Renewal - The Challenge of Reaching Younger Audiences. Ninette Babineau

Transcription

1 Renewal - The Challenge of Reaching Younger Audiences Ninette Babineau The following paper was presented at the 54 th International Congress of Jeunesses Musicales, held August 9-14, 1999 in Chicoutimi, Québec. Attracting Young People to Concerts Outside the School Context was a major topic for discussion at this international gathering. Published by: Orchestras Canada The Esplanade Toronto, ON M5E 1A7

2 Renewal The Challenge of Reaching Younger Audiences The orchestra can better satisfy students inquisitiveness regarding music... when it finds creative ways to engage them in the work the orchestra does best... through programs that present the life and work of musicians in ways that fulfill students natural curiosity about how music works, how musical problems are solved... and how the orchestra fits uniquely into the vast menu of musical opportunities available in today s society...with careful planning, students ears and minds are capable of being stretched well beyond the limits many adults tend to impose on them (Myers, 1996, p. 115). The Challenge The challenge of reaching younger audiences is part of a complex issue facing today s orchestras and arts organizations. A 1996 report from the Canadian Conference of the Arts, funded by the Samuel and Saidye Bronfman Family Foundatio, and made to the Department of Canadian Heritage, states that the most urgent challenge facing not-for-profit cultural organizations today is to build deeper and more meaningful connections with their audiences and host communities (CCA Report, 1996, p. 10). Today, public and private funders for the arts are more closely examining the relation of performing arts organizations to their respective communities. As an example, in awarding operating grants to orchestras and other arts organizations, The Canada Council for the Arts seeks evidence of community outreach and programs dedicated to education. Their 1998 increase in funding from the federal government was targeted in part to the development of young audiences and criteria for one-time applications to the 1999 $10 million Millennium Fund include young audience reach and programming for young audiences. The above-mentioned CCA report also observes that corporations are increasingly describing their contributions as strategic community investments, not as donations. (CCA Major Findings, 1996, p. 19) From their homes, in advertisements and through the education process, young people are reminded of the importance of core subjects, of the need to be well grounded in language, math, science, and now technology. Despite the volume of material which offers evidence to the contrary, the arts continue to be seen as optional or elective subject areas. Curriculum requirements change at the whim of government. Parents seek assurance that their offspring are being adequately prepared for the job market. All agree that the arts are nice... that they offer enjoyment and relaxation, a 2

3 break from work and study. The arts are considered important for entertainment and for times of celebration, but all too often continue to be viewed as a marginal part of society, not central to achievement in the real world. Never has there been such a need for people coming together to be informed, to be inspired, to celebrate our humanness. The symphony orchestra celebrates the creativity of the human spirit... it brings hope that this creativity can bring us a compassionate future. For a generation that must learn to find a new meaning for the word community and build a sustainable society around that concept, the symphony orchestra has a unique message. - Walter Pitman (Babineau, 1998, p. 5) Orchestra Outreach Orchestras have long included school concerts as part of their yearly programming. Whether presented in-hall or in-school, these concerts serve to offer exposure to the world of orchestral music. However, attendance figures indicate that they provide small incentive for young people to attend concerts on their own time. Canadian orchestras, along with their counterparts in many other parts of the world, have come to realize that more is needed than simple exposure if they are to attract young audiences, and to build audiences for the future. Many offer family concerts in the hopes of developing a life-long interest in attending orchestra concerts. However these programs are often targeted to the very young who soon seek to travel with their peers rather than with the family. Reduced ticket prices, U-Pick student series, open rehearsals, and the distribution of sponsor paid tickets bring some young people to the concert hall, while partnerships with universities and social agencies bring others. Many orchestras provide opportunity for young soloists, youth choirs or student ensembles to appear with the orchestra in special concerts, or to perform in pre-concert settings, seeking to attract their peers and families to the performance. Some offer a work experience for students, developing additional interest in the orchestra and its music for the young employees, their friends and families. Recent Developments As concern for the future of orchestras began to be expressed world-wide, the Association of British Orchestras took a lead with its member orchestras in recognizing the importance of education and outreach activities. In 1994 a BBC/ Arts Council review stated...those commentators who prophesied the 3

4 death of the orchestra did not foresee developments such as...the development of educational work outside the concert hall, where British orchestras have been the European leader in taking their work out to a broader range of people. (ABO, 1996, p. 27) It has long been known that direct involvement in the arts develops better understanding and appreciation for the arts. Those who have studied music, who were encouraged to listen to music, or to participate in ensembles when young, often become supporters of the arts. Today, directly involving young people in the process of creating music is fast becoming a way in which orchestras world-wide are developing outreach activities. Such programs as Orchestra Canada s Changing Arts Practice and Adopt-a-Player and Composer-in-the-Classroom projects bring the orchestra musician directly in contact with school or community groups. The young composers are given the opportunity to present their works, sometimes as a pre-concert feature, and, having worked side-by-side with an orchestra musician, are invited to attend a concert to hear their now fellow musicians. Workshops and master classes with the orchestra s musicians and visiting guest artists also provide direct contact, and help to develop a greater awareness of the orchestra, and its potential as an education resource. A Few Thoughts on the Subject of Renewal In endeavoring to attract young and additional audiences, an arts organization should consider the following: A. Examine the objectives Is the purpose: - to simply expose young people to symphonic music? - to provide an entertaining, yet educational experience? - to raise the profile of the orchestra? - to develop an awareness of, and appreciation for, a symphony orchestra? and for the music it plays? - to build a broader base of community support? - to develop a habit of going to concerts as part of a long-term strategy toward building future audiences? B. Review the artistic mission and policies regarding outreach and audience development - Are the program offerings consistent with the organization s artistic mission? 4

5 - Is there a policy for developing outreach programs? As an example, the policy statement for London s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra reads: The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is developing a programme of education projects which is based in the community in its broadest sense, the aim of which is to give a wider public the opportunity to hear and partake in classical music and to facilitate their greater understanding of it. (ABO 1996, p. 32) C. Revisit the orchestra s operation as it affects attracting new and young audiences - Are the concert programs designed to attract young people? (This does not necessarily mean a change in the music being performed!) - Has a specific age or community group been identified? - Is the programming appropriate to the targeted age group? - Is the programming appropriate for the community being serviced? - Is the venue appropriate? Is it accessible? - Is the price of tickets seen to be a deterrent? D. Review the organization s human and financial resources - Are there potential new sponsors or donors with a particular area of interest? - Can unused services be utilized to build interest for the orchestra? - What partnerships (business, institutional, other areas of the arts, ethnic groups, school/ church/ community performing ensembles) can be explored? E. Determine a strategy Would it be best to: - offer discounted tickets? complimentary tickets? free admission? - seek sponsorships to subsidize the balance of the cost of lowpriced tickets? - engage youth soloists? - engage school, church, university, community, ethnic performing groups as guest artists? - offer pre-concert performance opportunities to individuals, or school and community groups? - offer work opportunities? should these be paid or volunteer? - consider composition projects for the schools? 5

6 - partner with schools, universities, conservatories, businesses, community agencies, music festivals, or other arts organizations? - develop programs of interest for specific community groups? - (Community is used here in the larger sense - ethnic, age groups, interest groups etc.) - reconsider program content for young audiences? include contemporary music and themes? - use other venues for specific events? - consider changes in presentation? F. Design a process for evaluation - to measure the effectiveness of each strategy - to develop a long term plan Variations on a Theme Vignettes of specific strategies developed by some of Canada s orchestras. Relating to The Community L Orchestre symphonique regional d Abitibi Temiscamingue is a community orchestra in western Québec many of whose players travel for up to two hours to attend each rehearsal or performance. Through partnerships with the media, the manager sought to give orchestral music a higher profile, one more usually associated with sports. Local television stations offered one minute vignettes on the orchestra and its players, on rehearsals and other aspects of orchestral life, on orchestral music and composers, and provided information on the programs for upcoming concerts. The area newspapers offered monthly quarter-page articles on similar subjects. As a result, audience attendance has increased significantly at all age levels, and the community now better understands and appreciates its orchestra, the conductor and players, and the music they perform. In partnership with several area arts organizations, the Artistic Director of l Orchestre symphonique de Québec offered a cultural life course through Laval University. The course requirements included attendance at theatre events, concerts, museums and galleries. Ontario s Orchestra London offers a Musicians-in-the Libraries Series during the school March Break. A continuing education course, offered in partnership with the University of Western Ontario, is designed around the orchestra s Masterworks Series, admission to a dress rehearsal is offered as part of the course. To involve 6

7 the community s young musicians, London Youth Symphony players are invited serve as ushers for Orchestra London s main series concerts, along side adult community volunteers. The Regina Symphony services a region in Saskatchewan where school and community bands are flourishing. In recent years they have started to contract world-renowned wind and brass soloists as guest artists. In partnership with the provincial band association, the orchestra has presented master classes in which these guest artists worked with young and adult band musicians. They offer group rates to enable school and community musicians to attend symphony concerts. Surrounding communities have been known to hire busses to bring student and adult band members to the now often sold-out concerts. In Nova Scotia, the composer selected to be in-residence for Scotia Festival of Music s 1999 summer festival was Philip Glass. Early in the subscription campaign it became evident that this composer s music was not going to be of interest to the regular festival subscribers. A successful marketing campaign brought a whole new audience of young people to the two-week festival for eight sold-out concerts. Including a contemporary dancer in the opening concert additionally brought new interest, and audience, from the dance community. Note: It is important to note the interest that contemporary music programming has for young audiences, as is exemplified in the success of the Winnipeg Symphony s annual New Music Festival, Symphony Nova Scotia s Open Waters, and in the growth of other such new music festivals across Canada. In just a few years Timmins, located in north central Ontario, has seen rapid developments in the musical life of their city. They now enjoy a large community orchestra with a professional core, a music school with over 400 students which boasts a youth orchestra, a student summer work program, and a successful summer music camp. Under the energetic leadership of their conductor they developed partnerships with schools and other community groups, to work together to strengthen the position of the music program in the schools, and raise the status of the arts in their community. Today the orchestra is considered a community cultural resource, their concerts attract audiences of all ages. Music students receive discounted tickets, their parents serve as volunteers, deserving students are offered scholarships and are invited to perform in or with the orchestra and...the orchestra is now in the process of buying their own building. 7

8 A 1997 a production of Mozart s Magic Flute became a community event which involved the orchestra with local school, church and community choirs, dance schools, and other community groups. Area high school students, music teachers, and church choir soloists sang the leading roles. Sets, costumes, make-up, and hairstyling were designed and provided by local businesses, parents, and other individuals. In a 1995 report to the Association of Canadian Orchestras, their late conductor, Geoffrey Lee, observed that an orchestra can use its own resources to reinvent itself and what it stands for in its community, stating that we are no longer twodimensional characters on a concert stage, but rather a living, breathing part of our community. (Lee, 1995) The Symphonie of the Kootenays in British Columbia carefully programs all concerts to appeal to audiences of all ages, and offers a low admission rate for children, advertising that it s cheaper to take the kids to the concert than to pay for a baby sitter. Offering Specific Incentives To encourage young people from different socio-economic levels to attend concerts, several orchestras offer subsidized student tickets for distribution through a music school, social agency, or public school music program. In this regard, the Windsor Symphony in Ontario has partnered with the Big Brothers/ Big Sisters organization to introduce young people to orchestra concerts. In Toronto, generous sponsorships have paid for over 1,000 complimentary tickets for attendance at Toronto Symphony concerts. These have been distributed through area community centres to young people and their families who otherwise would be financially unable to attend. A partnership with Hydro-Québec has enabled the Montreal Symphony to distribute 1,000 free tickets for their symphonic matinees over a three-year period. The tickets were distributed through area school boards. Several orchestras offer concert tickets as prizes for winners of competitive music festival classes, others offer tickets to schools to be used as awards. The Scarborough Philharmonic, a community orchestra in the Toronto area, suggests to local schools that they purchase Award Subscriptions for the orchestra s four-concert Main Series. The tickets may then be used as achievement awards, granted singly or as a full subscription. For each pair of subscriptions thus purchased, the orchestra provides two additional subscriptions at no charge. The Saskatoon Symphony in Saskatchewan offers gift certificates as prizes for Music Conservatory students, here a parent must accompany the student to the concert. 8

9 The Victoria Symphony, a professional orchestra in British Columbia, offers several incentives for young people: - discounted tickets for conservatory students - available day-of-concert tickets offered to all students at half-price - a coop work experience. This training, offered in cooperation with the school board, involves students in all management aspects of a symphony, and includes attendance at rehearsals and concerts. - a Young Friends of the Symphony program which invites subscribers to register a young friend for a free concert ticket and an invitation to become a Young Friend of the Symphony. The young friends are then involved as volunteers for such special events as Symphony Splash, an outdoor concert on the harbour which annually attracts an audience of over For their several concert series, B.C. s Vancouver Symphony Orchestra offers tickets to high school students at a group rate. The tickets must be ordered and paid for in advance, teachers receive complimentary tickets, and on request, a volunteer docent will assist in preparing students in advance of the concert. For some concert series, students are invited to mingle with the musicians after the performance. Ottawa s National Arts Centre Orchestra offers discounted Evenings at the Orchestra tickets to Ottawa area high school students, and, under the Ontario curriculum requirements, teachers have been able to credit concert attendance as part of the high school academic course in music. Teachers may pair the Evenings experience with the informative open rehearsal which precedes the concert. Accompanying teachers, or other supervising adults, may enjoy the same discounted price at a rate of one per ten student tickets ordered. The Niagara Symphony in Ontario includes a subscription to the next year s family concert series in the registration fee for each student attending their two-week summer music camp. The series is annually sold-out, as the remaining tickets are purchased by families and friends of the campers. Some Canadian orchestras hold open rehearsals in a university or community venue. The Winnipeg-based Manitoba Chamber Orchestra holds their open rehearsals at the College Universitaire de Saint-Boniface. Additionally, through an Arts Advocacy program, high school students receive season subscriptions which are personally delivered by volunteers. Each concert of the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra features a work by a Canadian composer. Several orchestras with Sunday afternoon concert series simultaneously 9

10 offer Kindermusik or other special programs for young children so that their (also young) parents can attend the main series concert. The Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra, one of several community orchestras in the Toronto area, offers free admission for children under 12. They have provided special activities for the children through a Children s Music Education Program, held in the concert hall s cafeteria during the second half of the concert. Here the children are able to explore such music-related activities as learning about instruments, composers, and the music of other countries, or to create their own works using simple graphic notation, while the adults continue to enjoy the concert. The Edmonton Symphony, a professional orchestra in Alberta, has developed an extensive outreach program which is planned cooperatively by the Education Coordinator, Artistic Director, Associate Conductor, Composerin-Residence, orchestra musicians, and area educators. Their wide range of programming includes: - a Crossover Concerts Series - a Sunday Brunch Series - a Young Peoples Series - special summer and holiday family concerts - a Kids Concert Series - composition projects culminating in public performance - pre-concert performance opportunities. University music students are invited to present pre-concert recital programs in the orchestra s new concert facility. The Francis Winspear Centre for Music, home of the Edmonton Symphony, was opened with great civic pride in guest appearances by community performing ensembles. Instrumental ensembles, choirs and dance groups representative of the city s several cultural communities are regularly invited as featured artists. Through these collaborative presentations over 600 individuals from community arts groups participate in concerts each year. Special attention has also been given to the large First Nations population in the province. For a special concert on the reserve, the program was cooperatively developed by the orchestra and leaders of the First Nation community, with careful attention paid to their community traditions and interests. - partnerships with local restaurants. Several of Edmonton s finest offer dining packages, or after-concert desserts on site at the Winspear Centre. 10

11 Examining the Role of Sponsors and Partners Today, public and private sector funders seek to invest in the arts by funding programs and projects that link artists and arts organizations more closely to their respective communities. The J.W. McConnell Family Foundation s ArtsSmarts, an interdisciplinary program that supports projects which are collaboratively developed by artists and teachers toward learning through the arts, is now underway in seven Canadian provinces. Through the ArtsSmarts program the McConnell Foundation seeks to enhance appreciation of the importance of culture and the arts, therby encouraging long-term support for Canadian artists and arts organizations. (ArtsSmarts, 1999) Since its inception in 1979, the Scotia Festival of Music has sought to involve youth and to attract young audiences through their master classes, Young Artist Program, Sponsor-a-Student initiative, special poster project, and school, university, music festival, and business partnerships. Several years ago, while this author was still a music consultant in the public school system, the festival s director made contact to investigate a means of attracting more young people to Scotia Festival concerts. He rightly felt that the programs would be of interest to students of all ages. Student tickets were then priced from $15-$25, a cost most of the families in our area considered too high for their budget. The director felt he could not afford to sell for less, and that monies from any corporate sponsors he could attract were needed to subsidize the costs of the concerts. After discussion we decided that, by asking even a nominal price for tickets, students would perceive the student tickets as having more value than if they were offered free of charge. We then approached individuals and small businesses with the following proposal - the student would pay $5 and the individual sponsor would pay the balance of the full ticket cost. In addition to the concert, the ticket would enable the student to audit a master class presented by the visiting artist (a master class is part of the contract agreement with every Scotia Festival artist). Each student would receive the name of his/her individual sponsor, and would be asked to write a letter of thanks. During the first winter season students made up more than 30% of each audience. At the 1998 two week Spring Festival of concerts and master classes, 828 students were sponsored, and in 1999 the number topped

12 Vouchers for $5 tickets are available to any elementary, secondary school, or full-time university student. Teachers receive concert and voucher information and are asked to encourage their students to take advantage of this opportunity to attend the concerts for a nominal ticket price. Response has remained consistently positive since the program was initiated in A university instructor teaching a foundation course in the arts took advantage of the low ticket price to send students to Scotia Festival concerts as part of the course. Parents have helped to find such individual sponsors as neighbors and family members, the local auto service station, or the corner store. One sponsor has had a drawing, sent by a student as a thankyou, framed to hang in her office. This Sponsor-a-Student Program has been further extended over the years. In addition to support for individual students, it is now attracting major sponsors for three specific projects: 1) Festival Posters - The Director s personal interest in children s art led to a further involvement for elementary school children. They now design individual posters for the Festival, painting to music presented in their school by a professional chamber ensemble. Each poster is an original, the child-artist receives a voucher for a free ticket to an evening concert, while accompanying parents are asked to purchase theirs. Art supplies, musicians fees and student tickets are paid for by a sponsor. The 1999 sponsor was an art supply company, not a usual sponsor for a music festival! 2) Music Festival Partners - For a nominal cost, a new and successful partnership with the competitive music festivals across the province brings first-place winners to a day of master classes, followed by a pizza supper and evening concert. Many of these children have never before had an opportunity to hear a master musician perform in a live setting. 3) Run-out Concert and Workshop - During the Festival guest artists visit a rural area of Nova Scotia to present master classes, a workshop, and concert for the area s students, parents, and teachers. Schools in these outlying areas were initially invited to attend the events at the Halifax venue and several came (two hundred from one board). However, teachers experienced difficulty in obtaining permission for travel, and the regional boards asked that the Festival pay for the needed busses, as well as for substitutes for all teachers accompanying the children. It became more economical for the Festival to plan the program as a run-out. An area music teacher 12

13 approaches the schools in the county and organizes the master classes or workshops and the concert. In 1999 over 600 students, teachers and parents attended the one day of events held in their community. As with all sponsored programs, students who receive concert tickets through the above projects are given the name of their individual sponsors and are asked to acknowledge this gift of music. Orchestre symphonique de Monteregie in southern Québec has a touring mandate to service twenty-five small municipalities in their region. In each location a three-way partnership involves the orchestra, local businesses and a school, church or community performing ensemble for each concert. Audiences of all ages are thus attracted to the concerts. Corporate sponsors and individual donors now investigate ways in which their contribution will enrich the community as well as support the sponsored organization. In 1998, when Symphony Nova Scotia approached the regional office of a national investment firm, the executive with responsibility for funding asked about the possibility of purchasing a full concert that would be presented exclusively for their clients, complimentary tickets for the concert would be offered to clients on a first-come, first-serve basis. The performance was soon sold-out. Many in the audience had never before attended a symphony concert. The performance ended to a standing ovation, and was followed by a catered reception, with musicians and company clients celebrating together a most enjoyable evening of music. In 1999 this same company offered clients an informative and entertaining lecture on world trends in economics. The event was not nearly as well attended as had been the symphony experience the previous year. Other individual and corporate donors have provided funds for Symphony Nova Scotia s education programs with the specific proviso that these programs be offered for children, and adults, outside the metro area. Coda What then, constitutes access? What should orchestras consider in their efforts to attract new and young audiences? - ticket prices? - facilities? - programming? - the needs and interests of the community? 13

14 - informative material for the media, for other distribution? - information sessions for community or business groups? - master classes, workshops, composition experiences? - collaborating with schools, businesses, universities, conservatories, social agencies, cultural communities in developing special programs? - interactive programming? Endeavours that develop a sense of community ownership for the orchestra and its musicians do have a potential to attract new audiences and supporters for the organization. History has shown that action at the top of any enterprise cannot bring about progress without active participation on the part of the people in the lower echelons of the enterprise. (Leonhard, 1999, p. 42) Addenda As the 1999 International Congress of Jeunesses Musicales was held in Canada, this author was asked to focus on Canadian initiatives for the paper presented and the workshop which followed. The following addenda to the original paper offers information on programs in other countries, one in the U.S., the other in Australia. The Gibbs Street Connection Across the country, major orchestras are experiencing a decline in audiences and in support for the arts. Major orchestras and music schools must try to connect themselves directly and vitally to the communities in which they exist. Professional musicians must be willing to step in front of the footlights and make meaningful contact with the audiences... professional partnerships are necessary if the arts are to survive. (McCusker, 1999, p. 54) An article by Joan McCusker in the November 1999 Music Educators Journal (a publication of the MENC) describes a partnership between the Eastman School of Music and the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra in offering a professional development program for music teachers. The Gibbs Street Connection (named after the address of the Eastman School) offers educators opportunities to attend concerts and accompanying educational experiences. The program content is varied with different concerts presenting jazz, symphonic, choral, operatic, contemporary, or world music. The intent of the program is to offer participants an opportunity to experience musical performances of high quality and to make connections among performance, listening, and learning. (McCusker, p. 38 ) 14

15 Participants must register for a minimum of three concert experiences; the first 100 are enrolled at no charge and are subsequently offered any number of additional performances in the series, again at no charge. In 1996, in the first year of the program, enrollees numbered thirty-six, and came mostly from schools in the immediate area. In the second year, several first-year participants returned, others came from additional school districts to increase the enrollment to eighty-two. The third year saw the enrollment figure reach a target goal of 105. An evaluation survey investigated the factors which most influenced teachers decisions to participate in the program. Such factors as free tickets, district requirements for professional development, opportunity for social interaction, and interest in performing ensembles were examined. The strongest influence proved to be interest in ensembles and programming. Live concerts communicate the energy of the performers, as well as the message and beauty of the music itself. (McCusker, p. 54) Sydney Symphony Orchestra Outreach Australia s Sydney Symphony Orchestra annually plans an extensive range of education and outreach concerts for young and adult audiences. In addition to the expected school concerts for elementary school children and open rehearsals for older students and adults, the orchestra offers special programs for secondary school students. For students in Year 7 to Year 12, concerts are offered in two versions, one is tailored for those students studying music as an elective subject, the other is designed for those students with an interest in music as a non-elective subject. The Elective Music Education concerts are presented as an interactive experience, designed to motivate students to listen actively and synthesize the musical knowledge and skills they have already developed through in-depth analysis of specially selected compositions that trace the development of their country s music over the last century. Concerts offered for those who have not elected music as a secondary school course are designed to provide a more fundamental understanding of orchestras and symphonic music. Both are offered outside the school setting, and feature extensive use of multimedia to enhance the learning experience as well as to provide an appealing approach to understanding the creative processes behind the writing and performance of great music. The orchestra s Education Department provides extensive and informative materials to assist the schools in preparing students for all the education concerts. The Sydney Symphony Orchestra additionally offers Meet the Music concerts and corresponding Meet the Composer workshops with emphasis 15

16 on Australian music, these for serious performance and composition students. A Young Artists Program offers promising instrumentalists the opportunity to perform and record as a concerto soloist with the Symphony, as well as to participate in master classes and receive instruction on the Alexander and Pilates techniques which serve to enhance overall performance technique. The Composer Dialogue is designed to develop the practical writing skills of promising composers under the age of 30. The emerging composers are asked to submit scores for assessment; those selected are offered workshops and master classes in composition and are invited to compose a work for a designated small ensemble. The Playerlink program takes the Sydney Symphony Sinfonia, the orchestra s mentoring ensemble, to often remote areas of the country to offer tutorials in ensemble playing and instrumental techniques. This program offers more advanced music students an opportunity to perform orchestral repertoire alongside the professional musicians in the Sinfonia as they travel to other regions of the country. The Sydney Symphony Orchestra offers special programming for all ages from Baby Proms to school concerts and special programs for urban and regional adult communities. The orchestra participates in a continuum of educational opportunities that foster the valuing of music (and the orchestra) through knowledge and understanding. Such opportunities should be available to people of all ages, backgrounds, and levels of musical experience. (Myers, 1996, p. 115) 16

17 Acknowledgement Much of the material for this paper was made available through Orchestras Canada. Additional information may be had by contacting Orchestras Canada, 56 The Esplanade, Suite 202, Toronto, ON, M5E 1A7, or by visiting their web site at References ArtsSmarts, Annual Report 1999 Year One, Canadian Conference of the Arts Association of British Orchestras, Mapping the Field, A research project on the education work of British orchestras, 1996, pp. 27 & 32. Babineau, Ninette, Enriching Their Communities: Education and Outreach Activities of Canadian Orchestras, Orchestras Canada / The Canada Council for the Arts, Babineau, Ninette, Partners in the Arts: The Orchestra as a Community Resource Connect, Combine Communicate - Revitalizing the Arts in Canadian Schools, a selection of papers presented at the 1997 National Symposium on Arts Education, Cape Breton, NS, University College of Cape Breton Press, 1998, pp Canadian Conference of the Arts, Arts in Transition 2: Harmonizing Public Policies with the New Realities, Report, p. 10, Major Findings, 1996, p. 19. Lee, Geoffrey, Partnerships in the Community, Report to the Association of Canadian Orchestras, Leonhard, Charles, Grand Masters Series: A Challenge for Change in Music Education, Music Educators Journal (MENC), Vol. 86, No. 3, November 1999, p. 40. McCusker, Joan, The Gibbs Street Connection, Music Educators Journal (MENC), Vol. 86, No. 3, November 1999, p. 37. Myers, David E., Beyond Tradition: Partnerships Among Orchestras, Schools, and Communities, National Endowment for the Arts, 1996, p