The Flint Hill Fine Arts department has been working hard to enhance their skills and expand the understanding of the arts while competing and performing for our community to showcase recent work. 

Nine Flint Hill students performed in the District mixed and treble choir this past month. The All-District Honor Choir is an opportunity for selected students from our area’s middle and high schools to work with a renowned choral conductor at an advanced level. These students were chosen through an audition they attended in past months and worked vigorously for several days to prepare for the performance on February 10th, only three days after the group began practicing the music given together. Tenth-grade student, Christina Atalla, explained her experience in an interview, saying “the choir was such a unique experience, and although it was challenging, I am so proud of the music made and the hard work we put in.” 

The art classes have been hard at work, as Art I students finished their end of quarter projects. The students used watercolor to encapsulate the light, distortions, and reflections of glass objects. The class spent days in the studio which was turned into a study environment with different lighting and vases on display for the artists to use as inspiration. One student explained how “The task was more challenging than anything else we have done throughout the year, but it was cool to put all the skills we have been working on into one project.”  

Huskies in the arts are making a mark in more than just the district as well.  Sophomore Sammy Lu earned a spot in the Virginia Orchestra for the third year. Even as an underclassman, Lu placed second throughout the orchestra and will perform in another concert in April with an even more selective group. 

Additionally, the award-winning a capella group at Flint Hill, Major Minors, has been quite busy recently. The group worked in a new professional setting, gaining insight into the professional arts world; a recording studio. The singers recorded three songs they had worked hard to rehearse and perfect throughout the past few weeks. Although the recorded music will not be out until later this spring, Major Minor’s music has been presented throughout our community through recent performances. The group sang to impending Flint Hill students on “Visitors Day”, sang at an open mic, and had their performance for Valentine’s Day in February.

Soon, the Flint Hill performing arts classes will be brought together for the first annual enrichment trip since the pandemic. The performers will take a trip to New York this week, and have lots planned. The students will attend workshops with professionals in the industry they have been studying this year and will go to three different Broadway shows. The shows include Moulin Rouge, A Beautiful Noise, and The Little Shop of Horrors, which were voted on by the students during the year. In between shows, the group will be brought backstage each day to have an intimate look into what goes into a real broadway show because of the connections Flint Hill faculty have throughout the art world. Additionally, the trip will include seeing the city and going to popular restaurants to experience a new culture. The trip would not happen without our outstanding students and Fine Arts Department Chair James Venhaus, who we thank for the opportunity.