I enjoy seeing how the world connects together and am always up for collaboration across content areas. So, I was thrilled when our lovely new music teacher, Mrs. Eason, asked me if I would want to work together on this years Symphony in Color.
Symphony in Color is an arts competition put on by the Indiana Symphony Orchestra. Each year they hand select a few musical pieces to engage Indiana youth in the stories behind the composition. Children are then invited to create one of a kind masterpieces based off what they hear.
Mrs. Eason and I invited fifth graders to apply for our Symphony of the Arts club back in October. Applicants met with us once a week as we dissected Leonard Bernstein's "Mambo" from West Side Story. Each student made an original piece, taking two months to complete.
We had six entrants from Whiteland Elementary, the max I was allowed to enter in the competition. Thousands of entries are submitted to this competition from hundreds of schools across the state the first week in February. A panel of judges deliberates for several weeks and winners are showcased at both the Indiana State Museum and Hilbert Circle Theatre in Indianapolis. There are two judging categories, and gold status winners are invited to a banquet in their honor with special distinction. In short; it's kind of a big deal.
I was just notified that our own Sarah Bennett was selected by the panel as one of the few gold finalists! (Her work is above, bottom right) Each child did an amazing job, I was truly blown away by their work. Though it's months away Mrs. Eason and I are already looking forward to next years musical masterpieces!
Congratulations to Sarah and the other recognized participants; Emma Copes, Mara Holehan, Charlotte Ray, Aubrey Runyon and Nicole Breedlove on all their hard work! I am honored to be your teacher girls!
You can see Sarah's work, as well as other winning pieces from grades k-6 at the following:
Hilbert Circle Theatre - Thirty-five Gold Ribbon winners and one Pacini Award winner will be selected from finalists and will be exhibited in the Hilbert Circle Theatre Oval Promenade from February 25 to March 27, 2017.
Indiana State Museum - One hundred finalists will be selected by a qualified panel of judges and exhibited in the Indiana State Museum, along with 10 Honorable Mentions, from April 1 to May 7, 2017. All students participating in Symphony in Color are encouraged to visit this exhibit.