The Collective Conservatory Launches with ASO Sympatico
Acting as emergency responders, music educators are addressing needs for social connectivity through immersive online music education.
Early Monday morning, students and teachers from the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra’s Sympatico Program logged into Zoom from their homes to make music with their peers. It began with a few minutes of deep breathing and guided meditation by Arianne Urban, focusing and clearing their minds from the stress of isolation and home learning. Soon, they were making beats and exploring body percussion and improvisation together with teaching artists Daniel Trahey and Pete Tashjian, getting entire families involved and raising a delightful ruckus.
This is the beginning of an initiative called The Collective Conservatory, whose namesake denotes it’s mission: collective experiences with music as the vehicle. This is more than moving a curriculum online. It is a custom-curated, immersive experience crafted specifically for online learning.
The curriculum is born out of “Collective Composition,” a technique developed by Daniel Trahey, Founder and Creative Director of the Collective Conservatory. As he puts it: “Collective Composition emphasizes the creation and performance of music as something that all people can access, and offers shared experiences through which individuals, communities, and culture can strengthen and expand. It embraces the fact that we all learn and experience life in unique ways, and uses music to channel those differences into a beautiful shared experience for both participants and audience members alike.”
Access is the key word in this equation, now more than ever, and ASO Sympatico is one of the first programs to take steps in providing their community with this programming. It makes sense, since the program was born out of a commitment to education, the youth of Alexandria, and social justice. It is run as a partnership between the Alexandria Symphony and Alexandria City Public Schools for intensive music education in the spirit of El Sistema, whose motto is “Music for Social Change.” Local teachers are working in tandem with the Collective Conservatory to deliver a one-of-a-kind music immersion for their students.
“What I learned today is how important it is to find peace. I’m going to put in nice music like Ms. Ari played and go sit under a small tree for my meditation.” - 5th Grade Student, John Adams Elementary
ASO Sympatico Students "Shake it Out"
The beginning of a movement
Experienced Teaching Artists, Wellness Advocates, and Volunteer Cultural Ambassadors— ranging from musicians to social activists and authors—are pouring in to meet the demand for a new kind of social connectivity for all generations of musicians. The Collective Conservatory invites all advocates for collective creative work to join the cause as it expands service to community music programs, schools, ensembles, individuals, artist training programs, and more.
For more information, contact Amy Owens at collectiveconservatory@gmail.com
