October 27, 2004
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Portland, Ore. … Kinderkonzerts, the community concert series which provide an interactive first Oregon Symphony experience for children in kindergarten through second grade, begins its annual cycle of four concerts on Nov. 8, 9, and 10 at three Portland-area elementary schools. The 30-minute concerts, at Peninsula Elementary, Lent Elementary and Witch Hazel Elementary, feature selected members of the Oregon Symphony who will introduce kids to the various instrument families in a series of four different concerts, each focusing on a different section of the orchestra. The first in the series of concerts, “A Twisted Tale,” allows the students to participate in shaping how the music can portray the classic fairy tale “Sleeping Beauty” with the instruments of the string section.
“Educational research supports the importance of early childhood exposure to the arts,” says Michael Kosmala, Vice President of Education and Community Engagement. “The earlier we reach these students, the greater the opportunity to make an impact.” The Kinderkonzerts series is specially designed to introduce young students to the Symphony music experience in an age-appropriate format. Bringing the Symphony musicians and instruments to the students and performing on site with small ensembles of instrument families rather than the full orchestra provides a more intimate, less overwhelming learning experience. “Offering a cycle of four concerts allows us to have multiple contacts with the students; we can introduce musical concepts at one concert that can be reiterated throughout the cycle and the year in the students’ regular classroom lessons,” Kosmala explains.
The schools chosen for the KinderKonzerts series were selected to serve diverse geographical and economic populations. In addition, says Kosmala, these particular schools are supportive of the program and are interested in maintaining an arts curriculum in their regular school classes. “They are committed to building a relationship with the Symphony. We’ve been at Peninsula Elementary in north Portland and Lent Elementary in southeast Portland for several years; in those communities kids not only attend the Kinderkonzerts series at their schools, but also come to the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall for Youth Concerts when they get older.” Kosmala hopes to build a similar strong connection between the Symphony and its newest school, Witch Hazel Elementary, located in Hillsboro. “The inclusion of Witch Hazel Elementary allows us to offer our program to outer Washington County,” says Kosmala.
In “A Twisted Tale,” a string quintet of Symphony musicians will compete for the opportunity to musically portray the different characters in “Sleeping Beauty,” with the students voting to decide which instrument will represent specific characters. In the course of telling the story, students will learn about some of the specific techniques of string playing and be introduced to musical terms such as “pizzicato” and “staccato vs. legato” playing. The musicians will incorporate a variety of musical styles in their improvised presentations of the story’s characters, from classical to folk and ethnic, as well as some familiar children’s songs.
Last year the Kinderkonzerts series reached over 7,000 students from 44 different schools in five counties around the Portland metro area. A free ticket initiative for children on the federal school lunch program, implemented last year, resulted in a record number of students who were able to attend Kinderkonzerts at no charge. This year Kosmala estimates almost 40 percent of the KinderKonzerts audience will attend the concerts for free. The free ticket program reflects the Education and Community Engagement department’s basic philosophy: to remove the perceptual barriers that exist regarding classical music and the Symphony by offering a specially-designed program with built-in support materials so that regular classroom teachers and parents can use these concepts and connections in their own classrooms and at home. “Teachers and parents really appreciate the interactive nature of our programs and the connections we make to literary arts and other subject areas,,” said Kosmala.
“A Twisted Tale” will be performed on Monday, Nov. 8, at 9 and 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. at Witch Hazel Elementary in Hillsboro. The concert will repeat at 9, 10 and 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 9 at Peninsula Elementary in north Portland, and will be performed at 8:30, 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 10 at Lent Elementary in southeast Portland. Tickets are $2/per student. All children are welcome to attend these concerts, and they are open to anybody in grades K-2. Daycare programs and homeschoolers are encouraged to contact the Education and Community Engagement department. For more information about Kinderkonzerts, contact the Symphony’s department of Education and Community Engagement at 503-228-4294 or visit the Symphony’s Web site at www.orsymphony.org.
