Concert to stimulate kids’ musical minds

Concert to stimulate kids’ musical minds

BY LINDSEY FIELDER
Rice News staff

The Shepherd School of Music’s Symphony Orchestra will perform Jan. 24 at 11 a.m. Assistant Conductor Marlon Chen will lead the orchestra in a performance of Benjamin Britten’s ”A Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra,” intended to cultivate children’s interest and knowledge in music.

Rachel Buchman, early childhood music specialist at the Shepherd School, is the narrator. She said the narration is so well-written that it keeps the children engaged but never interrupts the flow of music. Britten’s composition guides the young audience through orchestral sounds but is in no way didactic or tedious, Buchman said.

”Britten’s piece is a frolic through the orchestra, introducing every single instrument,” she said. ”The music is lyrical, rhythmic and always surprising.”

Before the musicians begin to play, Buchman will give the children a lesson on instrument families. With the help of the orchestra’s principal players, the children will be able to see each instrument up close before the actual performance.

”Usually orchestral musicians stay behind their stands, and children never have an opportunity to get a good look at the instruments or see how they are played,” Buchman said.

A firm believer in the importance of music for young children, Buchman has been teaching for 22 years. From toddlers to doctoral students, she has taught music around the world including in Germany, England and Israel.

Chen graduated with a master of music degree in conducting from the Shepherd School in May 2001, having studied with Larry Rachleff, professor of orchestral conducting.

The performance will be in Stude Concert Hall, Alice Pratt Brown Hall. No tickets or reservations are required.