Academics

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
* 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.
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