Michael Gagliardo contributed a blog post over at the League of American Orchestras regarding the role that orchestras play in music education. The post focuses primarily on the lack of young musicians who attend orchestra concerts and the degree to which orchestral musicians should be enthusiastic during concerts designed specifically for young people.
What types of concert formats do you think would benefit your students? What types of innovations might orchestras make to help build interest among young string players and other musicians? How often do your students attend concerts by the orchestra nearest to your school? Do you integrate content from orchestral programs before and/or after your students attend orchestral concerts? Several people have already participated in the dialogue that Gagliardo hoped to begin. It would be interesting to have the perspectives of K-12 string educators along with other music educators added to the discussion. Consider adding your voice to the mix.