At The Elisabeth Morrow School (EMS), our Instrumental Music Program is an essential component of our curriculum, uniquely designed to maximize each student’s cognitive development and academic advantage. Learning to play an instrument is proven by neuroscience to be a measurable competitive edge — fostering advanced brain function, boosting academic achievement, and instilling essential life skills.
Our outstanding music faculty, hailing from the most prestigious music conservatories in the world, guides this journey. In third grade, every student at EMS chooses an instrument to learn. Students in third through eighth grades participate in instrumental music instruction three times a week during school hours. This embedded approach ensures a high level of consistency and skill development without impacting other core academic subjects or requiring additional after-school commitments for families (although some do choose to augment musical education with on-campus lessons after the school day).
- Instruments offered include: Violin, Viola, Cello, Bass, Trumpet, Trombone, Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone, Percussion (Drums, Bells, etc.)
- Please view our curriculum guide to learn more about the instrumental music program in Little School (grades 3 and 4) and Morrow House (grades 5–8).
Activating Neural Pathways: How Music Transforms the Brain
Decades of neuroscience research confirm that musical training profoundly enhances the brain’s ability to learn and process information. When a child learns an instrument, they activate and strengthen neural pathways across the brain, leading to significant academic benefits:
- Boosted Executive Function: Playing an instrument requires the coordination of fine motor skills (hands), reading comprehension (sheet music), and auditory processing (listening and adjusting pitch) simultaneously. This complex, multi-tasking activity strengthens the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain responsible for executive function, including planning, memory, focus, and problem-solving.
- Improved Mathematical Reasoning: Music involves complex ratios, fractions, and patterns (rhythm and harmony). Students who study music develop a deeper, intuitive understanding of these concepts, which translates directly into stronger mathematical and spatial reasoning skills.
- Enhanced Language Skills: The process of distinguishing pitch and rhythmic patterns in music mirrors how the brain processes phonemes in language. This cross-training leads to better auditory discrimination and has been shown to improve reading comprehension and verbal memory.
- Discipline and Perseverance: Mastering a piece of music requires consistent practice, patience, and the ability to accept and learn from mistakes. These lessons in discipline and perseverance instill a work ethic that benefits all areas of academic life.
Innovation and Leadership Through Music
The skills developed in the music program go beyond performance; they are the same capacities needed to lead teams, innovate new solutions, and thrive in a complex world.
- Cultivating Innovative Thinking: Music is inherently abstract and creative. It trains the brain to think beyond rigid rules, encouraging students to interpret, compose, and improvise, which are the fundamental building blocks of innovation and entrepreneurship.
- Creative Problem-Solving: Learning an instrument is a constant process of diagnosing and fixing problems, whether it’s mastering a difficult passage or adjusting intonation to match a group. Students develop grit and ingenuity by finding multiple pathways to technical and artistic mastery.
- High-Performance Collaboration: Playing in an ensemble or orchestra teaches students to listen critically and adapt in real-time. Students learn that the best “sound” isn’t about being the loudest or fastest individual, but about contributing within a group to create a unified product — the essence of effective teamwork.
- Leadership on Stage: Performance demands personal accountability and confident execution. When students step on stage — especially in the high-profile venues we frequent — they learn to lead by example, managing stress and communicating non-verbally with their peers to achieve a shared goal.
- Community Impact: Our students engage in social innovation and outreach, fostering empathy and bridging communities through the application of their musical talents. This dedication is demonstrated by our Kindness Tour, where ensembles regularly perform off-campus at local agencies, including The Actors Fund Home, the Bergen Family Center, and the Southeast Senior Center.
A Model of National Excellence and Distinction
The EMS Instrumental Music Program is nationally renowned for its excellence and the unparalleled opportunities it provides to young musicians. Our program’s high standards have made us a model for peer schools and earned us unique accolades and distinctions that go far beyond local recognition:
- Carnegie Hall & National Distribution: EMS served as a model school for the Carnegie Hall “Link Up” program. Our students performed in their educational materials, which were disseminated in schools from California to Maine, as well as on the prestigious Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s for more than a decade.
- NAIS National Convention: Our ensemble was selected via a competitive national audition to perform at the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) national convention at Radio City Music Hall. This was a highly significant distinction, as EMS was the only elementary/middle school group performing alongside only two high schools, highlighting our students’ elite level of mastery.
- Featured in Major Film: In 1999, 77 EMS students were chosen to perform in the Miramax film, “Music of the Heart,” starring Meryl Streep. The majority of the approximately 100 children selected from national auditions were EMS students.
- Unmatched Performance Opportunities: Our students receive professional-level masterclass opportunities and perform at prestigious venues (NJPAC, bergenPAC) year after year. Ensembles have opened for legendary musicians, including Itzhak Perlman (5x) and Joshua Bell (7x), and shared the stage with prominent acts like Black Violin and The Piano Guys.
The program’s national reputation for excellence makes EMS musicians highly sought-after. This gives our students a distinct competitive advantage in the high school admissions process, as top secondary schools actively seek them to fill their performing arts programs.
A Legacy of Success
The discipline and elite skills learned here set our alumni on a path for success in diverse fields. While the collaboration and executive function skills honed here prepare them for roles as successful innovators, scientists, and business leaders, their musical accomplishments also continue to shine. Our students consistently perform at the highest level in their high school and college ensembles, and it is a well-established fact that our alumni attend some of the top music conservatories in the world; there is rarely a year that goes by without an EMS student or alumnus being accepted to The Juilliard School.
By seamlessly integrating art and academics, the instrumental music program at The Elisabeth Morrow School ensures students leave EMS uniquely equipped with the intellectual power and creative capabilities to lead, innovate, and thrive in high school, college, and beyond.
