For a recent meeting of the Symphony’s Board, I asked our Director of Education and Community Engagement, Kathryn Wyatt, to talk to our Trustees on the subject of the Symphony’s educational mission and programs. By way of introducing Katie, I expressed my opinion that if there is any silver lining in the economic tsunami we are all experiencing, it’s that it brings into sharp focus those things that matter the most in people’s lives. I believe that music is one of those things, and inasmuch as our orchestra’s deep commitment and allocation of resources to music education are among the things that make our orchestra singularly unique in the world of American orchestras, we took the opportunity to review with the Board the quality and quantity of our music education offerings, as seen through the lens of our education director. We thought it was a story worth sharing and so here, below, is the story that she told our Board. -DCW

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Music DOES matter. When I was 8, I knew I wanted to play the viola, it was different, it was exotic. Music brings me purpose, happiness and a full life. Music brought us all together here today. I'd like to share some of the stories that have similar beginnings for young people across the state.

As you know, the Education Concert is the first brick that was laid in our music education program. Through this concert alone, we serve 50,000 children in our state. This season we traveled as far as Caldwell County, and next season we have plans to reach students from Kill Devil Hills all the way to Asheville. These 8, 9 and 10 year olds write me every week, thanking the Symphony for coming and playing for their school, and telling me that the Symphony was the best thing that happened to them all year. They can't stop talking about it, that they will always remember it. I've heard similar stories from those of you who grew up in North Carolina, that you first heard the Symphony when we performed for your school.

I want you to know that we don't stop there. The symphony's music education programs are extensive, and they can be divided into basically four areas, advocacy, performance, education, and community engagement. In education, we support music not only in the concert hall, but also in the classroom. This year we built on the Symphony's long history of working in classrooms with a new Ensembles in the Schools program. We took a brass quintet and a string quartet to 20 schools in order to put musicians in kids' laps, in their media centers and in their music rooms. Many of the elementary students had never seen an instrument up close, had never touched one. For the high schools we visited, it was a chance for them to interact with the best musicians in the state. For those of you who have had the chance to attend, you've seen that our Open Rehearsals are opportunities for students to meet our guest conductors and our musicians. Just this last month we met Stefan Sanderling and learned about his difficult life growing up in East Berlin, and how music allowed him to escape in his mind. Our education programs go even deeper, through master classes with our musicians and guest conductors, supporting young musicians in their budding careers.

We make an effort every day to be an integral part of our community. Through Fidelity FutureStage, we've adopted four elementary schools, in the hopes that we can jump start their music programs. Two of these schools are Title I, with at least 40% of their students coming from low-income families. This program provides these schools with $50,000 worth of new instruments, and we follow up that donation by providing them with the best of everything that we have for free. Our Community College Residency Project has made a small home this year for music and for the Symphony in Tarboro, Rockingham, and Lenoir North Carolina. Through these residencies, we are bringing great performances and music education to the children and community members of the rural parts of our state. As a result of our project, two of these community colleges have created music appreciation courses, which will be staffed by the same people who helped us build these residencies. In addition, right here in the Triangle, we are major supporters of the Philharmonic Association, a 400 member community youth orchestra. The top orchestra of this community group is the official Youth Orchestra of the Symphony. We do everything we can to inspire these young musicians, through providing lessons with Symphony players, and arranging for Grant Llewellyn, Joan Landry, Bill Curry and our guest conductors to give them those moments that will spur them to keep music in their lives forever. Finally, our Young Strings of the Triangle program provides free lessons with four of our musicians and area music teachers to 18 young minority and economically disadvantaged students. I'll tell you just one story from this group of heartbreakers. Joel Nguyen is a Vietnamese child with some severe physical disabilities who through adoption came to live in the United States. Wilinda Atchley has taught Joel to slide on the violin with the three digits of his left hand, and now he plays Paganini Caprices. Joel will graduate next year from high school thanks to the support of his family and of his music teacher.

We can't talk about music education without talking about music teachers. These are the people who are on the ground, inspiring North Carolina's children to sing and to play and to be moved by something beautiful. I live for these people; we wouldn't be able to serve this state without them. The Symphony offers professional development programs and resources to support teachers in their work, and we honor one very special teacher every year through the Maxine Swalin Award. Through active advocacy for the value of music education in our schools and the support of music as a core subject, we empower music teachers to do what they do best, teach.

I could go on and on about the community engagement work that we do- but I would have to list almost everything that we do. From this weekend's concert program which is completely inspired by the music of coastal Carolina, to hiring local artists like Paperhand Puppet Intervention and Rozlyn Sorrell, through our drive to support East Carolina’s Food Bank, to taking music to the streets in our pub concert series, to bringing the community onstage with us for our Play with the Pros concert, we are woven into the fabric of this community.

Music matters. It inspired you all to be here today, and with our help, music is changing the lives of young people and of the young at heart across the state. We have so much to grow on and so much to do, thank you for making it happen. I’d like to end with a letter from Jennifer Hines, who is 12 years old and in the 7th grade at West Edgecombe Middle School:

Dear Secretary Carlisle,

As a middle school band student, the symphony has taught me many new things. I’ve heard many different pieces of music and what our band is supposed to sound like. Listening has intrigued me and sent me into deep thoughts, such as how can they go so fast? Or, how do you make that sound?

But the main thing I have gotten out of listening to the symphony is perseverance. Every time I’ve heard the symphony, I can see how good I could be and what I could do with my life. There are so many new things to learn and do when it comes to music and knowing how good I could be makes it a little easier.

Also, the symphony has shown me the importance of practicing. I can hear how good I could sound, but only if I practice. I truly hope that the symphony does not stop coming to our school. All the kids for future generations should have the same opportunity to be inspired like I was.

Sincerely, Jennifer Hines