On Monday, NPR again turned its coverage to Baltimore, this time to put the spotlight on OrchKids, a community music program run by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.
BSO director Marin Alsop told NPR that OrchKids, which provides young musicians in Baltimore with year-round instruction and performance opportunities, has a much broader mission than one might guess.
“I think the point is that music becomes this vehicle for experiencing and envisioning themselves with lives filled with possibility,” Alsop said. “When you walk into Lockerman Bundy and you hear these kids, and you meet them — I mean, it’s all about possibility.”
And there’s more to what she says than lofty idealism. OrchKids artistic director Dan Trahey cited a “rigorous assessment” which has shown that participation in OrchKids typically boosts a student’s school attendance record and academic performance.
The NPR coverage includes the personal accounts of young people who have benefited from OrchKids.
Get the whole story at NPR.org.
