“Amid the jangle of tambourines, bleating of horns and chattering of eager aspiring musicians, Cassie Cackler smiled as she coaxed a lilting note out of a flute on her first attempt,” writes Brandy McDonnell in Tuesday’s (11/29) Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, OK). “ ‘I think it’s really fun,’ she said… Cassie, a 10-year-old student from Heritage Elementary in Edmond, was among about 40 Junior Girl Scouts and Brownies who recently played their way through the Oklahoma City Orchestra League’s Instrument Playground…. Founded in 1948 as a support organization for the Oklahoma City Philharmonic … the Orchestra League’s … educational programs have evolved and expanded over the decades…. As public schools cut music education programs due to funding constraints, Bryant said such outreach efforts are more vital than ever. The Instrument Playground recently has appeared at the Oklahoma State Fair, the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes Honor the Child festivities in Anadarko and the Down Syndrome Association of Central Oklahoma’s Buddy Walk at the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.” Orchestra League member Joan Bryant recalls, “There was this young girl who picked up a violin.… She fell in love with it and she has been taking lessons ever since. It’s just inspiring.”
Posted December 2, 2016
Pictured: Nine-year-old Isabela Odhiambo tries out a violin at the Oklahoma City Orchestra League’s Instrument Playground. Photo by Paul Hellstern
