January 6, 2006
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, Feb. 4, to assist in preparing elementary, middle and high school students for upcoming Symphony Youth Concerts. The free docent workshop will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.
The Symphony’s Education volunteers play a central role in achieving our goal of providing opportunities for all Oregonians to engage in high quality artistic experiences in music. Volunteers act as ambassadors for the Symphony’s Education & Community Engagement programs and above all, advocates for arts education.
The volunteers, called “docents,” visit area classrooms to help deepen the experience for students and teachers who are attending an Oregon Symphony Youth Concert. Docents lead students through active listening lessons and activities that feature in-depth background on the music that will be performed at upcoming concerts. Docents are also available to return to the classroom after the concert to engage in post-concert activities. Prior to their classroom visits, docents receive comprehensive training and guidance that provides the information and materials necessary for all classroom presentations.
“Docents make the Oregon Symphony more accessible and personal for the students and teachers whose classrooms they visit,” said Director of Education and Community Engagement Emilia Smith.
At the workshop, docents will learn about “Bats, Bows and Stolen Basses,” a Young People’s Concert for third through fifth graders that will take place on March 3 and 6 in Portland and March 7 in Salem. During the training session, Symphony staff will walk volunteers through an overview of the concert program and help prepare classroom presentations. “Bats, Bows and Stolen Basses” focuses on the teamwork involved to make an 88-member orchestra work together with its conductor. Students will be introduced to the different instrument families through the music of Bernstein, Britten, Brahms and Tchaikovsky.
Docents will also develop presentation for “Musical Artifacts,” the Young Adult Concert for middle and high school students that will take place on April 13 in Portland and April 18 in Salem. “Musical Artifacts” is an archeological aural journey that traces the development of folk music around the world from its oral traditions to the concert hall. Music of Bartók, Ives and Haydn will be featured.
People interested in becoming a Symphony docent should contact the department of Education and Community Engagement at 503-228-4294 or via e-mail at educate@orsymphony.org for more information.
