Bergen Record features NJSO education concert

The Bergen Record writes:

It was classical music made interactive, as the elementary school students from Paterson clapped along to a John Philip Sousa march and cheered when the conductor introduced the musicians who play the French horn.

Between listening to the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra perform Mozart, Beethoven and Verdi in what, for many, was their first concert, the hundreds of students packed into the Shea Center for the Performing Arts at William Paterson University on Wednesday morning enthusiastically took part in the classical music concert-cum-lesson.

And for a select 40 students who were dressed in white shirts, black pants and dresses, it was also a special chance to perform with the orchestra’s professionals before hundreds of their classmates.

“I was nervous until it was over,” said Ke’Mya Phillips, 10, one of the student violinists. She said she was proud to play at a university: “I’m very thankful.”

As participants in the Paterson Music Project, the students, who come from the Community Charter School of Paterson and School 1, have been learning how to play the violin, viola or the cello. They meet three times a week after school for two hours, paying fees of up to $10 a week, said Elizabeth Moulthrop, the program director.

“It’s all about using music to empower the students in all areas of their lives,” she said.

Between the polished performances by the orchestra at the concert (admission was free), the students learned about the distinction between the string section — violin, viola, cello and bass — and the woodwind section, with the clarinet, bassoon and piccolo.

As they were introduced to the instruments, the students murmured at the sight of the tuba, perhaps because of its size, and cheered when the French horn players lifted their shiny, elaborate brass coil instruments.

“We gear these for kids of a certain age,” said Jeff Grogan, the symphony orchestra’s  education and community engagement conductor.

The orchestra performs the concert for students throughout the state, he said.

Sitting near the front of the concert hall was Ms. DiLauri’s 3rd grade class from School 1.

Jada Sky, 10, who is learning to play the cello, said she liked it when the students got to do a little dancing when the orchestra played cavalry music.

Danielle Wiggins, 9, another cello player, gave the orchestra high marks.

“They knew how to play,” she said.