Children's Programs
2013
Fourth Annual Children's Music Camp is July 8 through July 12, 2013.
Fall Concert November 26, 2013
In partnership with the Del E. Webb Center for the Performing Arts , WCO is presenting a professional orchestra as our student orchestral experience for this year. The Scottsdale Musical Arts Orchestra will perform again. They were warmly received last year.
2012
Third Annual Children's Music Camp was July 9 thrugh July 13.
Fall Concert November 20, 2012
2011
Ducks and Wolves spotted in Wickenburg
West Valley Symphony came to Wickenburg on November 22nd, at the invitation of the Wickenburg Children's cultural Organization. Maestro Kellogg and members of the orchestra traveled to the Del E. Webb Center for the Performing Arts to perform Prokofiev's timeless classic "Peter and the Wolf". The concerts were narrated in fine fashion by Dr. William Benz (of Theatre Works/Sun City West fame).
Over 960 students, representing grades 1-12, came by bus from the Nadaburg, Morristown, Hassayampa, Congress, Aguila and Wickenburg schools for the performance. Maestro Kellogg and Dr. Benz fielded questions including: "What happened to the duck?", "Does the bass player get tired from standing up all the time?" and "How big is the bassoon?"
In the days that followed, the symphony received some handmade thank you cards expressing the students' appreciation and they shared their sentiments: "Thank you for bringing this amazing symphony to us, I hope you can do something like this next year", "I think this is a great experience for us to see all the instruments, I feel this was the most exciting thing I've done since living in Arizona", "You did an awesome job", "With the great narrations, I could imagine it completely.", "My favorite was the bassoon and acoustic bass. I've always wanted to play the bass, but I had never thought about the bassoon" and "Dear Maestro Kellogg, Thank you for your wonderful presentation. I loved your interaction on stage."
West Valley Symphony loved it too. "This type of concert is a great opportunity to expose kids to classical music. It was because of outreach concerts like this, that I experienced as a child, that I am doing what I do today", says Daniel Stotz, West Valley Symphony Musician (Bass player). "It is the responsibility of the current generation of musicians to foster and create future generations of musicians and music lovers." (Paraphrased from the West Valley Symphony newsletter 1/10/2012)
Second Annual Children's Music Camp was July 11 thrugh July 15. Click here for more information, registration and scholarship forms.
2010
First Annual Children's Music Camp, June 28 thrugh July 2. Click here for more information, registration and scholarship forms.
2009
Concert for area children, Monday September 21, 2009
Wickenburg Children's cultural Organization in partnership with the Del E. Webb Center presented:
Performances by the Arizona State University Orchestra. Wickenburg and WCO were honored to have the ASU Orchestra conducted by Dr. Timothy Russell.
WCO will provided lunch for the Orchestra catered by the Wickenburg High School Culinary Arts program.
In January 2008 Wickenburg Children's cultural Organization (WCO) used funds from the A. Wallace Denny Foundation for its “Music Matters” programs. The grant made possible a pilot string instrument program in schools that do not have music specialists. Morristown and Aguila School Districts participated. There programs were so successful that both school districts wrote and received grants that will allow them to continue the program for five years.
WCO benefactors were so impressed that funds were donated to add a school, Model Creek in Yarnell, that really wanted a strings program. Click here to see a Wickenburg Sun article on the Yarnell program.
WCO hopes the program will continue its success and more individuals and foundations will support it and allow it to expand to other schools with the ultimate goal of having a pool of talent for an area Youth Orchestra..
2008
Concert for area children, Tuesday September 23, 2008
Wickenburg Cultural Organization in partnership with the Del E. Webb Center presented:
Moozie's Kind Adventure and Tinny Triangle Joins the BIG Orchestra, both World Premiere Performances by the Arizona State University Orchestra. Commissioned by the Children's Kindness Network. Wickenburg and WCO were honored to have CKN sponsor Ted Dreier as well as the authors of the pieces present in the audience, here all the way from Tennessee.
WCO provided lunch for the Orchestra catered by the Wickenburg High School Culinary Arts program. Positive feedback on the days events were received from the Orchestra, students, staff, parents and more.
As a follow-up to the concert, WCO donated the Moozie Book and a Moozied puppet to the library of every school that attended the concert.
Julia Hobart, WCO board member with students accepting Moozie puppet and book.
Chamber Music West sponsored the Alexander String Quartet, a world class chamber ensemble for the students of Morristown, Aguila and Nadaburg on January 13, 2009. This is the third year Chamber Music West has partnered with Wickenburg Cultural Organization to bring world class music to our local schools.
Click on their name and find out more about this San Francisco based group.
History set to Music Program, June 23 through June 27, 2008
Students in the Wickenburg Area, participated in a one week Music/History program from June 23 through June 27. They created a Tableau depicting the history of Education in the Wickenburg area.
The program included field trips to the Museum and the Library. It was conducted by Dr. Jay Cravath, renowned music historian. Dr. Cravath enjoys helping children discover their traditional culture. In this case the history of education in the Wickenburg Area. At the end of the week they performed their musical tableau for parents and community members, using the information they learned.
A. Wallace Denny Grant Received Through the Arizona Community Foundation
This project provides services of a music teacher to staff a string instrument class in an after school program 2 times a week with one prep hour for 30 weeks of the school year with an end of the year and mid year performance. We are partnering with the Phoenix Conservatory of Music to provide instructors.
This is taking the music program in both pilot schools, Aguila and Morristown, to the next level. Both have successfully used the Brummitt/Taylor Listening program for a number of years. WCO has provided on site string performers. One of the schools feel strongly the anecdotal evidence is there proving increased music education has increased academic achievement. There is research that confirms this belief. The two pilot school leaders Don German and Lucille Thompson, agree this is the best model for such a program.
The program has been a desire of all the WCO rural schools who can currently not afford a certified music specialist in their small budgets. We have had this plan in mind for a number of years without funding to set up the pilot. The grant targets Western Maricopa County. WCO hopes results will be so positive that individuals and organizations will choose to fund the continuation and expansion of the program.
Brummitt-Taylor Listening Program
The WCO provides the Brummitt-Taylor Listening Program to elementary schools in Morristown, Yarnell, Congress, Aguila, Wickenburg, and Wittmann. The Brummitt-Taylor Listening Program is a structured 5-year curriculum in which elementary students listen to five minutes of classical music daily. The music and leader's guides are included in the program.
Today the students who are participating in the WCO sponsored classical music program can discuss the difference between a cello, violin, and bass as well as articulate their favorite classical composers and the reasons they feel the composer's work is important. They are quick to tell you that the music relaxes them and improves their studies. One went so far as to say that he believed that if "bosses played classical music at work, employees would get more done."
Scholarships
The WCO provides scholarships to graduating high school seniors who are going on to college to study music. We also offer summer camp scholarships to students of all ages as well as scholarships to Camp Imagination. Contact us at 928-684-7473 or music@wco.org for more information.
Phoenix Symphony Concerts for the Schools
1st through 6th grade students in Wickenburg, Morristown, Wittmann, Congress, Yarnell and Aguila are offered tickets to the Phoenix Symphony Hall. Between 400-1000 students attend these concerts each year. Additionally, the WCO partners with the Arizona State University Orchestra to bring musicians to Wickenburg and/or the schools for concerts.
Music Lessons
The WCO subsidizes lessons and equipment rentals for students who want to study music. Call for more information.
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