For 12 years, a highlight of Ravinia’s Reach Teach Play music education programs has been live performances of Green Golly & Her Golden Flute—a Parents’ Choice Golden Award–winning picture book and recording written and performed by Barbara Siesel and Keith Torgan—for students in the Guest Artists in the Classroom program. It’s an annual favorite of the young children, an engaging introduction to classical music paired with a whimsical reworking of the traditional Rapunzel tale, giving them the opportunity to bond not only with multiple arts at once but also each other in sharing the musical storybook experience.
Ravinia could only provide the performance as a virtual experience this year, but that simply meant that it would be an impactful encounter with music in a different way. Last weekend, students in the Music Discovery Program and Sistema Ravinia orchestras were invited to gather their families to watch Green Golly—complete with the book’s illustrations and Siesel playing the flute while Torgan narrating and acting—together in their own homes.
“We are committed to presenting a well-rounded educational experience to all our students,” said Luciano Pedota, the Associate Director of Reach Teach Play who oversees GAIC and several more “Reach” programs. “By including music opportunities like Green Golly & Her Golden Flute, which combines storytelling and classical music, we know we are bringing joy, excitement, and education to our students.”
Traditionally, 50 Chicagoland schools participate in Reach Teach Play through the Guest Artists in the Classroom program. The lives of over 10,000 children are enriched throughout the school year with many live classical performances like these, featuring renowned ensembles, dancers, and musicians that Ravinia brings to schools in Cook and Lake Counties.