Children Grow in the Joy of Song at Friends School Haverford

"Thank you for teaching my child real music!" ~FSH parent

Music is truly one of the beloved specialist programs at Friends School Haverford (FSH). 

It's all about musicality -- creating, interpreting, and performing music with skill and artistry. FSH students quickly learn that Ed Nardi's music class is energizing, nonstop fun.

Here, even the youngest children start with song. Children as young as 3 years old get the joy of traveling to Teacher Ed's classroom. In the later grades, they start with simple vocal exercises (think: do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, do) and eventually master songs that are well-loved by children and adults alike -- from the Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun" and "Two of Us" to Bob Marley's "Three Little Birds".

Teacher Ed
Teacher Ed walks students through what he calls "lyri-pics" -- a set of illustrated lyrics and icons to help them internalize and remember the words for each song they learn.

The classroom is fun, but orderly. Students quickly learn that "let's begin" is a call to quiet -- but that doesn't last for long. Each class starts with singing and mastery, and ends with movement and dancing galore.

Stepping into Teacher Ed's class, the joy is contagious. And his passion for teaching comes through in his practice.

"There's no downtime in my class. The kids are so excited when they arrive -- and we get right into the curriculum when they get here. There is so much to create and experience together," explains Teacher Ed.

Older children in first and second grade learn how to play the recorder. They work from Recorder From the Beginning, a curriculum that teaches music the fun way, according to Teacher Ed. "They begin to learn to read music and play alongside backing tracks, from the classic 'Hot Cross Buns' to more cultural specific pieces like the Spanish dance, 'Fandango.'"

"I prefer to go deep on select studies rather than try to cover too many things and only scratch the surface," he says.

And FSH families agree. They are thrilled when their children come home from FSH bursting with full versions of the classic songs they know and love. At the end of the year, parents, caregivers, and teachers come together for a culminating music performance at FSH's Celebration of the Arts.

Vist FSH at an Admissions Open House on December 6 or April 24 from 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. to experience the joy of music, song, and dance for yourself. Teacher Ed will be looking for you there!

Register at FriendsHaverford.org/visit

Friends School Haverford
851 Buck Lane, Haverford, PA
Phone: 610-642-2334
E-mail us here