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Orchestral Music for the Littlest Ears

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Orchestral music for the littlest ears

By Renee Burke

After a two-year hiatus, the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra is again introducing the magic of orchestral music to the littlest ears. A stellar return for the Young People’s Concerts is underway at the Disney Theater at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.

All OCPS students in grades 3 to 5 participate in the program over a three-month period, with the last performance of the year coming up November 11. Educators utilize specially-created materials so students can connect with the performance around the time of their visit. Every year, OPO serves more than 45,000 OCPS students through the power of live music. The program is supported by the Walt Disney World Resort.

Students entering the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center This season is the 30th year of the partnership, which features an age-appropriate
 performance showcasing musicians from the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, dancers from the Orlando Ballet, and singers from Opera Orlando. Using a video game theme, “Game Overture,” to introduce instruments, sound and dance, it made connections in a vernacular students understand.

Before a recent performance, students oohed and ahhed and said “wow!” as they took in the beauty of the Dr. Phillips Center.

The performance introduced the different sections that make up an orchestra, such as brass and strings, as part of a storyline involving a gamer who needs to earn points against a dark overlord who was trying to steal joy. The Orlando Opera singers, Princess and Mario, taught students about voice parts, such as soprano and baritone, to help the gamer earn points. And dancers from the Orlando Ballet taught choreographed movements to music to ensure the gamer had a well-rounded knowledge of the arts, could defeat the antagonist and win the game.

Upon winning, the gamer, Princess and Mario invited the student audience to sing along to “How far I’ll go” from Disney’s Moana. It was magical.

“That was the best thing I’ve ever seen,” one boy exclaimed to his friend. “Yeah, it was awesome,” another quickly replied. As the duo exited, similar sentiments could be heard amongst other excited students.

 

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