Welcome to the DPS Visual Art and Music Department!

Here you will find resources and information related to our visual art and music programs for Grades PK-12.

Click the link below for the 2026-2027 Visual and Performing Arts Event Calendar

2026-2027 Visual and Performing Arts Event Calendar 

Beginner Band and Strings Registration

Beginning String Registration

All current 3rd graders who wish to begin playing the violin, viola, or cello for the first time this school year are encouraged to read the Introduction to Strings Packet and complete the Registration Form linked below. If you have any questions, please get in touch with the string teacher at your child's school.

Introduction to Strings Packet: https://tinyurl.com/BeginnerStrings2026

Sign-up Registration Link:  https://tinyurl.com/DarienStrings2026

*Note: These sign-ups are only for students who wish to register for a string instrument for the FIRST TIME. Returning string students who wish to CONTINUE on their instrument will be receiving an email from their current strings teacher to re-register. If you registered your 3rd grader in the spring, you do not need to re-register. Lessons are scheduled to start the week of 9/14/2026.

Sincerely,
Dawn Hanley—Hindley, Ox Ridge & Tokeneke (DHanley@darienps.org)
Krista DiPietro—Holmes (KDiPietro@darienps.org)
Jane Minnis– Royle (JMinnis@darienps.org)

Beginning Band Registration

All current 4th & 5th graders who wish to begin a band instrument for the first time this school year are encouraged to view the presentation linked below.  The form should be submitted by Friday, September 4th.  Your child's band director will contact you to confirm the instrument by Tuesday, September 8th.

We look forward to having your child participate in the program!           

*Note: These sign-ups are only for students who wish to register for a band instrument for the FIRST TIME. Returning string students who wish to CONTINUE on their instrument will be receiving an email from their current band teacher to re-register. If you registered your 4th or 5th grader in the spring, you do not need to re-register. Lessons are scheduled to start the week of 9/14/2026.                          

If you have questions concerning the selection of an instrument for your child, please contact:

Mrs. Krista DiPietro, Band Director at Hindley School, KDipietro@darienps.org 

Dr. Colin Walters, Band Teacher at Ox Ridge, Royle & Tokeneke CWalters@darienps.org 

Mr. Joel Knecht, Beginning Band Director at Holmes School jknecht@darienps.org

Click Here: View Virtual Presentation

Click Here: Online Registration Form

Click Here: Rental Information

MMS Band Concert

Please join us for the MMS band concert in the DHS auditorium on Monday, May 18th at 7:00pm. 

The concert will be livestreamed and recorded. Link: www.youtube.com/live/3EgyUwPu3V0?feature=share

DHS Spring Concerts

Please join us for the DHS orchestra, chorus, and band concerts in the DHS auditorium!  Admission is free! If you can't make it live, all concerts will be live streamed and recorded. Use the links below to access:

Monday, May 4th, 7:00pm - DHS Orchestra: https://youtube.com/live/vacsfstoE70?feature=share 

Wednesday, May 6th, 7:00pm - DHS Chorus: https://youtube.com/live/oOR9GGGi_7k?feature=share 

Thursday, May 14th, 7:00pm - DHS Band: https://youtube.com/live/q6gQt0eyyG0?feature=share 

DHS Course Selection

We are excited to welcome new students to the DHS Visual and Performing Arts Department! Curious about what our class are like? Watch the videos below! 

DHS Music and Theater Electives Video 2026 

DHS Music Course Sequence 

DHS Art Electives Videos 2026 

DHS Art Course Sequence 2026 

MMS December Concerts

Please join us for the MMS orchestra, band, and chorus concerts in the DHS auditorium!  Admission is free! If you can't make it live, all concerts will be live streamed and recorded. Use the links below to access:

Thursday, December 4th, 7:00pm - MMS 6th, 7th, 8th grade orchestra and Rockestra: https://youtube.com/live/7wr1l6DK3jM?feature=share

Monday, December 8th, 7:00pm - MMS 6th, 7th, 8th grade band, Jazz Band, and Percussion Ensemble: https://youtube.com/live/K2J7ogE9t90?feature=share

Wednesday, December 10th, 6:30pm - MMS 6th, 7th grade chorus and Viva Voce: https://youtube.com/live/nhpiz6_R2l4?feature=share

Wednesday, December 10th, 8:00pm - MMS 8th grade chorus and Camerata: https://youtube.com/live/RegYoPHQc3M?feature=share

If you ordered poinsettias, they will be available for pickup at the end of the each concert. Just come to the front of the auditorium and someone will be available to assist you.

If you did not order a poinsettia but still want to, great news! The sale has been EXTENDED. You can order now for pick-up after the DHS Holiday Spectacular concert on December 17th at 7:00pm. If you can't pick up then, let us know and we will arrange a different pick-up time.

Click here to order!

DHS Band Concert, Thursday 11/20, 7:00pm, DHS Auditorium

Please join us for the DHS Band Concert on Thursday, 11/20 at 7:00pm in the DHS auditorium. 

If you can't attend in person, the concert will be live streamed and recorded: https://youtube.com/live/z56CPm2Ch-s?feature=share

The DHS Band is sponsoring a Thanksgiving Turkey Drive to benefit the Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County on Tuesday, 11/25 from 7-8am. Please consider donating a fresh or frozen turkey, or shelf-stable sides such as stuffing, canned vegetables, rice, gravy, etc. Band students will be in the bus loop beginning at 7am to collect donations. 

Interested in a little friendly competition? New Canaan’s band will be collecting donations as well, and the school that collects the fewest turkeys will face a light-hearted consequence: performing the opposing school’s fight song, with their drum majors wearing the other school’s football jerseys! 

DHS Chorus Concert, Thursday 10/23, 7:00pm, DHS Auditorium

Please join us for a water-themed concert of choral music, featuring our Concert Choir, Sound Waves a cappella group, our barbershop quartet “Fantastic 4,” and the DHS Tudor Singers! Admission is free; friends and family welcome and encouraged to attend!

We may enjoy the water, but no one likes wet feet! Please consider helping out our friends in the EXCEL program with their “Socktober” charity drive - collection bins will be in the auditorium lobby to accept donations of new socks to be distributed to needy families and individuals - all styles and sizes welcome.

If you can't attend in person, the concert will be live streamed and recorded: https://youtube.com/live/n1f8A3v7_DI?feature=share 

Beginner Band and Strings Registration

Beginning Band Registration

All current 4th and 5th graders who wish to begin a band instrument for the first time this school year are encouraged to view the presentation linked below.  The form should be submitted by Wednesday, September 3rd.  

We look forward to having your child participate in the program!    

*Please note:  If you signed up in the spring for Beginner Band, you do not need to fill this out. The Advanced Band and Orchestra Registration Forms will be sent home later this week for those students who are continuing their instrument from last year.                    

If you have questions concerning the selection of an instrument for  your child, please contact:

Mrs. Krista DiPietro, Band Director at Hindley School, KDipietro@darienps.org 

Dr. Colin Walters, Band Director at Ox Ridge, Royle & Tokeneke, CWalters@darienps.org 

Mr. Joel Knecht, Beginning Band Director at Holmes School, Jknecht@darienps.org

Click Here: View Virtual Presentation

Click Here: Online Registration Form

Click Here: Rental Information

Beginning String Registration

All current 2nd graders who wish to begin playing the violin, viola, or cello for the first time next school year are encouraged to read the Introduction to Strings Packet and complete the Registration Form linked below.  The form should be submitted by Wednesday, September 3rd.   

If you have any questions, please contact the string teacher at your child's school:

Mrs. Krista DiPietro, Beginning Strings at Hindley and Holmes, KDipietro@darienps.org 

Miss Dawn Hanley, Beginning Strings at Ox Ridge and Tokeneke, DHanley@darienps.org 

Miss Jane Minnis, Beginning Strings at Royle, JMinnis@darienps.org

Introduction to Strings Packet: https://tinyurl.com/IntroToStrings2025

Sign-up Registration Link: https://tinyurl.com/DarienStrings2025

Sweet Night of Jazz rescheduled to 3/19

The Sweet Night of Jazz concert will be held on Wednesday, 3/19 at 7:00pm in the MMS auditorium. The concert will feature the 5/6 Jazz Lab, MMS Jazz Band, and DHS Jazz Ensemble. Our guest artist is not available; we hope to reschedule an event with her sometime in the near future. The concert is free and open to the public - come join us for some great music and desserts!

The Music Department in the Darien Public Schools is a comprehensive standards-based program of sequential musical study that delivers quality music education services to all of the students in grades K- 8 (3,251 students) and to approximately 325 students at Darien High School who participate in one of the performing ensembles (Band, Orchestra, Chorus, Jazz Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble), Music Theory, AP Music Theory or Music Technology I or II. Adaptive Music instruction is also an important part of the curriculum for our students in the ELP programs at Ox Ridge, Royle and Tokeneke schools, the TLC at Ox Ridge School and at DHS and MMS. A total of 1,196 students in the Darien Public Schools participate in the Instrumental Music program (Band and Strings in grades 3-12) and we have 905 students performing in our Choral ensembles in grades 4-12 for the 2019-2020 school year. A total of 2,101 students or 55% of all K-12 students in the Darien Public Schools participate in a choral ensemble, an instrumental ensemble or both.

Programs such as the Darien Young Composers Concert program, district-wide common assessments, standards-based curriculum, elementary band, orchestra and chorus honors ensembles, our Grade 5-6 Jazz Lab, Middle School ROCKestra for string students, MMS Jazz Ensemble, Camerata Singers and 6th grade Viva Voce chorus, the district-wide annual curricular focus theme, enrichment programs of live music in the schools sponsored by the Darien Music for Youth organization, multiple performance opportunities for students in the district, in the state of Connecticut and throughout the United States, the Annual All-Town Music Festivals, honors level high school ensembles and an emphasis placed on creating original music in our music curriculum continue to offer exceptional opportunities for students to realize their musical potential in our district.