Representatives from Dallas Symphony Orchestra taught music lessons at several Dallas ISD elementary schools during the summer.

Students learned the basics about reading a music sheet and interacted with many different instruments, most of them for the very first time.

DSO organized the first Youth Concert for Dallas ISD students almost 100 years ago, said Jamie Allen, DSO Director of Education. Since then, both entities have collaborated to supplement the district’s music curriculum with high level concert training and experiences that are not otherwise available.

“For young musicians, the overall goal is to provide those students who want to play an instrument with lessons and an instrument free of charge,” Allen said. “We want to remove all barriers to making music as it provides so many opportunities artistically and beyond.”

DSO hired over a dozen highly-trained professionals to teach daily music lessons. The students had their own instrument and were allowed to take it home to practice.

Marcela Ingram teaches math at Kahn Elementary School and is the summer site supervisor at the campus. She saw the students were noticeably excited to partake in music lessons and try out different instruments.

“Every week they have to pass a test in order to take their instrument home,” Ingram said. “They have to learn responsibility and discipline because they have to keep up with a notebook, bring their instrument every day.”

The Young Musicians Program is a collaboration between DSO and Dallas ISD’s Extended Learning Opportunities. The summer programs took place at the following elementary schools: Halliday, Silbersteinm, Kahn, Webster, Moreno and T.G. Terry.

Continuous Collaboration

Most summer programs will end on August 1st. However, DSO will continue providing music lessons to Dallas youth for free!

All Dallas ISD students, grades 2nd through 5th, can participate in free Young Musicians programs throughout the school year at the following elementary schools: Halliday, Kahn, Moreno, Silberstein and Webster. The sessions will take place after school, Tuesdays through Thursdays, starting September 17.

DSO will also host these programs, free for all Southern Dallas residents from ages 7 to 11, at Trinity Basin Preparatory School and Cedar Valley College. Interested families should email youngmusicians@dalsym.com .