Students sing, move, play, perform, and participate in shared creative work upon our stage from the time they are very young.
In Early Childhood, music, movement, dramatic play, and class performances help students build comfort with expression, collaboration, and being seen and heard as part of a group. As they grow, those experiences expand through weekly music classes, progressing to incorporation of basic musical instruments including non-pitched percussion instruments and Boomwhackers starting in Nursery School. By the time they reach Third Grade, they are introduced to ukuleles, and in the Fourth Grade, not only do they practice xylophone and drums, they also choose guitar, bass, drums, or keys to play together as a class and in group lessons. As they grow, so does their involvement in our dance and drum residencies and seasonal concerts.
Over time, students come to understand performances as a practice of attention, preparation, and trust. Musical ensemble work, smaller theatre pieces for individual classes, and musical theatre all ask students to listen closely and contribute to something larger than themselves.
The Annual WDS Musical becomes a particularly visible expression of that – offering students the chance to take the stage or work behind the scenes. Students can audition for the yearly spring musical starting in the Sixth Grade. Some of our previous productions include Little Shop of Horrors, The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, Shrek, and Freaky Friday. Additionally, Musical theatre is often incorporated into lower school classes as part of ongoing projects.
WDS’s Music Ensemble program gives students a genuine musical progression: what begins with younger students as early instrumental and group performance work then develops into Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced Ensemble experiences. These progressing band units ask that students in Fourth Grade, Fifth Grade, Middle and Upper School rehearse with purpose, listen closely, and contribute to a shared sound. As they grow, students often develop fluency across multiple roles: from drums, bass, guitar, and keyboards to vocals – all while performing a repertoire that spans contemporary songs, classic rock, jazz, and blues. All grade levels participate in two concerts a year.
What makes music and theatre distinctive at WDS is not only the range of opportunities, but the way they help shape the community itself. Younger students grow up watching older ones perform. Older students model commitment, courage, and creative leadership. Families gather for concerts, plays, and musicals not only to enjoy the final product, but to witness growth. The result is a program that helps students develop skill and confidence while also strengthening belonging, joy, and a sense of shared endeavor.
At WDS, the performing arts are not an extra feature of school life. They are one of the clearest ways students learn to find their voice and use it with others.