Music in the Schools is Breckenridge Music Festival’s arts education outreach program for the children and youth living in Summit and neighboring counties. It is a critical part of our mission and an important service to the community. Arts education teaches creative, innovative thinking and collaborative skills, as well as measurably increasing academic success, and positively impacting careers. According to a report by the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, studies show that low-income kids who participate in arts education are 4 more times likely to have high academic achievement and 3 times more likely to have high attendance than those who don’t, and that arts-engaged low-income students in their adult years are more likely than their non-arts-engaged peers to have attended and done well in college, build careers, volunteer in their communities and participate in the political process by voting.

Now in its 16th year, Music in the Schools was started by the Breckenridge Music Festival in 1995 in Summit County. In 2002 the program was expanded to bring arts education opportunities to Lake and Park County. Each year, the program reaches between 2,500 and 4,000 students.

Music in the Schools co-coordinators Mary Jane Wurster and Janis Bunchman work closely with music teachers and school administrators to tailor the program to fit the needs and interests of each school. Suggestions and specific requests from participating schools lead to performances and teaching workshops chosen in collaboration with arts education organizations including Think 360: Arts Complete Education, Central City Opera and Opera Colorado. Music students learn directly from the performers visiting Summit County for Breckenridge Music Festival’s Winter Series Concerts through in-school workshops for area choral, instrumental, vocal and jazz programs.

Winter Series concert artists visiting the schools in 2011-2012 will include vocalists Keith Miller and Kara Guggenmos, pianist Debra Ayers, summer Festival Orchestra artists Nathan Olson, Meghan Jones, Matthew Carrington and Kathryn Hatmaker and Philadelphia Orchestra Principal Harpist Elizabeth Hainen.

Also planned for the 2011-2012 school year:
*David Taylor Dance Theatre “A Rainforest Odyssey” – a magical, multi-media journey through different levels of life of a tropical rain forest through dance, costumes and music
*”Dances of Mexico” Jeanette Trujillo-Lucero, Fiesta Colorado – an interactive exploration of the diverse cultural richness of Spain, Mexico, and Central America through songs, music and dance
*The Junior Symphony Guild’s “Inside the Orchestra” educational program, bringing orchestra music to young children through an engaging first-hand experience with an orchestra
*Central City Opera “En Mis Palabras” school-wide assembly performance
*Central City Opera “Build an Opera”- residency program involving students in the instrumental, vocal music, drama and theatre tech classes
*Opera Colorado performance “Carmen”

Schools participating in Breckenridge Music Festival’s 2011-2012 Music in the Schools programs: Summit Middle and High schools – Lake County Middle and High schools – Silverheels Middle School – South Park High School – Silverthorne Elementary – Frisco Elementary – Breckenridge Elementary – Upper Blue Elementary – Summit Cove Elementary – Dillon Valley Elementary – Pitts Elementary and Westpark Elementary (Lake County-Leadville) – Edith Teter Elementary (Park County-Fairplay)