We know that it is beneficial to listen to and learn music. Now, how do we take those benefits and scale them to reach every child? How do we integrate music meaningfully into the school system? Here are some suggestions by our team of artists, educators, curriculum developers, and experts:
1 – Don’t just make it an add-on
For students to truly experience the benefits of quality learning, music education needs its own ecosystem. That means the curriculum, teaching methods, and learning outcomes need to be created from the ground-up and mapped to different age groups. When we find a larger vision to work towards, we can also train our educators to translate that vision into reality.
2 – Teacher training is everything
It is on the educator to help students build a meaningful and lasting relationship with music. Here at SaPa, we work with one of Europe’s most prestigious conservatories, the Norwegian Academy of Music, to train our educators. We also ensure that we re-certify them every year.
3 – Make it accessible and fun to everyone
Whether the student wants to turn music into a career or not is secondary. What matters most is that every child experiences the benefits of music education. It makes them better at math and language; it builds their confidence; it gives them a meaningful way to bond with their friends. Music also builds creativity, teamwork, and empathy – qualities that the world always needs.
4 – Remember: it’s not about perfection
We want to turn music into an immersive experience. And nothing ruins an experience like chasing perfection. Instead, what if we taught them resilience? What if we helped them fall in love with practising and watching themselves get better every day? What if we could create a world in which they enjoy what they do while continuing to work diligently towards their goals – just with the pressure taken out? It is on us to build an ecosystem that they will cherish well into adulthood.
Our SaPa in Schools program turns 10 years old next year. We began with a vision to take music to every child, and we are so grateful to be working with over 30,000 children today.
If you are an educator or school head who would like to take SaPa to your school, please write to enquiry@sapaindia.com.
