“Fourth-graders from all around the Sioux Falls School District gathered at the Washington Pavilion for a once in a lifetime opportunity” to perform with the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra, reports Max Hofer on Tuesday (4/9) at television station KELO (Sioux Falls, S.D.). “Every year, Carnegie Hall puts on a program called ‘Link Up.’ It gives young fourth-graders a chance to learn what it’s like to be a part of their local orchestra…. ‘My kids love it. They’re excited about practicing; they come in at lunch, recess, they want to play more challenging songs and they just have a really good time with it,’ fourth-grade teacher Melanie Sander said…. ‘It teaches them patience and discipline and it gives them a way to express themselves in a way that they otherwise might not be able to do,’ ” said South Dakota Symphony Orchestra Community Education Coordinator Kristy Kayser. Thomas Fortner, music director of the South Dakota Symphony Youth Orchestra, described the event as “exhilarating. There’s nothing like thousands of young people, and the energy in the room…. The orchestra has a lot of fun and it’s a really great experience.”
Posted April 10, 2019
