents and students the opportunity to view an extensive collection of student work.

Each year, student work is displayed throughout the Mount Building and Gabriel Hall during our annual Art Show.

Art Club - Art Club is open to all students who would like to nurture their creativity. Members may work on their own projects or choose from prompts.

Fashion Club - Students learn about fashion merchandising and design.

Drama

The Mount Saint Mary Academy Drama Department produces two shows each school year, a comedy or drama in the fall and a musical in the spring, alternating some years with a full-scale cabaret.

2015 Fall Play - Little Women
2016 Spring Musical - Wishes and Dreams-An Evening of Disney
2016 Fall - Scene It - One-Act plays, many directed and written by students
2017 Spring - The Envelope, Please Tony-Award format cabaret
2017 Fall - Steel Magnolias
2018 Spring Musical - Beauty and the Beast
2019 Spring - The Envelope, Please Tony-Award format cabaret
2019 Fall - Clever Rachel
2020 Spring - Cinderella (postponed due to COVID-19)
2020 Fall - The Gift
2021 Spring - Schoolhouse Rock Live
2021 Fall - Yours Truly, Jack Frost *
2022 Spring - You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown
2022 Fall - Beowulf: User-Friendly
2023 Spring - Seussical
2023 Fall - Me, My Selfie & I
2024 Spring - 57th National Mathlete Sum-It
2024 Fall - Final Dress Rehearsal
2025 Spring - Frozen Jr.

* First live performance in the Sister Lisa Gambacorto Theater

Music

The Music Department at the Mount is designed to give every student the opportunity to learn, practice, and perform. In addition to numerous course offerings available during the school day, the program offers students a wealth of opportunities outside the classroom. Instructors provide individualized attention to every student and schedule lessons and practice sessions to accommodate each girl's busy schedule.

Music Ministry - The Music Ministry Club is open to all Mount students. It is the umbrella organization for all vocal, instrumental, and liturgical music at the Academy.

Vocal and Instrumental Ensembles
The following ensemble groups are open to all students:

Chorale
Chorale Ensemble
GraceNotes - MSMA Acapella, by-audition, vocal ensemble
Symphonic Band
Handbell Choir
Instrumental Ensemble (band with strings):
These groups are subsets of Instrumental Ensemble:
- Woodwind Ensemble
- Flute Choir
- String Ensemble

Performance Opportunities
A number of performance opportunities are open to Music Department students throughout the school year, including:

Christmas and Spring Concerts
Somerville Caroling Festival
School Functions
Liturgies
Outreach Programs
Fall and Spring Musical
Student Recitals
Graduation and Baccalaureate Mass
Regionals and All-State Band & Chorus
Festivals and Competitions

The Music Department periodically coordinates off-campus trips so students have the opportunity to hear the work of professional musicians. They also facilitate the musical collaboration between Mount vocalists and instrumentalists with musicians from colleges and universities. These opportunities feature collaborations with the local community and colleges/universities in ensembles, master classes, and workshops.

Past experiences include:

Avery Fischer Hall & Carnegie Hall
Broadway
Metropolitan Opera
New York City Ballet
NJPAC
Cornell University Chorus and Glee Club

Students may also take private lessons during their free periods and after school. Instruction is available for singers and all instrumentalists.