PHAME's courses are a lot of fun for students and often present new, exciting challenges. Our teachers have experience in artistic disciplines and cultivate close relationships with students while learning their individual needs. Class sizes range from 7 to 10, with 40 to 45 in choir and drama.

Drama is one of the most popular courses offered at Phame Academy. Perhaps it is because students recognize the challenge of memorizing lines or to fulfill their desire to act in front of an audience. One thing is for sure, it’s a lot of fun. Courses are taught by Carol Stady and Michael Ashton, two experienced stage performers. Students will work on basic dramatic skills and showcase their talents on the stage by performing short plays. Additionally, the Academy produces a major theatre production each year which gives the students involved in the Theatre Arts Department another opportunity to act, sing, dance, and work on set designs and costumes.Theatre Arts class information

Students audition for parts in the fall and spend five months (spanning the course of winter and spring terms) rehearsing music, blocking, lines, character development, etc. all leading up to our biggest performance of the year. Lead roles also receive special one on one vocal instruction from Carol and Michael to help build confidence for rehearsals and the final performances. Musical Production class information

In Art, students have a chance to express their feelings and thoughts, as well as improve their hand-eye coordination. Students work in a fast paced environment through learning different methods of art starting with the traditional painting and drawing, and then moving onto media such as clay, pastel, charcoal, watercolor, and finger paint. Students also learn different artists’ techniques such as Picasso, Da Vinci, and Monet just to name a few. Phame students have had opportunities to exhibit their work locally and they donate their work to Phame’s annual winter gala, as well as having their own line of greeting and Christmas cards. Fine Arts class information

Journal writing, short stories, and poetry give students the opportunity to explore various ways of expressing themselves while learning the fundamentals of language, vocabulary, and story telling. Creative Writing class information

Dance class begins with a good warm up. Students are then taught important dance skills like muscle control and balance. And finally, they start to strut their stuff as they practice various styles of dance including basic ballet, tap, modern, and jazz. Lots of miscellaneous choreography is taught to go along with the annual musical show each year. This class helps the body to move more gracefully and become more expressive while developing more fluid motion and control. Dance class information

PHAME's largest class teaches students the joys of music using their own unique instrument, their voice. Students in choir learn to master musical challenges such as music theory, sight reading, vocal dynamics, and musical expression as well as team challenges that include blending with others to sing as a group. Students also have several opportunities to audition for solos to improve their auditioning skills and gain valuable experience. The PHAME choir has recorded two cds and is asked by organizations throughout the Portland area to perform them, making choir a very rewarding class.Choir class information

Music Development acts as a step up lesson for students who are seriously interested in further developing their musical skills. Working one on one with interns from our partner, Earthtones Music Therapy Services, students have the opportunity to practice a song of their choice to be performed at the end of term recital. Furthermore, students choose what instrument to perform with, whether it be voice, drums, guitar, piano, etc. Music Development class information

For more information about PHAME's courses call (503) 973-5815