Ariel Quartet Outreach at Lamar Elementary School on November 11, 2019

Kudos to SACMS board member, Paul Giolma, for having us invited to present an educational outreach for very young listeners at Lamar Elementary.  Lamar is situated on one of the streets that defines the border of Mahncke Park just off Broadway.  We were greeted at the entrance by a magnificent and huge oak tree estimated to be 150 years old.  As we made our way to the gymnasium, we passed by many more equally beautiful and old oak trees in the courtyard.  The gym, open, airy, and decorated in bright colors, was our concert hall for the two concerts.  The students sat happily on the floor and squeezed up close to be near the quartet members.   A wide age range attended – for the first concert, second and third graders, and for the second, fourth through sixth graders.

The musicians began by speaking in their native languages – Sasha Kazovsky in Russian; Amit Even-Tov in Hebrew; and Jan Grüning in German.  Of course, almost no one could understand what they were saying.  So then the concept of music as universal language was introduced.  Violinist Gershon Gerchikov explained the difference between the instruments that comprise a string quartet.  The group played movements from a Haydn Quartet and a Beethoven Quartet demonstrating moods ranging from happy to sad and from introverted to extroverted.

If you would like to support the Outreach events of the SACMS, please consider donating to the Mandel Trust for Education.

Submitted by Allyson Dawkins