The Symphony Goes to School Returns to Voxman

Every Iowa City Community School District fourth-grader attended a live performance by the University of Iowa Symphony Orchestra at the Voxma, as part of the Any Given Child programming through the Foundation for the Iowa City Community School District on Wednesday, Oct. 26.

Any Given Child Iowa City, a program of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, provides equitable access to diverse, interactive, and inspiring arts experiences for every K-8 student in the Iowa City Community School District.

After two years, the Symphony Goes to School program returned to the University of Iowa, Voxman Music Building.

"The Symphony Goes to School program is such a remarkable experience and we are so honored to be a part of it,“ said Ryan West, president of West Music. ”The program showcases how a community comes together, sharing the amazing talents and facilities of the University of Iowa with students across the entire district in a fun, inspiring, and exciting way. We hope it inspires the next generation of students on what's possible and fuels their creativity for the future."

The Symphony Goes to School is funded by West Music, Doug and Linda Paul, and other private donors through the Foundation for the Iowa City Community School District. The Foundation for ICCSD offers programming for students, support for teachers, and opportunities for growth, creativity, and learning in the classroom and in the community through local partnerships.

In preparation for the performance, the fourth grade students learned about the instruments and the symphony during their music classes at school. The University of Iowa Symphony Orchestra presented “Discover the Orchestra'' and performed two concerts along with a special performance by orchestra students from Preucil School of Music.

“We are so excited to welcome our students back to the Voxman to watch an amazing concert delivered to our students by students from the University,” said Susan Brennan, executive director of the Foundation for the ICCSD. “The Foundation provides these kinds of opportunities so that our fourth-graders can see what music can sound like and feel like delivered in a beautiful local venue. We want to show kids that they can do this too. Providing connections that speak to students is the ‘why’ behind experiences like this.”

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