Welcome to the Music Department for the Darien Public Schools

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

Click the link below for the 2023-2024 Music Concert Calendar

2023-2024 Music Concert Calendar

Beginning Instrument Registration

Instrumental teachers have emailed confirmation of registration and instrument choice if you registered before June 12th.  If you didn't receive the email, check your Junk/Spam folder.  If you still can't find it, please email the band or strings teacher at your school or contact Colleen Thompson at cthompson@darienps.org. 

Did you miss the deadline to register or are you new to the district?  Don't worry!  The music teachers will send out information in September with how to register.  Current instrumental students will have an opportunity to confirm participation in September as well.  Have a great summer!

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.