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Music

Ursuline Academy offers a robust music education and performance program. Seventh and Eighth graders take a quarter-long class as part of their electives rotation that teaches them to read music, play percussion instruments and the ukulele, and learn the foundations of music composition. Students can later choose to take Intro to Music Theory and AP Music Theory in high school.

Ursuline also has four music performance groups: the Choral Group, the Glee Club, the Bearitones (Ursuline's student-run a capella group), and the Chamber Ensemble. 

Music Groups

Ursuline Academy has four main musical groups:  the Choral Group, the Bearitones, Glee Club, and Chamber Ensemble.  All four perform at our two concerts during the year - the Christmas Gathering in December, and the Festival of the Arts in May - as well as other special public and private events throughout the local community.  

Choral Group

Choral Group is the high school chorus—grades 9-12—and they sing at all Masses and major school events. They also participate in District Festivals and the MICCA Festival. They also perform at the Christmas Concert and the Festival of the Arts.

Glee Club

Glee Club is a non-auditioned chorus for grades 7-9 (and others)! They sing at the Christmas Concert and the Spring Arts Festival. They have the opportunity to participate in the Junior District Festival and sing at the Cathedral.

The Bearitones

The Bearitones is our student-run A cappella group. Students participate in jams with area high schools, sing at our two concerts and run a spring fundraiser, the Taylor Made Concert, to raise funds for the Taylor Manning '17 Scholarship.

Chamber Ensemble

Chamber Ensemble is a classical instrumental group, in partnership with St. Sebastian's School, a neighboring all boys' school. They perform at the Christmas Concert and the Festival of the Arts.

Music Education

Tri-M Music Honor Society

The Tri-M Music Honor Society is a program of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), which focuses on creating future leaders in music education and music advocacy. It recognizes students that have gone above and beyond, both academically and musically, and provides students with leadership opportunities to make a difference in their community through music-based service projects.

Significance of the Tri-M Name

The name Tri-M was derived from the original name of our honor society, Modern Music Masters. The first letter M signifies “modern.”  That which is new in any age is called modern. It is only in looking back that descriptions such as old, classical, or romantic are given to those art forms that had formerly been accepted as modern.  This is a youth organization, and with each succeeding year, its membership will be made up of young people, and therefore our honor society will never grow old, but will be eternally modern. 

The second letter M signifies “music.” According to The Random House Dictionary of the English Language, “Music is the art of sound that expresses ideas and emotions in significant forms through the elements of rhythm, melody, harmony, and color.” Music was present even before there was written language, and from that time to the present, it has been a source of communication. Music is the universal language.  

The third letter M signifies “masters.” In the art field, the custom has been to give the title of “master” to those who have achieved a high degree of proficiency. Our students have met the criteria as a Tri-M candidate for student membership. As “masters,” students in the Tri-M have an increased opportunity to serve the school and community. A member of the Tri-M Music Honor Society is one who sets a good example, is always willing to assist those students who are striving to better themselves in the music department, and always remembers that real honor brings responsibility.

Membership in the Tri-M Honor Society

The Tri-M Music Honor Society is open to students who have taken a music class and are actively involved in the music life of the school - Choral Group, Glee Club, Bearitones, Chamber Ensemble.  Members of the Tri M are encouraged to share their musical gifts with the local and global community.  Some projects that Tri-M students have been involved in is bringing music to residents in nursing homes, carolling at Legacy Place and area nursing homes, and singing for the Catholic TV telethon.