KSO introduces the 'Many Moods of Music'

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At a time when children are distracted by the screens of video games, cell phones and DVD players, Linc Smelser and the Kishwaukee Symphony Orchestra are still able to engage elementary school children with “The Many Moods of Music.”

Last Friday, buses unloaded third- and fourth-graders from Monroe Center, Kings, Shabbona, Waterman and Sycamore in front of DeKalb’s Egyptian Theatre for this special performance. Individual musicians greeted the school-agers in the auditorium, giving them up-close views of their instruments and taking a few requests while the audience assembled.

“Playing and interacting with such an enthusiastic group of children is such a thrill for me and the orchestra,” Smelser, KSO’s conductor, said in a recent news release. “It’s a wonderful thing to look into the audience and see such genuine interest in what we are doing. The more we (classical musicians) can share the gift of music with children, the better chance they will desire to experience the true joy of listening to and appreciating classical music and perhaps playing a musical instrument. This is one of the avenues to self expression which is essential for the health of our society.”

The program was a perfect example of how education can be entertaining. As Smelser and the orchestra introduced musical terms like “pizzicato” and “major and minor keys,” the audience was treated to snippets of classical music. From Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 7” to the themes from “Star Wars” and “Harry Potter,” the children were invited to listen carefully, to answer questions and to share their own experiences and knowledge.

The Kishwaukee Symphony Orchestra recently received the Community Orchestra of the Year award from The Illinois Council of Orchestras, a state-wide service and advocacy organization for orchestras.

Music director and conductor Linc Smelser has also been recognized with the award for Small Orchestra Conductor of the year.

“The Russian Five: Forefathers of Russian Music,” the closing performance of this year’s concert series, will be presented in the Northern Illinois University Music Building’s Boutell Memorial Concert Hall at 3 p.m. May 3.

For more information and group ticket sales, call 815-756-3728 or visit www.kishorchestra.org.

A dedicated company of professional, student and amateur musicians, the Kishwaukee Symphony Orchestra is a nonprofit community group that has provided a venue for local musicians to showcase their talents in an orchestral setting since 1976.