It's Elementary
COVID UPDATES
The Santa Rosa Symphony Institute for Music Education, with innovation and imagination, continues to seek ways to engage young people with the healing power of music and music making. More than ever before, the Institute is dedicated to its mission to provide quality music education throughout Sonoma County, a mission that is vital to the health and well-being of our community.
It's Elementary continues to provide a two-year-long suite of music education opportunities and services to six deserving Sonoma County elementary schools, reaching over 2,600 students in Santa Rosa, Two Rock, Cloverdale and Petaluma. A highlight of the program is visits to the schools from small ensembles of the Santa Rosa Symphony. This feature was put on hold in the fall semester and creative alternatives are being explored to provide “live” assemblies on Zoom.
The It's Elementary music immersion program is designed to support the partner schools in their efforts to integrate music into their curricula as encouraged by the CA state Common Core practices.
Each school year, three new schools are selected to participate for two years free of charge. A total of six schools participate annually; three It's Elementary schools are in their first year and three are in their second year of the program. The designated campuses participate in on-site music education activities provided by the Santa Rosa Symphony.
Applications for It's Elementary will open in December 2021.
It's Elementary sub-programs and activities include the following:
Elementary School Listening Program
Daily classical music listening kits are provided for classroom implementation. Musical selections of approximately five minutes in length can be played over a school's PA system or provided to teachers individually to use in their daily classroom activities.
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In-School Performances
Each participating school receives four 30-minute "Meet Our Families" assembly performances, which introduce the orchestra's instruments by section. Offered are a String Quintet, a Woodwind Quintet, a Brass Quintet and a Percussion Trio, consisting of SRS professional musicians.
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SRS Youth Ensembles Tour the Schools
One of the SRS Youth Ensembles performs at each It's Elementary school at an assembly in the spring.
Youth Discovery Cards
Every student in participating schools will receive a free season pass admitting the student, with an adult, to all seven Discovery rehearsals. Discovery rehearsals are at 2 PM on the Saturday of the Classical concert weekend. Dress is casual and no one under age seven is allowed. Discovery rehearsals are at Weill Hall at the Green Music Center. The Youth Discovery Card can also be used at all of the Youth Orchestra performances at Weill Hall..
E-mail Jane Shelly to get the link to order the cards. These cards enable a student along with one accompanying adult to receive free admission to all of the Santa Rosa Symphony's Saturday Discovery rehearsals, as well as all Youth Orchestra concerts at Weill Hall.
The person requesting the card will be sent an application which they fill out and bring to the first concert they attend. There they may exchange the application for the card and two tickets to that concert.
If they provide the information about the child's school and classroom teacher's name, we track the teacher's names. If the same teacher is listed on five applications, that teacher receives a voucher for two tickets to a Santa Rosa Symphony concert!
Free Concerts for Youth
SRS ensembles perform six concerts for young people annually at Weill Hall at the Green Music Center. We encourage schools participating in It's Elementary to attend these concerts if transportation is available.
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Curriculum Support and Professional Development
Opportunities for integrating music into regular classroom activities are available to teachers in the form of lesson plans or after-school workshops. Please contact the education department for more information on upcoming workshops at (707) 546-7097 x 225.
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We gratefully acknowledge the generous contributions from the following:
Rotary Club of Santa Rosa East
Banner photo by Susan & Neil Silverman Photography