The PMC Instrumental Ensemble: Then and now...

   PMCIE 2008 performing in "The Star Of Hope"  at the CCP                  PMCIE 2009 in "THANKFUL" with Little Hands at Play at CCP

The seed of the Philippine Montessori Center's Instrumental Ensemble was planted in the early 1980's when the PMC's music teachers adopted the philosophy and methods of Carl Orff, a contemporary German composer who worked with children for more than 30 years. Orff believed that bringing out a child's love of music would likewise bring to the fore his innate humanity. Observing that young children responded most readily to rhythm, Orff focused on the rhythmic expression of music when teaching it to preschool children.

The PMC Instrumental Ensemble was originally called the Orff Instrumental Ensemble with the children learning to play Orff (percussion) instruments such as the glockenspiel, the xylophone, and the metallophone. As a result of constant music explorations and innovations, the Instrumental Ensemble has expanded and added non-Orff instruments such as the marimba, Angklung and other pitched and non-pitched percussion instruments to its initiatory set of Orff instruments.

Music educationhas been an integral part of the Philippine Montessori Center's curriculum as it has been noted that children who are exposed early to fine music perform better academically, and seemingly more stable, socially and emotionally . Indeed, the members of the PMC Instrumental Ensemble exhibit a high level of concentration, discipline, teamwork, and artistic fluency - remarkable for four-to-six year olds.