VYOA Blog

We were thrilled to welcome the entire student body of Winooski’s JFK Elementary School to Elley-Long last Friday for a concert with chamber music group Scrag Mountain Music!

Our performance hall was filled to capacity with students, teachers, administrators and helpers.  Performers Owen Dalby (violin), Meena Bhasin (viola), Evan Premo (double bass) and Karen Kevra (flute and piccolo), entertained the students and taught them about the instruments, and the differences and similarities between them. They also talked about the tools we use to listen to music. Especially popular was the use of a “magic” remote control to turn off and on different instruments, to help children learn how to focus on a particular sound.

This was the first time we’ve had a whole school come to Elley-Long for an event and we’d like to give a heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped make this possible!

The event was part of an on-going partnership between the VYOA and JFK Elementary, made possible by funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Amy E. Tarrant Foundation. Through this funding, we are doing an after-school music program and will be sending VYOA musicians into the school. We are excited to work with JFK and other schools in new ways, and to give students access to classical music which they otherwise may not have the opportunity to hear.