Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra Prepares For A Year Of Music Education

The Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra prepares for another great year of music education! Each year, more than 20,000 kids experience the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra in their schools, libraries and communities. Through these interactions they grow their musical curiosity, they grow their listening skills, and they grow their love of music.

The A2SO exposes their youngest listeners to music through KinderConcerts: free concerts at local libraries where babies through preschoolers move, dance and wiggle to classical music. Members of the A2SO join child movement expert Gari Stein and pianist Kathryn Goodson for a guided introduction to music and instruments. KinderConcerts happen three times a year at the Ann Arbor, Chelsea, Dexter and Ypsilanti libraries. Featured musicians in 2016-2017 are John Dorsey (percussion), Christian Green (bassoon), and Jennifer Berg (violin).

The A2SO brings music into schools in Washtenaw, Livingston, Oakland and Wayne counties. Last year students at over 40 schools experienced the Instrument Petting Zoo, where kids get their hands on real instruments while learning about how vibrations become sound and sound becomes music. Over 6,000 students each year enjoy a Classroom Concert: the A2SO's Brass Quintet, String Quartet and Reed Trio provide educational concerts that support what students are learning in the music classroom. Maestro Arie Lipsky visits dozens of elementary, middle and high schools each year to help students grow as musicians. And this year the A2SO looks forward to Shared Concert Experiences with High School students from Ann Arbor Public Schools, Chelsea School District and Pinckney Community Schools. In March 2017, over 5,000 area students will travel to Hill Auditorium for an A2SO Youth Concert.

Elementary students will bring their recorders and be prepared to play and sing along with the orchestra at the March 15 Elementary Youth Concert, "Link Up: The Orchestra Sings." And Middle School students will be inspired by hearing a live orchestra when they fill Hill Auditorium on March 21 for the 2nd Annual Middle School Concert: "Firebird!"

The Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra will enrich the education of students all over Southeast Michigan this school year. Through Kinderconcerts, Instrument Petting Zoos, Classroom concerts, Youth Concerts, and many other programs, kids in your community will grow with the A2SO.

(Picture Credit: The Ann Arbor Symphony Website)