Fine Arts

The Fine Arts Department at Joe Straus, III Middle School comprises of our award-winning "legacy courses" of Art, Band, Choir, Dance, Orchestra, and Theater.  Legacy courses are courses that can be taken from 6th grade to 12th grade that advance their content learning each year from the beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels with some of the levels being placed based on competitive ability-based auditions.  Each course starts at the very basic beginner level, teaching the fundamentals and basics of the course and advancing the curriculum each year thereafter. Students have opportunities for program achievement, individual awards, and recognitions through competitions and auditions at the School, District, Region, Area, State, and National level. We offer our students many performances and attendance opportunities in world-class venues and contests such as our Northside ISD auditoriums, the AT&T Center, the Tobin Center of the Performance Arts, and the Lila Cockrell Theatre. Each course provides students with an opportunity to excel and shine outside of the common core content areas. Our instructors are top-class teachers that are in-demand performers, and artists in the city, state, and nation. We look forward to working with your students in our programs and sharing our passions.