Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra Brings Music to Tiny Tots

The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra is pleased to once again present its popular Tiny Tots program to preschoolers at The Orlando Day Nursery, a 501 (c)(3)agency, this spring. The program, themed “let’s meet the orchestra,” is presented over five visits, and runs from May 9 to May 23, 2011. This program is sponsored by the Warren and Augusta Hume Foundation.

The Tiny Tots schedule is as follows:
Monday, May 9 – Percussion
Tuesday, May 10 – Woodwinds
Monday, May 16 – Brass
Tuesday, May 17 – Strings
Monday, May 23 – Full Ensemble

Each program will begin at 9:30 AM for each visit and will finish by 11:30 AM.

“The Orlando Philharmonic is very proud of its high-quality Tiny Tots program,” says David Schillhammer, Orlando Philharmonic Executive Director. “It is important to note that this program is not something that the Philharmonic is imposing on this day care center. Rather, Tiny Tots was designed through a series of Focus Groups conducted by the Philharmonic and facilitated by Dr. Mary Palmer, former Professor of Early Childhood Music Education at the University of Central Florida. Participants in the Focus Groups included day care leaders and teachers throughout the community. Through this process, we listened and learned the particulars of teaching this specialized age group, with the final product being of exemplary quality.”

The Philharmonic’s Tiny Tots program provides an introduction to the world of classical music to children of pre-school age in a format that is entertaining, educational and fun. Through a combination of an educational packet and classroom visits, students develop an awareness of classical music, orchestral instruments, how the instruments work and general music knowledge. Primary learning concepts of the pre-school years, such as colors, numbers, shapes and letter recognition are also tied into the presentation.

The program takes place over five consecutive visits. The Philharmonic’s education coordinator and a musician team up each day for these visits. The first four programs introduce children to the specific instrument families of the orchestra – Strings, Woodwinds, Brass, and Percussion. The fifth and final program reintroduces the individual instrument families, and, through ensemble performances, demonstrates how these families work together as a group.

All visits are structured to include vocabulary, music, movement and an opportunity for hands-on activities with the instruments. An Educational Packet is provided to each pre-school for the preparation of the children in advance of each visit. The packet also works well for reinforcement of concept taught during the visits. The packet includes: an overview of each visit, an activity page for each instrument featured in the visit, as well as suggested activities, music vocabulary, CDs with listening guide, and additional suggested resources.

The Orlando Philharmonic is proud to be a pro-active leader in music education in the Central Florida community, and looks forward to bringing outstanding musical experiences to even wider audiences.