At The Gregory School, students are encouraged to try new things, as evidenced through curricular innovations such as Friday Explorations, independent studies, and our no-cut athletics policy. (If more students sign up, we just create more teams!) We are proud that this philosophy extends into our performing arts program as well: The message we want students to hear is, “All are welcome—No previous experience required.”

To this end, we offer music groups at a variety of levels from complete beginners in orchestra, choir, band, piano, and guitar all the way to our string ensemble and jazz band. Students of all levels of experience are also encouraged to take drama, stagecraft, and dance and to audition for theater productions. The theory is that you will never know what your potential could be if you don’t try new things. And the theory works!

On March 4, our beginning band performed at Middle School meeting. Before they played, band and orchestra teacher Dr. Christie Blute spoke to the audience. “These students started off the year as beginners. Most of them couldn’t read music or had even held an instrument before. This performance will show you how far you can come in just a few months.” Then the band played its current favorite piece, T-Rex, by Joseph Compello, to a rousing round of applause.

At Exploration 3 following the Middle School meeting, Dr. Blute invited students to come to the music room to try out the instruments. Some students had never touched a musical instrument before. Others were accomplished musicians looking to try something new. In holding this Exploration, Dr. Blute hopes to reinforce the notion that TGS students are encouraged to experiment, explore, and fully experience their education in all the ways that The Gregory School has to offer.