Visual & Performing Arts

Home
Academics
Program Highlights
Visual & Performing Arts

From a Vision to a Process to a Masterpiece

Through TVT’s visual and performing arts program, students infuse purpose and curiosity into all of their creative endeavors. Whether it’s a clay model of an imaginative animal, a documentary on the ecosystems of Orange County, or a score for a string quartet, students ask the “why” behind each video edit, develop a shared vision behind each collaborative piece, and explore and express their unique voices.

Students are always tasked be innovative and to think critically about what their artwork says to the audience for each project we accomplish.

Alexis Villa, Upper School Film and Broadcast Faculty Member

Finding Their Voice

in Lower School

photography of Lower School student painting/creating art outside

Visual Arts

Our youngest learners enjoy sculpting clay, painting, and using paper mâché. They are introduced to the elements of color, shape, and texture and principles of design, all rooted in history, culture, and leading-edge technology.

photography of Lower School student artwork hung in hallway or gallery

Artists on Display

Teachers encourage students to take great pride in their work. There are opportunities throughout the year to put artwork on display. Students exhibit their masterpieces, win awards at the Laguna Beach Festival of Arts, and travel to museums and galleries where they explore the history and evolution of modern art.

photography of Lower School playing instruments

The Orff Approach

Our Lower School uses the Orff Approach, a developmental music education method that integrates music, movement, and drama, fostering creativity and musicianship through play-based learning.

Expanding Expression

in Middle School

photography of filmmaking Middle School student working with camera/editing

Learning by Doing

Whether learning to play music, make a film, or create a piece of visual art, the discipline of taking an idea to its artistic conclusion is vital. Middle Schoolers are challenged at all skill levels through trial and error, collaboration, revision, and execution.

Creativity that Inspires Confidence

During a time of accelerated growth and development, our Middle School students are able to channel feelings, questions, and imaginative ideas into their artistic endeavors and pieces. Film, music, poetry, and visual art all become a conduit for building their self-confidence.

Garage Band

Our Middle School Garage Band music program is an innovative approach to music class that allows students to explore and express their talents as part of an ensemble. Each ensemble is designed around the interests, abilities, and instrumentation of its students.

Mastery & Innovation

in Upper School

photography of Upper School students collaborating on an art projec

Wide Range of Electives

Upper School students choose from dynamic arts electives like Studio Art and 21st Century Audio/Visual Engineering, fostering creative and relevant skills that span into the sciences and humanities and set our graduates up for advanced artistic endeavors.

photography of Upper School students broadcasting a school news show

Creative Storytelling

Through monthly broadcast shows and documentary studies, students learn how to tell a compelling narrative using visual media. They gain skills that they carry into their communications and that equip them with the confidence to express themselves authentically.

photography of Upper School students composing music together

Musical Performance and Composition

In addition to a contemporary music ensemble elective, Upper School students can take classes like AP Music Theory and Music Composition and Performance, in which they study their favorite musicians and then write original music according to their curiosity, passions, and tastes.

The Culmination of Creative Voices and Bold Visions

Every year, the school community looks forward to events that celebrate student work, including the student showcases and the annual VAPA Blowout, which our students help organize and run.

I do not believe that art is a luxury. I believe it makes us fully human and can bring out the best in us. TVT is a place that graduates people who feel empowered to make art, music, and film and do so all their life.

Kevin Bachelder, Upper School Music Faculty