BIS Hanoi welcomes Juilliard Curriculum Specialist Paul Murphy

As part of the Juilliard Creative Classroom initiative, every year BIS Hanoi is visited by a number of world-class musicians and educators. This week we were delighted to welcome back Paul Murphy who is the curriculum specialist for Vietnam.

During his visit, several of our classes from across the school were given the opportunity to learn with Paul. Year 1S explored the idea of ‘Heavy and Light’ and how students could musically respond to these different feelings through movement and sound.

Year 8H also worked with Paul to further develop their understanding of Blues Music through a lesson on improvisation and structure.

In both sessions, it was wonderful to see students challenging themselves and approaching new concepts with an open mind.

Alongside teaching some of our students, Paul ran a composition workshop for our current Year 10 IGCSE students and Year 9 Students who will take the subject next year. In this session, we explored how we can compose a beautiful melody, taking inspiration from the world around us and Dvorak’s Ninth Symphony.

Aside from being an inspiring teacher, Paul is also a trumpet player; our new Year 5 Brass Club were very excited to learn some playing techniques that will help them to take on the challenge of playing their new instruments. As well as working with our students, Paul also worked with teachers and staff to continue the development and approach of our curriculum.

It was an inspirational visit once again, with both teachers and students gaining a great deal from the collaboration.

Jonathan Scott

Music Teacher