36 Thursday, October 10, 2024 BATTLE CREEK SHOPPER NEWS http://www.thebattlecreekshopper.com
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The Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra performed selections from its weekend
Fantastic Beats concert that included tunes from Harry Potter and 2001: A
Space Odyssey, among others, for the students Thursday morning. (Shopper
News photo by Shelly Kehrle-Sulser)
“We couldn’t get the funding last
year,” said Balbaugh about the spe-
cial presentation. “We want to do it
annually but it’s very expensive. It’s
probably close to $20,000 for today.”
Balbaugh explained that the expo-
sure to live, professional music is
one of the most important roles of
the The Music Center which is all
about music education.
“Our mission is building commu-
nity through music,” she explained.
“We never know which seeds we’ve
planted today are going to take root.
Not only do the kids have fun, but
some of these kids will go on to join
band or take up an instrument or
maybe even make a career out of it.”
Maestra Anne Harrigan as well as
violinist/Maestra Sophie Petroski
got into music and have careers in
music, said Balbaugh, because of a
childhood music experience like the
one they staged Thursday in Battle
Creek.
“So, it’s really important to do
these,” she said, adding that the chil-
dren’s concert is shortened version
of the full weekend production. “We
take that concert, we curate it to a
45-minute concert for the kids, that’s
a little bit more manageable for
them, we pick out the best parts we
think will be of interest to them.”
The teachers also receive a handout
to work into their curriculum that
prepares the students for the con-
certs.
“And, they can listen to the music
in advance,” she said, “and talk
about the composers, that kind of
thing. It comes actually part of
the school curriculum, which is a
requirement, anything you do in the
State of Michigan in the schools.”
Schools in attendance were from
the districts of Lakeview, Arbor
Academy, Harper Creek and Battle
Creek public.
BEATS
Continued from Page 35