ARTS IN EDUCATION

1) Proposed AIE activities for the year

Giving the Gift of Music: The 2007/2008 “Giving the Gift of Music” program is a multi-faceted approach to music education which promises to present quality musical performances that not only entertain but also enrich the appreciation of the arts of individuals for all ages, especially in our youth.

It’s Cool (Conductor of the Orchestra Lectures) Dr. William Intriligator, Music Director/Conductor for the Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra shares his expertise with local and regional musical groups, including bands, choral groups and high school orchestras.

Musical UP-and-coming Students in Competition The Cheyenne Symphony will host the winner of the Wyoming American String Teachers Association at the YES! Concert for fifth and sixth grade students. The winner will play his/her winning competition music, accompanied by the orchestra, in a performance of approximately ten minutes. This is an exceptional opportunity to show the student audience what competition winners sound like and an opportunity for the winner to play with a professional orchestra. Outstanding high school and college music students are invited to perform during the CSO’s call back presentation after intermission allowing them and their schools to be highlighted and recognized and an opportunity to prepare and perform for a large audience.

YES (Youth Educational Symphony, the Cheyenne Symphony wants our youth to say YES! to classical music. The CSO’s annual educational concerts will bring the fifth and sixth grade students from LCSD #1 and 2, parochial and home-schooled children to the Cheyenne Civic Center for two performances by a professional orchestra. This year’s YES! concert focuses on the music of Leonard Bernstein's Symphonic Dances from West Side Story. The musical is based on William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The music explores adolescent rivalry, love, anger, dancing, immigration tensions then and now, and America as a cultural melting pot. Children will be introduced to the Cha-Cha, Scherzo and Mambo. They will learn music concepts as well as some basic concepts such as the sounds and shapes of intruments. Children will learn about the history surrounding the story along with the history and background of Bernstein.

Art in Music Program for twenty consecutive years the Cheyenne Symphony has offered a unique program called “Art in Music” to the art students from the three local high schools of Cheyenne including eighth and ninth grade students. Over 300 students are invited to prepare an artistic impression of the music of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade with its Arabian Tales theme. These works of art, including two-dimensional paintings, three-dimensional paintings and clay pieces, are judged, and winners of each of several categories are awarded monetary prizes. Winners of the art show are presented awards on stage to recognize their participation in the program. The Cheyenne Symphony’s 2007-2008 Season Brochure cover proudly displays the artwork of a local Cheyenne high school student who participated in the 2006-2007 Art in Music Program!

The CSO is dedicated to artistic excellence on every level, coupled with an awareness of the necessity of audience development and outreach. The CSO strives to create and to perform educational concerts that will enhance our audience’s understanding of the masterworks of orchestral music. These innovative programs have been developed to balance the performance of standard classics with dynamic new works, both familiar and less familiar. The organization’s commitment to high quality performances has resulted in the CSO’s artistic excellence and recognition as one of Wyoming’s leading arts organizations.

The “Giving the Gift of Music” program is structured to utilize the tremendous talents of our regional musicians as well as capitalize on the significant investment in guest artists and the talents of Stephen Alltop, Music Director. The Artistic Advisory Committee also reviews the biographies, tapes and any other supporting material received from potential soloists. The educational programming goal is to explore colorful and challenging works by the masters of composition - from the Baroque period through the 21st century - in the development of the “Giving the Gift of Music” programs. Past programs have proven to provide educational insight while being highly entertaining.