Mountainburg Public Schools

Performing Arts

Music holds an important and fundamental place in a child’s educational experience and has played a significant role in history as a way of making connections, showing expression, and communicating when words fail.

The performing arts program at Mountainburg provides opportunities for students to develop knowledge and an understanding of music as well as empower generations to create, perform, and respond to music. Through music, we strive to help students develop skills that are necessary for lifelong success within their communities.

K-6 students learn the fundamental elements of music that are essential to prepare the student for participation in upper-level music courses, as well as to become well-rounded individuals who appreciate and enjoy music throughout their lives. Students learn to read, write, and create music, interpret musical expressions, explore and experience music in new ways, and learn folk songs that connect us with our past and other countries and cultures around the world. Students also prepare for performances in various environments and occasions.

7th-8th Grade Band is where the students learn how to play instruments and refine their ability to read and interpret music. This is the foundation for the rest of the band program. The students test out the instruments and then choose what works best for them. The goal is to have every student succeed on an instrument while having them work as a team to create music.

9th-12th Grade Band, or Band of Dragons, is basically split into two different sections; Marching Band in the fall and Concert Band in the winter/spring. The Band of Dragons Marching Band recently won a second division at the State Marching Assessment, which is the highest they have gotten in over a decade. We also perform at every football game in the fall. The Band of Dragons Concert Band continues their growth in music by introducing them to different music literature which we perform for State Concert Assessment.

Choir is the Vocal Performing ensemble within our district. It is composed of 9th-12th graders. In this class, we learn how to read music and hone our vocal skills to perform pieces for the public twice a year. Under the direction of Mr. Atwell, the students learn how their part fits into the harmony of the song.

Music appreciation will be a new course in the upcoming year. We are excited to offer a course that will be open to any 9th-12th grade student that needs a fine art credit to graduate. This course will be semester-long and will dive into the history of American music. We will start with American folk songs, move through Mo-Town, Jazz, Rock and Roll, and Country music. The students will learn to appreciate the different musical styles and how they have influenced music today.