Download or read book The Preparation for the Repertoire, and the Follow Up of Symphony Orchestra Concerts for Students in Eighteen Cities of the United States from 1959-1964 written by Rosemary Parks and published by . This book was released on 1965 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This thesis is a study of student concerts by professional symphony orchestras; the preparation for the concerts in selected cities of the United States; the listing of all available selections presented in thirteen cities from 1959-64; and the follow-up practices in the selected cities. Information concerning the need for symphonic concerts was gained by interviews with parents and teachers and review of concert music in two schools in Kansas City, Missouri. Information concerning concert practices was obtained through questionnaires sent to thirty supervisors of music, with eighteen respondees. Information concerning concert repertoire was found in manuals containing procedures and program notes. The study of pre-concert preparation showed that 1) the program notes are adequate, 2) grade school students have more preparation for the concerts than secondary students, 3) preparation of high school students is very limited, except for those pupils in music classes. A study of follow-up procedures showed that when it is left to the individual teachers, very little is done to keep the concert music alive. Repetition of the concerts on school-owned radios assures the rehearing of the music in three cities. One city has a request program each year. The concert charge to students was found to be nominal in all cases, since school concerts are presented as a service, not as a source of income. From this study it is obvious that the actual cost of the concerts and the time invested by the orchestra is in no way equaled by the preparation and follow-up procedures. It was found that opportunities to attend the live concert most often begin with the fourth grade. High school students have less opportunity to attend concerts than elementary or junior high students. The percentage of attendance from any given student body varies, depending upon the financial resources of the orchestra and the cooperation of administrators in releasing students from classes. Certain developments are being accepted to an increasing degree, such as 1) concerts in high school buildings, 2) season tickets, 3) audience singing, 4) all-city student orchestra performances with the symphony orchestra. Individual practices of merit were also reported, such as 1) a display of paintings related to the concert music, 2) an annual request program, 3) a free presentation of the concert for parents in the evening, 4) aid in the preparation by volunteers from the Junior League and the Symphony Women's Committee, and 5) a yearly music memory contest. Interesting and well-planned programs are presented in all cities. With few exceptions, they are suitable for the age group that hears them. The live concerts are unanimously considered whorthwhile by school music supervisors.