NC Symphony kicks off its multiyear residency at Wilson County Schools with a concert

What is sound?

“We have lots of great music to play for you today by composers from all across the world, including right here in North Carolina,” said Joe Peters, associate principal of the oboe and English horn for the North Carolina Symphony (NCS). 

Today, he is a conductor standing not in a concert hall, but on stage in the Fike High School auditorium. Behind him are professional musicians. Brass, woodwind, string, and percussion players are on the cusp of performing.

He turned to his attentive audience of Wilson County Schools (WCS) students and asked before the music began, “I have a question for you — what is sound?”

Fifth graders from around the district started yelling out answers. From the crowd, Peters repeated their answers, and then he said, with pauses in between each word, “Sound is vibration.”

Peters continued, “Every sound you hear is something vibrating, and those vibrations travel through the air.” He said we pick up vibrations with our ears, and then our brains tell us what we are hearing. That’s how we know the difference between the meow of a cat, the start of a car, or the music of the NCS. Soon after, Peters tapped his conductor’s baton, and the music erupted.

This concert was more than just a celebration of sound. For most of these students, it was an introduction to the NCS and the kick-off event for the orchestra’s multiyear music residency in Wilson County.

NCS music residency offerings

What does it mean to have an NCS multiyear music residency? Over time, the NCS brings a myriad of musical experiences to a community with programs that engage students, help teachers, and educate and entertain residents outside the school.

The residency brings programs like the Great Music Discovery, which combines music and literacy for preschoolers and their families. NCS musicians head to local libraries, museums, or community centers to read some of their favorite books and show our earliest learners how sound and story align. Kids also get to hold and play instruments.

In the school district, elementary students learn about the fundamentals of music with Ensembles in the Schools. This particular concert exposed the fifth graders at WCS to terms like tempo, composition, and dynamics while listening live to the NCS. The musicians even performed a piece by North Carolinian composer Anthony Kelley.

From Henderson, N.C. to the N.C. Symphony

The conductor also asked for help from Rock Ridge Elementary students who performed during the concert with their glockenspiels.

For high school and middle school students, musician workshops are offered. Educators are provided with resources and lessons on things such as rhythm, texture, melody, and more. WCS teachers were offered resources for the education concert like a student book, teacher book, and a concert repertoire.

According to the NCS press release about the multiyear residency, “NCS music residencies are designed to deepen lifelong skills and foster a sense of community through high-quality live orchestral music performances and music education experiences.”

Jana Winders is this year’s NC Symphony recipient of the Maxine Swalin Award for Outstanding Music Educator and has been working in WCS for 24 years.

“This residency is an amazing opportunity for our students and our community. Living in a rural area, our students don’t always have access to experiences like this, and the chance to connect with the NC Symphony over multiple years is truly special,” said Winders. “I believe this partnership will spark curiosity, build confidence, and show our students what is possible through music and the arts.”