Musical ‘petting zoo’ a school holiday saviour

Posted on 9 July, 2024

At the end of your tether trying to find new and exciting ways to keep the kids entertained during school holidays?

Feeling guilty about not weaving the odd educational opportunity into the mix? We may have the answer.

Canberra Symphony Orchestra’s Explore the Orchestra events on July 18 combine music, dancing and the chance to try out all the instruments – winds, brass, strings and percussion. Consider it a kind of a petting zoo… without the risk of biting. Oh, and there’s balloons, too.

For kids aged up to nine years old and their families, each of the CSO’s 90-minute Meet the Woodwinds sessions introduces youngsters to the joy of music in a relaxed and fun environment.

After getting a run-through from a professional CSO musician on what each instrument does (and then being invited to give them a try) young participants will be treated to a performance by the orchestra’s woodwind quintet, featuring Megan Pampling on oboe, Issie Brown on flute, Benn Sutcliffe on clarinet, Kristen Sutcliffe on bassoon and Carly Brown on horn.

They’ll also be able to watch a Funky Fairy balloon artist create imaginative balloon sculptures to the music. What’s not to love?

Sitting still is not an option. Singing, dancing and whoops of joy are encouraged during these mini music classes – a family-friendly way to get kids interested in classical music away from the more traditional concert setting.

As school holiday fare, it ticks a lot of boxes:

A chance to blow off steam? Yep

To make some noise? Sure thing.

To combine fun and education? Winner, winner chicken dinner.

To enjoy with a group of friends? Absolutely.

By the end of each session, your child will have had a blast and gained a newfound appreciation for classical music. Even better, they’ll have learned some new musical tricks while having expended a fair bit of pent-up energy.

A word of warning, though. You may just find you have a musical prodigy in your midst who’s keen to pick up and learn an instrument longer term. The CSO has you covered on that score, too.

CSO Artistic Operations Manager Donna Parkes, who runs the orchestra’s youth programs, says the regular Explore the Orchestra sessions, which take in a different family of instruments each time, are an important musical entry point for youngsters.

“The CSO is unique among Australian orchestras in that we provide pathways for children as young as eight to pursue their love of music – either as audience members or performers,” Donna, an internationally recognised trombonist, says.

“A natural next step from our Explore the Orchestra sessions for children who show aptitude and passion is our Kingsland Pathways program, which supports musicians aged eight to 19 through youth ensembles including the Canberra Symphony Youth Chamber Orchestra, Kingsland Strings and Kingsland Brass.

“Youngsters of all backgrounds and circumstances can join the Kingsland program. We have kids from private schools, public schools and homeschooling, as well as students whose families face financial difficulty, who can access scholarships.

“Music has well-documented benefits for health and wellbeing. It’s also something you can enjoy as a family over many generations. As a school holiday activity, Explore the Orchestra offers so many benefits – and it’s going to be a huge amount of fun.”

Photography: Martin Ollman