The CSO’s Making Music Matters (M3) program plays a vital role to students in the Columbus area. M3 makes it possible for students in the Columbus metropolitan area to be involved with instrumental music, both as participants and listeners, at a high level and in a structured, disciplined manner.
In collaboration with the Empowered Youth of Columbus, the CSO provides free after-school group instrumental instruction to young children at Title I schools within the Muscogee County School District. Making Music Matters is designed to instill in them the discipline, powers of concentration, and teamwork necessary to be successful, not only in music but in life. It is teaching life skills through music. Our goal is not to create professional musicians, but rather to enrich students’ lives through the creative pursuit of musical skills. We are currently teaching in Brewer Elementary, Dawson Elementary, Dorothy Height Elementary, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary.
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MESBO.1 – Throughout the year students will sing various songs to demonstrate the ability to match pitch and adjust intonation, discuss the relationship between singing and quality tone production on a string instrument, and use singing as a memorization tool.
MESBO.2 – Students will perform on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music by demonstrating correct hand, finger, bow, and instrument positions. They will also be able to produce characteristic sounds while utilizing correct finger patterns in performing scales and repertoire. Students will be able to develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation.
MESBO.3 and MESBO.4 – Students will be able to read and notate music as well as play by ear simple melodies and provide rhythmic and melodic variations.
MESBO.7 – Students will also have the opportunity to critique their own performances and the performances of others and be able to describe what was great and what they could improve on.
Recent funding cuts in public school education, affecting all areas from arts curricula to transportation, have made it increasingly difficult for some schools to bring their children in large groups to see and hear us in our concert hall. We, therefore, have decided to take the orchestra, in various sizes and instrument combinations, into the schools to perform and provide instrument demonstrations for young students through our Orchestra Up Close program. Our goals are to:
Introduce school children in the Columbus and the surrounding areas to the music and musicians of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra.
Provide an up close experience with the instruments of the orchestra.
To develop in young people a sense of familiarity with instrumental music which will foster a curiosity that will eventually lead to the cultivation of a sense of ownership in the general activities of the CSO.
It is hoped that this would result in a deeper appreciation of the value of music, and the arts in general, in their individual, family and communal lives. The Orchestra Up Close is brings small ensembles of CSO musicians into the classroom to present hour-long programs to small groups of children allowing for an “up close” experience that is not possible at larger concerts. The musicians perform and talk about their instruments and children have the opportunity to make observations, ask questions, and, most importantly, to touch and play the variety of instruments in the CSO “instrument petting zoo.” This program is available to schools throughout the region, and is presented to more than 2,000-3,000 children annually. This currently existing program will be gradually expanded to include all elementary schools in the metropolitan community.
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General: MKGM.2/6/7/8/9; M1GM.2/6/7/8/9; M2GM.2/6/7/8/9; M3GM.2/6/7/8/9; M4GM.2/6/7/8/9; M5GM. 2/6/7/8/9; M(Band/Orchestra).2
Physical Science standards: S1P1 and S4P2.
