Lima Symphony Orchestra’s “Symphony Storytime.”
In Wednesday’s (6/7) Hometown Stations (Ohio), Madison Kenjura reports, “Throughout June, the Lima Symphony Orchestra is visiting local libraries to present Spanish-inspired music. Wednesday morning, they hosted ‘Symphony Storytime’ at Brumback Library in Van Wert, where children were introduced to basic musical concepts through live music and children’s books. The event aimed to help children connect musical ideas with the story being told, including the difference between loud and soft notes and long and short notes. The theme … was ‘Orchestra, olé!’ which featured Spanish-inspired music with a focus on distinctive rhythm and dances to encourage creative movement and music literacy while inspiring children’s imaginations and fostering a lifelong love and appreciation for music. ‘We had a number of children’s stories about matadors, including “The Story of Ferdinand” by Munro Leaf. Some of the other themes that we have going on are monsters. We explore different ways composers can make music sound scary or a little bit frightening. They’re all fun monsters, of course. Some of the other themes we have done in the past have been opposites. So, just explore some of those ideas in words and music,’ stated Renee Keller, Lima Symphony Orchestra’s marketing and education director.”
