An Education in the Classics

Area Students Enjoy Klassical Kids! Program at the Ramsdell

 Manistee, MI, February 7, 2020 – On Thursday, February 6, the Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts welcomed more than 200 Manistee County students for a special introduction to the power and beauty of classical music.

Students from Manistee Area Public Schools, Onekama Consolidated, Kaleva Norman Dickson, and Bear Lake School participated in a program called “Klassical Kids!,” an educational classical music concert for students, presented by Shoreline Music Society through an ongoing partnership with the Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts.

“I’m excited that through our collaborative efforts, we’ve been able to extend our reach to youth,” says Xavier Verna, Executive Director of the Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts.

A fundamental part of Shoreline Music Society’s mission is to bring the classical music art form to children. Led by Maestro Nordling, the professional orchestra performed selected works to highlight the particular qualities of an instrument and the player’s individual artistry.

Shoreline’s Maestro Nordling involved the students in the performance with an informational dialogue, historical information and context about the time periods when the music was written, and biographical data on the composers.  Students were involved via a question-and-answer session with Mr. Nordling and the players.

Onekama Elementary fifth grade student Dylan Kovalcik was invited on stage to perform with the orchestra during the program. Commented Kovalcik, “It was exciting because I’ve never been in front of that many people to perform before. I was happy and proud to be part of the orchestra and amuse the crowd!”

Shoreline’s Executive Director Matt Thomas noted, “We are grateful for the generous support of the Manistee County Community Foundation Limitless Fund and our ongoing artistic partnership with the RRCA. We hope this will be the first of many such events to benefit Manistee’s students.”

The Klassical Kids program was made possible in part by a grant to the Shoreline Music Society from the Limitless Fund, the Spirit of Giving Fund, the Doug Schlaff Youth Fund, and the John D. and Michele M. Bueker music fund of the Manistee County Community Foundation.