Learn How Day School Academics Harmonize with Music Study

Financial Aid and Scholarships are available for the 2024-25 school year. Find Out More!

East Bay Independent School for Boys | Elementary & MIddle School

Strengthen Academic Skills with Music Study

Academic challenge with advanced musicianship creates a powerful formula for your boy’s success.

PBA students grow skills beyond the basics of elementary and middle school. Integrated music develops abstract thinking and executive functioning — and the personal discipline that’s inspired by membership in our world-renowned childrens choir.

Elementary School East Bay | Oakland Small School

Engage Boys’ Learning Beyond Pencil and Paper

Stimulating curriculum is our key our success! Lively and hands-on education at PBA creates enthusiastic learning for boys.

Group projects reinforce the daily collaboration that happens in the music room. PBA boys put new concepts into action and learn to function effectively as individuals within a team.

Curriculum that Complements
What Boys Learn in the Music Room

This Spring, our boys study the hero archetype and stages through the "Hero's Journey" — and, of course, they read J. R. R. Tolkien!

PBA performs "Fellowship of the Ring" with the San Francisco Symphony in April 2024.

PBA Day School Experience (0:49)

PBA Learn-in-Verse Tradition (0:48)

Mobile – PBA Day School Experience (0:49)

PBA Learn-in-Verse Tradition  (0:48)

Why Pacific Boychoir Academy for Boys Grades 3-8?

  • English, Math, Science, Humanities & History, Spanish, Art
  • Stimulating & Active Academics
  • Hands-On & Project-Based Learning
  • Boy-Friendly Environment
  • Special Interest Units (Game Theory, Climate Science, Economics)
  • Small Class Sizes. Student-Teacher ratio is 1:6 per cohort.
  • Individual support for each student’s strengths, challenges and interests.

Our sons dive deeply into their academic subjects, sometimes using music history, lyrics and languages of the music they are singing to enrich their academic studies. My son had a hunch this would be a good fit and place for him. He was right!

Day School Parent
Berkeley Parents Network

Oakland Boys School | Single Sex Education

Celebrate Boy Friendships & Developmental Milestones

PBA was founded as a safe space for boys to be vulnerable, make mistakes and take risks. Our commitment extends beyond boys learning to sing — we motivate boys to develop their individual perspectives and possibilities!

Close and supportive male friendships flourish through daily study, singing and travel. PBA’s unique environment supports boys to meet their challenges and developmental milestones together.

Now enrolling boys for 2024-2025. Get More Information.

High School Preparation | MIddle School Oakland

PBA Boys Distinguish Themselves for High School and Beyond

PBA boys stand apart from their peers —  with confident communication, demonstrated work ethic and extraordinary life experiences.

We empower boys to take their next steps with poise and self-reliance. PBA supports our eighth-grade boys with dedicated admissions counseling for high school placement.

When I served on the Admissions Committee at one of the country’s finest universities, we were fortunate to have an abundance of highly qualified candidates.

Students with experiences like Pacific Boychoir Academy, though, would always go to the top of my list.

These students have demonstrated achievement that goes well beyond the classroom, and they have acquired skills that will serve them well for a lifetime.

Harry Garland, Ph.D
Professor & Entrepeneur

Prepare Boys for High School Success with Elementary and Middle School at PBA

Academic success requires the same investment as elite musicianship: Master the basics to build a strong foundation.

English Studies

Read confidently and write effectively! After a solid foundation for spelling and grammar, we assign books from classics to new works. Our boys learn to express their ideas with creativity and clarity.

Humanities & History

Learn about cause and effect, power and structure, government and war, land and geography and chronological timelines — also cultual context, point-of-view and what makes a source reliable.

Mathematics

Make math visibie and accessible — with tangible exercises to grow boys’ reasoning and critical thinking. Comprehend math foundations instead of relying on memorization and rote procedure!

Spanish Language

Immerse grades 3-6 with Spanish stories, songs and art! Middle school boys focus on speaking, reading and writing in Spanish — while they expand knowledge of Spanish-speaking communities.

Science

Apply theoretical knowledge to scientific method with engaging projects. Areas of focus include Life Science, Earth & Space Science, and ETS (Engineering, Technology and Applied Science).

Physical Education

P.E. consists of sports, exercise and games — all emphasize boys’ social-emotional development, clear communication and generous sportsmanship. (And singing is undeniably physical!)

Secular Independent School | Single Sex Education East Bay

PBA is a Secular Institution

Pacific Boychoir Academy is not affiliated with any religious faith or teaching.

Our GRAMMY Award-winning boys’ choir masters music from the traditional boychoir canon — much of which was commissioned by patrons as sacred music for the church.

Pacific Boychoir Academy’s repertoire also includes traditional American music, folk music from many cultures, and new works commissioned by American and world composers.

Our building was constructed in 1927. The site has been occupied by a church, a synagogue and the Oakland Hebrew Day School. Pacific Boychoir’s campus has been located at 215 Ridgeway Avenue since 2009.

PBA Chorister Handbook

You are expected to maintain good academic standing. If the demands of choir cause your grades to suffer, you will need to take a break from rehearsing to focus on your academics. More likely, you'll find that PBA helps you better manage your time outside of class and your grades will improve!

Diversity

We value diversity and difference. Pacific Boychoir Academy is not affiliated with any church, religious faith, ethnic group or specific geographic area. We seek out boys of all ethnic, economic and geographic backgrounds. PBA is a diverse environment with students from different ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. Our boys learn from each other and prepare for lives in an increasingly diverse and global society.

Faculty

Our faculty members offer boys the encouragement, creativity, inspiration and one-on-one attention they need. In addition to a learning environment that values the specific needs of boys, our staff at PBA provides guidance and mentoring at crucial junctures in boys’ development and education.

Learn more about Pacific Boychoir Academy