What do the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and the rock band, KISS have in common? It sounds like a big stretch of the imagination to compare the two completely different styles of music. However, when it comes to music and extending the arts to children, that is indeed a gift of a lifetime. That's exactly what the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and KISS did -- they gave the gift of music.
Two different musical styles but the same goal: help children and increase their involvement in music:
The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra's OrchKids Initiative
Recently The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra received a $1 million gift from Baltimore philanthropists Robert E. Meyerhoff and Rheda Becker. The BSO Music Director also committed $100,000 to the fund that will be used to expand its after-school music education program. It's the best re-gift ever.
The money the BSO received will be an amazing gift to children as it will support 50 percent of the symphony’s OrchKids initiative. As part of the program, musicians from the BSO work with students several days a week, partly on music and partly on homework.
Right now there are 150 students in the BSO program. The money received will now expand that the program to over 300 students over the next four years.
KISS Helps Present Musical Instruments to Students
Legendary rock band KISS visited Tulsa's Wilson Middle School on Wednesday. The band members went to the school to formally present 40 new musical instruments to Wilson students, including violins, trumpets, saxophones and flutes. It was part of a program initiated by the television show, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.
The instruments came from a fund called the Holland's Opus Foundation. According to their website, the organization donates both new and refurbished instruments to school and after-school music programs that lack the resources.
KISS original band member Paul Stanley is a big supporter of the Mr. Holland's Opus program. The children at the school were thrilled with having the KISS band members in their school and had their faces painted like their favorite KISS members and were extremely excited at the opportunity to have an instrument to play.
Read more about the Boston Symphony Orchestra "Orchkids" program: www.bsomusic.org
Read more about the Mr. Holland's Opus program: www.mhopus.org
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