A Song for Everyone: How Music Helped Shape the Spirit of KIS

For nearly five decades, the Kodaikanal International School song has echoed across assemblies, graduations, celebrations and farewells. More than just a melody, it became a symbol of belonging, an expression of the school's commitment to bringing together students from different cultures, countries and faiths.

The song's creator, former KIS music teacher Bonni-Belle Pickard, never set out to write a lasting piece of school history. In fact, the idea came almost by accident.

When Bonni-Belle first arrived at KIS in the late 1970s, the school was using a song associated with a university. Sitting in the gym during a school gathering, she remembers thinking that it did not truly reflect the identity of KIS.

"It really had nothing to do with the school," she recalls. A colleague sitting beside her offered a simple suggestion: "Go write a new one." Bonni-Belle accepted the challenge. She went home and by the time she returned for classes later that day, the foundation of the KIS school song had already been written.

Her goal was clear. She wanted the lyrics to reflect the diversity that defined KIS. Rather than celebrating a single culture or nationality, the song would embrace the many backgrounds represented on campus. Phrases such as "Whether Asian, Australian..." were deliberately chosen to capture the school's international character and to communicate that every student belonged.

At its heart was a simple message: despite coming from different places, everyone was united through their connection to KIS.

That vision reflected the school Bonni-Belle experienced when she arrived in 1978. KIS was already an International Baccalaureate school and was attracting students from across India and around the world. While the student body would become even more international in the years that followed, there was already a strong sense that the school was a meeting place for many cultures and traditions.

Music played an important role in nurturing that spirit. As a music educator and later Head of Department, Bonni-Belle helped build one of the school's strongest programmes. At its peak, the department included numerous full-time music teachers, extensive performance opportunities, ensembles, concerts and community events. Music brought students together in ways that transcended nationality, language and background. "There was a really good spirit of everybody belonging together," she remembers. The school song became an extension of that philosophy. Students sang it together regardless of where they came from or what language they spoke at home. It reinforced the idea that KIS was not simply a place of study but a shared community.

Over the years, the lyrics evolved slightly, and some words were updated as the school changed. Yet the central message remained the same. The song celebrated loyalty to the school, pride in learning, and the belief that diversity was something to be embraced rather than overcome.

Looking back, Bonni-Belle sees the song as part of a much larger story. KIS was never defined by buildings or programmes alone. It was defined by people and the relationships they formed. Music helped create those connections, giving students a common language and a shared experience. Decades later, alumni still return to Kodaikanal carrying vivid memories of the school. Many remember teachers, friendships and life-changing experiences. For others, the school song remains one of the sounds that instantly transports them back. In creating a song that reflected the school's international character, Bonni-Belle Pickard gave KIS more than an anthem.

She helped give generations of students a voice through which they could celebrate what made their community unique: many cultures, one school, and a shared sense of belonging.