Children’s Orchestra Experience

LSYO News February 22, 2024

Thrilled Third Graders

Each year, the LaGrange Symphony Orchestra presents a concert program for all the local third grade students free of charge. For many of the students, this is their first experience with a symphony orchestra. They are introduced to the instruments, how they are grouped, and how they sound individually and together with other instruments. The students learn about etiquette, about music styles, and even how to know when to clap.

To accommodate the large number of third grade students in our area, the LSO performs multiple concerts over the course of several days. Most students come to the concert with their school class, but home-schooled third graders are also invited. If your home-schooled third grader would like to participate next February, please contact the LSO office at info@lagrangesymphony.org.

A Busy February

The 2024 LaGrange Symphony Orchestra Children’s Concerts were held this past week. The students were treated to a full orchestra conducted by LSO Maestro Richard Prior. The music included a variety of selections that evoked different emotions. Many of the film scores like Star Wars and Pirates of the Caribbean were instantly recognized by the students. They marveled at how the music identified the films and how it set the mood.

The program was beautifully narrated by Carol Cain, who is a local storyteller and has done a tremendous job of narrating this program for many years. She and Maestro Richard Prior made it a fun and interactive experience.

Featuring Russell Peck’s The Thrill of the Orchestra

The featured part of the program was The Thrill of the Orchestra, by American composer Russell Peck.

[The LSO included The Thrill of the Orchestra in their March 2023 EDUCATION concert and you can read more about Russell Peck in this blog post. You can also read a review of the March 2023 EDUCATION Concert HERE.]

These students had a great time. Here are a few photos of how the instruments were highlighted within Russell Peck’s work. Afterwards, a few lucky audience members got to conduct the orchestra! Now that’s thrilling!