Find Out How Students Develop A Lifelong Love Of Music With Shrewsbury International School

Find out why Shrewsbury believes music is so important for early years development

We all know that the best type of education we can offer our children is a well-rounded one, where music and the arts are held in just as high regard as science, maths and languages. But why is it so important to include creative subjects in a modern-day curriculum? Well, along with it being a fantastic way for children to express themselves, there’s plenty to suggest that taking part in music classes can have many positive effects on a child’s overall learning. Don’t just take our word for it, Mary Luehrisen, Executive Director of the National Association of Music Merchants, summarises, “When you look at children aged between two and nine, one of the significant breakthroughs is the benefits music brings to language development.”

At Shrewsbury International School, music and performing arts are firmly rooted in not only the school’s curriculum but also in its impressive 500-year heritage. You see, the school was founded in the UK by Royal Charter in 1552, and the very first headmaster of Shrewsbury School, Thomas Ashton, initiated the school’s passion for the arts, producing (and even acting in) numerous Whitsuntide school plays from 1560 onwards. And the rest, as they say, is history. The newly-opened Hong Kong campus is just as dedicated to delivering a similarly aspirational musical programme, with its dedicated faculty and specially designed teaching spaces, including a dedicated drama studio, dance space and a musical recital and rehearsal venue which has been specially designed to maximise the acoustics of the room. The school itself provides a unique range of opportunities and a bespoke British education to children between the ages of 3 and 11.

Shrewsbury’s interpretation of success is not just simply focused on academic excellence – a refreshing take on education in HK, we’re sure you’ll agree. Instead, the school focuses on the opportunities afforded to everyone and realises that each child has their own different aspirations and passions. Musical initiatives can help children develop in so many ways, it would be a sin not to include creative subjects in a modern-day curriculum. Experts suggest that guided musical experiences support learning both across the curriculum and beyond. Kyle Pruett, Clinical Professor of Child Psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine, states that “The development of language over time tends to enhance parts of the brain that help process music – and language competence is at the root of social competence. Musical experience strengthens the capacity to be verbally competent.” Now, that may sound very impressive and scientific, but when it comes down to the very heart of it, although the school recognises the developmental importance of music in early years education, the main aim of the school’s musical programme, is to nurture a life-long love of music in its students.

Get a better understanding of the school, its programmes and its state-of-the-art facility by attending one of its school tours. Held every Tuesday, at 10 am – 11 am, you can meet the founding principal of Shrewsbury International School Hong Kong and explore the campus. If you’re a music lover yourself, see the school’s musical programme in action at a free concert held at St John’s Cathedral in Central. The school’s UK counterpart will be in town to celebrate the opening of the Hong Kong campus and the British school’s choir will be putting on a show on Thursday, 25 October. So grab the kids, get your tickets, and start that lifelong love of music now.

When: Thursday, 25 October, 7:30pm -9:30pm
Where: St John’s Cathedral, 4-8 Garden Road, Central, Hong Kong
How much: FREE! To book your ticket email [email protected]

Shrewsbury International School, 10 Shek Kok Rd, Tseung Kwan O, 2480 1500, [email protected], www.shrewsbury.hk