As a member of the Performing Arts Department here at St. John the Baptist, students have the opportunity to explore and develop their passion for music and perform in a variety of ways:  
If you are an instrumentalist or vocalist, there are 12 different performance groups offered.  If your  passion is the theater, you can join the Drama club or audition for one of our award-winning Musical programs.  If you have never taken any formal musical training and you want to learn an instrument, we offer electives in Piano,  Guitar, and Synthesizer/Recorded Music.  

If you love to dance, our Dance  Program is the place for you.  We offer courses that start as early as 9th grade.  We also offer electives in Dance Composition and  Dance Choreography. In addition ,there are a multitude of co-curricular activities for dancers including Danceworks and the SJB Dance Company.

Our department prides itself on offering as many opportunities for students to participate as possible.  Don’t be shy: come to a rehearsal, attend a concert, or join a club. Music is for everyone.   

The  Performing Arts Department and SJB are proud members of many of our Island and States musical organizations, including Suffolk County Music Educators Association (SCMEA), New York State Council of Administrators of Music Education (NYSCAME), New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA), National Association for Music Educators (NAfME), and Long Island String Festival Association (LISFA). 

Over the past 5 years, we have sent over 30 students to SCMEA All-County, over 20 students to NYSCAME All-County, 15 students to the LISFA Suffolk Secondary Festival, and 10 students to the annual NYSSMA All-State Conference in Rochester New York. 
 
Highlights from the past few years include the Dance Company’s performance at Lincoln Center, our Instrumental and Vocal groups taking home 9 first place trophies at Music in the Parks in 2019, and a variety of featured performances on the Catholic Faith Network.

The Performing Arts Department has also held a NAfME chapter of the Tri-M Music Honor Society for the past 30 years and we recently have been doing some of our finest work.  In 2019, we hosted the Long Island String Festival, and our students and staff received glowing reviews for our professionalism and hospitality.  This festival featured over 400 students from over 30 districts from Suffolk County and was a great opportunity to feature the great work of our Tri-M Chapter and our performing arts students.

We are so proud of the students and performing arts community here at St. John the Baptist.  

We hope to see you at a concert or show soon.

INTRODUCTION TO MUSIC THEORY                               

For students who wish to major in music or related fields and for those who wish to further their understanding of the art of music. The expectations are: to prepare music students for a college theory entrance examination; to facilitate the understanding of instrumental and vocal music; to read, compose, and better understand the technicalities of the art of music; and to instill an appreciation of the art of music.

AP MUSIC THEORY                   

GUITAR                            

SYNTHESIZER & RECORDED MUSIC          

PIANO       

DANCE and CHOREOGRAPHY    

DANCE COMPOSITION AND CHOREOGRAPHY    

This course is designed to encourage students to explore their creative abilities.  Students should have an interest in learning about the act of choreography through movement, improvisation, discussion and collaboration with their peers.  The curriculum will cover the beginning concepts of how to choreograph a dance including the use of space, time and energy. Discussions on appropriate costuming and lighting will also be included.

Please scroll to watch highlights from the Performing Arts Department, as well as read about our Performing Arts electives!