Education

MUSICALINKS INTEGRATIVE CURRICULUM PARTNERSHIPS
These programs involve integrating music with the core-curriculum in accordance with the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. They employ and emphasize the relationship between music and other subject areas. By integrating elements of music with a particular subject, the musician-educator uses music to develop the students’ imaginations so that they are better able to grasp abstract academic concepts, to employ critical thinking skills and to express themselves. Our programs are built on the premise of two-way integration: music illuminates academic studies and academic studies illuminate music.

Educational Explorations through Music—Language Arts
Educational Explorations through Music is a literacy-based, sequential partnership program whereby music is integrated into the core curricula with a focus on Language Arts and literary techniques. Each lesson involves hands-on activities relating text and the musical compositions. Students identify and interpret musical and literary elements that are crucial to the telling of a story or the writing of a poem. In most instances connections are made to other arts disciplines, in particular dance and visual arts. This program assists the students in expressing themselves with greater detail by providing a sensory context and frames of reference for imaginative expression.

Music and Human Conflict: Understanding History through Music
In this program students study the roles music plays in culture and society, focusing on how music shapes and is shaped by historical events. Topics include propaganda, protest and transcending adversity.

Community Expressions: Interpreting History and Culture through Music Composition
Using his work, Mill Village: A Piedmont Rhapsody as a model, composer David Crowe works with students on the steps of the creative process as relative to music.  Students research the history and culture of their own communities and create a musical work inspired by their findings.

The Music of Math
The purpose of this program is to enhance student understanding of mathematical principles through musical encounters with concepts such as patterns, measurement, fractions, spatial visualization, and graphing.

Instrumental Music Initiative
In this program Charlotte Symphony musicians go into a selected school and work intensively with the instrumental music students.  Students are broken into chamber music ensembles, each of which is coached by a CSO player.  The goals are to increase the playing abilities and musicianship of the students, give them the experience of performing in a chamber ensemble, and to expose them to repertoire that they otherwise would be unable to play in a traditional classroom setting.  Additionally, the hope is that the students will take what they have learned in their coaching sessions back to their larger school ensemble, which will help increase the ability of the program as a whole.  This program was piloted in 2006-2007 at Northwest School of the Arts.  

Education Concerts Series
Thematic, curriculum-based concerts are presented annually to fourth and fifth grade students in Charlotte-Mecklenburg and surrounding area schools.

Concert programs are geared to the integration of music into the school curriculum and have included such themes as:

• Historical Measures: A Musical Timeline
• Sounds of Enchantment
• Myths, Fables and Fairy Tales in Music
• The Power of American Expression
• Notable Numbers: Patterns, Rhythms, and Form in Music
• Audible Imagery
• Sound Imaginings: Musical Interpretations of Stories, Myths, Legends    and Dreams
• Musically Speaking: The Composer’s Voice

A teacher’s study guide incorporating the fourth and fifth grade North Carolina Standard Course of Study is issued to all participating schools. A CD of all concert selections accompanies the guide.

Education Concert Series, 2007 – 2008

Notable Numbers: Patterns, Rhythms, and Form in Music

Prelude Ensembles
These are special ensemble presentations designed for CMS Elementary Schools and performed by CSO musicians. Prelude Ensembles support North Carolina Standard’s for Music Education and serve as preparation and reinforcement for the CSO Education Concerts as well as introducing students to instruments of the orchestra.

In addition, ensembles of CSO musicians are available as a component of the Education Partnerships and at the request of individual schools. Contact the Education Department at 704-972-2003 for more information on booking ensembles.

Adult Education

Pre-Concert Talks – Informal and informative talks that take place prior to each concert on the Classics Series. They include interviews with guest conductors and artists and offer brief but substantive analyses of the works on that evening’s performance to further enhance the musical experience of the audience.

Symphony 101 – A lunchtime lecture series hosted by pianist Anna Brock at the Matthews and the Main branches of the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. These bring-your-own lunch lectures cover a host of musical topics that will engage, educate, and entertain the audience.