CARNEGIE HALL’S LINK UP PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS IN GRADES 3–5 SURPASSES 100 ORCHESTRA PARTNERS WORLDWIDE

For 33 seasons, the Link Up music education program has facilitated deeper connections between orchestras and schools in their communities through its classroom curriculum for students in grades 3–5. The program gives participants the opportunity to join the orchestra by teaching them to sing and play an instrument in the classroom. In culminating concerts, students perform with a professional orchestra from their seats, often marking the first time many students set foot in a concert hall.

“We are thrilled that Link Up, our long-running music education program, originally created for third through fifth graders throughout New York City, has reached so many communities around the country and worldwide” said Sarah Johnson, Chief Education Officer and Director of the Weill Music Institute. “By working in collaboration with an incredible network of organizations, educators, and arts leaders nationally and around the world we have seen an exponential increase in Link Up’s impact as these meaningful partnerships provide resources, support and, of course, great music to hundreds of thousands of young people.”

The Link Up programs are comprised of four distinctive, year-long classroom curricula: The Orchestra Moves (exploring movement within music), The Orchestra Sings (exploring melody), The Orchestra Rocks (exploring rhythm), and The Orchestra Swings (exploring the intersection of classical music and jazz). Partner organizations can use the program materials—including teacher and student guides, concert scripts, and concert visuals—in their own communities, free of charge, to engage local students and teachers in musical learning and exploration. Additional resources include interactive webinars, a digital curriculum with sheet music, lesson plans, video and audio tracks available through the Carnegie Hall website, and continuous support from Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute.

“Our teachers love the Link Up program,” said St. Louis Symphony’s Director of Education Jessica Ingraham. “They tell us that the students love that they get to be a part of the music making process! This is the model that we want for all of our education concerts. It engages the teachers in the process and it excites the students in a way that has not happened before.” The St. Louis Symphony has been a Link Up partner since 2004.

During the 2017–2018 season, New York City students will participate in The Orchestra Sings as they explore melody through orchestral repertoire, including Dvorák’s “New World” Symphony, Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy,” and Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite. Nearly 15,000 New York City-area students and teachers will travel to Carnegie Hall in May 2018 for six culminating concerts performed by the Orchestra of St. Luke’s.

Inspiring the next generation of music lovers, the Weill Music Institute’s national education programs are the perfect opportunity for students and teachers to build a deeper understanding of music’s importance to the culture of local communities and the world. In addition to the more than 400,000 students and teachers in grades 3–5 worldwide who participate in Link Up, students in grades K–2 also learn about different cultures through Musical Explorers, and PlayUSA supports programs across the country that are expanding access to high-quality instrumental music instruction for low-income and underserved students. Professional development for music teachers is also available locally and nationally through the Music Educators Workshop.

2017–2018 Link Up Partners

For more information about Link Up, including access to educational materials and an interactive map of Link Up partners, please click here.

About Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute
Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute (WMI) creates visionary programs that embody Carnegie Hall’s commitment to music education, playing a central role in fulfilling the Hall’s mission of making great music accessible to as many people as possible. With unparalleled access to the world’s greatest artists, WMI’s programs are designed to inspire audiences of all ages, nurture tomorrow’s musical talent, and harness the power of music to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. An integral part of Carnegie Hall’s concert season, these programs facilitate creative expression, develop musical skills and capacities at all levels, and encourage participants to make lifelong personal connections to music. The Weill Music Institute generates new knowledge through original research and is committed to giving back to its community and the field, sharing an extensive range of online music education resources and program materials for free with teachers, orchestras, arts organizations, and music lovers worldwide. More than half a million people each year engage in WMI’s programs through national and international partnerships, in New York City schools and community settings, and at Carnegie Hall. This includes 400,000 students and teachers worldwide who participate in WMI’s Link Up music education program for students in grades 3 through 5, made possible through partnerships with over 100 orchestras in the US, Canada, Japan, Kenya, and Spain.

For more information, please visit: carnegiehall.org/Education

Lead support for Link Up is provided by Fund II Foundation.

Additional funding for Link Up is provided by The Ambrose Monell Foundation, JJR Foundation, The Barker Welfare Foundation, and Joan and Sanford I. Weill and the Weill Family Foundation.

Link Up in New York City schools is made possible, in part, by an endowment gift from The Irene Diamond Fund.

Image at top of release by Chris Lee.