The Murfreesboro Symphony Orchestra undertakes different avenues to reach schools and students in the middle Tennessee area. First, the MSO is excited to be able to offer free in-school Master Classes and Educational Performances as part of this service. Secondly, two of their annual concerts are free to the public, known as Family Series Concerts. Both educational outreaches are made possible, due in part, by very generous donations from the City of Murfreesboro; CMA Foundation; Daily News Journal; Ernest and Selma Rosenblum Fund for the Performing Arts of The Community, Foundation of Middle Tennessee; General Mills Foundation; Middle Tennessee Electric Membership Corporation, SharingChange; Music Performance Trust Fund; National Endowment for the Arts; Richard Siegel Foundation; and Tennessee Arts Commission.
If not for the school grants, the depth and richness of classical music would only be heard in a symphony hall. As Greg Lawson, MSO Acting Music Director, aptly stated, “An important aspect of the Murfreesboro Symphony Orchestra’s mission is to make live classical music accessible to our school children. Today’s youth have a lot of choices when it comes to listening to and playing music. Rock, country and hip-hop dominate the airwaves. Sadly, classical music often takes a back seat. Listening to, and especially playing, classical music often requires patience, thoughtfulness, and discipline. These are attributes not always valued in our fast-paced and automated, modern society.”
Wilson Sharpe, the MSO Educational Director and MSO principal bassoonist, remembers that in 1997, outreach to schools began from a grant Dr. Harvin, MSO founder and conductor, received, yet after 2 years the program ceased. Years later, in 2004, Dick Curl, president of the Board of Directors, was approached by Mr. Sharpe to possibly reinstitute the educational outreach. Graciously, Mr. Curl donated $1,000 and made it one of the Symphonies’ objectives, thus providing the impetus to what the MSO has been doing in schools hundreds of times up to today.
Now, operating with mainly trios and quartets, Mr. Sharpe and various players from the MSO, create smiles, produce singing, and open eyes to a new, rich music history for students. Additionally, some freelance musicians are happy to join and assist in the outreach to the schools. Woodwind trios and quartets, plus a popular saxophone quartet that provides the students with jazz presentations, eloquently give historical aspects to the music, conduct a mini-clinic presented by each instrument player, allow time for the children to ask questions, and provide lyrics to the children with the musicians backing them up.
The venues to which the MSO Education Outreach have historically played are elementary, middle and high school band classes, music classes, and occasionally the entire student body when asked to do so. Thank-you notes from the students are especially a highlight for Mr. Sharpe. Though the concentration is mainly Rutherford County, the MSO Outreach program has played in Woodbury, McMinnville, Huntland, Winchester, Shelbyvillle, and more. On many occasions, the teacher has said this is the first time the children have heard live music by professionals, and if funds permit, the MSO will attempt to go into more schools inside and outside of Rutherford county.