Students engage in learning the building block of art in order to develop skills. They practice creative thinking while developing their own artistic identity, also known as a student’s voice, in order to possess a unique style of their own.  Students are led to see how art can be emotionally substantial by opening the door for exploring and expressing matters of the heart. They practice applying techniques, exploring imagination, experimenting and problem-solving all while simply just having fun.

The focus of the Lawton Chiles Middle Academy Band program is for students to develop musically, academically, and socially through performance in band.  Students will be developing skills in reading, notation, theory, history, and expression of music on their specific instrument.  Courses are offered for beginners with little or no experience in Beginning Band as well as for intermediate and advanced students in Concert, Symphonic, and Jazz Bands.

Choral students are engaged in team work, leadership, problem solving and the fundamentals of singing all while learning the importance of vocal care so they can continue singing for a lifetime. Choral students are also provided many performance opportunities throughout the year such as our Winter and Spring concerts, Disney Performing Arts, All County Chorus as well as informal community concerts. Community service is another pillar in our choral foundation and service opportunities are provided to all students throughout the year.

Our Creative Writing/Drama elective is designed to enable students to create various forms of writing that will entertain or educate, spread awareness about something or someone, or simply express one’s thoughts, feelings or emotions through written word and/or acting.

The Lawton Chiles Middle Academy Orchestra has been under the direction of Christina Baker since 2002. During that time the program has flourished in both size and quality while becoming a superior program that continually strives towards excellence. Students participating in this program learn about team work, problem solving, and the fundamentals necessary to become a skilled string player. Mrs. Baker fosters an environment that encourages students to perform to the best of their ability, and that the work and effort put into practicing, studying, and playing directly relates to their success and scores obtained in All County, All State, Solo & Ensemble, and Music Performance Assessment competitions. Orchestra provides many performance venues and community service events such as our Winter and Spring concerts, Disney Performing Arts Concert, Feeder School concerts, Community Concerts, all while raising the importance of music awareness.

LCMA’s Photo and Broadcast Journalism classes offer students the chance to explore the world through their own lens. Learners are equipped with the skills necessary to create compelling videos and engaging photos. Through the study of past and present, students gain a deeper understanding of the power that words and images can wield in media – and how they can use their ideas as a catalyst for change.