Getting Ready for “Carnival of the Animals”: Pre-Concert Lessons Reach 1,000+ Students!
At the Center for Future Audiences, we believe that the magic of a live orchestral performance begins long before the house lights dim. In September and October, as anticipation built for our Philharmonic Kids concert, The Carnival of the Animals, our team hit the road to bring interactive pre-concert preparation directly into local classrooms across the region.
Bringing the Orchestra to the Classroom
This season, Karl Heffernan, Program Coordinator for the Center for Future Audiences, joined forces with exceptional Philharmonic musicians—violist Matt “Diek” Diekman and bassoonist JJ Sechan—to visit 18 elementary schools across Colorado Springs and surrounding districts.
Together, they brought dynamic 40-minute music sessions to more than 1,027 first- and second-grade students, introducing them to the foundational elements of symphonic music through hands-on learning, storybook integration, and live instrumental performance.
Instrument Families, Conducting, and Storytime
During each visit, students explored the four instrument families of the orchestra, discovering how both the bassoon and viola work and how an instrument’s size directly affects its pitch—demonstrating how larger instruments create lower tones while smaller ones produce higher sounds.
Students then picked up imaginary batons to learn the role of the conductor, practicing tempo and dynamics with their own hands. To wrap up each session, the team led an engaging Storytime activity, pairing live musical accompaniment with the story of a bighorn sheep to spark imaginative listening and bring the music to life.
Smiles, Excitement, and Ready for the Stage!
The energy in every room was palpable. The bright smiles, eager hand-raises, and enthusiastic questions showed us just how excited these young learners were for their upcoming field trip to the Pikes Peak Center. By building background knowledge and personal connections with our musicians in advance, students stepped into the concert hall feeling confident, engaged, and ready to experience Saint-Saëns’ masterpiece to the fullest.
We are so grateful to the teachers, administrators, and music educators who welcomed us into their schools, as well as our talented musicians for sharing their time and artistry.