Our El Sistema-inspired music program means that children learn musical literacy through ensemble experiences and frequent performances. Every student at St. Andrew's learns to play the violin, beginning in Kindergarten. Students in grades K-2 learn through the Suzuki method: also known as the mother-tongue approach, Suzuki instructions encourages children to use their ears and voices to gather musical information and memorize folk songs. Beginning in third grade, students begin learning music through the orchestral curriculum New Directions for Strings, which utilizes improvisation, composition, and multi-genre pieces from around the world.