On Thursday, November 2, over 350 students from Village and Silver Strand elementary schools and Christ Church Day School attended a professional orchestra concert in the Performing Arts Center at Coronado High School.
“Music brings us as a community together through the joy the vibrations bring to our senses. The positive energy from the students during the performance was felt in the theater the minute the music started. Seeing hundreds of students learn how to conduct while the orchestra was playing was literally a successful magic trick; I wouldn’t have believed it had I not seen it myself,” said Coronado Unified School District Director of Special Programs, Shane Schmeichel.
Classics 4 Kids received a 2023-24 community grant from the City of Coronado to provide music education access for Coronado students.
The total experience included the concert as well as a classroom lesson facilitated by Classics 4 Kids docents. The docents visited each class the week before the concert to prepare the students and explain the elements of an orchestra.
The educational orchestra concert titled “The Conductor’s Spellbook” uses the power of music to tell the story of a child’s ability to lead the orchestra through magic. According to Classics 4 Kids, “the program fosters leadership, introduces students to music and conducting, and integrates physics by unveiling the science of sound.”
The show was narrated by special guest and award-winning opera singer Bernardo Bermudez, who provided narration in both English and Spanish. Bermudez is a Venezuelan tenor who performs in productions and concerts with opera companies throughout the United States. He is a co-founder of Opera4Kids.
The orchestra was conducted by Dana Zimbric, Classics 4 Kids Artistic Director & Conductor. “As the conductor, I love to interact with the students who attend our performances, and it always surprises me how many of them raise their hands when I ask if this is their first concert. I am grateful to the City of Coronado for providing multiple years of funding that has allowed us to benefit children throughout Coronado with the arts. Together, we are making a real impact on the children in our community,” Zimbric shared.
“Thank you to the City of Coronado, Classics 4 Kids and CUSD for supporting exposure to the value of music. It was a special day,” said Schmeichel.
Classics 4 Kids is a nonprofit educational performing arts organization dedicated to inspiring children through the experience of music, generating creativity, academic success, and cultural understanding for over 30 years. Classics 4 Kids provides elementary schools with access to innovative orchestra programs that integrate STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math), literacy, and cultural exploration in conjunction with the music.
Source: Coronado Unified School District
