McCallum hosted the Fine Arts Showcase on Nov. 7 in the MAC theater for prospective students and their parents to demonstrate the variety of interests and majors new students would be able to pursue during their time at McCallum. Before the performances started, the Knights of Steel played outside, in front of the theater. Once in the building, parents and prospective students could find student ambassadors working on ceramics, printmaking, sketching, painting and audio/visual products. The performances in the theater began at 6:30 p.m. and included numbers from the McCallum Youth Dance Company, the color guard, choir, piano, theater, guitar, orchestra and jazz band. 

Before and in between these performances Fine Arts Academy director Dr. Sam Parrott would answer some commonly asked questions about the McCallum application process and how students would be able to audition for multiple fine arts programs and then rank them based on which ones they most wanted to major in. After all of the performances ended, the students and parents had the opportunity to go into smaller groups with representatives from each art major and go to classrooms and rehearsal spaces across the school. Once in these smaller groups, the representatives talked more about the specific major and went further into detail about the application process. Every year, the Fine Arts Showcase helps to attract potential students to the academy and provides information for the audition process in order for the program to continue growing. 

We are proud to shine a spotlight on the Fine Arts Showcase for the week’s Tuesday Top 10.

IT ALL LIES IN THE LINOLEUM: Junior Elizabeth Falkin works on the light layer of a linoleum carving for her printmaking class for the Fine Arts Showcase in the MAC lobby prior to the performances that took place in the theater.

Falkin herself has fond memories of attending the showcase.

“I remember when I was in eighth grade and I came [to MAC] because of the fine arts night,” Falkin said. “I saw everything and all the artists and the showcases, and I was just blown away, so I thought maybe I could do that for somebody else.”

To Falkin, the showcase is a tool to help broaden areas of interest for students.

“When you’re younger, you kind of get an idea in your head and beeline for it,” Falkin said, “and so when you see that you can do so many other things, that kind of broadens your perspective. I hadn’t really done print-making before I came to McCallum.”

Falkin’s love for art and talking to others about her creations meant participating in the showcase was a good fit.

“[I’ve done art] my whole life,” Falkin said. “I don’t really have to think that hard about it, I just get to use my hands. It’s an outlet for me. And it was fun talking to people because they didn’t even know what I was doing, so I got to explain to them that it [the carving] was like a big stamp.”

Caption and photo by Shila Gill.

FILMS FOR SHOW: Audio and video teacher and program director Ben Slamka speaks to a parent at the Fine Arts Showcase in the MAC lobby on Nov. 7. To show off the work done by AV students at McCallum’s Cinematic Arts program, Slamka screened several student plays including an inanimate object film by Edward Dickinson and “Laces” by Kai Laden. These films along with several others shown to visitors were part of an end-of-year screening last May.

“What I showed at the Fine Arts Academy showcase was just the first half of our end-of-the-year screening,” Slamka said. “I broke the screening into two parts. It was all pretty much AV1 and AV2 pieces and then the second half was all of the practicum pieces.”

During the showcase, Slamka says he stayed by the films to talk to students and parents about the program.

“I hung out by the TV and I had a description of the first class [students] take and then an overview of the program,” Slamka said. “I got to meet parents and some of the eighth-graders that are trying to get into the program. It was cool.”

Slamka said he appreciates the opportunity to screen students’ films and meet potential students. 

“It recruits new applicants because it’s a cool program, and it helps inspire people to go all in and apply,” Slamka said. “It also gives the students a time to show off their best stuff. I think that’s really cool. Tere’s a lot of really talented kids here, in and out of the academy.”

After the showcase, Slamka took some students and parents back to his classroom where he answered any questions and spoke about the program.

“I gave them a rundown of the program and walked them through what you’re gonna do every year as far as projects,” Slamka said. “Then I just answered questions. They were really curious about what I want to see in an application.”

Slamka believes the showcase is an important part of McCallum not just for future students but also for all the Fine Arts Academy students to showcase their talent. 

“I think it’s important,” Slamka said. “They need to flex those talents, and you know it’s OK to show off a bit. I mean they’re not doing it for nothing.”

Caption by Daniela Di-Capua. Photo by Shila Gill.

At McCallum’s Fine Arts Showcase, several art majors took the opportunity to share their passion by discussing the fine arts program and showing off their work, with some even creating art live in front of attendees.

Junior Nobel Pierce was originally set to assist art teacher Sara Massey Lynch for the evening, but Pierce’s night took an unexpected twist.

“Ms. Massey noticed that I was sulking and wanted something more to do so she gave me a canvas and paint,” Pierce said.

Without a plan, Pierce pulled inspiration from their camera roll, turning a spontaneous moment into a creative display of pride and talent for the visual arts program.

“What started as a simple act of improvisation turned into a relaxing and meaningful experience,” Pierce said.

Their live painting not only showcased their talent but also helped draw attention to the creativity within McCallum’s fine arts program.

Pierce was happy to contribute to the night’s central mission.

“I hope that in helping out I was able to bring in more students to the fine arts program because it’s an awesome place to be,” Pierce said.

Caption by Tristen Diaz. Photo by Shila Gill.

A PLACE FOR PIANO: Fine Arts Ambassadors junior Maggie Brown, senior Maverick Palacios and senior Bea Saffer stand with Fine Arts Academy director Dr. Sam Parrott  as he gives out instructions to middle schoolers about where to go if they are interested in attending information sessions about the various fine arts majors. 

While Brown is an ambassador for the piano program, she was not in the showcase to perform. She was there to facilitate and make sure everything went smoothly, as well as to inform future students about the piano program if they had any questions. 

“I helped by assembling the stage setups between each performance and answering the attendees’ questions about the program after the event,” Brown said. 

Between each event, Dr. Parrott would give a brief description of each Fine Arts Academy major and what future students could expect should they choose it. Brown became a piano ambassador after Kate Wiley, the piano teacher, nominated her last year.

“Being an ambassador is something I really love because I had no idea how accessible the Mac piano program was when I was an eighth-grader applying to MAC,” Brown said. “Since I’m also a theatre major, it is easy to see how such a small and selective program could get overlooked.”

Brown believes that the students in the program have created a unique space for all levels of pianists to learn and celebrate each other. Brown said she looks up to the other two student ambassadors, Palacios, a fellow piano ambassador, and Saffer, a band ambassador. 

“I really look up to them as artists and leaders, since they both use their skill as musicians to create a community within their respective majors,” Brown said.

Brown hopes that future students who attended this showcase were inspired by performances they saw, and feel encouraged by these students’ confidence. 

“I hope the pianists in the crowd recognized and admired how piano students at MAC are pushed to try new things and learn challenging pieces,” Brown said.

Caption by Priya Thoppil. Photo by Beatrix Lozach.

DANCE THE KNIGHT AWAY: Senior Analise Bady performs a dance with the rest of the McCallum pre-professional dance group for the Fine Arts Showcase. Bady has been dancing since she was 12 and loves the shared experience of choreographing and performing dances. 

“I’ve made the most amazing friends and mentors through dance,” Bady said. “It’s made me the person I am.”

Bady also said she loved being able to see what other fine arts students had been working on for the showcase. Her favorite performance was the color guard’s, which will be becoming a new major next year. 

“I liked to see how much fun they were having,,” Bady said. “It was really unique and fun.”

The dance program started rehearsals for the showcase on Sept. 10, but Bady had been sick just before the performance, causing her to learn most of the choreography the day of the performance. 

“To be honest, I was a little nervous since a lot of it was new in my brain,” Bady said, “but being back on stage with all my peers is something that I always enjoy and appreciate, so either way I was super excited.”

It was the group’s first time putting this dance on stage, but it will appear again in the McCallum Youth Dance Company’s winter show on Jan. 23 and 24. 

Caption by Adele Seeboth. Photo by Shila Gill.

PARTNER IN CRIME: Sophomore Delilah Grad performs alongside senior Austin Pain as Winnie and Jesse, for their number, “Partner in Crime” from Mac Theater’s fall musical Tuck Everlasting at the Fine Arts Showcase on Nov. 7. 

“My favorite parts of the FAA Showcase were getting to perform a piece of Tuck again,” Grad said, “as well as seeing all of the other programs show off their talent and hard work.”

Tuck Everlasting, the fall musical, was performed on Sept. 19-22 and 26-29, but this event gave the cast another chance to show the work they put in to the show. 

“It was so, so amazing to get to revisit Tuck,” Grad said. “It was initially a little hard to put myself exactly where Winnie is at that point in the story, without having performed the rest of the show that happens before that number, like I had always done before.”

Grad said she had to revisit what playing the role of Winnie meant and how to perform as her. 

“After a few minutes of reminiscing on her story and putting myself in her shoes, it felt the same as it did in the show,” Grad said. “It was such a special feeling and experience to get to perform it again.”

Although Grad was not given the chance to talk to any new students interested, she got to hear her friends’ thoughts. 

“Afterwards, I heard from some of my younger theatre friends that they were there and really enjoyed it,” Grad said.

Caption by Carson Duncan. Photo by Shila Gill.

Junior Rocket Hoff takes a bow after performing “Bach Prelude and Fugue 16 in G Minor” on the piano at the MAC. Hoff said hours of practice have led to this moment.

”I practice piano for about two, two and a half hours every day,” Hoff said.

Hoff said performing in front of a huge crowd is nothing new to him.

“It was pretty standard,” Hoff said. “I’m used to it. I’ve been performing for a while through school since I was 5.”

Despite hours of work, Hoff believes there is still room for improvement.

“I felt that I could’ve performed better,” Hoff said. “I wasn’t quite playing by memory, which makes your playing more accurate. There were some rough patches throughout.”

Hoff said that being in the fine arts program has helped him through his piano career.

“It gives me more time to practice,” Hoff said. “I also get to perform and compete more.”

Caption by Fletcher Vandegrift. Photo by Shila Gill.

JAZZY DANCERS: The McCallum Youth Dance Academy Pre-Professional Group performs “Le Jazz Hot” choreographed by local Austin choreographer Aidan Dewitt at the Fine Arts Showcase. 

For junior member Sage Flowers, this dance was a perfect opportunity to present the dance program to incoming freshmen. 

“It’s sort of a Broadway kind of jazz style that pre-pro will perform in our upcoming show in January,” Flowers said. “It has been so fun learning that piece, and it was able to show the [incoming] freshman how fun performing can be.” 

Flowers loves that this event provides an opportunity to showcase the talent within each of the Academy majors, especially the dance program. 

“I think it’s important to put on a fine arts showcase because it shows the level of passion in each area of fine arts,” Flowers said. “It also is great to show all of the programs we offer here at McCallum.” 

Flowers said her favorite part of the showcase was seeing all of the other majors perform and show off their talent. 

“It was so fun to watch how different our programs at McCallum are,” Flowers said. “It was great to show other people what the dance program is about.”

Caption by Chloe Seckar-Martinez. Photo by Shila Gill.

DOUBLE TROUBLE: Sophomore Vivian Lewis-Gray performs in the Meistersingers choir while dressed for McCallum Theatre’s performance last week in the MAC. The Meistersingers performed “Locus Iste” by Anton Bruckner, and some members of both the choir and theatre program performed also in “Partner in Crime” from Tuck Everlasting later that evening. According to Lewis-Gray, the performances overall went well. 

“They went really well,” Lewis-Gray said. “We were all a little worried about Tuck because we didn’t really have much rehearsal time, but it went a lot better than expected, and the mixed [choir] went well.” 

Although participating in these extracurriculars can be quite time-consuming, it also has helped Lewis-Gray to learn how to manage her time and balance her tasks. Lewis-Gray’s favorite part of both programs is the community and seeing the finished product at the end. 

“Everyone is so supportive in choir and theatre,” Lewis-Gray said. “And I love watching our hard work come together.”

Lewis-Gray said she’s excited for the upcoming choir concert, Masterworks, in December. Lewis-Gray said she’s enjoyed learning “Kreek’s Requiem” in C minor that the choir, band and orchestra will perform. 

“I’m looking forward to performing our requiem in choir this year, it’s in Estonian,” Lewis-Gray said. “It’s really cool that we get to perform a requiem that hasn’t been performed yet in America!”

Caption by Riley Pita. Photo by Shila Gill.

FRESH FACES: Senior Sadie Swinney and junior Melea Carman hold up a sign at the end of the Fine Arts Showcase. As band ambassadors, the two took the responsibility to direct parents towards breakout rooms where additional questions could be answered. 

 Carman said seeing a fresh set of faces was exciting.

“I liked getting to see all the incoming freshman who were interested in band,” Carman said. “We had a pretty good turnout.”

Carman, who has been a member of Mac Band since her freshman year, has had plenty of experience with the Mac Band community.

“I love being in band,” Carman said. “It’s nice to work really hard at something and get to see it actually pay off.”

Overall, Carman said the showcase was a lot of fun as she got to present on one of her biggest passions.

“It was amazing to see all the middle schoolers be so eager about joining band,” she said. “And I basically just got to talk about band all night, which was easy cause I love it.”

Caption by JoJo Barnard. Photo by Daniela Di-Capua.

SHOWCASING THE FUTURE: After the Fine Arts Showcase, the incoming freshmen had the option of going into the room for the major they were interested in. Junior dancer major Corinne Hampton was in the showcase and helped show the incoming students what it’s like to be a dancer at McCallum. 

“I was doing my solo for all of the current eighth-graders and their parents who had come to learn more about being a dance major,” Hampton said. “I was thinking about the next steps in my solo, and I was glad people were showing interest in Mac dance.” 

Hampton said it was exciting to see so many potential new students for the program.

Everyone who is in the pre-pro level of Mac Dance performed our class jazz dance,” Hampton said. “It was a really fun experience because I enjoy performing, and I liked seeing so many people interested in becoming a dance major.” 

Caption by Delaney Lavelle. Photo by Beatrix Lozach.

GUITAR IS GREAT: Junior Paul Devens performs in the Guitar Ensemble in the MAC as part of the Fine Arts Showcase for the Guitar Program last Thursday. 

Devens has been playing guitar for seven years and said the guitar program at McCallum has allowed him to grow as a player.

“The guitar program is great; there are a lot of dedicated players, and it’s just a good environment in which to improve,” Devens said. “Playing in an ensemble at a high level has been not something that I’ve really done before McCallum, and just being around people who are good kind of pushes you to improve and want to be better.” 

The Fine Arts Showcase helps to inspire incoming students to join the Fine Arts Academy, and Devens said he enjoys promoting the guitar program, especially because students might not know about it. 

“I was happy to be able to play for some of the incoming freshmen,” Devens said. “It’s good to spread music to people who many wouldn’t be involved in it already, so I hope some people heard the guitar performance and wanted to join guitar.”

Caption by Josie Mullan. Photo by Shila Gill. 

NEW ACADEMY: Sophomore Boris Lingo poses in the center during the color guard  routine at the Fine Arts Showcase in the MAC. The guard’s performance featured choreography with flags, towels and rifles, along with acting to set the scene at the beginning. Although they did not have a ton of time to learn their choreography, the routine went well according to Lingo. 

“It wasn’t our best choreography,” Lingo said, “[but] with the time we had, I think the performance was pretty good.”

Lingo decided to join the color guard at McCallum because of the people in it, and said they like to be a part of the community because of how welcoming everyone is. 

“I’ve always felt really accepted, and people are very welcoming,” Lingo said. “It’s very friendly to all talents and if you can’t dance you can probably spin a flag.” 

Lingo most looks forward to the winter guard season this year as it will be a change of pace from band season and introduce new choreography. 

“I’m really excited for the winter guard season because it’s something new after marching band,” Lingo said. “The choreography is going to be a little harder, and hopefully it’ll be a good show.” 

A color guard major will be added to the Fine Arts Academy for the next school year. Lingo said they’re excited to see the edition to McCallum’s fine arts and hopes that it will attract lots of people to join.

Caption by Riley Pita. Photo by Shila Gill.

Sophomore Paityn Jones dances in MacTheatre’s performance of “Partner in Crime” from the fall show Tuck Everlasting at the Fine Arts Showcase.  According to Jones, the performance went well, and it was good to get the cast together again. 

“I really love to be able to be with the cast one last time and perform our favorite number,” Jones said. “Everybody loved each other in that cast.” 

Jones loved the number because of the background acting she got to participate in with her friends. It was interesting for Jones to see how everyone interacted with one another. 

“I liked to watch as people are going around pretending like they’re in love with each other, or that they hate each other,” Jones said. “Everybody’s having a different story in every show; it always changes.” 

Jones most looks forward to the upcoming spring musical this year, Freaky Friday, and the new schedule that the theatre program is following this year. 

“I’m hoping that the cast is as strong, or even stronger than the Tuck cast,” Jones said. “I’m also excited for the HAYAS; hopefully, we’ll get a lot of awards.”

Caption by Riley Pita. Photo by Shila Gill.

Alto saxophone player Isaac Elbel stands as he recites his solo to the song “Honk.” Elbel is a freshman in symphonic band, which made his solo all the more meaningful.

“It felt great to earn the solo,” Elbel said. “Since I’m only a freshman there are not a lot of opportunities for something like that, especially since I had to compete with some upperclassmen.”

Elbel’s solo was the highlight of his night.

“Everyone kind of underestimates freshmen in band,” he said. “So I feel like so it was nice to finally have a chance to do something like that [the solo] and prove myself.”

Caption by JoJo Barnard. Photo by Shila Gill.