Music educators dedicate their days to managing rehearsals, providing lessons in music theory, tuning half-size instruments, and teaching beats in unique and memorable ways (Mississippi-stop-stop, pineapple-pineapple, and run-pony-run-pony to name a few). Fulfillment comes when their students engage in the classroom, progress in their skills, and beam on stage.
But an extra bit of inspiration and opportunity never hurt anyone, least of all the educators who joined the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra for its second side-by-side EXTRA CREDIT concert last month.
On October 4, music educators shared the stage with musicians of the SLSO in works by Smetana, Ravel, Shostakovich, Borodin, and John Williams. SLSO Resident Conductor Gemma New led the concert. By the numbers, 104 music educators from 100 schools (some as far as 300 miles away) joined the SLSO on stage. Collectively, they had 1,210 years of classroom experience, and currently teach more than 20,000 students.
Below are photos from this special concert:
Photos by Dilip Vishwanat