POPS-Pops is for the kids, too

Mackenzie Wagamon, Sophia Mitchell, and Sarah Hallett enjoy their bracelets at the "Pops At The Post." photo by Wayne Hinshaw, Salisbury Post

Christopher Derrick helps himself to a bottle of free water from Food Lion at the "Pops At The Post" concert. photo by Wayne Hinshaw, Salisbury Post

By Susan Shinn

For The Salisbury Post

It's a fact: Children of all ages enjoy the Pops at the Post concert.

Music, she says, instills a sense of childlike wonder and joy — especially in younger concert-goers.

"It's amazing how open children are," says Linda Jones, executive director for the Salisbury Symphony Orchestra. "If you introduce them to music and the arts, they're just going to soak up everything."

The concert is a way for the symphony to expand its audience.

Jones remembers a picture from one of the first Pops concerts. A couple from Rockwell had come to enjoy the event, from the comfort of their pickup truck. They were casually dressed, along with the rest of the crowd.

"To me, that picture said everything," Jones says.

Jones uses other venues to share information about the symphony.

One way is through the Musical Petting Zoo, a tent that's set up at the Nights Out downtown, Autumn Jubilee, La Fiesta and other community events.

Jones often brings a flute, violin and horn at which children can try their hand.

"Saying they're enraptured is probably a bit over the top," Jones admits. "But they are amazed when they play a violin or a horn."

She says that such an experience just might lead to music lessons.

"Whether they play a musical instrument or listen to it, it doesn't matter," Jones says. "It's going to open a door."

The Pops does the same thing, she notes.

"You're outdoors, which is a big plus," Jones says. "Children are not confined to a seat. When the concert begins, they settle down and they listen."

When the fifth-grade honors chorus recently performed with the symphony, Jones says that many people commented on how attentive the children were as the symphony played the final piece.

"They were enchanted," Jones says. "It was fascinating for them."

Sometimes in a large concert hall, Jones says, the music seems so far away to children.

At the Pops, there's much less of a barrier, and the musicians are casually dressed, too.

"The community aspect of Pops at the Post is phenomenal," she says.

In June and July, Jones knows to expect calls from Pops concert-goers who want to hear more from the symphony.

Nowadays, she says, "a symphony ticket is a real commitment. Pops at the Post is like a trial experience for many people."

Another way that children can experience classical music is through the symphony's summer strings program, set this year for June 21-25 at Isenberg Elementary School.

For more information about the symphony and its programs, call Linda Jones at 704-637-4314 or visit www.salisburysymphony. org.