The majority of public schools and high schools in the United States are traditionally based with a curriculum that will get you ready for college. There are other schools, though, that focus one area like creative and performing arts. This article will look into three such schools located in Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia. They have traditional classes as well as classes to enhance on the artistic talents of their students. SPCA in Cincinnati has been highlighted with a reality TV show on MTV giving others a glimpse into what a school like this is like showing singers sitting at a piano with a piano lamp or piano lamps shining down on them as they get ready to compete in an all school talent show, in one episode.
The first school is the one mentioned above called SPCA which stands for the School of Performing and Creative Arts located in the Over-the Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati. It is the first public arts school in the nation and the enrollment has gone up significantly over the past year following the airing of the show Taking the Stage showed what the school is all about on MTV. The show is similar to a real life Fame exploring the lives of various artistic students pursuing their dreams of becoming a professional dancer, rapper or songwriter. A newly built facility and building will be opened for this public school for next year to house the 988 students in grades 4-12. Academics are as important as the arts here being named a Blue ribbon School in the past.
Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts has the mission to nurture all of the creative talents of their students while also giving them a solid college prep academic curriculum. The arts that are done here are creative writing, dance, drama, instrumental music, vocal music and visual arts. In order to be accepted to CAPA you must have good grades from your other school and do an audition in the art area you wish to major in. The well known boy band called, Boyz II Men graduated from the Philadelphia Arts school.
The Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts School began in 1979 with about 35 students and has grown throughout the years to now have students in grades 6-12 at the school learning various arts programs. For the 2003-2004 school year, they moved into a new facility that has a big auditorium, a theatre, an art gallery, a TV studio and large rehearsal spaces for every art to practice in. This new building puts this school a step above many of the others in the area and due to that, the competition to be admitted to this school is very difficult.
There are over 350 arts schools in America, but only a few of them have been nationally recognized for being some of the best including the ones mentioned in this article. Kids are becoming more interested in arts schools now and the Taking the Stage show will only increase the interest.