String & Rhythm Orchestra

All KIPP Academy students learn to play an instrument and read music. For 99% of them, this is their first exposure to instrumental music. Fifth graders study music theory and learn to read music, and sixth, seventh, and eighth graders play in the 180-piece KIPP Academy String and Rhythm Orchestra, widely regarded as among the finest middle school orchestras in the nation.

The underlying purpose of the orchestra is not to prepare students for careers as professional musicians. Rather, the orchestra serves as an essential vehicle for developing the character and academic skills of our students. We believe that the zest, grit, self-control, and other character strengths developed in the orchestra are transferable to other academic disciplines. More importantly, these character strengths can be transferred to students’ lives. We have seen the orchestra help students turn their lives around by providing a concrete example of the outstanding results that can be achieved through desire, discipline, and dedication.

The KIPP Academy Orchestra has played to enthusiastic audiences around the country at venues including the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, the Lincoln Memorial, and Riverside Church, and with artists including Sheryl Crow, John Mayer, Jon Bon Jovi, Alicia Keys, Wynton Marsalis, and Roger Waters.

Hear us in person at KIPP Academy or at the KIPP NYC Celebration Concert at Radio City Music Hall on April 3, 2009.