Primary School
The Primary School music program encompasses a wide variety of vocal and instrumental music. Through singing and listening activities, students develop a good sense of rhythm and pitch and build a foundation for lifelong music appreciation and literacy. Primary music classes often integrate cultural or historical selections with the classroom curriculum, building a love and respect for a range of musical traditions. The Kent Place Primary Chorus gives talented young singers (grades three to five) the opportunity to study and perform more challenging choral music—complementing their work in the classroom. Instrumental classes and private lessons allow students to broaden their musical experience. In the Primary Instrumental Ensemble, students apply their new playing skills in concerted pieces. Creative and lively performances take place regularly during the year in classes, at assemblies and in concert at the Arts Center.

Middle School
Within the music curriculum students learn to appreciate great works of music literature through a study of specific topics in music history. In each grade, students work toward skilled development and an understanding of music literature and history. In sixth grade, the focus is on learning about different genres of Western music, and in seventh grade on world and non-Western music as a parallel to the study of world cultures in history class. In eighth grade, music class highlights American music during the twentieth century. All students are given the opportunity to perform in both formal and informal settings. Middle School performing groups are not auditioned and include the Sixth-Grade Chorus, Minnesingers, Eighth-Grade Chorus, Instrumental Ensemble and an English Hand Bell choir.

Upper School
The department believes that the foundation of any school music program should be performance. Kent Place offers many opportunities for performance and artistic expression through its numerous performing ensembles, both large and small in choral and instrumental music. The music department also encourages the development of individual skills in creativity and self-expression for students of exceptional motivation and talent. This is expressed through small group or individual instruction, with members of the department or with teachers on our adjunct music staff. The department supplements performance with a curriculum that promotes understanding of musical literature, materials and history. Both performance groups and academic studies are designed to prepare for college musical studies, and for continuing avocational or professional activity. Independent study in music is reserved for those seniors, and occasionally juniors, who demonstrate a competence in music theory or history, and in exceptional cases, performance, who wish to pursue in-depth study of a designated historical period, the relation of music to other arts and humanities, or an intensive performance-based project.