The Little Orchestra Society's™ in-school music composition
residency program, Musical Connections: The School
Partnership Program™ , provides music education and
concert experiences for students in Grades K-3 in New York
City public schools. The program introduces live performance
to underserved communities and encourages hands-on,
interactive and in-depth engagement for each participating
student. The over-arching goal is for students to understand
first-hand the processes connected to making and listening
to music, with the belief that composing is both a
fundamental way to understand music and the most tangible
way to demonstrate that understanding. At the end of each
residency, the partner schools hold school-day celebrations
for family and friends which emphasize the students' musical
growth and showcase their collaborative class compositions.
In-class learning is reinforced through attendance at weekday
dress rehearsals of Lolli-Pops™ and Happy Concerts for
Young People concerts. Free tickets to weekend
performances are also offered to student and their families to
encourage them to experience live concerts together.

The Little Orchestra Society’s™ programs are
supported, in part by public funds from the
New York City Department of Cultural Affairs
in partnership with the City Council. Additional
funds come from the New York State Council on
the Arts, a state agency.

The 2012-2013 Musical Connections: The School Partnership Program™ schools are:

• PS 46M, East Harlem, Manhattan
• PS 178M, Inwood, Manhattan
• PS 122Q, Astoria, Queens
• PS 24X, Riverdale, Bronx
• PS 397K, Crown Heights, Brooklyn

Now my students understand that it takes lots of practice to play an instrument. My students learned to describe the rhythm, melody, tone and feeling of the piece. They learned to write a musical piece. They can identify all the musical instruments.
– Classroom teacher