Music
Elementary School
In Elementary School, students start playing musical instruments and cover basic fundamentals of rhythm, note reading, posture, watching the conductor, and learning how to perform as a group.
Elementary students receive music as part of the weekly curriculum. We use the National Core Arts Standards (NCAS) as a guide in providing unified quality arts education for students. The standard enables the students to Create, Perform, Respond, and Connect.
In Early Childhood, students learn how to play percussive instruments and are prepared to join the Orff program. From Kindergarten to Grade 2, students join the beginning Orff class to learn the xylophone, ukulele, and percussion instruments. After Grade 2, students increase their skills to learn the xylophone, recorder, keyboard, and guitar. The students gain access to fun activities that will enable them to learn basic elements of music such as Rhythm and Beats, Solfege, Pitch, Form, Timbre, Expression, Vocabulary, Music letter names through singing, dancing, games, movements, playing of instruments, and much more.
Concerts highlight seasonal and holiday celebrations from a wide variety of cultures. Multicultural materials help students understand how celebrations are observed by people everywhere. This exposure to music and dance grants students appreciation and understanding for the diversity of cultures that make up the world community.
Middle School
Starting in Middle School, AISA dives into learning as individuals and as a group; rhythms, note reading, breathing, counting, articulations and much more. As students continue to become more familiar with their instruments, we explore deeper musical concepts and are introduced to different styles of music.
At AISA, all Middle School students have the option to enroll for a music course. In 6th grade, the students get one trimester of each offering, which are: Music, Theater and Art. In music, students will learn about basic music theory, rhythm, and various genres of music. Should the students have interest in music, they can continue with Band and playing an instrument in 7th grade. In 7th and 8th grade band, students will begin playing an instrument and work on both individual and ensemble skills. The students will have the opportunity to showcase their talents in performance at least once a semester.
High School
In High School Band, students learn numerous songs in various styles from traditional concert band literature, Jazz and Blues, Pep Band, Rock and Roll, Latin, World Music and more! In these years, students will continue developing proficiency on their instruments while also learning music theory and history.
The High School Concert Band is the premiere performing ensemble at AISA. The High School Band performs up to 8 times a year in public settings. Students will have the opportunity to take part in the WAISAL Band Festival. This is an international festival in which students can learn from a renowned guest conductor while playing alongside students from up to 6 other international schools. The ASIA band actively scouts for outside of school/ away performing opportunities. In recent years, AISA has, commissioned and hosted a composer from the US to write 3 songs to be World Premiered, twice worked with the Hungarian Embassy to host a Hungarian percussion ensemble and share a concert with them, hosted the WAISAL Band festival twice, and has invited several musicians from around Nigeria to share the stage in concert. The High School Band has jointly worked with its sister school in Lagos, Nigeria and traveled back and forth for concerts.
Performances
The Band program has 2 major performances a year: in December and May. Various groups will also perform different times throughout the year on campus for students and parents.