Contact:Gretchen Miller Basso
Public Relations Director
The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra
Phone: 407/896-6700 x 223
Fax: 407/896-5512
gmiller@orlandophil.org
www.orlandophil.org
(Orlando, FL – December 16, 2010) – Thanks to a grant from the Community Foundation of Central Florida recommended by its Winter Park Grant Advisory Board of the Winter Park Community Foundation, The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra is proud to announce a new program that introduces music to children ages 6 – 12. Its program, titled Notes in Your Neighborhood, will be presented to residents of The Meadows at Margaret Square, a HUD subsidized apartment complex owned by the Housing Authority of the City of Winter Park. The mission of the Housing Authority is to provide a quality living environment that is safe, clean, non-discriminatory, and drug-free. The community provides the means by which the residents have access to outside resources and supports them as they become self-sufficient and independent.
Through interactive lessons, the Notes in Your Neighborhood program helps to teach “the whole student” by building character, self-confidence and musical skills that will last a lifetime. Using a best practices curriculum developed by a team of educators, led by Dr. Mary Palmer, University of Central Florida Professor Emerita, the program, geared towards students ages 6 – 12, introduces the basic elements of music: rhythm, melody, dynamics and tone color through comprehensive presentations by orchestra members from each instrument family. The programs are structured to include vocabulary, music, movement and opportunities for hands-on instrument activities. The program culminates with the students creating and performing their own piece of music.
The program will take place over three sessions, held on January 11, 12 and 13, 2011 at the Meadows Housing Complex. Session 1 introduces the instrument families of the orchestra to the students. Four musicians from the Philharmonic, each representing one instrument family, will demonstrate and perform on their instrument and talk about their career as a professional musician. Excerpts of familiar orchestral music will be played. The session concludes with the musicians performing an ensemble piece, demonstrating how the instruments work together.
Session 2 brings back the four musicians, who will lead the students in an “instrument petting zoo,” in which the students have the opportunity to try to play the instruments with the help of the musicians.
Session 3 finds the students using the four elements of music: rhythm, melody, dynamics and tone color to create an original piece of music. The students will learn the process of composition by creating a simple piece of music using recorders, kazoos, Oorf Xylophones and percussion instruments.
The Orlando Philharmonic’s educational programs are based on three guiding principles: artistic excellence, educational impact and financial accountability. These educational programs utilize specific measurement approaches based on the Florida Sunshine State Standards for Music and best practices set by the National Association for Music Education.
The mission of the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra is to foster and promote symphonic music through excellence in performance, education and cultural leadership.
For additional information on the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra’s educational programs, phone 407-896-6700 or visit www.OrlandoPhil.org.
