Fine Arts

Ferndale is a community dedicated to the arts and arts education. Our music programs are leading the region. Our students perform in orchestras and ensembles across the state and beyond. Our writers and performers bring theatre to life. Our artists are fostered by a rich community of craftsmen, artisans and creatives. Come see what makes Ferndale beautiful.

Music

Our music program produces many All-Region and All-State musicians. Our talented students consistently receive high marking at Festival performances.

Click to jump to our Awards & Recognitions »

Theatre

Ferndale High School produces a fall play and spring musical every year as well as participating in the Michigan Thespian Festival. Our program offers honors credits as well as competitive scholarship opportunities.

Click to jump to our Theatre Arts Events & Awards »

Art Classes

We offer a variety of traditional art classes in two- and 3-dimensional art and design, metalworking and illustration as well as additional courses at the Center for Advanced Studies and the Arts (CASA)

Dance

All Ferndale School district students have the opportunity to participate in dance instruction. Numerous levels of Dance classes are offered in the Middle School, High School and at CASA (Center for Advanced Studies and the Arts). Appropriately challenging classes allow novice through expert dancers opportunity to explore ballet, jazz, contemporary, theatrical, ballroom and tap. Highly skilled and motivated dancers can audition for one or two hours per day class placement at CASA. All dance classes will perform at a semester/session concluding concert. The Ferndale High Dance Team performs at all Dance Concerts in addition to home football and basketball games.

Learn more about our Award-Winning Dance Programs

Musical Awards & Recognition 

GOLDEN EAGLE MARCHING BAND 

• 1st in State 2022, All 5 Caption Awards
  • Caption Awards: General Effect, Visual Performance, Music Performance, Percussion, Colorguard
• 1st in State 2021, Flight IV
• 2nd in State 2019, Flight IV
  • Caption Awards: Visual Performance
• 2nd in State 2018, Flight IV
  • Caption Awards: General Effect
• 5th is State 2017, Flight III
• 1st in State 2016, Flight IV
• 1st in State 2015, Flight IV
  • Caption Awards: General Effect, Visual Performance, Music Performance
• featured in Halftime Magazine

ORCHESTRA

• Straight First Division Ratings, both Middle & High School, MSBOA Festival, 2016
• Presented "Electrify Your Strings", performing with Mark Wood of Trans Siberian Orchestra
  • Read more and see the photo gallery here »

WINTERGUARD

• 1st in State 2023, Scholastic Regional A
• 1st in State 2019, Perfect Season!
• 1st in State 2018, Scholastic Regional A
• 2nd in State 2009, Independent A competition

JAZZ BAND

• Performed at Detroit International Jazz Festival

WIND ENSEMBLE

• Earned Superior Rating (1s) at MSBOA District Band Festival for the last 25 consecutive years

INDEPENDENT PERCUSSION 

• 2015 2nd Place, WGI World Championship

INDIVIDUAL RECOGNITION

2017-18

• 2 FMS Students Nominated to Michigan Youth Arts Festival Honors Orchestra
• 6 FMS Students Join Detroit Symphony Orchestra Honors Band Festival
• 1 Student in All-State Band
• 10 FHS band students MSBOA Honors Band
• 5 orchestra students in Oakland University Honors Orchestra Weekend

2016-17

• 2 MYAF (Michigan Youth Arts Festival) musicians
• Chamber Ensemble invited to audition at MYA Festival
• 8 students Oakland U Honors Orchestra
• 2 FHS Students Selected for Michigan Youth Arts Festival
• 3 Students selected to All-State Band and Orchestra
• 10 students MSBOA District 4 Honors Bands

2015-16

• 2 students in Michigan Youth Arts Orchestra
• 11 DSO Middle School Youth Honors Band
• 2 Students All-State Youth Orchestra
• 1 Student All State Band
• 2 students in International Youth Symphony Orchestra Nov 201
• 3 students in MYA Orchestra

​2014-15

• 3 students in MYA Orchestra
• 1 Student in All State Band

Theatre Arts 

Fall Play

The Fall Play is sponsored by the Student Enterprise Theatre, a student organization committed to introducing students to all aspects of the theatre arts including performance, design, production, tech, and promotion. Students help select the play and then participate as actors, technicians, production staff and many other facets that make a fully realized play production possible. This activity involves high school students primarily, but does open up to middle school students on occasion as well.

Michigan Thespian Festival

In December, students of the theatre department have the opportunity to participate in the Michigan Thespian Festival along with hundreds of other students from across the state. At this great event students can compete in both performance and production aspects of theatre, attend workshops by theatre arts professionals, and audition for college programs and scholarships. Additionally, students get to watch productions from various schools presented at Festival.

Spring Musical

In the spring, The Ferndale Musical Boosters sponsor a musical theatre performance. Here some students show their talents in acting, singing, and dance, while others display their musicianship by playing in the pit orchestra or working behind the scenes in technical areas such as lighting, sound, set construction and stage management. This is the most elaborate theatre event of the season and draws mainly high school and middle school students with occasional opportunities for elementary students when appropriate.

International Thespian Society 

At the end of each year, students who have participated in 2 or more productions and have earned honor points for their efforts are given the opportunity to be inducted into the International Thespian Society: Troupe 408.

Theatre Awards & Recognition

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENTS

• FHS Senior earns $32,000 scholarship for Original Play, Michigan Thespian Festival, 2015
• FHS Senior awarded $72,000 scholarship to University of Detroit Mercy, 2015