LANDIS — The Landis site of the Salisbury Symphony’s After-School Strings program recently presented its spring concert at Landis Elementary School.
The program started with the newest addition to the After-School String program, a Suzuki class for students ages 5 through 7.
This class, which started in October, has progressed from playing songs on open strings while the teacher, Faith Alessio, played the melody to playing a melody with eight different notes.
They have moved from “Pre-Twinkler” status to “Twinkler” level, meaning they can now play “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.”
Alessio is a certified Suzuki teacher who adapts the Suzuki method to this small class setting.She will continue her Suzuki training this summer by completing her Level 4 training.
The first year class, which also started in October, is comprised of students ages 8 and older.
Under the direction of teacher Frank Albert, they played a variety of multicultural songs including the familiar Can-Can, Banana Boat Song, Firoliralera and the jazzy “Take a Swing at This!”
In addition to teaching in the After-School Strings program, Albert also plays viola in the Salisbury Symphony.
The grand finale of the evening was the Intermediate and Advanced Strings classes’ performance of Merle Isaac’s arrangement of the first movement of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 5.
This masterwork of Bach required the players to perform as independent sections with parts for first violins, second violins, violas and cello. The performance of this piece was a great accomplishment by a young ensemble.
The After-School Strings program is sponsored by the Salisbury Symphony and has four locations throughout Rowan County.
For more information on this program or summer camps, contact Susan Trivette, education director of the Salisbury Symphony, at 704-637-4730 or strivett@catawba.edu.