Students at Oakley Elementary School (OES) were serenaded by a string quintet from the Asheville Symphony. On a tour of schools in the area, including Glen Arden, Johnston, Woodfin, Fairview, North Buncombe, and Hominy Valley Elementary Schools, the Asheville Symphony taught students about classical music and string instruments as part of their Music in the Schools program.
The gym radiated the warm sounds of Antonio Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, using the relatability of the weather to start a discussion with the students about classical music. The short staccato bursts in Vivaldi’s Winter sound like teeth chattering, the long cello notes like the wind - these observations helped students relate to the music as if it were a painting with sound. “In North Carolina, we teach within the Comprehensive Arts Education framework: Arts Education, Arts Integration, and Arts Exposure,” said Laura Mitchell, arts education specialist at Buncombe County Schools (BCS). “By having members of the Asheville Symphony engage our students in our schools we are not only educating our students further in music education, but exposing them to professional musicians, their greater community, and possibilities for themselves.”
In sixth grade, all BCS students are given the opportunity to play an instrument, and a well-rounded music curriculum follows students from kindergarten through 12th grade. We appreciate our partners at Asheville Symphony for bringing hands-on, real-world music experience into our schools each year.