MUS Arts Overview

About

For more than 100 years, Memphis University School has provided Mid-South boys with unparalleled opportunities to develop intellectually, morally, socially, artistically, and physically, becoming leaders well-equipped to turn great ideas into action. Here, boys in Grades 7-12 find a top-tier academic program, small classes with individual attention, a school community centered on an Honor Code, extracurricular activities with opportunities for leadership, and a sense of belonging within a fellowship of common purpose.

Admissions

Come learn for yourself why there is no better school in the Mid-South for boys in Grades 7-12. We are committed to academic excellence, and we know how to teach boys. Nearly 70 percent of our teachers have advanced degrees, and they average 22 years of experience. We maintain a student-teacher ratio of 7 to 1, and a typical class size of 15. Step-by-step, our students learn to take responsibility for their actions, serve the community, and develop leadership skills as they make lifelong friendships.

Academics

The extraordinarily accomplished and dedicated faculty is our driving force, and providing boys an unparalleled college-preparatory education is our guiding principle. Since the school’s founding in 1893, we have upheld a tradition of excellence, and we stay on the cutting edge by keeping an eye on the future. What we teach is shaped by the expectations that colleges have for students they admit, and by what we believe we should pass on from generation to generation.

Arts

Understanding and appreciating the works of man’s creative spirit are necessary for a complete education. We offer students myriad opportunities for hands-on, full-fledged participation in performing, visual, and recording arts. Boys here have the chance to sculpt, to paint, to act, to sing, and to perform, and the whole community benefits from the creativity that they express.

“It is art that makes life, makes interest, makes importance … and I know of no substitute whatever for the force and beauty of its process.” - Henry James, 1915

Athletics

Sports have always played a significant role in shaping the moral character of our students. Teamwork, self-sacrifice, courage, stamina, perseverance, hard work, self-control - these values are forged in the crucible of competition. While we are extremely proud of our numerous athletic achievements, we realize these endeavors are never an end in themselves, but a powerful means to an end: self-knowledge and self-improvement for our boys. Our athletic program lives by the highest code of sportsmanship. We play hard, we play by the rules, and we have fun. At MUS, we always play the games well.

Student Life

A tradition of excellence remains vigorous here due to the commitment of the entire community - especially students. We encourage our boys to strive for excellence because that allows them to find meaning in what they do, to play a role in something greater than themselves, and to discover a sense of competence and thus confidence in themselves and in their abilities. If our academics, or our sports, or our arts, or our service and leadership opportunities do not challenge or engage boys, then they lack the capacity to transform boys. The struggle for excellence makes our experiences real. And boys need something real.

Archive Gallery

1 / 8

Arts News

Students Advance in Shakespeare Competition

Freshman Miles McCarroll won the schoolwide English-Speaking Union Shakespeare Competition January 27 by performing an excerpt from Henry IV, Part 2, Act 5, Scene 5. Sophomore Amrik Chakravarty placed second with a performance as Nick Bottom from Act 4, Scene 1 of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Read More
Five Owls Win Art Awards

Five Owls earned honors in the Mid-South Scholastic Art Awards for work they produced during the first semester. See their work HERE.

Andrew Xu ’23 entered an illustration titled “Poli Sci,” which earned a Gold Key. Xu’s art will be on display at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, and it will be sent to New York for national judging.
Read More
All-West Orchestra Honors

Congratulations to all Owl musicians who auditioned for the All-West Tennessee Orchestras. They performed difficult musical excerpts and scales, and were required to sightread in front of a judge who is a professional musician and/or teacher.
Read More
Owls Host Memphis Symphony Orchestra Residency

A clarinet concert in Hyde Chapel November 16 was the culmination of a residency with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra clarinet quartet. President and Chief Executive Officer Peter Abell introduced the program, saying, “Music provides the soundtrack to your life as you live it.”
Read More
Owls in All-National Ensembles

Juniors Dannie Dong (percussion) and Joel Lim (oboe) were selected for the All-National Honor Ensembles, sponsored by the National Association for Music Education.
Read More
Williams Earns BRACE Award

Congratulations to seventh grader Gus Williams for his second-place win in the grade-level BRACE awards at Briarcrest with “Psychadillo,” created in Mrs. Laura Beck’s Art 7 class.
Read More
Patterson Wins Pumpkin Contest

Congratulations to eighth grader Will Patterson for winning the pumpkin carving contest. See more photos from the contest HERE.
Read More
Artists Celebrate Hispanic Heritage

As MUS highlighted Hispanic heritage this month with a chapel guest from Cazateatro Bilingual Theatre Group, artists in Mrs. Laura Beck’s seventh grade classes created Día de los Muertos posters. While working on their pieces, Owls studied Hispanic heritage as well as color therapy, symmetry, and Zentangles.
Read More
Pumpkin Carving Contest: Oct. 27

Instructor in Art Laura Beck is hosting a pumpkin carving contest! Students can enter by submitting a photo of their creation by October 27. The artist must be in the photo with his pumpkin.
Read More
HoCo Poster Contest Winners

Instructor in Art Laura Beck has announced the winners of the Homecoming Poster Contest!
Read More
May the 4th Winners

Art and Star Wars clubs hosted a Star Wars themed art contest last month. The winners, announced in assembly Wednesday, May 4, were junior Charlie Gallop and seventh grader Clay Patterson.
Read More
Honor Society Inductees

At the recent honor societies and Book Awards event, a parliament of Owls earned their membership into six prestigious honor societies.
Read More
Star Wars Art Showdown: April 27

Calling all Star Wars fans! In celebration of May the 4th, the Art and Star Wars clubs invite you to create your best Star Wars fan art. Artwork must be ORIGINAL.
Read More
Record 28 Owls Reach All-West Standing

A record 28 musicians earned chairs in All-West Tennessee bands and orchestras, and another two received alternate status. This surpasses last year’s record of 25 musicians and three alternates. Additionally, eight students qualified for All-State honors.
Read More
Students Create Greeting Card Art

Congratulations to the winners of the Admissions Department card art contest, freshman Oscar Liu and eighth grader Jeremy Burks.
Read More
Winter Concerts Will Delight: Dec. 6, 9

Our winter concerts are the perfect way to celebrate the holiday season. The event Monday, December 6, will feature the MUS Orchestra and Wind Ensembles. Come back Thursday, December 9, to hear Studio Band, Jazz Band, and Beg To Differ.

Read More
Henry Earns Art Honorable Mention

Seventh grader Luke Henry earned an honorable mention for his self-portrait in the Briarcrest Regional Art Contest. As part of Mrs. Laura Beck’s portrait assignment, Owls learned to use grids to enlarge their school portraits and explore facial proportions. After studying value scales, the boys use colored pencils, applied in layers, to bring out the facial features and give them form.
Read More
Homecoming Poster Contest Winners

Instructor in Art Laura Beck has announced the winners of the Homecoming Poster Contest. Freshman Wills Frazer won the Upper School division and eighth grader Derrion Harris-Larkin won in Lower School.
Read More
Interested in Music?

If you are interested in studying music in the new school year, see these letters from Instructor in Music Chris Piecuch.
Read More
Join the Fall Stage Crew

Are you interested in design, engineering, architecture, or entertainment? Consider joining the Fall Stage Crew! Applications are available HERE. Attend one of the upcoming information meetings: Thursday, May 13, in Hyde Chapel at 1 p.m. or 3:30 p.m.
Read More

About

Admissions

Academics

Arts

Athletics

Student Life

Arts Overview

Archive Gallery

List of 14 members.

Grant Burke

Laura Beck

Chris Carter

Chris Colbeck

Michelle Crews

Ted Fockler

Robert Fudge

Tim Greer

Stephen Hildreth

Jonathan Jones

Corey Phillips

Chris Piecuch

Jonathan Saunders

Matt Tutor

Arts News

Memphis University School