Riverside High School hosted the first annual Festival of the Arts on Tuesday, April 18th. This event was a culmination of all of the fine arts programs at RHS including visual arts, band, choir, theatre, and the brand new Contemporary Jazz Ensemble. The evening began with a performance from the Theatre Arts class, taught by Mrs. Penny Lindsey, where they debuted a song from their upcoming play "Sister Act" that will open Friday, April the 21st. They performed this song from the constructed stage for this weekends play.
After the Theatre performance, guests moved on to the bandroom to hear the Riverside choir perform. This included students from all levels of vocal music classes taught by Mr. Kendall Beecham.
Spectators were then invited to visit the Visual Art gallery set up in the hallway between the cafeteria and the gym. The featured art came from all visual art classes taught by Mrs. Christina Barber, a new addition to the Riverside family this year.
Visitors were then invited to the gym for the final two groups' performances, the first of which was the Riverside High School band, consisting of 8th-12th grade students. The band, under the direction of Mr. Antonio Posey, performed three pieces that they've been working on this semester including a march, "Shenandoah," and a fanfare.
The final performance of the night was by the new Contemporary Jazz Ensemble class, under the instruction of Mr. Kendall Beecham. This new class is one in which students who have varying levels of music training, or none at all, can learn how to play a contemporary instrument such as keyboard, drums, electric guitar, electric bass, or contemporary voice. The students in this inaugural group performed two pop songs, "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley and "Talking to the Moon" by Bruno Mars. This ensemble featured two electric guitars, one electric bass ukulele, two keyboards, a drum set, and a singer.
Thank you to everyone who came out to support our students, staff, and the arts in Decatur County. It is obvious that this was a successful night and we are very grateful to our faculty that offer these programs to our students. For more information about how you can become involved in the arts at Riverside, contact RHS Principal, Mr. Adam Wood: adam.wood@decaturschools.org.