Grade 12 student Mia recently completed the Contemporary Music Maker (CMM) project as part of the International Baccalaureate (IB) High Level Music class, where through creativity and music, created a meaningful collaboration with Middle School students.

 

The project encourages students to work as real-world musicians—composing, performing, and collaborating. Mia chose to write an original piece for Grade 5 and 6 students to perform at their Winter Concerts. The piece focuses on unity and peace, a theme Mia felt strongly about: “I really wanted to work with younger kids,” she says. “It’s just nice to hear young voices spread the message of peace and let it spread to others.”

 

Originally written for Peace Day, the song found a natural home in the Winter Concerts, where its message resonated just as well. Composing was new territory for Mia. “Actually putting it on paper—writing the notes, figuring out the rhythms and beats—that was the first time,” she says. The process took months and required careful revision, especially when considering younger voices. “You have to think about how their voices are compared to high schoolers, because it’s so different.” This kind of inter-grade collaboration is something ASH values deeply. Projects like Mia’s encourage students to adapt their thinking, refine their work, and create with empathy—skills that extend far beyond music.

 

Looking ahead, Mia hopes to study psychology after graduation and work in education, possibly as a school counselor or a music teacher. As her piece er project stands as a powerful example of how creativity, collaboration, and care can unite a community