By Ha Jin Sung ’28 / Reporter
The PMAC is home to many introductory art classes, across all disciplines.
For many students, Choate is a place where they are introduced to the diverse realm of art. The School offers a wide array of introductory courses across the visual, performing, and musical arts, such as mixed media, dance, and music. It provides budding creatives with a solid foundation to explore their potential passions.
Choate’s Choir Director, Dr. Julie Hagen, teaches Music Fundamentals, introducing students to basic music structure and notation through playing the ukulele. As an affordable and relatively straightforward instrument, “the accessibility of the ukulele is really great,” Dr. Hagen said.
Dr. Hagen also said that she strives to help her students learn more authentically by fostering creativity and passion rather than strict assignments. “I always try and make sure that for the students, they know that it’s low stakes,” she said.
Dr. Hagen appreciates that her students leave with newly developed musical skills and confidence. “I love the idea that they can leave our 12 weeks together and go, ‘I am a musician, I am an artist,’” she said.
Caroline Kim ’25 took Mixed Media I as a third-former and Music Fundamentals as a fourth-former. She learned various skills in these classes, from linoleum printing, to painting, to creating collages to learning chords on the ukulele.
Mr. Matt Kelsey teaches Digital Filmmaking I, Digital Media Design I, and Digital Photography I. In each of his classes, students start off by checking out a camera from the Library, which they work with throughout the term. Through hands-on assignments, students can hone their technical skills and explore the intricacies of digital art.
Mr. Kelsey noted how in his classes, students learn about the technicalities behind digital art and the importance of personal expression and storytelling. “They’re thinking about their identity. They’re thinking about how to show, not tell,” he said.
Mr. Kelsey also expressed how he values the passion and joy for digital art his students discover in his classes. “They find it themselves, I just gave them the space to do it. That’s exciting,” he said.
Camila Granda ’25 noted that her main takeaways from Photography I were that there was so much one could do with a camera and photo editing software. She said, “I learned you can convey so many different things with photography. You can make a lot of things look like a multitude of other things.”
Granda also took Acting I to improve her acting skills and learn more about the field. She particularly expressed how taking Acting I helped her increase her confidence. “They should call the class ‘Confidence 101,’” she joked.
Head of Dance Ms. Pamela Newell teaches Introduction to the Moving Body and Dance. Students start by learning about broader topics, such as shape, space, and time, and then use these ideas to explore specific disciplines in dance, such as jazz and ballet. “We’re just taking a little bit of a wider approach to dance into the body, so that students can, from any discipline, come and just experience their body,” Ms. Newell said.
Bruce van Wingerden ’28 is currently taking Drawing I. Up until now, his class has mainly focused on observational drawing. Van Wingerden explained that while the course is heavily focused on independent work, there are also opportunities for students to get together and share their drawings. He noted his appreciation for group work and casual conversations with his peers. “It’s really nice, because no one there is judgy, it’s all just constructive feedback,” van Wingerden said.
Whether through playing the ukulele, mastering digital media, or finding personal expression through dance, Choate students can explore the numerous aspects of art that the School has to offer. Taking one of Choate’s introductory art classes is the perfect way to discover a new passion or to find a creative outlet through the arts.
