Nashville Symphony Launches New “Music in My Neighborhood” Community Initiative
Weeklong community engagement initiative to take place September 20 through 24 in Nashville’s Edgehill neighborhood
Nashville, Tenn. (August 23, 2022) – Nashville Symphony is excited to announce the premiere of its latest community outreach initiative, “Music in My Neighborhood.” The weeklong initiative brings free ensemble performances, educational programs, and unique collaborations to a neighborhood in Nashville. For its first year, “Music in My Neighborhood” takes place September 20 through 24 in Edgehill, where the Symphony will partner with local organizations to highlight Edgehill’s history, culture, and residents.
“We are excited to launch this program in Edgehill, where there is such a rich history of music and community building,” Nashville Symphony VP of Education and Community Engagement Kimberly McLemore said. “Working with local leaders, artists and organizations has been a vital part of this process. Our goal is to highlight the amazing things already happening in the neighborhood, and we welcome everyone to join us in celebrating Edgehill.”
Activities include ensembles and sectionals in schools; after school clinics in community centers and local nonprofits; chamber music performances with Nashville Symphony musicians; and a full Orchestra performance. The week of events culminates with “Music in My Neighborhood: Community Celebration,” a Saturday afternoon gathering from 12:00 to 4:00 PM featuring a brass ensemble performance; a drum circle with Nashville Symphony musicians and Salama Urban Ministries; an instrument petting zoo and instrument demos; local nonprofits and artists; tours of the community garden; food trucks; and more.
The Symphony strives to serve the city of Nashville by working with the community to make music for the community. Community partners for the Edgehill iteration of this initiative include Carter Lawrence Elementary, Edgehill Community Memorial Garden, Edgehill Public Library, Edgehill Neighborhood Partnership, Edgehill United Methodist, Easley Community Center, Metro Nashville Public Schools, Montgomery Bell Academy, O.N.E. Edgehill Neighborhood Group, Progressive Baptist Church, Rose Park Middle School, Salama Urban Ministries, Scarritt Bennett Center, Southern Stars Montessori, University School of Nashville, Vanderbilt Acorn Schools and Watson Grove Baptist Church.
All public shows are denoted in the schedule of events below. Tickets are not required for public events, and entry is granted on a first come, first served basis. Doors open 30 minutes prior to each performance.
Schedule of Events
* Public Event
+ Private Event
Tuesday 9/20
10:00 AM – Dress Rehearsal and Conductor Q&A, Montgomery Bell Academy +
1:30 PM – Education Ensemble, Carter Lawrence Elementary +
4:00 PM – Story Time Ensemble, Edgehill Library *
7:00 PM – Chamber Music Performance, Scarritt Bennett Center (Open to the Public) *
Wednesday 9/21
8:00 AM – Musician Career Talk, Rose Park Middle School +
10:00 AM – Dress Rehearsal and Conductor Q&A, Montgomery Bell Academy +
2:00 PM – Education Ensemble: Brass, USN Lower School +
3:30 PM – Story Time Ensemble, Acorn School 18th Avenue +
4:00 PM – Education Ensemble: Strings, Salama Urban Ministries +
7:00 PM – Chamber Ensemble Performance, The Grove Church *
Thursday 9/22
9:30 AM – Story Time Ensemble, Acorn School, 19th Ave +
11:00 AM – Musician Career Talk, Carter Lawrence Elementary +
10:55 AM – Sectionals, University School of Nashville +
3:30 PM – Education Ensemble: Brass, Acorn School, Edgehill Ave +
4:00 PM – Drum Circle, Salama Urban Ministries +
4:00 PM – Education Ensemble: Strings, Edgehill Public Library *
7:00 PM – Full Orchestra Community Concert, Rose Park Middle School *
Friday 9/23
10:00 AM – Story Time Ensemble, Southern Stars Montessori +
10:00 AM – Musician Demos and Career Talks, University School of Nashville +
4:00 PM – Drum Circle, Salama Urban Ministries +
6:30 PM – Solo Recital Performance, Edgehill United Methodist *
Saturday 9/24
12:00 – 4:00 PM – Music in My Neighborhood: Community Celebration, Edgehill Memorial Community Garden *
Program Details
9/20 Chamber Music Performance Program
Voodoo Dolls by Jessie Montgomery
Swing Low by Florence Price
Strum by Jessie Montgomery
String Quartet 5 “Rosa Parks” by Daniel Bernard Roumain
Ellington Fantasy “Take the A Train” by Paul Chihara
9/21 Chamber Ensemble Performance Program
String Sextet, Op. 18, Movements I & II by Johannes Brahms
9/22 Full Orchestra Community Concert Program
Nathan Aspinall, conductor
Umoja: Anthem for Unity by Valerie Coleman
Suite from Ma mère l’oye (“Mother Goose”) by Ravel
Symphony No. 7 by Beethoven
9/23 Solo Recital Performance Program
Choral Arts Link, MET Singers
TBD solo and chamber works curated by Nashville Symphony musicians
Story Time Ensemble Program
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star (with variations based on Mozart)
Fables from Aesop by Howard J. Buss
The Astronomer
The Crow and the Pitcher
The Camel Who Wanted Horns
Mill Songs by Dan Welcher
Wandering
The Hunter
Swallowtail Jig – Traditional
Education Ensemble: Strings Program
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, first movement by Bach
String Quartet in C Major No. 13, first movement by Mozart
Salut d’ amor by Edward Elgar
“Shortening Bread” by Florence Price
“Mishima” from String Quartet No. 3 by Philip Glass
The GRAMMY® Award-winning Nashville Symphony has earned an international reputation for its innovative programming and its commitment to performing, recording, and commissioning works by America’s leading composers. With more than 140 performances annually, the orchestra offers a broad range of classical, pops and jazz, and children’s concerts, along with an extensive selection of education and community engagement programs. The Nashville Symphony has released 40 internationally distributed recordings on Naxos, which have received 27 GRAMMY® nominations and 14 GRAMMY® Awards, making it one of the most active recording orchestras in the country. The orchestra has also released recordings on Decca, Deutsche Grammophon and New West Records.
In addition to support from Metro Arts and Tennessee Arts Commission, Nashville Symphony is being supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number SLFRP5534 awarded to the State of Tennessee by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Nashville Symphony is also supported in part by an American Rescue Plan Act grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to support general operating expenses in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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