Children deserve an early introduction to music and fine arts.  Music and the arts are an essential complement to both the Academy’s greater vision and the Core Knowledge Sequence.  An early introduction to the arts provides many opportunities to sing, dance, listen and act in an atmosphere that encourages participation.  Arts instruction increases academic achievement, fosters the development of higher level thinking skills, and contributes to the well-rounded nature of each student.  The students of Paideia will learn and enjoy the elements of music through listening and understanding classical and traditional music and songs.  Music topics, where applicable, will also be tied into the History topics being studied.  Paideia students will be exposed to ideas from Carl Orff and his exploration of the connection between movement and music.  Additional supplemental techniques, including the Dalcroze and Kodaly methods, will be offered in order to make reading music fun and easy and in order to create a desire in the students to become involved in orchestra or band in the following years.   The Kodaly is a sequenced system of music education that breaks down music into a series of concepts and then applies a sequential learning process to each one.  Such a process follows the natural pattern a child uses in learning a language.  This combination of instructional methods will make learning music a stimulating and enjoyable experience for children while helping them appreciate music and become musically literate.  Students in grades 5-8 will choose from general music or an in-depth instrument study.

An essential element of Paideia's mission is to establish music as a core subject in order to enhance children's artistic and intellectual development. Who better to take on that challenge than one of the most reputable music schools in the country? In order to fulfill that mission, Paideia has entered into a partnership with
MacPhail Center for Music to provide not only the music programming for the school, but also to create a wonderful opportunity for the southern suburban community to experience MacPhail's music program in its own backyard.