Tune into this! Students at SJS are taking their very first DP Music course.
This exciting addition to SJS’s Diploma Programme invites students to explore music from every angle. Over the course of two years they’ll challenge the way they listen, think and create, while developing valuable skills that extend beyond the classroom. There is a seat for everyone in DP Music, whether they already play an instrument or not.
What does Music look like in the Diploma Programme?
Music in the DP is more than just learning an instrument. With an integration of musicology, music theory and performance, students explore music from a wide variety of perspectives. The course expands the surface-level interaction with music by exploring the sociological, cultural and technological developments of music and how it impacts our perception and practice.
This was what drew in Lucy, one of the current students. “Music has been a passion of mine ever since I was a kid, around 6 or 7 years old,” she explained. “I enjoy playing guitar and applying cultural music techniques into my guitar playing.”
On the performance side, students will develop and deepen their foundations such as their technical ability in harmony and rhythm, analysis and even composition.
It was a big motivator for Harry to take the course. “I chose to take DP Music to deepen my knowledge and understanding of music theory and culture. In addition, I was looking to engage in more composition-related tasks.”
Being a two-year program also means that students without prior music experience are welcome to join. Students are not measured on how well they play their instrument, but by how well they apply the ideas and their process.
How Music Moves Students
Music develops a wide variety of important skills including empathy, active listening and understanding, all of which are challenged and applied in DP Music. Across history, music has transformed from a functional tool and piece of technology to the creative art form we know today. This progression from intention to implementation to impact is an important part of the human relationship with music.
“All of the arts are about storytelling, and storytelling is what has brought people together throughout the course of human history. Music itself is a universal way of connecting people,” says Ms. Van Inwegen, MYP Visual Art/Theatre and DP Music teacher. “It transcends ages, language, culture, and even ability. You don’t have to be able to hear to enjoy music, you can feel it.”
Understanding the depth and application of music also develops practical skills. Discipline is essential for maintaining regular practice, and resilience is required to face the challenges and failures that naturally come with learning new skills. Students also learn how to give, accept and apply feedback throughout the program, regularly utilizing reflection to improve.
Choosing an arts course in the Diploma Programme keeps an important creative outlet within a student’s schedule, while giving them a lens to apply the Approaches to Learning (ATL) that they’ve been building across the IB continuum. As the IB Programme aims to develop the whole student, the DP Music course is a well-rounded in-depth way to explore the creative medium.
We can’t wait to see the deep thinking and creative productions of this new DP music cohort and the future musicians that join them in years to come.
