PFW wishes to thank all of the Not For Profit partners of the North Carolina Symphony and the parents of the close to 6000 children who were able to explore just what music can do! This is a the final report we just received, it read like sweet music to our ears.
As of March 6, 2020, 1,595 North Carolina children have participated in an Instrument Zoo at either a Music Discovery program or during an event with a community partner. In addition, 4,400 children have participated in an Instrument Zoo prior to a performance at Meymandi Concert Hall in Raleigh. These numbers greatly exceed the original projections of 1,000 participants during Music Discovery or community programs and 3,500 children participating at Meymandi Concert Hall.
During the 2019/20 season, NCS expanded the scope of the Music Discovery program by working with additional community partners working with underserved families. The Instrument Zoo on September 14, 2019 was offered in conjunction with the premier sensory friendly “Family Fun 4 Everyone” concert and enabled NCS to expose children and adults with sensory conditions and special needs—such as autism, Down syndrome, blindness/visual impairment, and deafness—to the joy of playing an instrument. NCS is also proud to have offered an Instrument Zoo in partnership with Book Harvest, an organization that provides books and ongoing literacy support to children and their families in Durham North Carolina. Finally, NCS provided Instrument Zoos to families in crisis at two local shelters—Family Promise of Wake County and Durham Rescue Mission.
In addition to these outreach efforts, NCS has worked to reach new areas of the state. During the 2019/20 season, NCS Instrument Zoos have visited Wilson County, Martin County, Nash County, and Johnston County. Instrument Zoos have also reached children in areas that have been particularly hard hit by natural disasters in recent years, including Dare County, Onslow County, Jones County, and Craven County.
NCS is also working with local school districts to use the Instrument Zoos as a recruiting tool for band and orchestra programs in the schools. By allowing students to test out a variety of instruments in a fun, low-pressure environment, NCS hopes that they will be encouraged to learn their favorite instrument by joining their school ensembles.
