COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES: PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES PROVIDE RELEVANT SKILLS.

• Position: EXTRAORDINARY EDUCATION

It's one thing to perform onstage. It's another to sing in an 800-year-old venue in the homeland of great composers like Bach and Beethoven.

The performing arts at High Point University provide experiences that stick with students throughout their lives and prepare them to perform at their highest level, on Broadway or in the boardroom, operating room or research lab.

Whether students major in music, theatre, dance or any of the social science programs in the College of Arts and Sciences, such as psychology, human relations or nonprofit leadership and management, immersive experiences in the arts prepare them for what it takes to be competitive in the workplace and get results.

"Throughout all majors, we strive to connect what students learn in the classroom with everyday life," says Dr. Carole Stoneking, dean of the David R. Hayworth College of Arts and Sciences. "Students are encouraged to participate in ways that go beyond the classroom and help them synthesize what they are learning."

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

That's where the Chamber Singers found themselves during a five-month European tour and study aboard experience. While rehearsing and studying music history, the group performed throughout the Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, Austria and Hungary.

Senior Shannon Howard, a music and theatre major, describes the experience as life changing.

"Being able to do what I love all around Europe was a dream come true,"she says." It opened my eyes to what music can do. I wouldn't change it for a thing."

Chamber Singers is HPU's premier vocal ensemble, but auditions are open to all students. The group tours throughout the United States and abroad.

"Sometimes we study music history, and other times we are immersed in it--walking, living, singing and learning amongst the sights and sounds that have inspired people for millennia," says Dr. Marc Ashley Foster, chair of the music department and director of choral activities. "That's what experiential learning is all about."

TAKING THE NEXT STEP

Experiences like these prepare students with specialized skills and creativity, but also broad, transferable knowledge leading to real, productive work at the professional level.

Roxanne Daneman, '16, recently performed a lead role in "The Fantasticks" with the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company in Baltimore. She landed the role after working as an apprentice through HPU's exclusive relationship with the company.

"HPU taught me to be a professional--everything from...