KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Elementary school music class is being turned up a notch.
Thousands of students are getting an extra dose of rhythm thanks to the Kansas City Symphony and the Chiefs Rumble Drumline.
“It was awesome!” said 11-year-old Javier Gonzalez.
“Wow!” said 10-year-old Angel Villarreal.
It’s not every day you hear elementary school students talk about a school related event that way.
“For many of these students it`s their very first experience with the symphony,” said Stephanie Brimhall, the Kansas City Symphony education manager who helped organize Link Up, a national music program.
“It’s been proven that music helps kids do better in school,” Brimhall added.
Students learn about music in this year long program and it ends with a concert where students get a chance to apply what they learned.
“All the other ones we just sit and watch, but this one we get to play,” said 11-year-old Ruben Gonzalez.
“We get to take part in something,” said 11-year-old Gilberto DeLao.
The concert is interactive. Students are playing recorders, singing, dancing and they get a big surprise at the end.
“Being able to perform and see your energy transfer to the kids is a lot more exciting,” said Alexander Vallar, a drummer for the Kansas City Chiefs Rumble Drumline. “There’s a couple Chief chops going on.”
The Chiefs Rumble Drumline made a surprise appearance and performed with the orchestra.
“I think just to spread music wealth in different ways, it can be on the pro level, in the symphony setting, and just being exposed to different types of music is really important for kids,” said Vallar.
“It really made me feel more energized,” said Ruben.
“I thought it was pretty cool when the drumline came out because I really like percussions and I have all my life,” added DeLao.
Over a span of six days, more than 7,000 students will be attending.
“It made me feel inspired to follow my dreams,” said Delao.
For more information on the Kansas City Symphony‘s education series, CLICK HERE, or the Chiefs Rumble Drumline, CLICK HERE.
