Osceola Summer Music with Children to serve the expressive, emotional, intellectual, social, and creative needs of future musicians
The Early Learning Coalition of Osceola County and Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra announced a new partnership, Osceola Summer Music with Children, that will capture and build upon the power of live music to impact lives.
During the month of June, Orlando Philharmonic musicians will provide two visits in each of the four Early Learning Centers in Osceola. The visits are designed to serve the expressive, emotional, intellectual, social, and creative needs of the participants. The children, guided by professional musicians, will explore sound through listening to music of varied time periods, styles, and cultures as well as through creative movement, singing, and “playing” orchestral and other instruments.
“The purpose of the Early Learning Coalition is to ensure Osceola Counties youngest citizens are ready for Kindergarten, said Charlie Rogers, chief executive officer of the Early Learning Coalition of Osceola County. “In collaboration with the Orlando Philharmonic, we will be providing a music experience in our summer voluntary pre-kindergarten programs that will enrich the educational experiences of our future musicians.”
Children will be engaged in both large and small group settings that include opportunities for individual exploration of pathways to music. Through these experiences, children’s imaginations, social interactions, critical thinking skills, communication skills, and connections to varied music will be enhanced.
“The early years of a child’s life are essential to building the foundation for a lifetime of learning and engagement with music, said Christopher Barton, executive director of the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra. “We are grateful to the Early Learning Coalition for its shared belief in the importance of this opportunity.”
Four pre-kindergarten centers have been selected as the sites for the new program, including Mill Creek Elementary, Chestnut Avenue Elementary, Dream Big Learning Center, and United Cerebral Palsy (UCP). Two Orlando Philharmonic musicians, Jeff Thomas, principal trombone and Alexander Stephens, principal second violin will each visit the four centers.
Program dates, times and locations Include: 9 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. daily.
OPO Principal Trombone: Jeff Thomas at:
- Dreaming Big Learning Center – June 11
- Mill Creek – June 12
- UCP – June 18
- Chestnut Avenue – June 19
OPO Principal Second Violin: Alexander Stephens at:
- Dreaming Big Learning Center – June 25
- Mill Creek – June 26
- UCP – June 27
- Chestnut Avenue – June 28
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ABOUT THE EARLY LEARNING COALITION OF OSCEOLA COUNTY
The Early Learning Coalition of Osceola County (Coalition) has played a vital role in Osceola County for more than a decade. Through the support of state and federal dollars, the Coalition administers Florida’s Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Program in Osceola County and provides School Readiness Financial Assistance to income eligible families. The Coalition also oversees the delivery of Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) services that provide families with individualized, non-biased child care referrals to child care centers, family child care homes, VPK programs, summer camps, school-age programs, Head Start and Early Intervention facilities. Serving approximately 5,000 children annually, the Coalition oversees Osceola’s child care system to ensure that participating programs are meeting legislative requirements in an effort to provide quality early learning experiences for the children within our community. Early education, through a variety of teaching strategies, provides children with a strong foundation to develop their skills and ensure they enter kindergarten prepared and ready to succeed in school and in life. For more information about the Early Learning Coalition of Osceola County and the programs and services we offer, please visit www.elcosceola.org
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Celebrating its 25th Anniversary Season, the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra is led by Music Director Eric Jacobsen and comprised of accomplished musicians from around the world. The Philharmonic annually presents the FAIRWINDS Classics and Pops Series at Bob Carr Theater and its Sounds of Summer, Focus and Women in Song Series at The Plaza Live. Known for its artistic excellence and community collaboration, the Philharmonic presents more than 150 live concerts and impacts more than 70,000 children, youth and families annually through its Young People’s Concerts, Symphony Storytime Series, Notes in Your Neighborhood program, and free outdoor community concerts. A resident company of the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, the Philharmonic will perform in Steinmetz Hall when it opens in 2020. Learn more at orlandophil.org.