On Monday, January 25th the Ravinia Women’s Board launched a new youth orchestra, called REACH at Hibbard Elementary. "What a wonderful feeling it was to watch as 72 students received their instruments and started to make music for the first time. It was like Christmas with no wrapping paper!" said Caroline Huebner.
The Women’s Board of Ravinia Festival, in conjunction with Ravinia’s professional education staff and the People’s Music School of Chicago, has created a new student orchestra for children 8 to 12 years old at the William G. Hibbard Elementary School in the Albany Park neighborhood of Chicago. The students selected their instruments, which were funded by a grant from Fifth Third Bank, and played them for the first time. WGN News was there to capture the event. You can watch the video here. The program is modeled on the successful “El Sistema” orchestral education plan devised in Venezuela. It is a system of total immersion in music study. The Women’s Board continues a instrument drive, please contact Agatha Hwong at 847-266-5045 or Agatha@ravinia.org.
Photo by Patrick Gipson. Special thanks to Caroline Huebner & Patty McGrath, Co-chairs of the Reach*Teach*Play Task Force.