It’s the middle of a busy season in education—programs are finishing up their fall marching band rehearsals, winter concert prep has begun, fall performances are concluding. However, in this moment between fall break and winter break, it is a perfect time to venture out of the classroom and into a performance hall to experience some live music. Why is it so vital to music educators and students to attend performances of live music? Read on to learn all about it!
Live music is the lifeblood of what we do as music educators. Our whole gig is striving towards facilitating the beautiful experience of connection that people experience when listening to and participating in music together. Sometimes it can be difficult to see beyond the requirements of the classroom or lesson, but where would we professional players be if we didn’t have somewhere to perform? What better way to get inspired and excited than to attend a show where music is happening live!
As an educator, many of the experiences I provide to my students involve their own performances. However, I spend a great deal of time educating them on etiquette, performance practice, how to be an audience member, and the like. Some of the most valuable experiences these students have had, though, occur outside the lesson and inside an actual performance hall. I still remember going to see my first ballet in elementary school and being utterly awed by its beauty. Facilitating these experiences is so important to the development of students as musicians. They can even begin young learners on the path of musicianship—if a student has never been exposed to the sound of a cello, hearing one for the first time might spark joy.
Now, it is very difficult to provide students with these opportunities. Unless one is teaching in a classroom with lots of access to funding, bussing, chaperones, etc it can be very hard to put together an outing to the symphony. Instead, I’d recommend putting together a list of performing venues/organizations and providing students/guardians with the resources on where to find live events. If you have a studio, selecting a performance and encouraging students to meet you there can also be an option. There are many performances around the Indianapolis area being provided for little to no cost. Transportation can be tricky to figure out, but carpooling, student drivers, and guardians can help should the case be made. Below, I will provide a list of organizations that offer different types of live music. Several of these groups facilitate new music being written by young, Indiana composers and played by Indianapolis residents. As both an educator and performer, I cannot recommend highly enough the value and essential nature of attending live performances! Here are a few resources:
-Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra: https://www.indianapolissymphony.org. The orchestra offers student tickets for $15 a person. Performances are every weekend and feature everything from classical symphonic works to movie music.
-Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra: https://www.icomusic.org. This ensemble is based at Butler University, also offering student tickets. These are quality, high level performances by local musicians.
-Sound Ecologies: https://www.soundecologies.org. This is the non-profit I run with my husband. Sound Ecologies is a new music artist collective: our concerts are free to the public and feature new music written by Indiana composers and performed by Indiana musicians. Performances are primarily located on the south side of Indianapolis.
-Ronen Chamber Ensemble: https://www.ronenchamber.org. This ensemble is a small performing group formed by ISO musicians among others. Low to no cost ticketing makes these events affordable and very high quality. Ronen features a blend of old and new music.
-Forward Motion: https://www.forwardmotionnewmusic.com. This ensemble is run by local clarinetist Eric Salazar and features new music performed by local musicians. Tickets are low to no cost, and the concerts are very unique!
-Circle City Orchestra: https://www.circlecityorchestra.org. This ensemble is made up entirely of volunteer players who work on both classical and new works. Performances are free to the public!
-Philharmonic Orchestra of Indianapolis: https://www.philharmonicindy.org. This ensemble is auditioned volunteers, offering music camps and large scale works. Tickets run about $25 per person.
-Gamelan Mojomanis: https://www.instagram.com/gamelan_mojomanis?igsh=MWc4MTEwZ2N0NGZ4MA==. This Balinese Gamelan ensemble performs at festivals and outdoor events with free admission. An amazing way to experience the gamelan!
On the whole, live music is relatively accessible in the Indianapolis area. The above list only encompasses a few of the groups based in this city—it is by no means exhaustive! However, I hope you and your students take advantage of some of these events and take some time to get inspired, reinvigorated, and excited about live music. Cheers!
—Charissa Garrigus, Instructor at Vibe Music Academy
