Our teen classes are designed to engage our students in their specific areas of interest, and can work separately, together, or in conjunction with private voice, piano, or guitar lessons for a well-rounded educational experience.

Spring Mainstage Musical

Ages:  Grades 6-12

All performers in grades 6-12 are invited to join us in the chorus for our Spring Mainstage Musical production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.

Rehearsals: Mondays and Tuesdays, 6-9pm starting April 1; additional rehearsals on 5/30 and 5/31. Note — not all participants will be called to every rehearsal. A detailed rehearsal schedule will be provided.

Performance Dates: June 1, 7pm and June 2, 5pm at The Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill

Tuition: $450 for two rehearsals weekly plus dress rehearsals and performances

My Voice Can Change The World — Level 2

(Formerly Group Voice for Teens)

Ages:  Grades 4-8

In this course, your tween/teen will gain confidence and self-awareness through vocal performance. Students will explore healthy tone production, pitch accuracy, music reading, and song presentation skills in a warm, supportive setting. Session will culminate with a musical theater performance for family and friends. This class is a good precursor for individual voice lessons, or for those who are interested in voice training but can’t commit to a weekly lesson.

Tuition: $300 per 10 week session

Songwriting for Teens

Ages: Grades 6-12

Learn the basics of songwriting in this fun, in-depth 10-week course. Course will cover basic chord progressions, lyric writing, melody writing, vocal harmony and countermelodies, vocal and instrumental motifs, creative ways to combat writer’s block, and more. Students will also study great pop hits from the mid-20th-century to the present day.

Students must choose to specialize in either guitar or piano. No prior experience on either instrument is required, but piano is recommended for those who do not play either instrument.

Required materials: acoustic guitar or piano keyboard, computer (no Chromebooks, please)

Tuition: $300 per 10 week session

Songwriting, Inspiration, and Song Development for Teens

Ages: Grades 6-12

SSS is thrilled to welcome local singer-songwriter and professional actress Meghan Cary to the studio for a 6-week guest artist workshop. Students will learn techniques to find inspiration, structure the writing process and break through writer’s block, get their story onto the page and out to the audience, and more.

Students must have taken Songwriting for Teens or have previous songwriting experience. At-home preparation is required each week. Students must have a guitar or keyboard instrument to use at home.

Wednesdays, April 3, 10, 17, 24 and May 1 from 5:45 to 6:45 PM

Tuition: $200

Computer-Based Music Creation and Production

Ages: Grades 9-adult (younger students with permission from the instructor)

Learn the basics of Computer-Based Music Creation and Production in this engaging, results-oriented 12-week course. Course will cover basics of digital vs. analog production (gear and signal flow), the ins and outs of the Digital Audio Workstation, virtual instruments and sample libraries, recording live vocals, guitars, drums, etc., using effects (ie. reverb and delay), mixing,  and bouncing down to a final file (mp3, wav, aiff, etc.)

Required materials: a minimum 256mb thumb drive, notebook, music notation paper.

Tuition: $360 for 12-week session

Intermediate Drama

Ages: Grades 6-8

Students will learn the basics of text analysis, character development, script writing, speech techniques, and improvisation in this 10-week, collaborative acting course. Sessions can be taken individually as schedules permit, or students can register for the entire sequence which is designed to work sequentially.

Fall Session: Introduction to Storytelling

Students will create tableaus with fairy tales, masks, and props, explore costume and prop production, learn basic stage directions and how blocking affects an audience’s experience, explore ways to portray characters physically, and learn to interact with other characters.

Winter Session: Tell My Story

In this session, students will build on basic acting skills while utilizing their own experiences to create theater through play writing, monologue creation, and improvisation. Class will culminate with a showcase performance of student work.

Spring Session: Spring Production

Students will apply their knowledge of stagecraft in the performance of a short play in this session. Students will take full part in the creative process by learning what rehearsals are like for actors in addition to behind-the-scenes work like sets, costumes, and props.

Tuition: $300 per 10 week session