Do you have a Fine Arts credit? Two of MODG’s Fine Arts classes are Fine Arts and Fine Arts: Art 8.

Fine Arts: Art 8 is open to seventh to twelfth graders, and Fine Arts is open to eighth to twelfth graders.

Philip Roberts, a junior, took Fine Arts in 10th grade, and Anna Schwenk, a junior, took Fine Arts: Art 8 in 8th grade. They answered questions about their experiences and why they recommend taking Fine Arts.

Philip Roberts

What grade were you in when you took Fine Arts? Do you recommend taking it in that grade? I was in tenth grade when I took Fine Arts. I think it would be a wise decision to take Fine Arts either in 9th grade or 10th grade. By doing this, you’ll have the opportunity to take more art-related courses (like Art History), as opposed to being in 12th grade when you take Fine Arts, really enjoying the course, then not having the opportunity to take another art-related course because you’ll be graduating from high school.

Who did you have for your teacher? What did you like about his or her teaching method? My teacher was Mrs. Michele Geisbert, and she is an incredible teacher! What I enjoyed most about her method of teaching was her excitement — prior to last school year, Mrs. Geisbert had only taught Fine Arts for one year, so she was constantly learning new things, which made her excited to teach the class.

What does a standard class look like? A standard class is typically broken into an art section and a music section; for example, the class might look at and discuss art for 30 minutes of the class, then for the remaining 30 minutes, the class might listen to music from a certain period of history.

Was this your first experience taking an art class? Yes, it was my first experience taking an art class with MODG. I enjoyed Fine Arts so much, I am now taking the Art History class this semester!

Why do you recommend taking Fine Arts? I recommend taking Fine Arts because it shows students true beauty in art and music. Additionally, you’ll gain both an incredible amount of knowledge and eventually develop a deep (or deeper) appreciation for classical music.

What was your favorite part about Fine Arts? My favorite part about Fine Arts was the music. At first, I didn’t really enjoy the music — which was only because of my original distaste for classical music — but towards the end of the year, I came to better appreciate classical music.

How hard was it to balance Fine Arts with other courses? It wasn’t too difficult to balance Fine Arts with my other courses. Some of the coursework, like listening to sixty hours of classical music if you decide to get the full credit, may seem daunting, but in actuality, the course really isn’t all that time consuming.

What tips would you give to students who are going to take it? My tips would be to take a sufficient amount of notes and, should you want the extra half credit, to listen to the classical music throughout the year and not wait until the school year is almost over to listen to the music.

Anna Schwenk

What grade were you in when you took Fine Arts: Art 8? Do you recommend taking it in that grade? I was in 8th grade when I took Fine Arts. As somebody very interested in art and music, I recommend taking it in 8th grade because it helped to cultivate a deeper appreciation in myself for the different art and music styles without touching on too many complicated topics.

Who did you have for your teacher? What did you like about his or her teaching method? I had two teachers when I took Fine Arts, Olivia Knuffke and Kimberly McCarthy. I enjoyed both of their teaching styles very much and enjoyed the way that they broke up the subjects in class.

What does a standard class look like? A class is 60 minutes long. In that 60 minutes, you might go over a series of related topics, depending on where you are in the year. We spent the time in class during the year going over specific painters and artists, different art periods, different music periods, and music composers.

Was this your first experience taking an art class? My first experience taking an art class with MODG was in 7th grade. I took Fine Arts: Appreciation Middle School – Year 2.

Why do you recommend taking Fine Arts: Art 8? I personally recommend taking Fine Arts because it truly helps you to appreciate the beauty captured within a single painting or a fleeting moment of music. The knowledge acquired on these subjects sticks with you for the rest of your life.

What was your favorite part about Fine Arts: Art 8? My favorite part about Fine Arts was learning about the different periods of art . The vast differences and also somehow similarities within the periods really resonated with me because they were so unique, but each of them beautiful.

How hard was it to balance Fine Arts: Art 8 with other courses? It wasn’t very difficult to balance Fine Arts with the other courses I was taking at the time. The homework is pretty straightforward and involves listening to music and taking weekly quizzes.

What tips would you give to students who are going to take it? One tip that helped me remember all the different techniques and painters was making flashcards and studying them as often as I could.

Have you taken Fine Arts or Fine Arts: Art 8? We’d love to hear your experience. Comment below!

Would you like to learn about all of MODG’s electives? Read interviews about Art History, Test Prep, and Health, and check out the Course Catalog.