EDUCATION & OUTREACH

Peter & the Wolf

Sunday April 25, 2010 at 2pm -
SPECIAL FAMILY CONCERTTickets

The Arts Walk is a program facilitated in conjunction with the Youth Concert Series. The Allentown Symphony Association partners with our “arts neighbors” in downtown Allentown to create an annual “Arts Walk” experience for 400 third-grade students from the Allentown School District. Children from these elementary schools face the toughest challenges in the school district, as they live in the poorest sections of Allentown. Participating students attend the Youth Concert, view related art work at the Allentown Art Museum and travel to the Baum School of Art to create their own art based on their personal day’s experiences. The goal of the Arts Walk event illustrates how music crosses artistic boundaries and relates to other art and cultural formats.

Allentown Symphony Orchestra &
and the Ballet Guild of the Lehigh Valley

Peter and the Wolf Prokofiev

The Steadfast Tin Soldier Bizet

Beloved by adults and children alike, Prokofiev's masterpiece, "Peter and the Wolf," introduces the instruments of the orchestra through the story of Peter's adventure in the forest. For both "Peter and the Wolf" and Bizet's musical interpretation of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, "The Steadfast Tin Soldier," the Allentown Symphony Orchestra will be joined by members of the Ballet Guild of the Lehigh Valley to tell a story the whole family will enjoy.

Musical Treasure Chest was created especially for very young children and serves children in Kindergarten through First Grade (4 to 7 years of age). It is a music and storytelling program, which includes Allentown Symphony Musicians and is held on the 3^rd floor of Symphony Hall. School children attend this program during the week and children and their families have the opportunity attend a similar program on the week-end. This program provides young children an opportunity to learn about musical instruments, hear short musical pieces with a story told by a professional storyteller, interacting with the storyteller and meeting musicians in an informal more personalized setting.

Tracy Damiani, Storyteller
Michael Toth, Pianist

January 2010
Robin Kani, Flute
January 21 at 9:30am - Tickets
January 21 at 11am - Tickets
January 23 at 10am - Tickets

March 2010
March 18 at 9:30am - Tickets
March 18 at 11am - Tickets
March 20 at 10am - Tickets

April 2010
April 22 at 9:30am - Tickets
April 22 at 11am - Tickets
April 24 at 10am - Tickets

Curriculum for this program is aligned with state of Pennsylvania Reading Standards, used for public Kindergarten and First Grade, which includes speaking, listening, reading and writing. Curriculum at this age includes standards for academic and social skills. Social skills can be learned during these educational events with an opportunity to assist the student participant in developing focus, appropriate self control and modeling appropriate behaviors. This program is an excellent example of a music education program for young children which meet curriculum standards on all levels.

Hallmarks of reading readiness and beginning reading are all part of this program. Some of the important components are:

- Phonemic awareness: identifying sounds through rhyme, alliterations, and analogy

- Listening: discriminating between sounds, words, appropriate responce, extending vocabulary

- Accuracy and fluency: understanding, sequence of events - beginning, middle, end

- Self-monitoring and self-correcting: making predictions, retelling the story

- Comprehension: asking children questions to be sure details were understood

Musicians in Schools program is available for interdisciplinary presentations to grades K-12 in their classrooms; these presentations are approximately 45 minutes long, and touch upon music, history, geography and science. Ensembles (duos, trios, or quartets) can be composed of string, wind, brass, percussion, or a mixture of instruments to fit the needs of the school music program. By using small instrumental ensembles able to customize their programs and travel directly to schools, this program is efficient in terms of both cost and instructional time. Because of our access to musicians, this special programming is nearly unlimited in its capacity to grow. It can also complement curriculum by bringing the arts to compliment various subjects being taught. The program is tied to best practices in states using a mandated assessed curriculum, and can be implemented at a variety of grade levels from elementary through high school and college.

Master Classes usually feature a soloist engaged to perform with the Allentown Symphony Orchestra. These accomplished musicians travel to local high school and college music departments to work “hands on” with students who are studying music in more advanced instrumental/vocal settings.

Musical Instrument Petting Zoo” is a “hands-on” introduction for children to a variety of instruments and is available for community events. This program is most often offered in schools all around the Lehigh Valley. It consists of a collection of gently used instruments and a music educator or “zookeeper” who explains the instrument and guides participants in instrument use. This program is particularly effective when offered with other ASA programs, particularly in conjunction with the Youth Concert Series or Musicians in Schools.

City Arts Camp partners include the Allentown Art Museum, Baum School of Art, Civic Theatre of Allentown, Community Music School and Repertory Dance Theatre. For one or two weeks in August children can attend City Arts Camp for a week of immersion in visual and performing arts. The cost to attend camp is $195 per week. This cost can be prohibitive for local parents and almost half of the attendees do so with some level of scholarship assistance. Allentown Symphony pays musician/educators to work with campers (Ages 8 to 12) to make them realize that music they hear every day is actually classical music. Familiar melodies from cartoons, movies and television which are actually part of a larger classical work are brought to life by musicians, and put in historical context for the children.

The Voorhees Concerto Competition sponsored by the Allentown Symphony Association honors Donald Voorhees, (b. Allentown, Pennsylvania) a distinguished American Conductor and first Maestro of the Allentown Symphony Orchestra. This competition, perpetuating his legacy to music, encourages and rewards local young musicians who aspire to solo instrumental performance. The Voorhees Concerto Competition has for many years, provided exceptional young music artists the opportunity to showcase their talent before a panel of esteemed judges. This Competition has earned widespread respect and recognition. Many Voorhees Concerto finalists have pursued successful solo careers. Cash Prizes are awarded.

Application Deadline Monday April 13, 2009
Requirements

Application

Cover Letter

Schadt Brothers String Summer Camp Scholarships provide opportunities for young string students in the Greater Lehigh Valley Region to experience concentrated instrumental study from outstanding teachers, coaches, and conductors, in a summer educational environment with other students in their age group.

Students who audition for a scholarship will have the opportunity to apply for this scholarship every spring up to 18 years of age. Scholarship awards will be based upon artistic merit. Awards will range from $50 -$500 depending upon the price and length of the camp.

The Young Musicians String Festival is a unique musician experience in the Greater Lehigh Valley which highlights the talents of string instrument students ages 9-13. This unparalleled educational opportunity for young aspiring musicians occurs each year in the Symphony Orchestra season and is designed for young musicians who have greater than one year of string instrument experience. This valuable learning and performance experience with a complete professionally designed performance activity culminates in a concert at Allentown Symphony’s restored historic performance hall.

The Young Musician String Festival is scheduled at Allentown Symphony Hall on Sunday, November 15, 2009 at 2:00pm.

Application

PROGRAMS FOR ADULTS:

Brown Bag Lunches - From noon till 1:00, on the Friday before each symphony subscription concert weekend, Allentown Symphony Orchestra Music Director/Conductor Diane Wittry leads a talk about the music for the weekend's concert. Guest soloists are often on hand during this free get-together on Symphony Hall stage.

Senior Series - Orchestra members present informative pre-concert lectures at five local senior centers/ retirement communities: Luther Crest, Phoebe Terrace, Kirkland Village, Lehigh County Senior Citizens Center, and Moravian Hall Square.