Shrewsbury Extends a Warm Welcome to Chris Papps, New Director of Music

Shrewsbury extends a warm welcome to our new teacher, Mr Chris Papps, our Director of Music who will be teaching Music to Years 6 and 7 - including composition, arrangement and performance across a wide range of styles. Originally from Christchurch, New Zealand, Chris has been based in Asia for 15 years (previously in Taiwan). He was previously the Head of Music at Taipei European School Secondary Campus, where he taught IB Music, IGCSE and KS3 music for 14 years. Chris studied and trained as a teacher in New Zealand, where he has a Bachelor’s in Music and a Diploma in Jazz, along with a teaching qualification.

He has had a range of professional experience as a musician, having performed in orchestras, big bands, jazz combos, brass bands, military ensembles and pop/cover bands. In terms of professional development, Chris has been able to compose more, explore a wider range of musical styles in detail and continue to develop his musical voice.

Staying up-to-date with the latest developments in education and teaching pedagogy, Chris tunes into the YouTube channels of 12Tone, Adam Nealy, Dr Jacob Gran, Nahre Sol, Andrew Huang and Orchestration Online. He is also interested in the development of music technology, and he stays up to date with new products, as well as the improvements made to existing ones.

As a teacher at an international school, Chris thinks it is vital to expose students to a wide range of musical genres and cultures, making connections through shared musical elements. He believes it is important to both embrace new technology, but also have a solid understanding of traditional aspects of the subject. Through a constructivist approach, he encourages students to create new knowledge based on their learning experiences and create new meaning out of those experiences. 

Aside from rehearsals and performances, Chris likes to unwind through cooking, frequently exploring new recipes to add to his repertoire - and to ensure a healthy and balanced lifestyle, his preferred method of burning calories is to go on a nice run.

Chris is looking forward to working with the amazing music staff and the talented music students at Shrewsbury Riverside!