Reviews of Pacific Boychoir Academy for grades 6-8?

My son attended PBA from 5th through 8th grade, and just graduated from 8th grade this past June (2018).  Despite the many changes over the years, we could always depend on PBA being strong both in world-class music performance and theory and in challenging, differentiated academics. Boys do not have to be musical prodigies to attend -- the music staff will teach them how to perform on a world-class level, with instruction on each step of the way in achievable chunks to help them succeed.  The teamwork and leadership skills they learn in this process will be valuable for life, even if they do not pursue music after high school (although a number of boys do!).  Academically, the small classrooms allow for differentiated instruction, for special projects, and for doing things like putting on a full Shakespeare play (all-male, as in Shakespeare's day!).  Occasionally, there have been a few less-than stellar teachers (as at all the middle schools our family has experiences; see below). But largely, I have been very satisfied with my son's learning and progress, and his academic preparation for high school and beyond.  I will add that, while my younger son who I am speaking about here was at PBA for 4 full years (from 5th through 8th grade), my older son attended 4 (yes, 4) different middle schools for grades 6-8 and we never found a good fit. So our family has experience with 5 different public and private middle schools in Oakland and Berkeley. No school is perfect, but PBA was by far the best fit for our family and for my younger son. I believe that the academic leadership and the teachers who are there now (with little change from my son's 8th grade year last year) are a great team all around, who care deeply about the academic courses they teach and who have the talent and experience to provide a great academic experience in the coming years.  Feel free to email me via BPN if you'd like more specific information from a recent parent alumna.

I am the parent of a 5th grader at PBA, this is our first year at the school.  My son also has a dx of ADD/ADHD.  We were in the after school choir for about three years before making the transition to the day school.  I decided to make the transition for the following reasons:  1) I believed that the smaller class size would allow my son's struggles with focus and follow-through to be seen and worked with, which wasn't happening in a larger class size.  2)  The high school boys who graduated from the school, but were still in the PBA choir, were incredibly impressive.  Each event I attended where these boys performed I thought, "I want one of those" and I could visualize my son being "one of those."   3) I think there is something cathartic about the breathing that goes along with singing that is mindful and works well with ADD, and really, all kids.   4)  The boys who graduate from PBA seem to go to the high schools of their choice and to choice high schools.  5) I also looked into the leadership change which happened a few years ago but felt incredibly confident in Natascha Bach who became the head of school as she has had years of educational and music experience.  Like all private schools, PBA uses the ERBs which is a standardized test to measure performance with similarly situated schools.  I'm not sure how relevant the results are and think that the fact that the graduates are going on to good schools is a reliable indicator of the academics.   6) The experiences that come with being a PBA day school boy are incredible.  My son just sang with the San Francisco Symphony and watching him at Davies Hall receive a 10 minute standing ovation (okay, Michael Tilson Thomas was pretty good too) was indescribable. The amount of practice and poise and responsibility that each of these young boys took on to perform at this level will undoubtedly benefit them going forward.   Finally, after the back to school night where the parents met all the teachers, I felt a huge amount of relief at having made the switch to PBA.   Each of the teachers was interesting and engaging and seemed to really like being at the school.    Also, I have shared with the teachers my son's 504 and where he is in need of support, which I feel has been welcomed information and has opened an ongoing dialog.   

Hope this helps.   Please reach out to me if you have any additional questions.   

We have a 10-year-old who started the 5th grade at the PBA day school this year after being in the after-school program for the past three.  He really enjoyed the after-school program and has learned a lot of music and music theory.  He loves to sing and frequently sings around the house, or with his school mate with whom he rides to school.  He is challenged by the school work and enjoys his classes which include 1.5 hours of singing every day.  Last month they had a memorable musical experience performing with the SF Symphony with Michael Tilson Thomas conducting.

We also have a 13-year-old who attended the after-school three years ago and loved it, but then middle school happened and he got distracted there.  Now he is in 8th grade and by his own choice is back in the after-school program after a two year break.  He rides AC Transit to the program twice a week and really enjoys it and enjoys the other kids.  He has been heard singing at home, alone and harmonizing with his brother.

There have been adjustments and restructuring at PBA due to the departure of one of the founders, management shakeups, and financial problems.  There has been a loss of students and reduction in staff due to these changes.  A large contribution came in last year taking pressure off the financial situation.  The hope is that the restructuring  will produce increased enrollment over the coming years and a stable future.  Meanwhile the staff is enthusiastic about the school and is working hard delivering a quality education with lots of enrichment.  The teaching staff  is very qualified, stable, and energized.  We went to the recent back-to-school night and came away impressed with the staff and grateful for the education our boy is receiving.  The boys are mostly engaged and seem happy to be there.  Parents of the boys, some of whom work at the school, speak highly of the PBA experience, two used the word “magical” to describe it.

HI--I have a 6th grader at PBA. We started in 4th grade and were present for the leadership changes. Our family absolutely loves PBA. Yes, the leadership changes were hard, but we stuck with it. The school feels very stable, and we feel comfortable and confident with the current board, administration and teachers. Academically, the school is phenomenal. As a small school, each child gets individual attention so they he can meet the high set standards. Each teacher has an impressive background and education, and the approach to learning is as important at the material itself. We initially chose PBA because my son was bored and unchallenged in school, and he had no passion for learning. PBA has completely turned that around. Of course, the music program is amazing, but it also serves as a boost to all other academic subjects. I highly recommend that you check out the school.

PBA has been a great middle school for my two boys! I have a recent grad who is now in high school. He tells me (unprompted!) that he feels completely ready for his high school classes and schedule because PBA prepared him so well.  My younger son is still at PBA and he is learning so much there - math, science, humanities, plus Latin and Spanish. The academics are great and the music program is incredible. They have taught him to sing professionally, even though he had zero music experience prior to PBA.  It's truly amazing. In fact they're singing the national anthem at the Warriors game in a couple weeks, he's very excited about that. For me, the best part is the small class sizes. My son gets a ridiculous amount of individual attention and help with his needs. The leadership change a couple years ago was a big deal, but the community rallied and everything has stabilized nicely since then. You should come take a tour and have your son do a shadow day so you can see what it's like. You won't find anything else like it anywhere.

We feel extremely fortunate to have found Pacific Boychoir for our son.  He started over 5 years ago in the afterschool choir and has just entered the day school program for the 5th grade.  Of the many after-school activities that we have tried, including competitive soccer, which our son loves,  PBA has been by far and away his favorite.  He is completely engaged by this experience.  The chance for him to come together with others to create such beautiful music is awesome.

Entering the day school has been great so far.  The musical education is incredible, with professional singing direction throughout, I can't imagine being able to get anywhere else.

The school has gone through a leadership change in the last 2 years.  The former artistic director was dynamic, fantastic and he left.  I believe the day school lost many students at this time and there was a scary moment when the financial outlook seemed quite difficult.  In response to that, many incredible, qualified people came forward to help the school.  The board has been re-invigorated and the results have been promising so far.  The school has secured a significant financial donation that seems to have put it on more secure financial footing for the coming years and plans have been put into place that seem to bode well for the future.

The current Head of School is wonderful.  She has a Professional Music and Education background of teaching for many years and she has surrounded herself with a dedicated staff who are very concerned about the children and the school.  We feel confident that very good decisions are likely to result from school leadership.

Finally regarding Academics.  Our son came from the Spanish immersion program in the Berkeley public schools.  In the main we were happy with his academic instruction there.  We recently met all faculty at the open house and in each case came away very impressed with each of the teachers.  In addition to Humanities, Science, Math, Spanish and PE, there is a course dealing with social interaction, leadership, art and other topics.  In higher years there is also Latin instruction from a PHD in classics. The classes are quite small which we think is really good and from our experience the boys can get help or special attention as needed. 

You mention your child has experienced ADHD.  Our son is adjusting a bit still, to the longer school day.  Singing is done near the end of the day for 2 hours I believe and at the beginning he was certainly coming home very tired, unaccustomed to standing for long periods.  There is definitely homework and it can be a bit challenging when they are preparing for a big concert like the recent one for the San Francisco Symphony performance of Stravinsky's Persephone at Davies hall as there were several evening practices.

I hope that addresses some of your questions and those of any who might be looking for a wonderful after-school or middle school "grammy award winning" choir and outstanding musical education and from our experience so far, excellent academic preparation.

This is a very, very special place.

Our son attended PBA 4th-8th grade (and 2.5 yrs after-school before that). We consider ourselves so lucky to live in a place that has a school as unusually special as this. Our boy has graduated with college level music theory, he's sung with the choir alongside local and world greats, and traveled to 5 different countries. This is a priceless middle school education. It's a little gem of a school just waiting for families to discover it for their boys. The music staff are excellent and kind. The current academic staff are excellent too. It's small so your boy will get a lot of individual attention. When the Founder-Director retired from the school a few years ago, things were rocky for a while, but the new Principal, Ms Natascha Bach (who taught 4th, then 4th-5th, and the after school Intermezzi troupe, and now also the new girls' Sorella troupe), is exactly what the school needs -- strong, steady, big-hearted, and the perfect bridge between PBA's musical and academic missions. This school is not for every boy, but it's an amazing opportunity for many. It's definitely worth investigating. Ask to attend a Monday night dinner -- a lot is on display: happy boy energy meeting PBA customs; rehearsing for tour dining behavior, chorister camaraderie and older boys mentoring younger boys. Finally, the cherry on the top, summer away camp at Bishop's Ranch in Healdsburg, winter away weekend at Dorothy's Rest, and meeting the PBA alum who come as counselors and to mix their tenor and bass voices with the younger choristers. ~~ grateful parent of PBA alum and high school chorister

My 13 year old son has been singing in the after school program at PBA for 3 years. He joined the day school as an 8th grader this fall after ten years of Waldorf schooling. We made the switch in part due to commute challenges as well as our desire to increase his musical training time. The transition has been fantastic. There are many things to love about PBA, but foremost for me is the warmth, care and professionalism of the staff, who have been incredibly welcoming and supportive at every step. My son was recently diagnosed with processing speed challenges and other associated learning issues. After my initial consultation with the director, I felt great confidence that the small class size would allow my son to receive the attention and accommodation that would best support his needs. So far, he is quite satisfied with his experience at the day school. He is excited by the varied classes offered, including Latin and swimming, in addition to the extensive musical training. This vibrant, tight-knit community has been the perfect landing spot for our family. I feel enormous gratitude for the significant efforts of all of the wonderful people who continue to build and grow this amazing and unparalleled resource for boys.