The Sound of Music

“I would teach children music, physics, and philosophy; but most importantly music, for the patterns in music and all the arts are the keys to learning.”  ​― Plato

​Crossing Thresholds (CT) puts the highest value on two things – the primacy of relationship, and life’s fundamental call to keep learning. These two values shape and define our mission. These values are ‘why we build schools’. But as Plato suggests, learning takes many forms. Crossing Thresholds is not simply interested in a learning process that dumps information in pursuit of good test scores. We seek to create holistic learning environments that promote critical thinking, creativity, civic-mindedness, and an ever expanding worldview. In pursuit of this approach to education, one of CT’s greatest gifts and assets has been Nina Stern, Founder and Artistic Director of the non-profit S’Cool Sounds (https://www.scoolsounds.org/ ). Nina began traveling with CT nearly 10 years ago, and has been instrumental in launching and building music programs at our schools in the Kibera Slum and beyond. She has also brought dynamic Teaching Artists, Ruaridh Pattison and Isabella Pagel, to further enhance capacity building. It would be hard to exaggerate the impact of S’Cool Sounds. We observe it in motor skills, self-esteem, and joy. Even more exciting, our schools are competing and winning at local, regional, and national music events. We are proud to be collaborating with this wonderful organization!