March 11, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Portland, Ore. … Volunteers from around the community with a love for music and children will be trained by the Oregon Symphony Education and Community Engagement staff on Saturday, April 9 to assist in preparing sixth through twelfth graders for an upcoming Symphony Youth Concert. The free docent training session will take place from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at a location to be determined.
The volunteers, called “docents,” are being recruited from the Portland and Salem areas. They will visit area elementary school classrooms to prepare students for Portland and Salem Youth Concerts scheduled for late April. Docents talk with students about the instruments of the orchestra and the music that students will hear during the concert. Using a variety of visual and aural teaching aids, docents lead students through a listening lesson of musical excerpts that will be performed on the upcoming concert. CD’s with musical excerpts and materials are provided for use in the classroom free of charge.
The Symphony’s Education and Community Engagement department offers several trainings per symphony season, as part of continuing efforts to increase the number of school visits by enlisting volunteers from outside the Symphony organization.
“Oregon Symphony docents prepare our youngest audience members for their concert experience by inspiring a love and understanding of music,” said Vice President of Education and Community Engagement Michael Kosmala.
Oregon Symphony Education and Community Engagement will hold a three hour training, at which docents will learn about “Romeo and Juliet,” the second Youth Concert of the season. During the training session, Symphony staff will walk volunteers through an overview of the concert program and help prepare classroom presentations. “Romeo and Juliet” presents Shakespeare’s classic tragedy of star-crossed lovers as told through the music of several composers and dramatic portrayals by Shakespearean actors. Students will explore the enduring themes of civil disorder, young love, parental control and family feuds through musical excerpts by Berlioz, Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev and Bernstein.
Mei-Ann Chen, Assistant Conductor of the Symphony and Music Director of the Portland Youth Philharmonic, takes the podium for these concerts, scheduled for April 28 at 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall and April 26 at 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. in Salem’s Smith Auditorium at Willamette University.
People interested in becoming an Oregon Symphony docent should contact the Oregon Symphony Education and Community Engagement department at 503-228-4294 or via e-mail at educate@orsymphony.org for more information.
