The San Francisco Symphony has launched what it calls the “next generation” of its free online music education resource, SFSKids.org. Designed for children aged 8 to 13, it’s available to anyone with an internet connection.
Rolling Orange, a website designer in Campbell, California, created the site, which features artwork and animations by Bay Area visual artist Jesse Hernandez.
The SF Symphony’s press release about the new website says, “SFSKids.org is part of the Symphony’s robust lineup of music education and youth programming, including Adventures in Music, Music and Mentors, [the] Music for Families concert series, and kid- and family-friendly programming throughout the season.”
Ron Gallman, the SF Symphony’s director of education programs, says the SFSKids website, which debuted in its original version in 2002, has “enabled us to engage and inspire young students and music enthusiasts all over the world, fueling a passion for music in the next generation.”
Through six interactive modules and a repository of orchestral audio excerpts, the new website lets students explore various components of music-making and introduces a handful of music education concepts. Students can learn about the different sections of the orchestra, famous symphonic composers, and the art of conducting, as well as about instruments from around the world.
The website includes activities designed to foster active listening and to build familiarity with orchestral music, with Hernandez’s “Symph Imp” characters helping guide students through the learning process.
The six interactive modules are titled “The Instrument Families,” “Listening Station,” “Composing,” “Going Global,” “Conducting,” and “Musical Moods.”
SFSKids.org is accessible on desktop and mobile devices and is intended as a resource to support several of the learning targets outlined in standards documents at national, state, and local levels.
Since its launch in 2002, more than 5 million users have logged on to SFSKids.org. The SF Symphony’s education programs are some of the most extensive offered by any American orchestra, engaging students in grades one through 12 throughout the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD).
Through Music and Mentors, the SF Symphony supports public middle and high school band and orchestra programs, collaborating with SFUSD’s music teachers at their respective schools by providing hands-on instruction and mentorship to adolescent instrumentalists. The program also offers instrument repairs, purchases, and supplies.
Students in the program as well as their families receive complimentary tickets to SF Symphony and SFS Youth Orchestra concerts, open rehearsals, and popular cultural celebrations, including the orchestra’s annual Día de los Muertos and Lunar New Year concerts.
