Music is an important part of every classroom, festival, and holiday, and permeates the overall fabric of the school. From Preschool through Eighth Grade, the children experience a wide range of musical activities. Daily classroom singing is a normal occurrence here with specialized choir instruction beginning in the Fifth Grade. First Graders learn to play simple pentatonic flutes and move to diatonic flutes in Third Grade, and then into C-flutes and recorders in the middle school. Fourth Graders start the study of a stringed instrument and students are introduced to the ukulele in Grade Seven.

Music is brought to our students as much as possible from living, acoustic sources: other human beings. As the young child learns primarily through imitation, they learn to sing by imitation of those around them. Step-by-step the other tasks of music making are learned.

The persistence required to learn a complex piece of choral music, or the cello part of a song to create something beautiful with others, is of great importance for the child. This collective activity, which relies on individual preparation, demands consistent effort and concentration, both in solitude and as a part of the group. Acquiring these basic musical skills by regular practice can open a world of opportunity and understanding for each student. As adults, we also understand that the ability to express one’s feelings through an art form can be a constructive outlet.