MUSIC IN THE SCHOOLS
an outreach program of Brevard Philharmonic
Brevard Philharmonic successfully completed a comprehensive Music in the Schools program for Transylvania County elementary school students during the 2010 - 2011 school year. The program is designed to introduce the instrument families of the orchestra to kindergartners through the fourth grades. For the last several years, fifth graders have been receiving a concert at The Porter Center from a full orchestra, complements of a local donor.
This past school year saw an expansion of the Music in the Schools program. This included a new woodwind focus for the first grades by Camerata Antiqua, a local recorder group led by Sharen Hafner. These musicians visited every elementary school, telling the story of wind instruments from ancient to modern times, dressed in period costumes. Also performing in the schools, two symphonic petting zoo quartets, made up of Brevard Philharmonic members, played for all county kindergartners and allowed the students to touch and feel the instruments.
The Brevard College Percussion Ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Laura Franklin, gave a performance/demonstration for county second graders at The Porter Center, receiving a standing ovation. This presentation has become a tradition for the second grade. The teachers report that they look forward to it every year.
The Opal String Quartet, whose members are first chair performers with Brevard Philharmonic and also play in the Hendersonville and Asheville Symphonies, presented special
performance/demonstrations in all four county elementary schools for third graders. One of their selections was so moving it brought tears to the teacher's eyes. The children were enthralled by this talented quartet.
The fourth graders in every county school experienced the Pyramid Brass, also made up of area professional musicians. They wowed their audience on Mardi Gras day with beads and a stirring rendition of “When the Saints Go Marching In.” Members of this brass Quintet explained and demonstrated their instruments, at the same time revealing the history of each individual horn. The Pyramid Brass has been performing as a part of the Music in the Schools program for a number of years.
With this structure for the Music in the Schools Program in place, Brevard Philharmonic plans to repeat the same musical experience at each grade level so that over a five year period every student will have experienced all the instrument divisions within the orchestra. Elementary school music teachers, Sarah Moser, Laura Sullivan and Sally Germanero, are very pleased with the program. They have worked diligently to assist the Brevard Philharmonic volunteers, Mary Sauerteig, Renee Braun and Jinks Ramsey, to nurture and produce Music in the Schools. The program has been supported by BP donors, Duke Energy and a NC Arts Council Grassroots Grant through the Transylvania Community Arts Council.