OPO: What is your favorite part about volunteering for the Phil’s education programs?

KDT: For me, the best part of the education programs is experiencing the reaction of the children. They’re at an age where they are open and spontaneous with their feelings and I get to “see” what they are thinking. In some cases, it’s a child’s enthusiasm for a piece of music just performed. In others, it’s watching their face fill with joy when their third attempt to make a pleasant sound on a trombone is successful. And in our most recent activity, it’s watching a sick child and parents momentarily forget about the pain and uncertainty they are dealing with while in the hospital. Even though the musicians do the real work to create such wonderful reactions, I feel the same sense of reward as part of the team supporting them.

OPO: What programs have you experienced this year?

KDT: The year started for me with Notes in Your Neighborhood at the Rock Lake Elementary School in Orlando. This program is a five-session residency as part of the after school program, and our students were all 3^rd graders. My husband Bob and I were new to Florida and had the time to volunteer at all the sessions. We became really connected to the children. That was the program that introduced me to the work of Phil’s education programs, and made me want to get more involved. After that I helped with Tiny Tots, which was a similar program but geared for pre-schoolers at the Orlando Day nursery. This fall I attended a few of the Young People’s Concerts and learned a tremendous amount about the resource materials the Orchestra distributes to teachers as part of that program. And we have just finished a Notes in Your Neighborhood program at Arnold Palmer Children’s Hospital where the participating patients were ages 3 to mid-teens.

OPO: What was your most memorable experience as an education volunteer this year?

KDT: There was a third grade girl who came in late to a NiYN session at Rock Lake and clearly was in a bad mood. She sat apart from the others students and fidgeted the whole time telling a teacher that “this is boring.” She reluctantly participated in the small group activities and after feeling the vibration from the makeshift horn hose, she began to perk up a bit. By the time she had played the trombone, conducted on the Wii, and made her own brass instrument, she was having a blast. She even asked my husband to take a picture of her saying “Now I’m happy so the picture will be good!” Before walking out of the room to move on to her next activity, she made sure to give a hug to all of us who made her day special.

OPO: Have you gained any new insight or knowledge after working with the Philharmonic’s education programs?

KDT: First of all I have learned a tremendous amount. I love music but I never studied an instrument or participated in structured music groups. So in many ways I am learning along with the children. Getting to know the musicians and learning what’s important to each instrument has been another insight. And each session reinforces to me how important music is to the soul and how it can make a real difference in someone’s life experience.

OPO: What are you most looking forward to with the Philharmonic going into the new year?

KDT: We are revamping the Tiny Tots program and the Education Director, Eric Smith has some great ideas about the new structure that will make it more flexible and relevant to literacy efforts. I am excited to see how the children react this year. And we are going back to Rock Lake School which I am thrilled about, because that program has tremendous potential to improve these 3^rd graders’ futures.

OPO: How can other people get involved with the Philharmonic’s education programs?

The first step is to join the Friends of the Orlando Philharmonic [hyperlink: www.FriendsOrlandoPhil.org]. All the volunteers are part of the Friends and participation involves volunteering in any number of activities that assist the Orchestra staff or raise money for the Orchestra. So far, every person who has volunteered to help with Education has enjoyed themselves and thanked us for including them in these outreach activities. My goal is to continue that trend! If people are interested in helping, they should visit www.FriendsOrlandoPhil.org, or contact Eric Smith at the office (esmith@orlandophil.org). We can always use enthusiastic volunteers!