The Music Atelier at La Scuola

A special place in every Reggio school is the atelier. The atelier is a laboratory of sorts; a place full of a variety of materials, mediums and tools that allow students to further their inquiries, explore new ideas and express themselves. Loris Malaguzzi, founder of the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood learning, believed that children have ‘100 Languages’ or more with which to express themselves. In an atelier, they might use art, music, graphic design, coding and tinkering, among other things, to illustrate their learning.

Please join me today in taking a glimpse into the Music Atelier at La Scuola International School, and the importance it plays within our students’ learning and development.

The music program at La Scuola begins in Preschool and extends through the end of Middle School. As one of the ‘One Hundred Languages,’ children study music by listening, singing, playing, reading, and composing, from the start of the curriculum to graduation. We inquire into music as science, as culture, as history, as math, connecting through all disciplines.

In addition to our K-8 formal music classes, the school is full of music, with song accompanying many preschool routines, and classroom teachers regularly accompanying students in concert or joining in a class. As an immersion school, La Scuola recognizes the value of music in teaching language and concepts. Many La Scuola Preschool children’s first Italian words are in song.

Throughout the school year students attend music classes on a weekly basis. They also participate through music in various class and school assemblies and special events. At the end of each semester, the K-8 classes celebrate music with two all-school concerts, which are open to our K-8 student body and our students’ families. This past week we celebrated the Winter Concert and incorporated it into our Grandparents and Special Friends Day celebration.

Students who want to take music further can join the Ambassador Ensemble, open to our Middle School students, which is a plucked string orchestra that rehearses and performs for special events, and represents the school throughout the Bay Area.

We see that our students and graduates speak the language of music—it is one more tool they have to express themselves. And when they make music together, they witness the beauty and impact of collaboration and the benefit of diversity.

In addition to the Music Atelier, La Scuola has Ateliers on the subjects of Gardening and Environmental Studies, Tinkering and Design, and Visual Arts. To learn more about the Ateliers at La Scuola, why not take an in-person tour of the school, by contacting our Admissions team.  

We look forward to sharing the magic with you soon!

Micheline Savarin

Director of Marketing

La Scuola International School