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Music

We never go a day without music on the Pace Academy campus. From Knightstars and strings in the Lower School to Middle School chorus and the Upper School’s Knight of Jazz, opportunities for making music abound.

Lower School

Throughout the Lower School, music is connected to the overall curriculum as a way for students to enjoy learning through songs, games, dances, movement and drama. Our program is process-oriented and based on the philosophy of Orff Schulwerk, which involves the whole child in music through the use of speech, motion, singing and instrument playing. Instruction involves imitating, exploring, improvising, analyzing, creating, refining and communicating.

Fourth and fifth graders may participate in our Knightstars choral group, which performs at school events and in the community. A string orchestra program is also offered for interested students in the third, fourth and fifth grades. Strings students perform classical, jazz, rock and pop music at multiple concerts each year and are featured at assemblies and Pace events. The competitive program prepares students to audition for All-State Orchestra and youth orchestras, including the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra (ASYO).

Middle School

If Middle School students decide to pursue the performing arts, yearlong electives such as band, chorus and strings offer opportunities to build fundamental skills, learn to read music, and perform for family and friends. Our programs introduce young musicians to a wide range of literature, from classical and jazz to Broadway and pop. Our ensembles perform throughout the year and frequently tour within the Southeast.

Upper School

There’s no shortage of performance opportunities in our Upper School. Students who love to sing may participate in our 60-member chorus and audition for one or more of the Upper School’s three vocal ensembles. Those interested in understanding the practice and theory of Western music may take AP music theory in their junior or senior years.

Our band and strings programs have grown tremendously in recent years. Strings students explore and perform music of many styles and genres at concerts and on tour. Members of the Pace band tour every other year, and our pep band frequently revs up the crowd at pep rallies and Pace sporting events. Every year, the chorus and band collaborate to present A Knight of Jazz, an exciting evening showcasing our talented musicians.