Through a partnership with the Rhode Island Philharmonic Music School, Sophia Academy has introduced an expanded music education program. The program adds a new dimension to Sophia’s vibrant arts curriculum, immersing students in serious study of music.
Fifth graders are engaged in the Carnegie Hall/Weill Music Institute “Link Up” curriculum, an orchestra program that covers classical composers as well as American folk and jazz traditions. Students learn to listen, sing, play recorder, and compose music. The class is taught by Muriel Holfelder, a national board certified music teacher with 28 years of classroom experience and extensive history in curriculum design, ensemble direction, and student-centered learning.
“With a music teacher in residence, there will be opportunities to integrate music with academic and other arts disciplines, and to apply the study of music to issues students care about,” said Head of School Maura Farrell. Students will will also have opportunities to meet female composers and artists who come to perform for the Rhode Island Philharmonic, and to hold performances of their own for families and the school community. After a year of general music education, students will be ready to participate in a choral program, beginning in the 2020-2021 school year with the sixth grade, and phasing in seventh and eighth grade over the next two years.
Amelia Prioli, Community Partnerships Manager at the Rhode Island Philharmonic, said of the new partnership: “We know the cognitive and social-emotional benefits that a high-quality music education provides, and partnering with a school that focuses on the academic and social growth of scholars was a perfect match. We are thrilled to be part of this time of expansion and opportunity.”
For an update on the music program during distance learning in the third trimester, please click here.
