meet the music

LACO’s Meet the Music program reaches approximately 2,500 fourth, fifth and sixth grade students of varied cultural and musical backgrounds each year. Offered in cooperation with the Los Angeles Unified School District, Meet the Music fosters listening skills, encourages individual and group involvement in music making, and provides personal contact with musicians and composers.

In advance of each concert, participating schools receive written curricula, listening tapes and classroom visits from docents. Conductor Jeffrey Kahane takes students on a guided tour of the music and the orchestra, answers questions from the audience, and engages students in active listening.

tweet the music

Help bring the classical music you love to the children in our community. From July 19 through July 21, join us for Tweet the Music, a three-day fundraising event that we promote through Twitter and other social networking sites! Your contribution provides the students of LAUSD with the gift of music. Give today.

frequently asked questions

I’m an LAUSD teacher; where do I sign up to have my classroom participate in Meet the Music?

We’re glad you’re interested in the program! Just download our online application and send it in to us as soon as you can. Schools are admitted into the program on a first-come, first-served basis.

Can I apply for the 2010-11 Season?

In May, we will be accepting applications for the 2010-11 season. Feel free to download the application and either fax or mail it back to Amy Bassett.

I’m not a music teacher but I’m interested in having my classroom hear the orchestra. Can I still send in an application?

Absolutely! Just make sure you attach a lesson plan with your application when you send it to us.

I teach at a local school that is not in the LAUSD. Can I still have my students participate?

Meet the Music is primarily open only to schools within the LAUSD. Please contact Amy directly to discuss other options and alternatives.

Where do the concerts take place?

Meet the Music performances take place in downtown LA, at the Colburn School for the Performing Arts, 200 South Grand Avenue.

Does LACO provide transportation to the concerts?

Schools are responsible for arranging student transportation. On a needs basis, LACO will try to help subsidize bus rental or Metro passes. Since our budget is extremely limited, we strongly encourage schools to pursue other resources first, such as PTA funds or grants.

Can I sign up my classroom to attend more than one performance in the series?

You can, if space is available. More typically, one teacher will sign up multiple groups of students (different classrooms, for example) to attend different performances.

How will I connect my classroom work with a field trip to hear an orchestra?

That’s up to you, but we’ll help! Prior to your students traveling to the Colburn School to hear LACO, we’ll send a docent to your classroom who will prepare your students for the experience of hearing a live performance of a world-class chamber orchestra. You’ll also receive a “teacher’s guide” with sample lessons plans, and filled with information about LACO, the upcoming concert, the artists who will be performing, stories about the lives of composers, and much, much more!

How does your program address California’s Content Standards for Visual and Performing Arts?

Your students’ participation in Meet the Music will allow you to address each of the five content standards: 1) Artistic Perception,
2) Creative Expression, 3) Historical and Cultural Context,
4) Aesthetic Valuing, and 5) Connections, Relationships, Applications. The Teacher’s Guide includes suggestions on how to develop lesson plans that achieve the goals set by the standards.

I have a question not answered here, can I contact someone?

Of course! Please email Amy Bassett for more information about the LA Chamber Orchestra’s Meet the Music program.

sponsors

LA County Arts Commission’s online
guide to arts education programs.