TUNES & TALES

TUNES

& taLEs BY KATIE BROWN, VIOLA MSO Musician Fellowship Program . The Ellen Cooper Klyce & Martha Milford Boyd Fellowship

WHAT DAY DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE THE END OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON?

For some, it may be the first of the year; that after a long haul from Thanksgiving to Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa, there is finally time for a breather. For others however, particularly those in Spanish-speaking nations, the holiday season wraps up with El Dia de los Reyes, or Three Kings Day on January 6th. If you would like to learn more, why not begin with Abuela Tomasa reading the children’s book Celebrate Christmas and Three King’s Day with Pablo y Carlitos accompanied by the Memphis Symphony Orchestra?

In 2010 Monica Sanchez co-founded Cazateatro Bilingual Theater Group (Cazateatro). The theater group produces plays in both English and Spanish, and creates an environment conducive for learning. “People who just came here [to Memphis] can have a chance to learn English. The actors learn English and Spanish lines, even if they don’t speak the language.”

The onset of the pandemic temporarily closed the doors for

a lot of performing arts organizations. Dressed as Abeula Tomasa, your sweet and caring grandmother, Sanchez began reading books to children online. The books share different aspects of Latino culture and highlight the events and celebrations of the season. Abuela Tomasa took her weekly storytelling in-person in collaboration with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and their “Tune and Tales” series as part of the Christmas Fiesta on Saturday December 18th at the Dixon Gallery and Gardens.

THE MSO’S TUNES AND TALES SERIES MAKES READING COME TO LIFE WITH THE ENHANCEMENT OF LIVE MUSIC.

In addition to promoting reading comprehension, “Tunes and Tales” also helps to introduce young listeners to the instruments of the orchestra. After the performance, children engage with MSO musicians and are led through interactive activities and crafts to reflect on what they heard and saw.

Sanchez chose Celebrate Christmas and Three King’s Day with Pablo y Carlitos, by Alma Flor Ada and Isabel Campoy, about the celebration of Three Kings Day through the eyes of Carlitos, a young boy who is learning about the holiday.

Abuela Tomasa, assisted by her friend Gingerbread, was well received by an audience of all ages. The children, some dressed in their pajamas, crowded to the front of the audience to get a better view while the adults reveled in the beauty of the story, music, and memories from their childhood. Eliana Acevedo, a bilingual mentor with Newcomer International Center said, “…the performance was spectacular; it touched my heart. I feel overwhelmed because I felt connected with my childhood.”

Sanchez adopts a global perspective in the hopes of encouraging harmony among patrons and the Memphis community. “As community leaders we have the duty to educate…we have more things that can unite us than separate us [and] that is the hope, to find the things that unite us.”

Two of the MSO performers were Katie Brown and Estefan Perez, members of the inaugural class of the MSO’s Musician Fellowship Program. Sponsored by the Circle of Friends, the Fellowship Program provides orchestral experience to Black and Latinx string players. The program also includes a tuition-free graduate degree from the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music, performance and community service opportunities, and leadership and mentorship training.

YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT TUNES AND TALES, THE MUSICIAN FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM, AND UPCOMING PERFORMANCES BY THE MSO AT MEMPHISSYMPHONY.ORG.

KATIE BROWN is a viola player and member of the MSO Musician Fellowship Program where she is The Ellen Cooper Klyce & Martha Milford Boyd Fellow. She started playing viola at the age of 9. Katie aspires to be an orchestral musician and says her choice to join the University of Memphis program allows her the opportunity to reach that goal while earning an Artist Diploma. Katie is also the co-host of a podcast called Classically Black Podcast where she and a friend discuss classical music from the Black perspective.

Monica Sanchezdresses as Abuela Tomasa to read to children as part of the “Tunes and Tales” series.

Memphis Symphony Orchestra members Katie Brown and Estefan Perezperform and introduce young listeners to the instruments of the orchestra.

WHY

MUSIC EDUCATION?

Regardless of socioeconomic status exposure to music at a young age has a profound effect on cognitive, emotional and social development.

Music education prepares the brain for achievement.

Music education fosters superior working memory and cultivates better thinking skills.

Music education improves recall and retention of verbal information. Music education advances math achievement.

Music education boosts reading and English language skills. Music education strengthens perseverance.

Compiled from research conducted by the National Association for Music Education (NAfME).