On October 7^th, Community School of the Arts’ students and their families enjoyed their first free concert as part of the new Knight Artistic Engagement Fund.  The Fund connects underserved music and art students with outstanding professional music concerts and art exhibitions at no cost to children or their parents. Two dozen students in the School’s signature strings outreach program, Orchestra In Schools, received tickets to the October 7^th Olga Kern piano recital in the Halton Auditorium on the Central Piedmont Community College campus.   The CSA staff was slightly concerned that fourth- and fifth-grade violinists might not be fully engaged by a solo piano recital, but our concern was unfounded:  The students came rushing back to their OIS class the following Monday, bubbling over with enthusiasm and eager for more tickets to more concerts.

OIS instructor Aram Kim Bryan asked her students to describe the concert experience in one word, and the responses included “amazing,” “wonderful,” “so happy,” “grown up” and “WOW.”  (Clearly for some, one word was insufficient.)   Most of the students had not been to a classical music concert before, and they were in awe of the mechanics and traditions of the performance process.  One said, “Miss Bryan, there were people there who held the doors for us, and showed us to our seats, and gave us programs.  And we’re only kids.”   Another one reported back to her, still startled by the discovery, “Miss Bryan, it wasn’t even a children’s concert, it was a concert for adults.”

This is only the first of dozens of symphony, opera and chamber music performances for our students, in addition to permanent and traveling exhibitions in two major local museums.   The CSA staff distributed fall ticket packets to nearly 100 underserved students last week, and the excitement about the new Knight Artistic Engagement Fund is palpable.   The first thank-you letter from a participating parent makes the case eloquently:

Dear CSA: We would like to thank you for your generosity.   Recently you selected our family to receive tickets to Olga Kern’s piano concert.   We had a wonderful experience and our girls got inspired by Ms. Kern’s beautiful piano music.   Thank you for giving us these tickets and with them, a great opportunity to immerse our children in classical music!    Thank you!