Brother Martin offers four areas of fine arts studies:

Art

These full-credit elective courses are open to ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth-grade students. The course offerings aim to develop in students an understanding of art and sensitivity to artistic values through a hands on studio experience. Students explore drawing, painting, printmaking, and design. There is also historical, critical, and aesthetic analysis, while simultaneously providing the opportunity for creative self-expression. There is a $75 fee to cover the cost of most communal and personal tools and mediums.

Fine Arts Survey

Fine Arts Survey is a full-credit elective that, in a student centered environment, examines the nature and range of art. Through individual and group activities: visual art, music, architecture, and film are presented using a variety of instructional techniques. While providing a foundation in the material, historical, and theoretical aspect of the arts, this class fulfills the Fine Art credit needed for graduation. A $50 fee includes much of the materials and resources provided.

Band

This is a full-credit elective course that meets five times a week during the school day. Band is also available to eighth graders. (See eighth-grade section for details.) Brother Martin’s instrumental performing ensembles appear in public more than forty times per year. Attendance at all out-of-school rehearsals and performances is mandatory. Homework in the form of practice is assigned nightly and videotaped playing tests are regularly assigned. Interested members of the Program may use SmartMusic, an online music practice tool, which fosters good practice techniques and enables the Director to assess musical progress. Other forms of technology are utilized to further aid in the understanding of music theory and creativity.

• Rental Instruments
  The Band Department rents such instruments as percussion equipment, Sousaphones, French horns, baritone horns, oboes, and bassoons. Several local music stores are available to rent brand new instruments for a nominal fee. The advantage to doing this is a readily available opportunity for repair and replacement of band instruments, if necessary.
• Fees
  The cost of rental instruments is $80 per year, and the Crusader Marching Band members are assessed a $90 band fee which covers necessary band expenses like uniform cleaning, repertoire binders, and marching drill software subscriptions. Finally, Crusader Band members wear a special marching shoe, which must be purchased by the members prior to Football Season. Shoes may be purchased at a local music store or online for about $40 a pair. The Band Fee is assessed at Orientation and other specific fees, like instrument rental, will be assessed by the Director at the start of the school year.

Chorus 

This class is a full-credit elective course that meets daily. It provides training and experience singing music specially selected for high school male voices. These experiences are planned to develop a love for singing, to encourage participation in choral activities at school and in the community, to give students a working knowledge of the principles of good singing, to acquaint them with some of the masterpieces of choral literature, and to give proper training to maturing voices. Attendance at all (in and out of school) rehearsals and performances is mandatory.

Courses: