Music

Taipei American School participates in the yearly IASAS Music/Art Cultural Convention in March. Representatives perform in the area of Band, Strings, Vocal, and Piano. To try out for IASAS Music students must be enrolled in a TAS music course. Interested students should speak to their music teacher. Tryout information is announced through music classes and posted on the music bulletin board in September.

K-12 music highlights for last school year included the regular presented semester concerts in each division demonstrating student learning in the music classrooms and performing ensembles. The Lower School performances included Music Activity Concerts and 'Informances' for Grades 3-5 including Orff, Band, Strings and Vocal and Dance  students in the Auditorium, Harmony Theater and Black Box Theater. Lower School music students were also involved in the Lunar Strings Festival, Chinese New Year displays, and the LS Musical "The Rainbow Fish".

In 1st Semester the US Music calendar included a Jazz Supper Club featuring our Jazz Ensemble and guests in the Harmony Theater. Both this event and the Celebration of Chamber Music recitals utilized members of the Taipei professional music community in the ‘Talent Access’ program, where these musicians came to TAS and provided masterclasses and chamber music teaching to enhance performance skills and musicianship. This program was continued in the MS division with Talent Access musicians coming and working in masterclass workshop settings helping students with their musicianship and playing/singing fundamentals.

The onset of COVID-19 greatly affected the Music program in 2nd semester. Many concerts and activities were cancelled, and the LS/MS/US Band programs were suspended. In addition to this TAS impact, the IASAS Music Cultural Convention and the AMIS International Schools world Honor Ensembles were also cancelled.

At the Middle and Upper School levels there were culminating concerts or videoed final performances for the Strings and Vocal programs. A highlight of the year was the culminating videoed music concert at the US Arts Festival. Shou-ling Wu, TAS Alumna parent, and former associate conductor of the Taipei Symphony Orchestra worked with students as the Joanna Nichols Performing Artist in Residence. Her work culminated in a performance of the Schubert Mass in G which brought together the Choirs from 8-12th grade and the US Orchestra.

We look forward to welcoming Kirt Mosier as the 2021 Joanna Nichols Performing Artist in Residence.

In the area of service, the Upper School Tri-M Music Honor Society continued in their valued assistance at the varying music concerts in 1st semester, ran the "Whole Note Hoopla" at the Food Fairs, and also presented their annual Charity Concert raising funds for the St. Anne's home for children. The US orchestra continued with its annual tradition performing at Veterans Hospital.