The Camp Verde Unified School District has struggled with keeping a sustainable music program over the years, but for three years running students have been able to rely on a local organization to fill the gaps in their education in music and the dramatic arts.
A performing arts studio was founded by Mike Showers, a local man and former Camp Verde student, and some of his former classmates in order to give kids an alternative in a district where athletics seemed to be the only extracurricular outlet.
The studio made a deal with the district to hold classes for students, from keyboards and strings to vocal coaching and drama. There are also opportunities to learn the art of dance.
It’s been going well, Showers said, and several students have continued to sign up to express themselves in a creative way that doesn’t require horse ownership or knowledge of a Hail Mary pass as a prerequisite.
The students have been working hard all year, Showers said, and now they’re ready to show off what they can do.
The first event is scheduled for 6 p.m., Tuesday, May 3, at the district’s Multi-Use Complex on Camp Lincoln Road.
It’s a music and dance performance to end the semester, Showers said, and the crowd can expect a variety of performances.
That includes guitarists, keyboards, singers, violinists, dancers, individual performers and band ensembles.
Showers said the event will probably last around an hour.
The next week brings a different event at 6 p.m., Tuesday, May 10, also at the Multi-Use Complex.
The show is a dramatic performance titled “High School Dreams,” and it’s unique in that the entire show was written by the students themselves, Showers said.
“The high school and middle school got together and wrote this play,” Showers said.
They went the distance, holding tryouts for parts and a series of rehearsals to prepare for the public.
The show also involved some dance numbers, Showers said, and will likely last anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour.
For more information, call 567-2255.
