The Arts at Stanley
Music
Listening, creating and making music together from Pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade.
Music at Stanley
Students learn music by making music.
Music at Stanley is active, collaborative and joyful. Students sing, move, listen, experiment, play instruments and create together as they develop musical understanding and confidence.
Across the years, the program grows with students, moving from playful exploration toward greater independence, musicianship and self-expression.
Pre-Kindergarten Through 8
A musical journey that grows with the child.
Skills, understanding and creative independence build over time, while music remains rooted in participation, collaboration and the joy of making something together.
Pre-K through 2
Explore & Experience
Young musicians discover beat, rhythm, melody, movement and voice through playful experiences that encourage curiosity, participation and confidence.
Grades 3 through 5
Build & Create
Students expand their musical vocabulary and skills, work with instruments and increasingly use what they know to interpret, improvise and make musical choices.
Middle School
Express & Collaborate
Older students deepen their musicianship through performance, percussion, ensemble work and creative exploration while developing their individual voices.
More Than Performance
Listening, creating and contributing.
Music reflects the larger Stanley approach to learning. Students build skills through experience while learning to listen to one another, take creative risks and contribute to a shared whole.
Creative Expression
Students experiment, interpret, improvise and communicate ideas through sound, rhythm, voice and movement.
Collaboration
Making music together asks students to listen closely, respond to one another and understand how individual contributions shape the group.
Confidence & Growth
Students develop musicianship over time while learning that creativity grows through practice, persistence and a willingness to try.
Meet Our Music Teachers
Music across every stage.
Stanley students learn with music educators who understand the developmental journey from a child's first musical explorations through the growing independence of Middle School.
Pre-K through 5 Music
Laura Gibson
Laura guides Stanley's younger musicians as they explore rhythm, melody, movement, voice and instruments, helping students build musical skills while developing confidence, curiosity and joy in creating together.
Middle School Music
Koffi Toudji
Stanley's philosophy and community drew Koffi to the school. Through strong relationships and a positive classroom environment, he encourages students to express themselves through thoughtful, joyful music-making.
An accomplished music professional, Koffi has performed nationally and internationally and has taught students from preschool through college across a wide range of music and percussion styles.
The Arts at Stanley
One part of a Pre-Kindergarten through 8 arts journey.
Music lives alongside dance and movement, visual arts and theater, giving students multiple ways to create, communicate, collaborate and understand the world around them.
Explore the Arts