APPROXIMATELY 2,000 KEYS STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN SOUTH FLORIDA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA’S “PRESERVING OUR CORAL REEFS” EDUCATION OUTREACH CONCERTS

WHAT: Approximately 2,000 elementary and middle school students from Key West and Marathon will participate in South Florida Symphony Orchestra’s (SFSO) Symphony in the Schools STEAM education outreach program “Preserving Our Coral Reefs.”  Through multi-media, props, costumes, and narration, SFSO’s musicians, led by music educator Donna Wissinger, will shine a light on the plight of Florida’s 350+ mile-long coral reef and instruct children about the environmental stressors that have created the ocean’s precarious situation. Through the interactive program, children will learn about hope for the future via the concept of coral micro-fragmentation, a process developed by marine scientist Dr. David Vaughan, in which a large healthy coral can be broken into smaller pieces. These plugs quickly grow into larger corals and are transplanted back onto the reef. The program is set to an emotional score by composer Robert Kerr.

The program begins with hands-on instruction culminating in a participatory live symphony performance and “parade of the reef.” “Preserving Our Coral Reefs” aims to uplift every student and explore the importance of teamwork. For example, a symphony orchestra can only perform because every team member does their part just as a reef takes a team of living organisms to thrive. Together, we can all be good stewards of the environment.

Participating schools include:

  • Gerald Adams Elementary School                          Key West
  • Poinciana Elementary School                                  Key West
  • Horace O’Bryant School                                           Key West
  • The Basilica School of Saint Mary Star of the Sea   Key West
  • Sigsbee Charter                                                        Key West
  • May Sands Montessori                                           Key West
  • Sugarloaf School                                                      Upper Sugarloaf Key
  • Stanley Switlik Elementary School                      Marathon
  • Big Pine Academy                                                   Big Pine Key

SFSO’s progressive musical program received a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Grants for Arts Projects award of $10,000.

 WHEN/

WHERE: Monday, January 22

 

10 a.m. in Key West at

Key West High School

2100 Flagler Ave.

Key West, FL 33040

 

11:30 a.m. in Marathon at

Marathon High School

350 Sombrero Beach Rd.

Marathon, FL 33050

WHO: Founded in 1997 in Key West by Music Director Maestra Sebrina María Alfonso, the now Wilton Manors-based South Florida Symphony Orchestra (SFSO) is celebrating its 25th anniversary season. SFSO is dedicated to providing enriching cultural music experiences to residents and visitors in Monroe, Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. Guided by the belief that music is pivotal to thriving communities, SFSO brings vibrancy and engagement with the arts via innovative programming and transformative educational initiatives. A pioneer in its commitment to symphonic music for underserved communities, its Symphony in the Schools program has touched the lives of 100,000 students since its inception in 1997. SFSO was recently named the first Partner in the Arts for The Parker by the Broward Center for the Performing Arts and has been recognized by the Broward County Cultural Division as a “Major Cultural Institution,” one of only a handful of organizations to be so honored.

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