At Gillispie, music is a vibrant and joyful part of every student’s learning journey. With a legacy spanning over 30 years, our music program is integral to nurturing confident, creative, and connected learners from early childhood through upper elementary grades.
We know music education supports academic growth by strengthening memory, focus, language development, and mathematical reasoning. Paired with dancing and playing instruments, music enhances fine and gross motor skills. Music is also a source of well-being and joy; it nurtures belonging, community, and cultural awareness.
But there’s more. Music education encourages a rhythm of learning where students become comfortable with exploring, making mistakes, and growing through persistence and reflection. These experiences build emotional resilience and a mindset that supports long-term learning.
The success of our year-end Spring Music Performance is the result of our students not only learning harmonies, memorizing lyrics and music, and practicing stage presence, but also embracing the process-trying new things, recovering from mistakes, and steadily improving through consistent effort. Singing and performing help students find their voice, build confidence, and feel a true sense of belonging.
We especially see this in the Choir, an extraordinary group of 40 students in grades 2 through 6, whose performances are the result of early morning rehearsals every E Day, requiring commitment, teamwork, and vulnerability. In their words:
“I like that no one gets judged for how they sing.” ~ Jack, Grade 4
“It’s great that other grades participate, not just mine. It brings the whole school together.” ~ Gabrielle, Grade 5
“When I get off the stage, I feel good. It feels like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.” ~ Sophia, Grade 4
“We’re nervous when we get on stage, but that goes away when we start to sing.” ~ Evelyn, Grade 4
Learn how our specialty classes go beyond the basics to support meaningful learning.>