Music Meets Science!
Niswonger Foundation Supports Tenth Regional School Concert
More than 2000 students from Northeast Tennessee elementary schools were delighted by the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra’s performance at the Niswonger Performing Arts Center on March 12. Sponsored by the Niswonger Foundation, this year’s program marked the tenth anniversary of these concerts. While the major goal of the effort is to provide the opportunity for children to see an orchestral performance, this concert is specially designed as a teaching/learning experience. The Niswonger Foundation supports the belief that developing an appreciation for the arts is an important aspect of becoming an educated person.
The 2013 program combined science and music in an entertaining and educational format. Ken Mays, Deputy Director of the American Museum of Science and Energy, thrilled the attendees with the “smoke and colors” of science experimentation, accompanied by the sounds of the symphony orchestra. The scientific concepts of how and where sound travels, the pitch, intonation, variations of sound were taught based on an examination of the steps in the scientific method. These concepts relate directly to the standards of the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP).
The special guest performers for this concert were the Greeneville High School Advanced Choir. Accompanied by the orchestra, the voices of the choir members were used to demonstrate the scientific principles being taught. The Greeneville High School choir was let by Kathryn May. The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra was under the direction of Maestro James Fellenbaum.
