The Crowden School in Berkeley, CA, is where music and academics come together to cultivate confident, curious learners. As the East Bay’s only K–8 school with a daily music foundation, Crowden offers small classes, dedicated faculty, and a focus on critical thinking, collaboration, and deep listening, which helps students grow into capable, creative thinkers ready for high school and beyond.
Dan Meyers, Head of School
Eugene Sor, Artistic Director
Meet the People Behind the Mission
At Crowden, students thrive under the guidance of passionate educators who believe in the power of music to shape minds and futures. In these short videos, you'll hear how Crowden’s unique approach blends rigorous academics with a deep musical foundation to nurture confident, curious, and resilient learners.
What Sets Crowden Apart
We Prepare our Students for the Future
At Crowden, we prepare our students for the future with a transformative educational experience. Students don't just memorize facts and focus solely on worksheets, they ask bold questions, develop flexible thinking, and explore ideas and concepts in depth.
Big Opportunities
With small class sizes and a tight-knit community, every student is known, challenged, and supported. Whether composing an original piece or solving a math equation, students have the space to shine and the guidance to grow.
Fostering Perseverance and Grit
Whether learning a new instrument or tackling a complex concept, Crowden students build the resilience to keep going when things get hard. With daily opportunities to practice, revise, and perform, they develop discipline, patience, and the confidence to meet 21st-century challenges head-on and prepare for the future.
Learning to Lead, Listen, Follow, and Support
In music and academics, students practice the essential balance of self-expression and collaboration. From ensemble playing to group projects, they learn when to take the lead, when to support others, and how to grow through shared effort and reflection.
Social Connections That Matter
Our small classes foster big relationships. In a close-knit community, students form meaningful friendships across grades, learning to care, communicate, and connect authentically. Strong friendships flourish in small groups. Our intimate learning environment promotes mutual respect, emotional safety, and a sense of belonging.
A Complete Journey from Kindergarten to 8th Grade
Crowden offers a thoughtfully sequenced K–8 education, allowing children to grow within a consistent, supportive community. Each year, students deepen their knowledge, strengthen their character, and graduate ready to thrive in High School and beyond.
Depth of Learning and Flexible Thinking
Our curriculum encourages students to dig deep, think expansively, and make unexpected connections. With music as a daily foundation, they approach every subject—math, science, humanities, and more—with curiosity, creativity, and intellectual agility.
Is Crowden only for children who want to become musicians?
No. The benefits of a Crowden education support a wide variety of future career choices. Crowden alumni excel in careers in fields ranging from business to academia, medicine to the arts.
What if my child has never played an instrument?
That’s OK! We welcome beginners on string instruments (violin, viola, cello, double bass) into all grade levels, no experience required. All piano candidates are expected to demonstrate facility with sight-reading.
Where do Crowden students go to high school?
Crowden School alumni are well-rounded individuals and confident leaders, ready to meet the artistic and intellectual challenges of the high school years and beyond. Their leadership and creative problem-solving skills are highly valued by all major private and public college preparatory high schools, where they excel. Recent high school choices include: Albany High School, Athenian School, Bentley School, Berkeley High School, College Preparatory School, Head Royce School, Lick-Wilmerding, Marin Academy, Maybeck High School, and San Domenico School.
Will my child have time to pursue their other interests outside of school?
Yes. Outside of their school days at Crowden, our students tend to participate in a rich variety of extracurricular activities other than music, including sports, dance, theater, scouting, and others. Classmates regularly support one another outside of school by attending each other's soccer games, dance recitals, and other endeavors--bringing the camaraderie they create together at Crowden outside the classroom and performance hall. Although attending The Crowden School definitely requires instrument practice time, that doesn't stop our students from diving into their other interests, as deeply as they wish.
Discover What’s Possible
at Crowden
Visit us and experience Crowden for yourself. A tour is the best way to see how our vibrant, music-rich environment helps students thrive. Tours open in September 2025.
