By Alisa Chamberlain This is the first in a reoccurring series featuring DA seniors and their artistic hobbies outside school. Brooke Little is a senior Musical Theatre student who enjoys poetry and songwriting. While Little is able to sing and act at school, she enjoys writing her own music at home. Her process contains both singing and playing the guitar. She also wants to improve … Continue reading Senior Hobbies

By Bella Zaccaro Some say that in the arts, whether in the writing, film, TV, music or theatre industries, there has always been a struggle between creating original work and running a successful business. Though each industry may serve as the intersection of these two things, oftentimes an individual within it falls only on one side—creator versus executive, crew versus network, writer versus publisher. A … Continue reading Industry Matters: Introduction

Yolanda Henry, lunch lady, Graduated from Forest High School The Artisan: How would you describe your interactions with students as a lunch lady? Henry: I love it, and they love me too. I interact with them well. I like getting to know them. The Artisan: What is your biggest pet peeve? Henry: What is it? Are you talking about in general? I don’t like to … Continue reading Yolanda Henry

Lisa Giacchetto, bookkeeper, graduated from Notre Dame High School. The Artisan: How would you describe what you do as bookkeeper in one phrase or sentence? Giacchetto: “Anything that needs doing.” I support teachers and admin in following DCPS policy regarding any funding. So… money. The Artisan: What brought you to DA as opposed to any other school? Giacchetto: Well, I had two children graduate from … Continue reading Lisa Giacchetto

Khanh Tran, sculpture teacher, graduated from Douglas Anderson as a Visual Arts (drawing and painting) Major The Artisan: How would you say your students and their art influence you? Tran: A lot of them are very creative young artists, and I think I feed off of their energy as much as they feed off of my energy. And they are as inspiring, I mean their … Continue reading Khanh Tran

Taylor Baines, Dance Teacher, graduated from Douglas Anderson School of the Arts as a dance major. The Artisan: How has your time at DA been? Baines: It’s been different, honestly, compared to being a student and now a teacher. Of course, a lot of the teachers here were my teachers at the time. So now it’s a big shift of being colleagues, and having that … Continue reading Taylor Baines

Bradley Akers, theatre teacher, graduated from Douglas Anderson as a theatre major. The Artisan: What’s your favorite part of working on Chicago? Akers: It’s always been my very favorite musical, so to visit it with such young, passionate people reminds me of how I was when I first discovered it. It’s a joy to see them discover it, have fun doing the process, you know? … Continue reading Bradley Akers

Paul Denayer, technical theatre teacher, graduated from Los Gatos High School in California The Artisan: What brought you to DA? Denayer: I originally worked in sound for TV, back in California. Eventually I went back into theatre and did my undergrad at USF, then got a Master’s in lighting and sound design at Kent State, and I soon discovered I enjoyed teaching. I taught college … Continue reading Paul Denayer

By Matthew Snead A favorite quote, just like body language, can reveal a person’s traits and belief systems. In this series, faculty, support staff and administrators share words of wisdom and encouragement that inspire them. We hope it helps you continue to learn about the adults influencing your life and even find ways they are similar to you. Today we hear from School Counselor and … Continue reading Golden Quotes

By Angelina Davis This is the first in a reoccurring series about academic faculty and their connections to the arts. Look for the next piece in December. Since it was established in 1985, Douglas Anderson’s motto has been ‘Where arts and academics meet in excellence’. Few high schools value the integration of the arts into the curriculum as heavily and intimately as we do. It’s … Continue reading Academic Teachers and Their Art Forms