Next week, nearly 11,000 local K-2 students will attend Savannah Music Festival’s Musical Explorers concerts, which present Falu Shah (Indian music), Gino Castillo (salsa) and Heidi Bindhammer (art song). Over the past three years, SMF has introduced students and teachers to eighteen musical styles through curriculum guides, an interactive website, teacher trainings and classroom exercises that help integrate music into general classroom studies. The year-round music education program was developed in partnership with Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute, and is offered free of charge to all participants. Modeled after the WMI program that highlights the music and culture of NYC’s five boroughs, SMF’s Musical Explorers focuses specifically on the diverse musical communities of the southeastern US. Spring concerts run from May 1 through 5 at 10:15 AM and 12:15 PM each day at the Lucas Theatre.

Musical Explorers serves public, private and homeschooled students in urban and rural settings across Chatham, Bryan, Effingham, Liberty and Beaufort Counties. With 54 area schools now participating, 79% of students attend Title 1 schools and 85% are eligible for Free and Reduced School Meals. “This is an incredible opportunity for our students, who will enjoy the benefits of increased arts-integration and music instruction from day one,” remarked SCCPSS Superintendent Dr. Thomas B. Lockamy, Jr.

Students and teachers who participate in Musical Explorers experience:   

A significant increase in math scores for students whose classroom teachers participated in the professional development workshops offered at the beginning of each semester

An increase in reading scores for students whose classroom teachers participated in the workshops

An improvement in classroom conduct

Noteworthy increases in instructional best practices, especially in math and science, for teachers integrating Musical Explorers into their classrooms up to two hours per week

A significant increase in job satisfaction for teachers integrating Musical Explorers into their classrooms up to two hours per week