ST. MARY’S ACADEMY MUSIC DIRECTOR “PHENOMENALLY” TALENTED
When Kathy Briggs came to St. Mary's Academy in 2006 to become choral music director, her immediate work with students illustrated just how blessed the school was to have her. So just a year later, when Briggs finished her oral exams for her Master of Music Education and Choral Conducting at the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota, the school was not surprised that Briggs scored a “phenomenal” or “superior high pass” based on the curriculum she wrote for the St. Mary’s students during her first year at the school.
“I love St. Mary’s,” says Briggs, “and this has been a wonderful opportunity for me to develop a curriculum that uses the musical potential and talent of the students here. It is fun to watch the girls open up as they embrace music in their lives.”
One of the top graduate schools for music education in the country, the University of St. Thomas offers a rigorous program for the best in their field. Ordinarily, the oral comprehensive exams for the master of music education and choral conducting are graded pass/fail, with an occasional “high pass”. But when an extraordinary student comes along, it is possible to receive a rare “superior high pass” for phenomenal work.
The curriculum that Briggs used for her graduate work is based on the outline by the National Standards for Arts Education, and its standards in her syllabus are addressed through performing, composing, and listening to music in class while studying style, timbre, harmony, expression, melody, rhythm, texture, and form.
“Through Kathy’s hard work, we have seen a noticeable increase in choir participation – from 40 to 120 girls – and are now offering a music theory and composition class for students to understand music and relate it to their own experiences,” says Principal Patricia Barr. “The girls study all elements of music (from classical to popular) and create four original compositions. It’s amazing to see their growth.”
Briggs is continuing her education with a thesis based on bodily movement in choral rehearsal and how it assists in learning and internalizing performance pieces. Besides breaking up into small groups to perform for the school’s hospitality events, her choirs can be seen at their upcoming Christmas Concert on December 11, at 7:30 p.m. at St. Mary’s Academy, 1615 SW Fifth Avenue, in downtown Portland.
Founded in 1859 by the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, St. Mary’s Academy of Portland, is Oregon’s oldest continuously operating secondary school and one of 716 all-female schools in the country. The student body represents a diverse background of young women from over 30 urban, suburban, and rural communities in Oregon and Southwest Washington. St. Mary’s Academy is distinguished by its development of the whole person, and is the only school in the state to receive three U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon Schools awards.
One of the top graduate schools for music education in the country, the University of St. Thomas offers a rigorous program for the best in their field. Ordinarily, the oral comprehensive exams for the master of music education and choral conducting are graded pass/fail, with an occasional “high pass”. But when an extraordinary student comes along, it is possible to receive a rare “superior high pass” for phenomenal work.