Have you ever wondered what the Galveston Homeschool Performing Arts
Co-op is about? Our mission is to provide comprehensive, high-quality
education in choir, band, orchestra, drama, and dance for home-educated
students in Galveston and the surrounding areas. We offer morning music
classes and afternoon drama classes one day a week. We also have a
nursery for our youngest children.
Primary students get exposure
to creating music together through rhythm band, choir, and music theory
with play mixed in. Elementary students get to apply their skills to
playing the recorder. They begin working in Music Theory workbooks and
they participate in Elementary Choir.
As the children develop
their skills, they reach a point at which they can begin taking
instrument classes. We offer classes for each section of instruments
(woodwinds, strings, percussion, brass). These students come together to
play in Beginning Band or Beginning Strings, Intermediate Orchestra,
Advanced Orchestra, and Combined Orchestra. The co-op has several
musical instruments available to rent for $50 per semester. We have also
been blessed to receive two matching grants that allowed us to purchase
a tuba and a marimba.
Students can join at any age and will be
placed in classes according to their age and experience. Many of our
students began playing instruments in high school and progressed
quickly.
Creative Movement and Theatrics is offered for primary
students. The students learn the basics of performing on stage with
others. Junior Drama is for elementary students. These students learn
their parts and also play games and develop teamwork. Senior Drama is
for students age 11 and up. The students participate in creating simple
backdrops, learning their parts, developing drama skills, and becoming
familiar with backstage techniques.
Meanwhile, the parents are
learning. You don't have to know the difference between a cornet and a
coronet when you join the co-op. You don't even have to know that a
saxophone is a woodwind instrument and not a brass instrument. You will
learn as you go!
Parents with musical or drama experience are
given teaching positions as they become available. Parents who excel in
other areas are given positions as assistant teachers, fundraising
committee members, nursery volunteers, older child care workers, and
other positions as needs arise. Typically, an assistant teacher helps
the students stay focused as needed, takes attendance, keeps track of
practice logs, and perhaps gets to lead a class if they wish. Assistant
teachers are often in the same classes as their children, if that is
desired.
We offer the option to participate in various additional
activities and performances. This year the students participated in Pep
Band playing at a local private school's football games, the Federation
Festival playing solos for a judge, Art Walk, and The Grand Kids
Festival in Galveston. We will also be taking a class trip to iT'Z Pizza
in Houston for a music competition this spring. In the past, the
students have performed at the Texas Renaissance Festival, at Galveston
Holiday in the Park, at Chick-fil-A, and at the Moody Gardens Festival
of Lights. We have gone on field trips to the West Bay Common School in
League City, to the Galveston Ballet at The Grand, to the Lone Star
Flight Museum, to the Galveston Symphony Orchestra, to the beach and to
the park!
The Galveston Homeschool Performing Arts Co-op is
comprised of families from Lake Jackson, Pearland, Alta Loma, League
City, Pasadena, Dickinson, Clute, and Galveston. Come join us!
We
have a couple of days left for visitors to come see what GHPAC is all
about while this semester is still in session. Please e-mail
registration@galvestonhomeschool.com to arrange a date to visit. You are
also welcome to attend our Drama Performance on April 25th and our
Music Concert on May 16th.
Please see our website at www.galvestonhomeschool.com for more information.
