Students to get symphony experience

DOWNEY -- Fifth-grade students from every elementary school in the city will enjoy a field trip on March 25 to the Civic Theatre to hear a concert by the Downey Symphony Orchestra.Music Director Sharon Lavery has selected works by Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and Mussorgsky, along with themes from the film "Pirates of the Caribbean," to familiarize the students with accessible classical music and to demonstrate how vivid and exciting a live orchestral performance feels. Three consecutive performances are required during the Wednesday morning to accommodate some 1,600 school kids in the theater. Such an event costs $17,000, and the Symphony Board is grateful to the Downey Kiwanis Foundation for their full and continuing support of this vital aspect of the Music in the School program. Logistics are handled by Downey Unified's Director of Elementary Education, Denise Takano, and her invaluable aide, Ana Thorne. ********** Published: March 20, 2009 - Volume 7 - Issue 48