The Ensembles-in-Schools program allows small groups of Springfield Symphony musicians to travel to area elementary and middle schools to perform for the students. Each small ensemble presents a 30-minute program for as many as 200 students at each school visited. These brief programs are designed to heighten awareness of a variety of musical styles, to explain why different musical instruments create different sounds, and to demonstrate how music expresses emotions and creates beauty. A question-and-answer session following each performance allows the young students to learn from the musicians and creates a more rewarding educational experience for the students. The Ensembles-in-Schools program provides a significant experience in musical education. This outreach is critically important to the quality of education in the Springfield community.
The Springfield Symphony works with Springfield Public Schools and the Springfield arts community as members of the Any Given Child program of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Selected because of a demonstrated commitment to the improvement of education in and through the arts, the community participates in collaborative efforts to provide equity and access in arts education for all students.
