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Dobbins makes music with Youngstown Symphony
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Neighbors | Adrienne Crissman .Calvin Lewis (left) and Randall Fleischer (right) performed Dobbins Elementary fourth-grade students the song the students collectively wrote Sept. 19 at Dobbins Elementary School.
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Neighbors | Adrienne Crissman .Dobbins fourth-grade students participated in a song with Youngstown Symphony conductor Randall Fleischer Sept. 19.
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Neighbors | Adrienne Crissman.Randall Fleischer, conductor of the Youngstown Symphony, led Dobbins Elementary School fourth-grade students in a song on Sept. 19.
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Neighbors | Adrienne Crissman .Calvin Lewis, professional violinist for the Youngstown Symphony, performed for Dobbins fourth-grade students on Sept. 19.
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Neighbors | Adrienne Crissman.Dobbins fourth-grade students sang during along with Youngstown Symphony conductor Randall Fleischer on Sept. 19..
By ADRIENNE CRISSMAN
The partnership between Dobbins Elementary School and the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra kicked off Sept. 19 at Dobbins.
Youngstown Symphony Orchestra conductor Randall Fleischer and professional violinist Calvin Lewis spent the afternoon with Dobbins fourth graders.
They performed songs and led the children in a song with different rhythms.
Fleischer also taught the students about melodies.
“Most great melodies are built on this pentatonic scale, with only five notes,” said Fleischer.
After Fleischer introduced the students to melodies, the students collectively made a melody of their own by picking notes from the pentatonic scale.
After, Fleischer and Lewis performed the melody back for the children.
Michael Daley, principal of Dobbins Elementary School, said the partnership the school has with the Youngstown Symphony is priceless.
“Our students in grades K-4 have been missing a specialist music instructor for a few years now,” said Daley. “This partnership does not replace a true music program for our elementary students, but it certainly is outstanding exposure to the arts. The impact that the program will have on the students is long-term.”
Fleischer thinks it’s important to have a partnership with the elementary school.
“Its our responsibility in the arts to make an effort to expose kids to this stuff,” said Fleischer. “At the very least we want them to feel a sense of familiarity with the symphony: its not just for grandma and grandpa, it’s for [the children].”
Daley hopes the partnership inspires the children.
“I hope they begin to take an interest in instrumental and vocal music and they strongly consider learning to play in the years to come. I also hope that they begin to form an appreciation for all of the arts and gain a confidence in their own abilities to participate,” said Daley.