At Hong Kong International School (HKIS), music is teamwork. Widely celebrated within the school community and a mainstay of the its curriculum, the HKIS band program gives students the fresh opportunity to learn and collaborate creatively as a group, away from their individual music lessons. The program is unique in that it spans from primary school right through to graduation. After general music studies in Lower Primary, students as early as Grade 3 can enter a band program and try out a variety of instruments before specialising in one instrument. When they head to middle school, they are able to choose whether to keep studying it.
The collaborative learning within the band program is what makes the program so special. Mr. Ward and Mr. Pihowich, the Middle School Band Directors, explain the benefits of the band and broader performing arts programs.
“Performing arts is crucial for the middle school experience — not just middle school, but also for elementary school and high school,” begins Mr. Ward. “It gives students an opportunity to express themselves and a chance to excel in another area.”
During middle school, a lot is happening in the human body in regard to brain development. Music helps the development of fine motor skills, and having students collaborate in class and in band practice allows them to discover a new identity they might not know they had.
Mr. Pihowich agrees, emphasising that the performing arts are a critical part of the curriculum. “First of all, it’s a real-world experience — music has been with us since the beginning of time, from instruments in caves,” he says. “It really is part of humanity and part of what we are.”
Oftentimes, students in Hong Kong will take private music lessons on the side — which is great, but this only allows them to learn one-on-one. In contrast, HKIS’s band program has a variety of band ensembles, where students can play in a class with all their friends and learn in a group setting. During the lessons, the focus is on collaborative skills and ensembles, helping students develop relationships with each other.
It’s not just all talk, either. The HKIS band program has always been known in the international school scene as one of the best. In the recent few years, the band has welcomed music educator Dr. Russell Robinson as a consultant and Australian composer Jodie Blackshaw has been invited to work with the students.
When it comes down to it, the band program is all about the students, so what Mr. Ward and Mr. Pihowich try and do is to listen to what the community wants and to make it happen. “We really want to make sure the students are invested,” says Mr. Ward. “So we try to personalise their learning that way; we make sure each student is getting what they want and need from us to help their learning.”
Watch this video and find out more about the HKIS band program and what it offers. For more information about Hong Kong International School visit the Admissions page.
