Music at Presidio Hill School

Music at Presidio Hill School 

Presidio Hill School students study a music program rooted in the Orff-Schulwerk approach, a holistic way to teach and learn music. It is based on ways of making music that children already like to do: sing, chant rhymes, clap, dance, and keep a beat on anything near at hand. These instincts are directed into learning music by hearing and making music first, followed by learning to read and write it. This is the same way spoken languages are learned. The Orff-Schulwerk music program is characterized by a non-competitive atmosphere where one of the rewards is the pleasure of making good music with others.

Students are encouraged to experiment and improvise, with a variety of musical instruments including the recorder, ukelele, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, saxophone, bass, piano, upright bass as well as body percussion, song, and dance. The PHS music program also explores music history, which demonstrates our connection to a larger, multicultural world, as well as teaches the importance of practice and rehearsal in order to prepare for the two main school-wide performances: the winter Follies and spring May Festival and Music Showcase.

At PHS, we understand that all people are musicians and artists. Our emphasis is on generating creativity, encouraging skill-and-confidence building, and creating a supportive environment for improvisation and experimentation. Students learn to try on new experiences with fearlessness. 

Music begins where the possibilities of language end