Students in grades kindergarten through fourth grade receive 50 minutes of art instruction once every five days. The program provides students breadth in art making experiences, cross-curricular projects, and exploration of artist biographies.

Students in grades fifth through eighth grade receive 10 weeks of art instruction per year. The program focuses on developing drawing skills, hand-building clay techniques, art history, and depth in a variety of studio experiences. 

Students may enter into a 3 or 5 unit sequence of art courses. For more information regarding the specific course options, please visit the high school page.

The Lansing High School Visual Arts Program is rooted in its students’ interests and motivations. So much of the school day can feel extrinsic and un-motivating, yes, at times even in art. However, every unit of study in the art courses gives students choice. Choice in the theme they want to explore in their work, choice in what message they want to communicate to the audience, choice in subject matter, choice in the materials and techniques they employ, choice in the courses they select to take. Students can take their individual passions and use art as a vehicle to express them.
 
There is more to the Lansing High School Visual Arts Program beyond the making and the end product. Art students look at, discuss, and analyze the works of others. Art students plan intensively, create, practice, experiment, critique, reflect, revise, persist, and publish their works and process. The Lansing High School Art Program teaches students to be metacognitive, constantly documenting their processes and thinking about their own thinking.
 
Because we allow our students to bring their ideas to the table and explore them, Art students will go the extra mile, put in extra hours, work on their assignments at home, stay after school to get ahead, ask questions outside of class, because they can’t stop thinking about their work. Art students are creators, innovators, explorers of visual media, who can envision an idea and bring it to life.

Lansing Elementary

• Instrumental Band and Orchestra study begins in 4th grade with small group lessons and the fourth grade band and orchestra. Both lessons and ensembles occur once a week.

Extra Curricular Opportunities:

• NYSSMA Solo/Small Ensemble & Major Organization Festivals

Lansing Middle School

• Small instrumental lesson groups continue once a week for grades 5 -8. There are four instrumental ensembles: 5/6 Orchestra, 7/8 Orchestra, 5/6 Band, 7/8 Band.  There is also a 7/8 Symphony Orchestra that is organized every year in the spring.

 Extra Curricular Opportunities:

• MS Honors “Band” (string students also participate)

• MS Jazz Band

• MS Musical

• MS All County Band

• MS All County Orchestra

• Jr. High Area All State Band

• Jr. High Area All State Orchestra

• NYSSMA Solo/Small Ensemble & Major Organization Festivals

Lansing High School

• There is a String Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra made up of students in grades 9-12. Each ensemble rehearses every other day. Small group lessons/ sectionals are held once a week.

• The High School Band is made up of students from grades 9-12. This ensemble rehearses everyday. Small group lessons/ sectionals are held once a week.

Extra Curricular Opportunities:

• HS Musical (Pit, Cast, Crew) – MS students have also participated

• HS All County Band and Jazz Band

• Sr. High Area All State Band

• Sr. High Area All State Orchestra

• Conference All State Band

• Conference All State Orchestra

• All Eastern Band

• All Eastern Orchestra

• NYSSMA Solo/Small Ensemble & Major Organization Festivals

General/Vocal Music Opportunities

Lansing Elementary

• General Music - The initial foundation for musical growth and enjoyment for every student is developed.

• K-1- Separate musical elements (rhythm, melody, form) are firstexperienced in movement, games and experiments, playing instruments,imaginative stories/listening exercises, dance, and drama to helpengage every student.

• Grades 2-4– Skills are presented such as learning to follow a musical printedscore, expanding vocabulary, and advanced musical concepts. Throughmusic of different cultures and traditions, the students continue todevelop basic skills. Instrumental skills become moreadvanced with the study of xylophones, classroom instruments,recorders. Drama continues at all elementary grade levels.

Extra Curricular Opportunities:

• 3rd and 4th Grade Chorus (Nutcracker Youth Musical performed biannually)

Lansing Middle School

• General Music 5th-8th

• Chorus (5/6 and 7/8)

Extra Curricular Opportunities:

• MS Musical

• MS All County Chorus

• Jr. High Area All State Chorus

• NYSSMA Solo/Small Ensemble & Major Organization Festivals

Lansing High School

• Music,Its Role and Importance In Our Lives is a general survey class thatcovers composers, musical styles, and the significance of music inevery day living.

• AP Music Theory 1 is an elective course dealing with the elements of musical structure and composition. This is a dual credit course with Tompkins Cortland Community College.

• Music Theory 2 further develops the skills learned in Theory 1. Often students who are considering a college major in music opt to take this elective.

• Mixed Chorus is made up of students in grades 9 -12. The ensemble rehearses every day.  Small group lessons occur once a week.

• Varsity Chorale is an audition only ensemble that rehearses everyday. Small group lessons occur once a week. 

Extra Curricular Opportunities:

• HS Musical (Cast, Crew) – MS students have also participated

• HS All County Chorus

• HS Show Choir

• Sr. High Area All State Chorus

• Conference All State Chorus

• All Eastern Chorus

• NYSSMA Solo/Small Ensemble & Major Organization Festival