Perpich Center for Arts Education
From Minnewiki
Known to most Minnesota residents and students simply as "The Arts High School", PCAE was originally the brainchild of former Minnesota Governor Rudy Perpich and his wife, Lola.
PCAE is a residential, tuition-free public high school in Golden Valley that offers a regular academic education but with a concentration on arts education. The focused coursework in art areas include music, dance, literary arts, media arts, theater and visual arts; often with an intermingling of the areas.
The school is open to 11th and 12th grade students who are Minnesota residents.
History
In the 1980s, as the Perpiches traveled around the state and the country, they found that arts education was an important factor in economic development. Wanting to do well for their own state, they proposed the framework for what would eventually become the Arts High School. After nearly a decade of wrangling with the legislature, concerned citizens and critics of arts education, the school opened it's doors in 1989. It has been operating ever since.
Originally named the Minnesota Center for Arts Education, the school was renamed by the legislature in 1999 in honor of Rudy and Lola Perpich.
Music Program
The music program at PCAE offers a comprehensive coursework for musicians, ranging from music theory and ear training, music through electronics using MIDI and multi-track recording, composition, music business, aesthetics, world music, criticism and interdisciplinary seminars with other arts and academic subjects.
The school has produced hundreds of active musicians in the Twin Cities, Minnesota and national classical, rock, experimental and jazz scenes. (Notably Sean Tillmann aka Har Mar Superstar, Apryl Electra and Avenpitch).
The music program produces an average of 15 concerts per school year in various genres of music, many hosted at the campus in Golden Valley and many around the Twin Cities area. Students are also involved with the sound, lighting and technical ends of these performances.
