Shulgold: TV, film music snippets connect symphony, kids

Published January 21, 2006 at midnight

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I've made no secret of my fondness for that magical combination of kids and music - and have often voiced my admiration for the individuals and organizations that bring the joy of music to young people.

High on that lengthy list is the Junior Symphony Guild, established in 1958 to introduce children to classical music and to maintain that connection through its support of various educational programs.

Most kids (and their parents) know about JSG through the two tiers of concerts that cleverly plop audiences on a hardwood floor and surround them with musicians. When the guild calls its series Inside the Orchestra, that's not just a figure of speech.

For 20 years, those 50-minute programs have been led by Tom Jensen, who has lost not a drop of his enthusiasm.

"I never get tired of this," he said during a visit to the Rocky Mountain News. "It's different every time - the reaction of the kids, and the grown-ups."

Yet, the formula remains pretty much the same: orchestral snippets, minimal talk and plenty of things for the youthful listeners to do.

"My goal is to connect - that's the whole idea," Jensen said.

And that includes programming music kids can relate to.

"We'll play movie themes, TV themes, cartoon music. These concerts are not just about classical music. Orchestra music is orchestra music," the conductor noted.

A glance at the agenda for this season's Tiny Tots concerts reveals a playful mix of the serious and not-so-serious.

These morning programs, which kick off on Monday in Westminster, are designed for children ages 3-6, and will offer music ranging from The Incredibles, Looney Toons and Polar Express to excerpts by Liszt, Bizet, Tchaikovsky, Suppé, Strauss, Prokofiev, Grieg and even that super-modernist, Stravinsky.

The latter will be represented by the finale from Firebird.

"We'll have kids pretend they're giants," Jensen said of the Stravinsky. "Then, they'll pretend they're running - while they're still seated on the floor - and, as the music slows down, they'll get tired until they have to fall down exhausted."

This sort of active listening keeps the kids involved and helps them connect with the music, he said. It's all part of what he describes as "theater of the mind."

While this sort of game-playing is crucial to the connection Jensen is aiming for, an equally important aspect of these programs is the positioning of players and listeners.

Both Symphony Guild programs - Tiny Tots, and the Inside the Orchestra series that is designed for elementary-school children - place the musicians in a circle around their audience of 450.

"They're engaged that way," the conductor said of the youngsters. "That way they have to listen."

In addition to Tiny Tots (employing 30 musicians) and Inside the Orchestra (14 players), the Junior Symphony Guild also sponsors the M3 program - Music Mentoring for Middle Schools, permitting music students to interact with professional musicians, who provide assistance with instrumental technique.

During its 48 years, the guild has also raised more than $3.5 million to benefit local music organizations and programs in the Denver area.

Though the guild received funds from the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District for a couple of years, the organization now survives mainly on private contributions, most of them coming from the Designer Showcase, held each spring. Concert admission is $4 per child, a fee waived for students in the Head Start program.

"No one is turned away," Jensen said.

The success of the Tiny Tots program is difficult to measure, although the conductor has some clues. "I've had a number of older kids come up and tell me that, because of the program, they started taking music lessons."

The pleasures of playing music are put on display at each Tiny Tots concerts, which feature a young soloist performing a concerto movement.

Jensen is very careful about not losing his audiences, steering clear of technical jargon that might confuse them.

"I never use terms such as 'piece' or 'sonata.' I don't talk about major or minor (keys). I'll just say 'happy' or 'sad.' It's not all chirpy music we do - I'll get into slow and sad, using symphony movements by Beethoven and Mahler."

Pausing to reflect on his two decades leading these programs, Jensen did a little quick math.

"We bring in around 25,000 kids a year," he said. "So, in the past 20 years, I've probably seen a half-million.

"And I'll bet that the parents of some of those who'll be coming to concerts this year once attended a Tiny Tots concert themselves. Now that is scary."

Tiny Tots

Programs begin at 9:30 and 10:30 a.m., run 50 minutes, and are designed for children ages 3-6 (and their parents).

• Monday: Westminster Recreation Center, 10455 Sheridan Blvd., Westminster

• Tuesday-Wednesday: Temple Sinai, 3509 S. Grape St.

• Thursday: Wildlife Experience, 10035 S. Peoria, Parker

• Jan. 31: Newman Center, 2344 E. Iliff Ave.

• Feb. 1: Mile High Church, 9079 Alameda Ave., Lakewood

• Feb. 2-3: Temple Emanuel, 51 Grape St.

• Feb. 6: Boettcher Hall, 14th and Curtis streets

• Information: 303-654-9048, ext. 5451.

Marc Shulgold is the music and dance writer. Shulgoldm@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-892-5296

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