Press Release
September 12, 2011
Orchestra Nova Appoints New Nova Education Ambassador
Music Education: A High Priority for Orchestra Nova San Diego
Orchestra Nova San Diego, which has the most pervasive music education program in the San Diego County schools, announces a major step toward reaching every child in the region with the hiring of Ross Moore as the newly created Nova education ambassador.
His responsibilities will focus on expanding and managing Orchestra Nova’s current extensive music education programs in San Diego County. Those programs include Take 5 for Music, the Hunter Family Music Memory Program, Tune-up Festivals and Master Classes throughout the year, conducted by Maestro Pak and Nova musicians.
Passionate about the importance of arts in the schools, Jung-Ho Pak, Orchestra Nova’s artistic director and conductor says, “We need to move beyond talking about why the arts matter and, instead, make them matter – we have to go beyond advocacy to action. The ‘global warming of the arts’, as I call it, has been happening with classical music over the past 30 years and it’s now accelerating like the melting of the ice caps. We must plant the seeds for our children now so they can feel the joy and beauty that music can bring into their lives.”
Ross was the museum educator for the Kentucky Derby Museum in Louisville, Kentucky, for twelve years, renowned for his outreach programs, many of them music-related. He has been working as a consultant with the San Diego County Library for the past two years developing partnerships with community organizations, including his own creation and coordination of the San Diego County Library Acoustic Showcase, which showcases local musicians in libraries across the county.
“One of the things that drew me toward this position was the passion for music education that I saw within Orchestra Nova’s organization – I want to be a part of something for which I can feel passion and music education outreach is certainly something that I feel is very important, especially in today’s world. I am thrilled to be a part of the Nova team,” says Ross.
Orchestra Nova kicked off the Hunter Family Music Memory Program three years ago in San Diego County schools. Students in grades 3-6 listen and learn about 16 pieces of classical music each year, learning it so thoroughly that when each school’s finalists (five on a team) meet for the annual “Music Bee” competition in May, they listen to Orchestra Nova play a few measures from the middle of a piece and within 30 seconds most of them can name the title and the composer. This program, partially funded by the Frances Hunter family and Hunter Industries, has reached over 10,000 students during its first three years, providing them with a lifelong knowledge and fun-filled appreciation of up to 64 pieces of music by the end of four years. “Classical music is kind of cool,” said sixth grader Adam Truitt from Jerebeck Elementary School at the first “Music Bee” in 2009, “and I thought it would probably be boring.”
Parents and teachers are strong supporters of the program and attendees at the “Music Bee” are wowed at the level of knowledge reflected in the students’ answers. “Jung-Ho’s insight and commitment to arts education brought this program to San Diego and is so much appreciated both by students and teachers. It’s the kind of quality instruction that today’s teachers simply cannot provide,” says Karen Childress-Evans, director of the visual and performing arts department for the San Diego Unified School District. The cost for materials is $115 per year for new set of 16 musical selections.
Tested in schools last spring, Take 5 for Music has been enthusiastically received by both teachers and students and plans are to get this easily administered program in as many schools as quickly as possible. It’s a simple concept: five minutes of classical music is played over the school’s sound system before class each morning or immediately after the lunch break, accompanied by a student’s or teacher’s voice providing one simple fact about the music or the composer. The same music is repeated for each of the four days, with a different fact each day. “It helped to calm the classroom – and it taught students to appreciate music they normally don’t listen to,” said a classroom teacher in San Diego’s Unified School District. The cost for materials is $300 and materials need to be purchased once.
The Tune-up Festival, in partnership with the California Music Educators Association, is held annually in March. Approximately 30 junior and senior high schools in the county perform, then receive coaching and constructive discussion for both the students and the conductors from Maestro Pak and associate conductor Dana Zimbric. In addition, Nova’s principal musicians provide master classes for the students during the day. “You have given me a great supply of in-depth ideas to try with my orchestra. Thank you very much for your dedication to music education! It is a thrill to learn from someone with such a passion for life, philosophy, education and the arts!” says Joan Diener, strings director at La Jolla Country Day School.
Master Classes are led by Maestro Pak and his principal musicians throughout the year for local and visiting school orchestras.
Orchestra Nova offers $10 student tickets AND is the only arts organization in San Diego County to offer $10 educator tickets to all Nova Classics and POPS! performances.
Students aren’t the only beneficiaries of Jung-Ho Pak’s passion for music education. Every Nova performance becomes an enjoyable educational experience as he shares history, information and insight with the guests prior to each portion of the program. Unlike many traditional orchestras where the conductor does not interact with the audience, Jung-Ho provides insights to the guests through speaking and often showing the score on video to discuss how themes, motifs and melodies will be played out. This heightens their understanding, enjoyment and, most importantly, their connection to the music.
Orchestra Nova is passionate about music education as exemplified by these extensive programs and the intent is to continue to expand them.
For more information, contact education@orchestranova.org or call 858-350-0290.
