Frequently Asked Questions
This page answers frequently asked general questions and questions about the music program.
General Questions
What is The Crowden School and what grades does it serve?
The Crowden School is a full academic day school specializing in the musical growth and education of children in grades four through eight. The most distinctive characteristic of Crowden is that each child is required to play a stringed instrument (violin, viola, cello, or bass) or piano. The Crowden School is unique in that it balances both a rigorous academic and music program.
The Crowden School is a division of the Crowden Music Center, a nonprofit organization that serves as a vital musical hub for the Bay Area, with over 6,000 individuals attending classes, workshops, rehearsals, concerts, and other events each year. For information on our many community programs, please contact the Crowden Center for Music in the Community office at ccmc@crowden.org or 510.559.2941.
Is this a school for children who want to become professional musicians?
The goal of a Crowden-School education is to cultivate well-rounded individuals who are intellectually and musically accomplished. Our academic program compliments the music focus so that students develop self-discipline, listening skills, and meaningful interaction. Chamber music is at the core of our curriculum. For those students with the desire to pursue music more intensively, the Crowden School provides the best possible support for achieving their goals.
Do the children need to be experienced musicians to apply to Crowden?
Beginning string players are admitted at the fourth and fifth grade levels. For beginners, aptitude and enthusiasm for music are more important than accomplishment. These traits can be demonstrated at the audition by playing any musical instrument or by singing. However, candidates for the piano program must typically have more experience with sight-reading and chamber music.
How does the daily schedule accommodate music and academic classes, and how many students are in each class?
The first two hours of the school day (8–10 am) are devoted to instrumental music (technique, chorus, orchestra, and ensembles). Each student also studies with a private teacher outside of school hours.
Crowden offers an engaging and challenging academic program which runs from 10:10 am until 3:30 pm and includes English, history, math, science, French/Romance languages, art, chorus, physical education, and music history. The average class size is 12, and we have 28 full-time and part-time faculty members.
How does the music program work with the academic program?
The study of music enhances students' cognitive abilities in other areas by training the brain in higher forms of thinking. Students develop the ability to sustain a high level of concentration and attention to detail while working in a cooperative manner. The best evidence supporting Crowden's approach to education is the success rate of its graduates in high school admissions and in the joy graduates find in music. Many of our alumni students choose to pursue careers in music. Regardless of their career path, their Crowden education and music background enhance their lives.
Which high schools do Crowden graduates attend?
Most Crowden graduates go on to attend private high schools in the East Bay , San Francisco, or Marin County. Crowden is known among the most selective high schools in this area for graduating students well-equipped to undertake a challenging course of study. Class of 2009 high school choices included Berkeley High School, The College Preparatory School, The Head Royce School, San Domenico School Virtuoso Program, San Francisco School of the Arts, and Lick-Wilmerding.
May I visit the school?
We hold informational sessions and offer tours. Evening information sessions for 2009-2010 are:
- Tuesday, October 20
- Tuesday, November 10
- Wednesday, December 9
- Wednesday, January 13
- Wednesday, April 14
During these sessions, prospective families may speak with our faculty and administration. Morning tours are held on Thursdays between October and February. During a tour you will have a chance to see music program in action.
When may my child visit?
We encourage all interested students to spend the day in both music and academic classes with current students in the appropriate grade level. We invite prospective students once a completed application has been returned.
Do you require an entrance exam?
Academic testing and auditions will be held on Thursday, February 11, at 9:15 am.
May my child keep his current music teacher?
Yes! All students are expected to take private lessons outside of school classes. The Crowden School does not offer private instruction in the music program. Parents who are seeking private instruction for their child will be referred to qualified teachers on the Crowden Center for Music in the Community faculty or in the broader community. The school's music faculty and private teachers communicate openly to support each student's learning. Where there may be differences in approach or philosophy, the private teacher's opinion is honored first and foremost.
What will my child gain from this program that s/he cannot obtain through private lessons?
The goal of the music program is to provide young musicians with the opportunity to be coached and to perform in a variety of ensembles, including piano duos, string/piano chamber groups, ensemble repertoire, chorus, and orchestra. Our theory and composition classes and music history classes also support the student's music education. This approach will help your student to become a stronger musician.
What if my child wants to study both piano and a string instrument?
The answer to this question depends on the child's proficiency on each instrument and the needs of the music program. In fact, a high percentage of our students study both piano and a string instrument privately, but choose to focus on a stringed instrument at school. We have found that it is extremely valuable for our pianists' musicianship (especially as accompanists and chamber musicians) to also study a stringed instrument.
Generally, we suggest that a child wait until the sixth grade to audition on piano. To be admitted as a pianist, the student must be a facile reader and technician, with a capacity to play challenging chamber music repertoire with our string players. If the child demonstrates high proficiency on both instruments we will make every effort to make it work within our schedule and our available resources. Other factors to consider include the requisite practice needed for both instruments and the child's ability to juggle our school's musical and academic demands. We offer an annual, informal piano workshop to both Upper School students and Lower School students who primarily play a stringed instrument at Crowden.
How do the musicianship and composition classes work?
Crowden has a long tradition of supporting the efforts of its young composers. We offer five levels of musicianship and composition classes that meet twice weekly throughout the school year for all of our students. Classes cover a multitude of topics, including harmony, counterpoint, ear training, sight singing, and analysis. There are opportunities for students to hear their works performed and discuss them with both their peers and with our distinguished faculty, most of whom are professional composers. The Lower School collaborates on an annual composition project; sixth and seventh grade students present their own and each other's works on Composition Night. The eighth grade composition project in June culminates their musical year. Young composers in the day school may wish to supplement their studies through participation in the John Adams Young Composers Program (offered through the Crowden Center for Music in the Community).
What performances will my child be involved in?
Students at Crowden have many opportunities to perform for their peers and for outside audiences. Collaborations with Bay Area arts organizations such as the San Francisco Symphony and Chorus, Piedmont Choirs, the Vivace Music Festival, the Junior Bach Festival, the International Music Festival, the Yehudi Menuhin Chamber Music Seminar, and Berkeley Ballet Theater enhance our music curriculum by bringing our young performers into the community. Our Spring Concert is held off-campus, and involves every Crowden student. Crowden students also travel to hospitals, day care centers, schools, and nursing homes to play for those unable to attend regular concerts.
What other musical enrichment activities does the school provide?
Students attend concerts, plays, and exhibitions; participate in master classes; go on performance tours; and receive invitations to perform at special functions. Recent events and opportunities have included appearances at the Solano Stroll, concerts for the Emeryville Senior Center, John Adams Day at CMC, and Crowden's 25th Anniversary Concert at Hertz Hall, UC Berkeley.
In recent years, Crowden has presented master classes, workshops, and informal talks by: pianists Margret Elsing and Mack McCray; guitarists Sharon Isbin and David Tanenbaum; violinists Jeremy Cohen, Sergiu Luca, Sylvia Rosenberg, Gil Shaham, and Ian Swenson; violist Yuri Bashmet; cellists David Finckel, Bonnie Hampton, Joan Jeanrenaud, and Laszlo Varga; bassist Gary Karr; composers John Adams, Philip Glass, Pierre Jalbert, Steve Mackey, and Laurence Rosenthal; baroque specialist John Holloway; and the Cypress and Takács String Quartets. Members from Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra have performed for the school five times and even had a year-long residency in collaboration with our music history offerings! The music faculty of Crowden also performs in numerous concerts and informal presentations for the students. Crowden students engage in community outreach performances throughout the year, including performances at radio stations, public events, and local schools and businesses. Every year, Crowden students perform for and with public school students attending Jefferson Elementary, our next door neighbor.
Questions?
For more about the Music Program, contact Lisa Grodin, TCS Director of Music, at lgrodin@crowden.org or 510.559.6910 ext. 108.
If you would like to learn more about The Crowden School, please contact Heidi Mattson, Admissions Coordinator, at admissions@crowden.org or 510.559.6910 ext. 122.