Orchkids

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s OrchKids is an after-school program designed to effect social change and nurture promising futures for youth in Baltimore City’s low-income neighborhoods. In collaboration with a broad array of community partners, the BSO’s OrchKids program will provide music education, instruments and mentorship to Baltimore’s neediest youngsters. Under Music Director Marin Alsop’s artistic leadership and direction, OrchKids, is a cornerstone of the BSO’s vision to expand the Orchestra’s relevance within the city’s broad and diverse community. To effectively implement OrchKids and to create a network of community support, the BSO is undertaking the program in partnership with several key local organizations, including the Baltimore City Public School System, The Peabody Institute, Arts Everyday, Baltimore School for the Arts and The Family League. Each partner organization will contribute its own expertise and unique resources to the program. OrchKids is inspired by Venezuela’s El Sistema, the music program that in 30 years has transformed the lives of hundreds of thousands of children in that country’s most impoverished areas. Like El Sistema, OrchKids is intended not only to provide musical instruments and training, but also to address some of the pervasive social challenges effecting underserved youth. To this end, the BSO’s OrchKids program will use music to cultivate fundamental life skills such as self-expression, cooperative learning, discipline and creativity, all of which have been linked to improved social and academic outcomes. The program, which will be offered to children at no charge, will fill a gap in affordable, quality after-school care in the city of Baltimore. Funding for the planning phase and first year of OrchKids is made possible in part through the generous support of Robert E. Meyerhoff and Rheda Baker. Music Director Marin Alsop has committed $100,000, structured as a four-to-one matching gift, intended to motivate and inspire others in the community to provide additional support to sustain the OrchKids program through the critical first few years of implementation and growth.

Program Model

Beginning in September 2008, approximately 25 first graders from West Baltimore’s Harriet Tubman Elementary School will participate in OrchKids. Students, who will be known as "OrchKids", will participate in the program three days per week, receiving music instruction and taking part in enrichment activities. Music curriculum will be based on “active learning” principles, and will incorporate age-appropriate games and activities to teach music fundamentals and to develop musicianship. In the second half of the school year, students will be introduced to different musical instruments, and before the end of the year, they will choose their own instrument and begin lessons. Enrichment activities will be designed to teach students about their communities, develop social and leadership skills, and bridge cultural divides. Research suggests that students participating in after-school and arts programs experience significant positive improvements in social, academic and behavioral outcomes (“The Impact of Arts Education on Workforce Preparation,” May 2002, The National Governors Association)^[1]. With oversight from The Family League, the BSO plans detailed, regular tracking of each student’s academic, social and musical progress throughout his or her involvement with the program.

About the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is internationally recognized as having achieved a preeminent place among the world’s most important orchestras. Acclaimed for its uncompromising pursuit of artistic excellence, the Baltimore Symphony has attracted a devoted national and international following while maintaining deep bonds throughout Maryland through education and community outreach initiatives. The BSO made musical history at the start of the 2007-2008 season when [Marin Alsop|Maestra Marin Alsop] led her inaugural concerts as the Orchestra’s 12th music director, making her the first woman to head a major American orchestra. Maestra Alsop’s arrival marks the dawn of a new era for the BSO, as she brings her highly praised artistic vision, her dynamic musicianship and her commitment to accessibility in classical music to BSO audiences. For more than 80 years, the BSO has maintained a vibrant educational presence throughout the state of Maryland, supporting the local community through its commitment to actively “giving back” with its education, outreach and mentorship programs. The BSO performs approximately 30 education concerts and open rehearsals each year for more than 60,000 area students in pre-school through 12th grade. Cornerstone initiatives include BSO on the Go, a program that brings small groups of BSO musicians into schools for free and interactive music educations workshops, and “Side by Side” concerts, which allow student musicians to rehearse and perform a full-length concert alongside BSO musicians.

Mission

• To use music as a vehicle to provide Baltimore City children with mentoring, encouragement and vision for a promising future.
• To create an after-school program devoted to music appreciation, academics, citizenship, community awareness, family and health (emotional, social and physical)
• To continue to develop the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra as an accessible community resource.

Goals

• Provide children with valuable tools to expand opportunities for creativity, self-expression, cooperative learning, teamwork, academic success and self-esteem
• Engage students at an early age and support their musical training by offering them quality instruction, instruments, and a full range of personal and family enrichment experiences
• Better serve and deepen the BSO’s reach into its community; broaden partnerships with other community organizations
• Develop a neighborhood program that will create a sense of community pride through heightened participation
• Increase parental involvement in all aspects of students’ lives to improve students’ chances for lifelong success
• Become a model for similar programs

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra's Home Page

References

1. ^ The Impact of Arts Education on Workforce Preparation