Music at Westridge is more than a program—it's a legacy.
Our robust music program is an experience that values the creative process just as much as the performance. Students have been making beautiful music at Westridge since our founding in 1913. While many schools can deliver a stellar performance, few can boast our unique blend of harmony, process, and creativity.
The Lower School performing arts program emphasizes choral music in all three grades with performances throughout the year. Students begin chorus in the fourth grade and continue throughout the fifth and sixth grades where they also have the opportunity to learn a string instrument.
5th and 6th Grade Strings
String instruments are introduced in fifth and sixth grades with several dedicated rehearsal and classroom areas around campus, such as the Braun Music Center. Students can look forward to continuing upon the strong musical foundation built in these grades as they enter Middle School.
Middle School students may choose between participating in orchestra or choir. These music ensemble courses are designed to help students build invaluable listening and collaboration skills, and gain a fundamental understanding of the art forms through theory, technique, and performance.
Middle School Orchestra
Our Orchestra class provides a supportive environment for a wide range of experience levels; beginning students have the opportunity to learn and play a variety of string instruments, and advanced students may choose to continue with their string instrument or play another instrument, such as woodwinds, brass, percussion, or keyboard. All students participate in class discussions, rehearsals, and public performances.
Middle School Choir
In Choir, students learn to read choral scores and sing in two- and three-part harmony in various genres. The class provides students with a deeper understanding of vocal technique, phrasing and musical interpretation, and music analysis. Occasional leadership opportunities are available in both classes for students as section leaders or assistant conductors.
Westridge provides opportunities for students to express themselves and enjoy a variety of musical experiences. Choral ensemble Dulces Voces is offered for all grades, and students also have the opportunity to participate in Glee Club, an auditioned singing group that performs in concerts and recitals throughout the year inside and outside of the Westridge community.
Chamber & String Orchestra
The Upper School Orchestra Program teaches students not only how to perform, but also how to collaborate. In Chamber Orchestra (an auditioned group for advanced players) and String Orchestra (a group designed to develop basic musical and orchestral skills), we cultivate skills in ensemble instruments in order to reinforce and empower the individual as well as the group. A Westridge girl isn't simply a great performer; she's a composer, a harmonizer, and a musician with the tools needed to expand upon her knowledge for a lifetime.
Music Beyond Westridge
Upper School music students have the opportunity to take their experiences far beyond the reaches of our campus. In addition to collaborations in the local community, our students have traveled to cities such as Chicago and Birmingham (where they performed at historical sites of the Civil Rights movement), and international sites like Japan and Italy.
