PERFORMING ARTS AT PARK
The Performing Arts at Park celebrate creativity, collaboration, and self-expression across every age and experience level. Through music and drama, students discover the power of performance as a way to connect, communicate, and grow. Whether singing in choir, playing in an ensemble, composing and arranging, or performing on stage, all students are encouraged to participate in the performing arts. Our programs cultivate confidence, empathy, and lifelong appreciation—skills which resonate far beyond the stage.
Learn how you can help in our construction of a 19,000 square foot, 400-seat performing arts space located on campus that includes an art gallery; a media arts center; band, chorus and dramatic arts rooms. This space will be large enough to house whole school assemblies, visiting speakers, grandparent day performances, commencement, the spring art festival, the fall play and spring musical.
DRAMA & theater
Our growing Drama program has been specially developed for students across the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools.
Park’s drama and theater program has really taken off in recent years, performing multiple sold-out shows throughout the school year - proving new levels of growth and success. Students who want to be involved behind the scenes may take the Theater Production course to organize costumes, assist in rehearsing lines, learn how to create and print 3D props, paint stage sets, and more!
Annual performance opportunities include our fall play, which involves students in grades 7–12; our winter variety show, featuring a one-act play that students perform and submit as part of the New York Thespian Society’s One-Act Festival competition; and our spring musical, which brings together students in grades 3–12.
Drama provides many other benefits to our students. In addition to building their confidence, it enhances their public speaking abilities, teamwork and collaboration, planning and program management, creativity, and complex problem solving. It also deepens their sense of empathy and tolerance as they immerse themselves in the characters and stories of people from different backgrounds and life experiences.
instrumental & vocal performance
Our music programs include singing in choir, learning how to play a multitude of instruments in core music classes, and performing in Park’s Middle and Upper School band and/or jazz ensemble. All students are encouraged to create and practice their own solos to perform at our concerts throughout the year.
instrumental
Our Instrumental Music program welcomes all students to experience the joy of making music together, regardless of prior experience. Beginning in fourth grade, students start with instrumental lessons that introduce the fundamentals of tone production, rhythm, and ensemble playing. From there, students have the opportunity to join our Middle, and Upper School instrumental ensembles—each designed to support musicians as they grow in skill and confidence.
Ensemble participation fosters teamwork, listening, and musical expression as students perform a wide range of repertoire. In the Upper School, instrumentalists explore music with a jazz focus, developing skills in improvisation, style, and collaboration. Upper School students also have opportunities to arrange and compose original pieces for the ensemble, deepening their creativity and ownership of the music they perform.
Students are encouraged to expand their musical experiences through participation in NYSSMA solo festivals and ECMEA ensembles, where they can challenge themselves and connect with young musicians from across the region.
vocal
Our vocal music program welcomes students of all experience levels to discover and develop their singing voices in a supportive, collaborative environment. We have three inclusive choral ensembles where students build vocal technique, strengthen musical literacy, and experience the joy of making music together. Ensemble participation also includes small-group voice lessons that help students grow in confidence and skill.
Vocalists in both middle and upper school are encouraged to participate in ECMEA and NYSSMA solo festivals, where they can further refine their musicianship and performance skills. Upper School students with advanced ability and dedication may audition for our Upper School Select Choir, an ensemble that performs more challenging repertoire and represents our school at special events both on and off campus.
Beyond the classroom, our choirs share their music with the wider community through off-campus performances and service projects at local retirement homes, spreading the joy of singing and connection through service and artistry.
GENERAL MUSIC
LOWER SCHOOL
Our Lower School music program nurtures a love of music through joyful, hands-on exploration. In an active and engaging classroom setting, students develop foundational musical skills while building coordination and confidence. They sing, move, and play a variety of instruments—including xylophones, tubanos, recorders, and classroom percussion—using both fine and gross motor skills to create and respond to music.
As students grow, they strengthen their singing voices, learn to sing in two parts, and begin reading basic music notation. These skills lay the groundwork for participation in our choral and band ensembles, which begin in the second half of fourth grade.
Lower School students share their learning and enthusiasm for music through two annual performances: the Winter Concert in January and the Grandparents Day Concert in May. In addition, third and fourth grade students collaborate during music and drama classes to present a 30-minute musical each spring, celebrating creativity, teamwork, and the joy of performance.
middle school
Our Middle School music program invites students to explore the rich diversity of music from around the world and across time. Through active, hands-on learning, students study Western classical traditions, global music cultures, and the evolution of American popular music from the 1950s through the 1980s.
Musical concepts such as theory and notation are reinforced through creative projects using our class sets of ukuleles and tubanos, encouraging both collaboration and individual expression. Students also investigate the science of sound, explore world music traditions, and analyze beloved musical theatre works—deepening their understanding of how music connects people, cultures, and ideas.
Upper school
In Upper School General Music, students explore the evolution of music from the Renaissance to the present day, discovering how historical and cultural contexts have shaped the sounds we hear today. The course also introduces students to film music and electronic music composition, expanding their understanding of music’s role in storytelling and technology.
Students review the fundamentals of reading music notation and apply their skills through creative composition projects using instruments such as tubanos, xylophones, and ukuleles. This class offers students meaningful opportunities to express themselves through music-making while deepening their appreciation of music as an integral part of daily life.
