The Music and Arts program at Regis captivates and enthralls students and audiences alike. It has given students the opportunity to cultivate their interests in creative expression at school, from activities like Band to the Repertory. However, there are several additional resources and enhancements we feel are needed in order to improve the quality of the arts at Regis. The following actions must be taken to ensure these improvements:

• The new Music Director must be committed and qualified:
  
  • Must possess at least a bachelor’s degree in a music-related field
  • Must possess prior experience as a music director and/or previously worked with students in a structured music setting
  • Must be a Full-Time instructor with full benefits
    
    • In order to run the various music-related activities, such as coordinating and leading practices and rehearsals, the music teacher needs to be a full-time instructor with full benefits. This is necessary so that they can be suitably compensated for their hard work and given sufficient time and resources to be invested in their role of creating a vibrant and dynamic artistic environment at Regis.
  • Students should also have a direct role in interviewing candidates for the position and ultimately selecting the music director, including shadowing them while they teach.
• Devoting announcements to music/arts activities each week
  
  • Music and the arts have long played an integral role in allowing students to participate in and enjoy a rich and meaningful extracurricular experience at Regis. However, as it stands, there must be increased community awareness and engagement with the arts, achievable through regular outreach to the wider school community. For example, the spring concert held by the jazz club was not mentioned on either the loudspeaker announcements or the billboards, which made the performance virtually unknown to the majority of the community. By devoting a weekly announcement or using the electronic signs to promote events related to the arts, we can increase the visibility of and audience turnout at these impactful events.
• Formation of COSA, or Committee of Student Artists (proposal in collaboration with Carlton Roe, Eamon Bowen, Michael McArthur, and Philip Konrad-Parisi)
  • As of now, there is no real cohesion between the various art, music, and performing extracurriculars at Regis. Thus, we propose to form an organization to promote communication across the different art forms and support students who wish to express their interests in different crafts. This student-led committee will organize interdisciplinary activities like student-led performances, art galleries, and a year-end art festival that encompasses all the art forms, allowing students to express their passions by collaborating with different clubs.
• Increasing funding for the Repertory, the Acting Club at Regis
  
  • The Rep needs more resources to perform at its fullest capacity and provide an enjoyable experience to everyone who participates. By increasing funding, the Rep can enhance the lighting and sound design to make the shows feel much more immersive and realistic, buy costumes and set pieces that better capture the feel and tone of the show, and acquire the rights for interesting shows. Increasing funding also helps the Rep compensate our hardworking stage crew manager and music moderators. The Regis Rep is an essential part of the Regis experience, but it lacks the funding needed to achieve its full potential.
• Devoting a time slot for building sets for shows
  • In the past, the stage crew has only had a couple of days to build the sets of shows. This severely limits the ability of the crew to fully design the stage and realize the goals for the set. Thus, there needs to be at least 4-7 days in advance for set building if the design calls for a more elaborate structure.
• Implementing classes for those interested in the arts
  
  • While there are classes like freshman year speech, junior year arts and music electives, and the senior year Figuring Reality elective, students should have more opportunities to explore the arts in the classroom. For example, there could be a vocal training class for students interested in chorus or an acting class for students interested in theater. While it might be challenging to implement these classes throughout the school year as electives, these proposed classes could be introduced just as 3rd-trimester senior classes.

We understand that not everything can be implemented right away, but we know that some of these steps can be taken in the near future to significantly enhance the arts programs for the coming school year. We are blessed that Regis overflows with musical, artistic, and dramatic talent, and with the actions outlined above we will ensure that every Regian is able to pursue his creative interests to the greatest extent possible.

Music and the arts play a significant role at Regis, and these actions will give them the love and attention they deserve.

Thank you so much for your support in signing this petition! If you have any specific ideas or suggestions, or have any additional thoughts about this petition, you can let us know by clicking this link to fill out a google form.

*Special thanks to Jack Rachinsky, Jonathan Hartanto, Carlton Roe, and Ms. Reisig for helping edit this petition.*