WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (March 7, 2018) –In celebration of the 2018 Music in our Schools Month theme, Music Connects Us, the Winston-Salem Symphony is taking on the Recorder Challenge to benefit the nonprofit organization Recorders Without Borders—and is encouraging its patrons, musicians, partner organizations, and local schools to do the same.
The Recorder Challenge is much like the Ice Bucket Challenge in that a person or group of people are challenged to video themselves playing a recorder piece, commit to donating their (or a) recorder to the Recorders Without Borders program, and then challenge someone else to do the same. Schools and organizations are encouraged to collect recorders throughout March, which will be then be picked up by a Winston-Salem Symphony representative at the end of the month.
“We’re extremely excited to be partnering with Recorders Without Borders this year for our Music in our Schools Month challenge,” said Jessica Munch Dittmar, Winston-Salem Symphony Education and Community Engagement Director. “Every March, we celebrate the impact of music education in the developmental lives of our children. Having the opportunity to partner with an organization that shares the joy of music with children in developing countries, and help children in our community learn how they can pass on the love of music to others throughout the world is a meaningful experience.”
Once supporters have created a short video (it does not need to be fancy—a 30 second mobile phone video is fine), it should be uploaded to various social media sites, tagging someone else to join the challenge. A brief synopsis about the Winston-Salem Symphony Recorder Challenge should be included with the video. Those that use the Hashtag #WSSRecorderChallenge will have a chance to be featured on the Winston-Salem Symphony Facebook page and get a special gift from the Symphony.
The 100 participants will receive a Recorders Without Borders t-shirt and wrist band. The next 600 participants will also receive a wrist band for participating in the challenge.
For more details on the Recorder Challenge, please visit wssymphony.org/recorder.
Based in Austin, Texas, Recorders Without Borders is an nonprofit organization that collects unwanted recorders from schools, organizations, and individuals to share with children in developing countries. They do this by sponsoring experienced music teachers who travel abroad and establish sustainable
music programs, delivering recorders and training local teachers. An active and vibrant program is currently running in Kenya. Recorders Without Borders has also sent instruments to the following countries in Africa, the Caribbean, and Central America: Nicaragua, Haiti, Uganda, El Salvador, Tanzania. To learn more about Recorders Without Borders please visit: recorderswithoutborders.org
About the Winston-Salem Symphony
The Winston-Salem Symphony, one of the Southeast’s most highly regarded regional orchestras, began its 71st season, which is Music Director Robert Moody’s Farewell Season, in September 2017. Under the baton of Maestro Moody, the season includes the Classics and Kicked-Back Classics series, Plugged-In Pops series, Discovery Concerts for Kids, annual performances of Handel’s Messiah, a concert featuring Winston-Salem Symphony and Youth Symphony musicians, holiday concerts, three youth orchestra ensembles, and a multitude of educational and community engagement programs. The Symphony is supported by Season Presenting Sponsors BB&T and Bell, Davis & Pitt, P.A., as well as generous funding from the Arts Council of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County, the North Carolina Arts Council, and other dedicated sponsors. For more information, visit WSsymphony.org.
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