Jesus Medrano has always wanted to go to college. When he entered middle school, Medrano was encouraged to not only perform well in his academic classes but choose an elective to boost his college application. He signed up for the schools band program and was handed an instrument case; inside, there was a trumpet.
To Medranos surprise, he not only took to the instrument, learning just how to make that bold and brassy sound, but enjoyed the time he spent in rehearsals with fellow students. When he completed eighth grade, Medrano made the decision to apply for Capitol Hill High Schools Academy of Fine Arts, the states only fine arts academy connected with the National Academy Foundation. In its third year, the academy draws a diverse group of talented student musicians, actors, dancers, vocalists, visual artists, creative writers and even aspiring filmmakers and fashion designers. Through the four-year program, students split their time at the southside high school between core academic classes and curriculum designed around their arts discipline or technique.
Being in the academy has really opened my mind to a lot more things than just band, but the arts in general, said Medrano, who is now learning percussion instruments as well as honing his trumpet craft.
In the academys geography course, Medrano completed a research project on Germany for which he performed a German folk song on his trumpet in his final presentation.
I hope to learn a lot more, he said.
Medrano has no doubt that he will. In addition to his coursework and involvement in the schools marching band, he is required as an academy student to complete 100 hours of community service and 120 hours in a paid arts internship to graduate. Those requirements dont give the teenager pause; instead, they encourage him to look forward to whats ahead.
It was no small task for the district to create the arts academy, explained Erika Reyes, who served as its site coordinator. Capitol Hills arts programs, which ranged from visual to performing arts, served as the foundation, but teachers worked to recruit local professionals to serve on the advisory board, built relationships with community partners for student community service and internship opportunities and designed a four-year curriculum in nearly a dozen disciplines. Each academic year, the academy hosts around six major performances, which includes winter and spring concerts and drama productions.
We wanted to build this academy into something where kids were held accountable and followed the curriculum for four years, becoming more prepared for higher education in their disciplines or not, said Tristianne Asbury, one of the academys directors who teaches studios in the disciplines of band, drumline and piano.
Reyes, who is the head dance director, beamed with pride when she shared that each of the 14 dance seniors applied to college and many face auditions for acceptance into dance programs in the coming weeks. In May, half of those students will wear white robes at graduation to signify their high grade-point average.
As freshmen, they begin with an elective academy class and a technique (discipline) class, Reyes said. By the time they are seniors, they are in their fourth technique class. For dancers, they must complete a senior capstone, which is to choreograph a piece on their own. It gets more and more challenging as they grow, but it prepares them.
Angelica Herrera, a senior at the arts academy and Capitol Hills Academy of Engineering, has completed two internships, one with Antioch Energy and a second with Everything Goes Dance Studio. Both internships taught her real-life skills, like how to be patient when working with preschool children in a dance class.
For my future career, I want to be an engineer, but I love dancing, said Herrera, who specializes in jazz dance and was accepted at Oklahoma State University to study architectural engineering. I hope I keep doing it whether as a hobby or coming back to Capitol Hill to help out.
We stay true to our roots, Reyes said. Our kids are able to express themselves.
The academys juniors, through their event planning course, present Dare to Dream, a showcase of the students talents, 6 p.m. Feb. 8 in the schools auditorium. Since August, the students have learned the ins and outs of producing a performance or show, learning about production, design, marketing and more.
Currently, there are 143 students enrolled in the art academy.
There are signs that the program is reaching its goal of serving students and providing them opportunities to advance in the arts and be connected to the local community. Academy students are a familiar sight at events like Fiestas de las Americas, Día del Niño (Childrens Day Festival) and the groundbreaking of Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center in Automobile Alley.
This fall, Asbury held a meeting for parents of juniors in the academy, and parents filled up every seat in the classroom. Questions centered on how to support their children through the program. Last week, Reyes met with a Midwest City parent about their eighth-grade daughter joining the dance program next fall. The meeting ended with the parent completing the academys application.
We are on a whole new level of arts education, Reyes said. Weve come so far. These kids are getting experiences that they will never forget.
Print headline: Take a bow; Capitol Hill Highs Academy of Fine Arts provides unique opportunities for performing and visual arts students who want to hone their craft and take it to the next level.