I am thrilled to see a couple of big institutions come together to enhance music learning among the digital native children of today. San Francisco in partnership with UC Irvine is launching their SFSKids.org website for children to get interested and appreciate classical music through game play and interactivity.
“SFSKids is designed in alignment with nationally prescribed music education curriculum standards, and supports learning goals in regional and local music education curricula. The site presents music education concepts through an online environment that motivates users to interact with music and perform cognitive tasks.
Users are able to explore various components of music-making, such as orchestral instruments, composers of orchestral music, the basics of conducting and composing, and much more. Multiple scientific studies have demonstrated the benefits of music as an essential part of the educational process. Through SFSKids, the San Francisco Symphony provides an accessible resource for children, families, and teachers to learn about and build familiarity with orchestral music.”
ABOUT SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY’S COMMITMENT TO MUSIC EDUCATION
Music education has been a part of the SFS’ mission since its founding in 1911. The Orchestra’s second performance in 1911 was a concert for children, and its commitment to lifelong learning continues today with a variety of programs designed for all age groups, including: Adventures in Music, the longest running and most comprehensive music education program of its kind among American Orchestras in public schools reaching every child in grades 1-5 in the San Francisco Unified School District; Music for Families, concerts for parents and children; the internationally renowned San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra, the Instrument Training and Support program for middle and high school music students, and Community of Music Makers workshops for adult amateur singers and instrumentalists.
Michael Tilson Thomas and the SFS launched their Keeping Score PBS television series and multimedia project in 2006, to make classical music more accessible to people of all ages and musical backgrounds. The project, an unprecedented undertaking among orchestras, is anchored by eight composer documentaries, hosted by Tilson Thomas, and eight live concert films, now available on DVD and Blu-ray, and includes www.keepingscore.org, an innovative website to explore and learn about music; a national radio series; and an education program for K-12 schools to further teaching through the arts by integrating classical music into core subjects.
To date, more than six million people have seen the Keeping Score television series, and the radio series has been broadcast on more than 400 stations nationally. Praising the SFS’s education programs, the Wall Street Journal states, “The San Francisco Symphony serves as the industry standard,” and The New York Times refers to the SFS as “a music education powerhouse.”
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