Davidson Day Music and Band

Starting from their first day on campus, our students benefit from our investments in music and band. The result? The cultivation of a lifelong appreciation for creative expression and musical collaboration.

Music Curriculum at Davidson Day

Beginning in our early childhood program with students at two years old, we integrate music, dance, and movement into daily routines, providing opportunities for our early preschool (2s and 3s), preschool (3s and 4s), and junior kindergarteners (4s and 5s) chances to try new instruments, sing and sign, and perform in the classroom and on stage.

In Lower School, students refine their musical abilities through special instruction in Kindergarten, 1st Grade, and 2nd Grade, then learn to play recorders and ukuleles in 3rd Grade. Starting in 4th Grade, students begin participating in Band, which continues through Middle School at Davidson Day.

Students first try a variety of instruments, learn to read and play music, then select a woodwind, brass, or percussion instrument to play for our school community during pep rallies, performances, home games, and special events. Our band also performs beyond the boundaries of our campus at regional sporting events, parades, and Christmas in Davidson.

Our Upper School music program is led by the award-winning professional musician Noel Friedline and Maria Howell and is styled in the vein of a “School of Rock,” with students participating in two contemporary ensembles delivering rousing public performances spanning the last five decades of musical innovations from Marvin Gaye to The Who to Imagine Dragons.