Course catalog

ART

Fine art techniques 

Explores beginning art techniques in watercolor, printmaking, collage and sculpture.

Graphic Design

Students learn to combine color, images, shapes and words like you see on t-shirts, gift wrap, CDs or cards.

Ceramics

Students create many ceramic pieces over the course. The focus of this class is to usher the students down a path of creativity. We will work on improving their fine motor skills, creative thinking and problem solving. 

Art for stage and screen 

CAA artists support Performance for Children’s Theater and the Storybook Spoof Troupe creating props and backgrounds out of paper mache, paint, felt and other mixed media materials. 

THEATER

Acting for the big screen 

Provides actors with principles of acting for the camera. Skills covered are: “commercial” and “theatrical” screen acting styles, connection to other actors, working within the camera’s frame, and television variety show performance as they rehearse for our original television program “CAA Spotlight”.

Graduate Performance 

Graduate students will build knowledge of elements including blocking, choreography, musical interpretation, acting direction, rehearsal techniques, technical stagecraft, scheduling, ticketing, and marketing of the show. 

Showboaters on-stage Touring ensemble 

Focuses primarily on live stage performance including dancing/singing/acting work in production numbers and showcases. Students will learn and rehearse pieces to be performed at college and community-based events.

Storybook spoof troupe 

Class participants will follow the spine of a story and tell it in their own words. Class improves the the story line scene by scene and builds the script as they go. The class will perform at the end of the semester for family and friends.

Children’s theatre touring ensemble/puppetry 

Provides students with practice using puppeteering skills and rehearsing a show. They will gain the experience of being part of a touring ensemble as well as a teacher/behavior model to children while taking the show to local classrooms and sharing the messages within their scripts.

Community marketing through video 

Students take Flip cameras into the community and film local for-profit and non-profit businesses upon their request for the first hour of each class. They edit their films into marketing videos which will be sent digitally to the local business to add to their marketing portfolio. 

Technical production 

Students will learn to setup and maintain equipment used by CAA performing groups with the ultimate goal of building a tech crew that will report directly to department heads and run technical aspects of our performing events. Emphasis is on building sets and building student confidence in taking on the responsibilities of a technical crew for CAA events.

Production and performance 

Lab is available to students who have done the required pre-requisite work and are interested in being part of our core studio team of producers and technicians as we film the television program “CAA Spotlight” at CreaTV studios (channels 15/27/28). Pre-requisite course: Instructor approval required 

MUSIC

Activities in musical dynamics 

This course covers basic elements  of music dynamics and theory  including rhythm, timing, tonal recognition, basic sight reading of sheet music, elements of song writing, creation of musical scores for film and basic voice.

Concert Choir

Teaches students the concepts of ensemble singing and principles of vocal performance including rhythm, tempo, tone recognition, articulation, projection, dynamics, and vocal range. Class activities will involve participation in group-oriented exercises and vocal rehearsals. Culminating class experience will involve community and on-stage performance.

COMMUNICATIONS

Speak with confidence 

Students learn the basics of public speaking and how to speak confidently in any situation. The course will cover reducing nervousness when in front of a crowd, speech planning and writing and fundamentals of speech delivery.

Reading 101

Introduces concepts of word recognition and phonemic awareness. Initial curriculum will focus on teaching tools that incorporate vocabulary applicable to classes at the College of Adaptive Arts. This approach is designed to provide students with maximum engagement, use of learned skills, and repetition of class content throughout the week.