On May 19, elementary students from several local school districts had the opportunity to attend a performance by the Clinton Symphony Orchestra of the Mohawk Valley at Clinton High School, an event that was sponsored by the Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES Program and Professional Learning. The concert is intended to enrich and broaden the student educational experience in an engaging way through classical music.

Third and fourth grade students from the following districts were in attendance: Adirondack, Clinton, Holland Patent, New York Mills, Remsen, Utica (Notre Dame Elementary) and Westmoreland. Clinton students who play string instruments were also invited to attend. In total, more than 800 students and chaperones enjoyed the performance.

The program was titled “Johnny Appleseed and the Adventurous Orchestra.” It was conducted by Octavio Mas-Arocas, who is a former faculty member at Ithaca College and currently teaches at Michigan State University. The program included selections from Mother Goose Suite (Ma Mère l’Oye) and Le Tombeau de Couperin by composer Maurice Ravel, as well as Symphony No. 3 by Ludwig Van Beethoven.

Prior to the concert, music teachers from participating districts were given a lesson guide to prepare students for the performance. Students were taught the different instruments of the orchestra and encouraged to participate in their school’s instrumental music programs. Students also learned about how music is put together, how music can tell a story and concert etiquette. Kristen Kelly, an elementary music teacher in the Holland Patent Central School District, was the education coordinator for the event.

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