Feature Article: Innovative Music Programs Enrich the Community

Over the 2023-24 season, the Bozeman Symphony saw impressive growth in its education and community engagement programs, reaching more than 9,320 people at 47 free concerts and events. This significant increase, up from 3,168 people served the previous season, is attributed to new projects, the efforts of Maestro Norman Huynh, now in his fifth season with the Symphony, and Education and Community Engagement Coordinator Cierra Wallace, who started her position in 2023.

Huynh has been a driving force behind the Symphony’s efforts to bring music to the community, believing that access to live, high-quality music should not be limited. With Huynh and Wallace working in tandem, the Symphony has forged valuable partnerships to expand its reach and provide innovative programming to residents in the greater Yellowstone region.

One of the standout programs introduced last season is Symphony Storytime, where live music accompaniment is provided to a story read by a special guest. This inaugural program attracted a diverse audience of youngsters and caregivers to 15 engagements, including six bilingual experiences, featuring a variety of orchestral instruments to promote a love of music, literacy, and discovery. Partnerships with the Bozeman Public Library, Montana Shakespeare in the Parks (MSIP), and the Human Resource Development Council (HDRC) have been crucial to the program’s success.

The Bozeman Public Library provides space for the event and staff coordinate activities tied to the books presented for the youngsters.

“The Bozeman Public Library connects people with stories, art, science, and information to help better understand ourselves, each other, and the world around us,” said Youth Services Department Head Ellie Newell. “We are grateful to partner with the Bozeman Symphony for the Symphony Storytime series, introducing young children and their grown-ups to musicians in our community. There is a magical feeling in the air as over a hundred people pack into the library community room, delighted as the sounds of a cello or oboe or drum mingle with the words of a story.”

At many Storytimes, an MSIP actor serves as the special reader. “The mutual desire to engage our communities with the magic of live performance provides the foundation for wonderful collaborations,” said MSIP Director of Community Access and Engagement Hannah Jacobsma. “MSIP is thrilled to be a part of Symphony Storytime. It is beautiful to see the time and thought the Symphony puts into pairing a story with a particular instrument and then allowing one of our actors to join in the storytelling through spoken word and expression. To see the level of enthusiasm amongst young audiences when multiple art forms are joined together is truly moving.”

Storytime also brings joy and curiosity to Head Start children in Bozeman and Belgrade preschool classrooms through a partnership with HDRC. “The Symphony’s presentations did a wonderful job of integrating literature and music which created engaging, age-appropriate experiences for our children and also included a bilingual Storytime,” said HDRC Early Childhood Director Sandy Stavig. “The musicians and storytellers actively involved the children by encouraging them to participate in the storytelling, ask questions, and express themselves through movement. For many of our students, this was their first exposure to reed instruments, and we know that integrating music into Early Childhood classrooms fosters creativity and supports the emotional development of young children. We were grateful for this partnership with the Bozeman Symphony that brought meaningful opportunities to our children and classrooms in a variety of ways, and we look forward to continuing this collaboration in the upcoming year.”

Collaborations with Bozeman Health, Befrienders, and Random Acts of Silliness further showcase the Symphony’s dedication to engaging with the community through music. In addition to Storytime, the Symphony offers an array of other projects, including a Community Concert that is enjoyed free annually by over 2,000 attendees; Access Concerts, which in partnership with Befrienders, use music to combat isolation and loneliness, especially for seniors and rural residents; and Far Afield, which provides live chamber music performances to rural and underserved communities.

In a Far Afield first, the Symphony joined select productions of MSIP's 2024 summer tour, performing before Hamlet and The Winter's Tale in five towns across Montana.

"To further expand opportunities for our rural communities to engage with free, live performance is very special," said Jacobsma. "It's not every day that residents in a town of 137, like Pony, Montana, get to experience both a professional string quartet and a two-hour, world-class Shakespeare production, outdoors and for free! We are extremely grateful to the Bozeman Symphony for their continued enthusiasm, creativity, and support in this partnership and look forward to exploring more together."

With its new emphasis on education and community engagement, the Symphony has a goal to curate intentional programming for every age group. Each winter, nearly a thousand fourth-grade students from around the Gallatin Valley converge on the Willson Auditorium for the Symphony’s long-standing annual free fourth-grade concert. Students experience a symphony performance (a first for many!) and learn about the different instruments that make up an orchestra. New initiatives in the 202324 season included KinderKonzerts, a school-based program to introduce students in grades K-3 to symphonic music, and Masterclasses at area schools and for university students and lifelong learners at Montana State University.

The Bozeman Symphony is committed to engaging, uniting, and uplifting the human experience in our community. As part of our strategic growth initiatives, we plan to do more than 65 music education and community engagement events in libraries, schools, and healthcare facilities in the 2024-25 season. Additionally, we pledge robust support for our local music educators and students, nurturing an enduring love for music.

As all these programs are offered free, support from individuals, foundations, and corporations is essential to sustain and expand the Symphony’s community engagement efforts. Those interested in becoming involved or sponsoring a program are encouraged to contact Wallace for more information on how to support the Symphony’s vision for music to play an integral part in the daily fabric of life for the people of Montana.