Education Concert 2006

"I learned I want to play an instrument when I'm older."

- letter from a student who attended the 2005 Education Concert

Music has touched the life of every member of our orchestra. Each of us fondly remembers our first experience with classical music, and look forward to the opportunity every year to bring that joy to another generation of young people. Given the flattering compliments we've received in the past (ranging from “This was the best field trip ever,” and “I learned that when I grow up I want to play in an orchestra and play the harp,” to “Your show made me go home and dance to Brittney Spears in my room. Your music would probably be up to her standards if you keeping doing what you did”), there can be no doubt of the impression the concert makes. The sense of discovery the students feel is visible through the grins on their faces and their enthusiastic applause.

Though geared towards the younger students, high school educators have also found the concert to be a useful teaching aid. Their experience is best summed up in the words of one of the music teachers: “They each wrote thank-you notes to me for organizing the trip, and a lot of them said that they were inspired by seeing college students play--they even said they were going to start practicing more!” The lack of a significant age gap between these students and the orchestra members allows them to see the more immediate consequences of hard work and practice, as opposed to a concert by a “traditional” symphony orchestra, in which winning a spot requires years or decades more work.

As always the Saybrook College Orchestra will bring is youthful passion and commitment to musicality to the stage, as it attempts to paint pictures through sound. This year's concert program consists of selections from John Williams' Superman score, the Raider’s march from Indiana Jones and Respighi’s famous tone poem, Pines of Rome, part of which is featured in Fantasia 2000. Scenes from the movies will be shown during the longer segments to help the students stay interested, and a celebrity narrator will guide them through the concert. The Newberry Memorial Organ will also be in use during Pines of Rome, exposing the students to an unusual instrument not often encountered, even in an orchestral setting.

Educational materials are available now, giving teachers maximum flexibility in prepping their students for the concert. This year, an audio-visual guide to the individual instruments of the orchestra, cues to when the music is used in the movie and sound clips will be included in these packets. A more technical version of these materials is available for older students upon request. We have also started a pen-pal program that will allow us to reply to all the letters we receive – if a student specifies a favorite instrument, a member of that section will reply; if they do not, the orchestra manager will write back. Further visits with members of the ensemble can be scheduled to take place in the schools, with the curriculum determined through the collaboration of the orchestra and school.

In return for the effort and energy the orchestra brings to the stage we ask that each student bring a canned good to donate to a local food shelter. The Saybrook Orchestra’s commitment to outreach extends beyond the music room, and we seek to ensure that all who come to the concert understand the value of giving back to the community. Though the individual contribution will be small in comparison with the whole it proves analogous to the workings of the orchestra: each musician contributes a small, equally important amount, which becomes magnified into the much more majestic whole. The 2000 cans we hope to raise will be displayed in the Woolsey Rotunda as the students exit, allowing them to see firsthand how much can come of a small gift.

The concert is presented completely free of charge. There are a limited number of seats available and reservations, once announced, will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. For more information, or to be contacted when we begin taking reservations, write to syorchestra@yale.edu.

Get the 2006 Education Packet.

Return to SYO Education Initiative homepage.

Learn more about SYO educational programs:

• 2006 Educational Concert
• Symphonic Concerts
• Chamber Ensemble Site Visits

Learn about past educational projects:

• 2005 Educational Concert
• 2004 Educational Concert
• Symphonic Concerts