Not only did 1,500 elementary students from Duval and surrounding counties explore music at the Jacksonville Symphony last month, they commemorated a historic moment as well. Mid-way through the JM Family Enterprises Young People's Concert, they listened in on the live audio broadcast of the swearing-in of President Barack Obama. This was followed by the singing of America, the Beautiful with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra.
The program, titled "What Music Means to Me," led by guest conductor Christopher Confessore, offered a creative writing component. Students prepared for the concert in advance by writing about what music means to them on a personal level. At the concert, a few select students had the opportunity to express their own thoughts about music from the stage. Students also heard from orchestra musicians talking about how music affects them personally and professionally.
The concert was part of the Weaver Family Foundation Jacksonville Symphony Student Education Concerts, offering an extensive array of educational programs to 30,000 schoolchildren in Duval and surrounding counties throughout the concert season. These programs offer an irreplaceable experience in the lives of schoolchildren, and this particular concert certainly gave them a musical impression of a lifetime.
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