The objective of the Tiny Tots program is two-fold:  to create an awareness & appreciation of music in pre-school aged children and to introduce them to classical music and the instruments of the orchestra.  The Tiny Tots program provides an age appropriate format that is 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 leaning concepts of the pre-school years, such as colors, numbers, shapes and letter recognition are also tied into the presentation.

The Tiny Tots program takes place over five consecutive weeks. Our education coordinator and a musician team up each week 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, reproducible coloring sheets featuring instruments in the orchestra, 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 Tiny Tots program is made possible through grants funded by the Orlando Magic Youth Foundation and Disney, which give us guidelines as to which schools we can service with these funds.  It is our hope to continue to find funding so that we can take the Tiny Tots program out into the different communities surrounding Orlando.