A Recap of Akropolis Reed Quintet Educator Residency
Fischoff’s 2015 Educator Award winner, the Akropolis Reed Quintet, performed brilliantly throughout the Northern Indiana community in a series of educational outreach programs. We are grateful to each member for their perfessionalism shown at each of the ten performances. More than 2,600 children, youth and adults were inspired by their musical performances and unbridled enthusiasm for chamber music.
In the words of Akropolis Reed Quintet:
As winner of the 2015 Fischoff Educator Award, we were given an opportunity to share our music through games, masterclasses, and even a children’s story with students of all ages in South Bend, Indiana from March 23-26. The Fischoff organization is based out of Notre Dame University, and our relationship with Fischoff is now almost 5 years old.
We gave 5 elementary school presentations, 5 middle school clinics, and one riot of an orchestra clinic for the Notre Dame Symphony Orchestra. The above video is a short excerpt from our theatrical rendition of “The Best Story,” a children’s book which every student we visited had read in class prior to our visit. The story presentation was part of Fischoff’s S.A.M I Am (Stories and Music) program, a flagship for a Fischoff education residency.
We truly enjoyed getting in character for each S.A.M. I Am rendition of “The Best Story.” Matt was “dad,” donning a tie, baseball cap, and a pipe! Tim was a crazed monkey at the wheel of a school bus, Andrew played a mean (figuratively and literally) pirate, and best of all, Ryan got to dress as Aunt Jane (sun hat and shall included).
At our middle school clinics we introduced students to chamber music, and we even allowed them to help us makeour music better through a new interactive activity in which they dissected and reorganized our music, leading them to think more critically in their own music making.
Matt’s background in teaching combined with Akropolis’ diverse set of personalities and skills makes education a natural fit for Akropolis. We love it, and we’re grateful to Fischoff for the 2015 Educator Award and for a gratifying week in South Bend.
