Life lessons through the power of orchestra performance

Maggy Wolanske
·3 min read

(COLORADO SPRINGS) — Elementary school students throughout southern Colorado enjoyed a memorable day of learning, as they not only enjoyed a performance from the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, but also received inspirational insights from a decorated Olympian.

“The Philharmonic is inside the boundaries of District 11,” said Colorado Springs School District 11 Superintendent, Michael Gaal. “It’s time for us to start taking advantage of all the resources that exist in our downtown area and here we are now at our Watson campus… where for some of them it’s their first time in a high school size auditorium.”

To captivate the young audience, Olympic triathlete Hunter Kemper narrated the performance, discussing the various roles in the orchestra and highlighting how each musician contributes to the creation of the beautiful melodies they were experiencing.

“I think when we hear the Philharmonic, I’m going, ‘Oh my goodness, how are our third graders going to be able to sit for 30 minutes, an hour,” said Jackson Elementary School Drama Teacher, Monica Slabach. “But they made it so engaging to have an Olympian speaking throughout it, to have the instruments competing was a really fun way to introduce and actually educate the kids about different instruments and what they’re actually doing on stage.”

A long line of eager southern Colorado students gathered outside of the auditorium before the special performance.
A long line of eager southern Colorado students gathered outside of the auditorium before the special performance.

Students eagerly participated in the performance of the Orchestra Games, with the chance to judge the different performances and cheer on their favorites.

“It was like a one-on-one one against each other and I like how they bring up all of them and specific details,” said Penrose Elementary Fifth Grader, Mason Reil. “They made the kids feel energetic saying ‘the crowd goes wild’ and then they all got energetic, especially the little ones.”

Following Kemper’s narration, around 70 musicians showcased their talents, demonstrating how the various sections of the orchestra harmonize to create the enchanting music.

“We need these kids to learn something about orchestra music, but more importantly, learn something about themselves and maybe discover something new,” said President and CEO of the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, Nathan Newbrough.

  • One of the many instruments used in the performance on Tuesday morning.
    One of the many instruments used in the performance on Tuesday morning.
  • Music sheets could be spotted during the performance indicating how the orchestra performs.
    Music sheets could be spotted during the performance indicating how the orchestra performs.
  • The role of each member of the orchestra was explained, so students understood which instruments made exact sounds.
    The role of each member of the orchestra was explained, so students understood which instruments made exact sounds.

“This isn’t just about music,” Newbrough said. “This is also about sports, and it’s also about these big themes of resilience and grit and teamwork, that are so important if you’re an athlete or if you’re a violin player, or if you’re in fourth grade and you are getting along with friends and experiencing challenges in your life.”

As an athlete, Reil explained the role music has in his sports endeavors, speaking directly to how the crowd’s cheers keep the energy soaring high.

“Whenever you score, they start chanting and like chanting about the hockey teams or the basketball teams name,” Reil said. “They [start], ‘Let’s go Rampart’ and they start chanting and they’re on the stands and they bang their feet.”

The experience on Tuesday morning, as conveyed by Slabach, serves as the district’s commitment to investing in the arts and encouraging students to explore their creative talents.

“I’m an elementary drama teacher, there’s not very many of us in the state of Colorado,” Slabach said. “So, we’re seeing that D11 has arts integration in schools and schools of choice, that you can opt in to have your children learn some of these skills as early as kindergarten, which is pretty cool to see as an arts teacher that sort of being emphasized in the curriculum.”

The performance on Tuesday was made possible thanks to the partnerships with the community.
The performance on Tuesday was made possible thanks to the partnerships with the community.

To make the day even better, this isn’t a one-time event for these children. Each student received two complimentary tickets, ensuring they will have another chance to experience the orchestra’s magic in action.

“Every kid attending will receive two free tickets to the Colorado Springs Philharmonic,” Newbrough said. “One for a kid, one for an adult, to come and hear one of the performances this season and this is about an $80 value back to each family that is participating.”

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