In Friday’s (8/9) Orange County Register (California; subscription required), Theresa Walker writes, “Dawn Smart walked arm in arm with a neighbor friend up the walkway at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater on the night the Pacific Symphony presented ‘Roll Over Beethoven—From Rock to Bach.’ They … headed to a covered pavilion with other residents from the Village of Hope transitional housing program for homeless men, women and children…. ‘Wow, look at this!’ she said. ‘Did they do this for us?’ ‘They’ would be the Pacific Symphony’s Heartstrings program, which provides underserved people in the community access to symphony performances. Many Village of Hope residents attending the recent Sunday night concert as guests of the symphony experienced their first live classical performance. Often, the adults at Village of Hope are working to overcome substance abuse that landed them on the streets, in trouble with the law, and, in some cases, separated from their children…. The Heartstrings program, launched eight years ago, includes hands-on musical activities for children as well as transportation and admission to Pacific Symphony concerts.… Heartstrings was expanded from a school-based program to include social service organizations that work with adults at the urging and support of symphony patron Roberta Ahmanson, said Pam Blaine, vice president of education and community engagement for the Pacific Symphony.”
Posted August 13, 2013
