Boys & Arts
Stella Maris fosters the Artist hidden in our students.
Beauty originates from the Creator and ultimately leads us back to Him. At Stella Maris, we believe that an appreciation for beauty is essential to the holistic development of students. Through the fine arts, students not only recognize beauty in various forms but also develop their innate ability to create beautifully, uniting their action to the divine.
The arts are more than mere expressions of personal feelings. Each brushstroke, musical note, and dramatic performance becomes an opportunity for students to express their understanding of the world and their place within it. Thus, they can realize that beauty is not a solitary experience but a reflection of God’s handiwork in the world around us. They learn to recognize beauty every day, and to see God passing by at every hour and in every circumstance. We strive to develop students’ hearts so they may be properly moved of true good.
St. John Paul II, in his Letter to Artists, emphasized that the pursuit of beauty encourages individuals to strive for a higher ideal in their lives, one that encompasses not only the external expression of beauty but also the internal cultivation of virtues such as love, compassion, and integrity. Through their artistic journeys, students are invited to reflect on their ends and desires, fostering a virtuous search for beauty at every moment. By learning the arts, students learn to see God in all things, to collaborate with God in their own creation, and to move toward God in lives ordered toward beauty.
As boys grow, and with them their passions and affections, they need arts to be able to order their affectivity rightly toward God. The arts develop boys’ imagination, which is key for them to understand and strive for the greatness God calls them to. The world God has placed our students into is not meant merely to be looked at, observed, but to be brought to fullness through man’s working hand. In learning art, students learn to exercise their assertiveness, to imagine themselves and their world in a lens of greatness, and to collaborate with the Creator in achieving it.
Music
Why Music?
“Music belongs to the one who loves.” Because we have been loved by God and by our parents, we sing with gratitude, responding lovingly to the gift of love. Music helps educate our affections and work harmoniously with others. Music appeals to the ear and the heart, the body and the spirit, together with the intellect. Our students learn about a wide variety of music, as well as music theory, performance, ear training, note reading, musical analysis, and music history.
Instrumental Music (afterschool) is also helpful in the development of virtue and concord of the students. Stella Maris promotes the learning of various musical instruments, including the piano, violin, organ, and guitar. These instruments provide students with the opportunity to explore their musical talents further and engage in collaborative performances. Learning to play an instrument cultivates discipline, patience, and teamwork, while forming the heart and affections in a holistic education.
Inspired by the universal language of music, we create an engaging classroom atmosphere that enhances learning and strengthens teacher-student relationships. Music at Stella Maris is about creating a vibrant culture that encourages self-expression, emotional depth, community, and praise. Music deserves a central place in an integral education; it orders the interior person and draws out the full potential, not only intellectually but affectively. Through music, students develop their musical talents, cultivating memory, intelligence, and a sense of belonging.
Music is essential to boys’ education. It orders the person; it feeds the soul; it trains the passions; it gently breaks, inhabits, and expands their imaginations. It is the most ephemeral of all the arts – the moment music is produced, that moment is its last – but has one of the most lasting effects in the souls of those who make and listen to it. At Stella Maris, we believe that music plays a fundamental role in shaping a boy’s character and enriching his educational experience.
At Stella Maris, students engage with a diverse repertoire of musical traditions, learning to perform religious and sacred music, popular and folk songs, patriotic hymns, and other songs in other languages (Spanish, French, Italian…). Each of these musical forms not only enhances their musical skill but also deepens their appreciation for the meaning of cultural and spiritual traditions.
As the saying goes, “Whoever sings, prays twice.” This notion underscores the belief that singing is an act of love and devotion, enabling students to connect with their faith and community in a profound way.
Why Sacred Music?
Stella Maris students learn sacred music and become familiar with Gregorian Chant and Polyphony. Gregorian Chant is a treasure of beauty and wisdom.
“Sacred” means “set apart;” sacred music, then, is music which is set apart for the worship of God. It is the music of the temple. As such, sacred music should sound different from other kinds of music, since it is directed solely to glorifying God who is beyond all understanding. Throughout her tradition and even into current history, the Roman Catholic Church has promoted this chant and held it in primacy of place in her liturgies.
Fine Art
Fine arts are artistic skills and endeavors that do not strive to create something useful per se. They strive for beauty in a general sense, and so are ideal to free children from slavery to utilitarianism. Our students develop the fine arts and so discover that not everything is measured in terms of usefulness, but that they must see – as God sees – the intrinsic good of many beautiful things. ´
Our students are educated in creating artistically with paint, drawing, and clay. They learn the art of poetry, and become immersed in beautiful narrative and poetic works. They engage in intricate and compelling works for theater, learning to understand different characters from within, and represent them meaningfully. Art is not simply an outlet for restless minds, but an inlet for light to pervade, so we can look at the world around us, knowing it is complex and symbolic, not simplistic and just as it meets the eye.
Oratory & Rhetoric
The Art of Communication
Oratory and rhetoric are essential components of education at Stella Maris. These disciplines enable students to express their thoughts and ideas with clarity, persuasion, and confidence. Mastering the art of communication is not only crucial for academic success but also for effective leadership and meaningful engagement in society.
Cultivating Confidence and Expression
Through the study of oratory, students learn to publicly speak and articulate their ideas effectively. This training helps them overcome the common fear of public speaking, allowing them to present their thoughts and arguments with poise and assurance. Oratory classes focus on developing vocal techniques, body language, and proper use of pauses and emphasis, enabling students to captivate their audience and convey their messages compellingly. By engaging with Shakespearean monologues, for example, students develop discipline, resilience, and authentic emotional expression. By reciting presidential speeches, they train their own ability to communicate words and affections, while familiarizing themselves with great works of rhetoric.
Understanding Rhetorical Techniques
Rhetoric, the art of persuasion, is equally important in equipping students with the skills to construct coherent and impactful arguments. Through the exploration of rhetorical devices such as ethos, pathos, and logos, students learn how to appeal to their audience’s emotions, ethics, and logic. Our high school speech and debate clubs seek to train and offer opportunities to those who show a natural talent for expression and understanding, so they may thus reach their full potential for speaking.
Practical Applications
At Stella Maris, students engage in practical exercises that allow them to apply their oratory and rhetoric skills in real-world situations. They participate in debates, presentations, and speeches, providing opportunities to practice and refine their abilities. These activities encourage teamwork, collaboration, and respectful discourse, teaching students the importance of listening and responding thoughtfully to differing viewpoints. They go deeper into developing the very personality and character of the students, giving them a mind to think from others’ points of view, to imagine other people’s experiences, key for any work they may do in their future, and for developing into leaders of our society.