By Taylor Thomas, Community School of the Arts

Since 2011, the Knight Foundation has provided Community School of the Arts with the chance to enable our outreach and financial aid students to experience a variety of classical symphonies, cultural concerts, emotive operas, and dynamic museum exhibitions.  The ticket access fund left students wide-eyed and excited in 2012, and the musical and visual experiences spanning this year have only further developed their individual passions and goals.  Survey feedback has allowed us to note the significant impact that this ticket program has had on the lives of our participants.  We received a multitude of student surveys, and here are a few of our favorite questions and responses:

What kinds of things did you learn from attending this museum or concert?

• The thing about music and art is: there are all different kinds.
• I learned about several artists’ lives and how they started in art.
• I learned about the different instruments and the sounds that they made.
• The symphony can be modern and fun.
• Inspiration can be achieved no matter what situation we are thrown into…
• I learned about education in Cuba and how classical and cultural music can be combined.
• With practice, I can be on that stage one day.
• The conductor’s stick is like a magic wand—even when the musicians are playing together, it can somehow sound soft.
• Music is something that can’t be expressed with words; I want to be a musician for the rest of my life.

• Dancing in front of the stage with other people
• The sculptures—very abstract and cool
• Looking at all the artwork and seeing the different styles of art
• The kids’ rooms where you can make art
• The drummer!
• How it made me relax after a hard school week
• How the director instructed the musicians to play
• The “dessert”, as the violinist called it
• Just being at the performance

• The slow parts (it felt scary)
• The personalities of some of the characters
• How soon it ended!
• That we had to leave
• The intermission, because we had to stop dancing
• I always enjoy everything about these events.

• Energized
• Passionate
• Very relaxed
• Astounded
• Transported
• Uplifted
• Joyous
• Awesome!!!
• SO inspired.

The final question on every survey asked students whether or not they would like to experience more concert and museum events in their futures; we were anything but surprised that 100% answered “yes”.

Knight Foundation has planted a seed in the lives of students and families at Community School of the Arts, and we couldn’t be more grateful.  Though this ticket program soon comes to an end, student growth and inspiration are inevitably continuing.