With almost 200 students in the under 11 age range now signed up for instrumental lessons at Regents International School Pattaya, the school has started the year with more specialist music teachers than ever before. As a result, the number of opportunities for students to enjoy performing has also blossomed.
The Primary School at Regents now has three full-time specialist music teachers in post, in addition to 11 instrumental tutors who between them teach keyboards, brass, woodwind, strings, vocals and percussion. The lessons take place within the school day, not in the evenings and weekends. The exception to the day-time rule occurs in the boarding houses. Those students who live full- or part-time on campus are able to draw on Mr Will and Mr Clarence in the evenings for inspiration – two of our ‘house parents’, who are guitar and brass specialists respectively.
Primary-aged members of the Regents choir enjoy a round of applause.
In addition to regular opportunities for the students to perform as soloists, there is a growing number of groups for the students to join, including Primary Orchestra, a vibrant choir, a rock band and more.
The Primary Music Department (from left): Kristen Callaway, Maria Gaskell, Nicole Taylor.
Nicole Taylor leads the Primary School’s instrumental programme: “Music has been growing in popularity for a couple of years now. The students not only see it as personally satisfying, they also really enjoy the social element of playing as part of an ensemble. They are also surrounded by so much inspiration: from The Juilliard School, with which we are now collaborating, to the tutors and of course their fellow students in both the Primary and Secondary School.”
