Bright and early on Monday, September 14, Winterfield Elementary students in grades 2-5 sat on the gymnasium floor, wriggling with anticipation for the presentation. The students were treated to performances from a Charlotte Symphony quintet featuring selections ranging from Also Sprach Zarathustra to the theme from Super Mario Bros.

Monday's show was an exciting kick-off to the sixth year of the successful partnership between the Symphony and Winterfield, where students participate in a free after school music program (now known as Project Harmony). The intent was to raise interest in the Winterfield Youth Orchestra, to encourage new enrollment, and celebrate North Carolina's "Arts in Education" week. 

Students stared in awe at the various instruments--violin, cello, flute, clarinet, and trumpet--all available through the Winterfield program. Students also listened, wide-eyed, to demos by winds instructor Michael Sanders and strings instructor Taddes Korris, and danced in their seats to a percussion demo (that included a call-and-response game) by bucket band leader Fred Dunlap.

A special thank you to everyone who participated in the program:

CSO Musicians: Jenny Topilow, violin; Sarah Markle, cello; Taddes Korris, bass; Dru DeVan, clarinet; Andrew Fierova, horn

WYO Teachers: Fred Dunlap, Percussion and Bucket Band; Michael Sanders, Winds

Winterfield Staff: Anna Helms Kennington, Community in Schools; Courtney Hollenbeck, teacher and founder of the school's youth orchestra program, Nancy Bain, music teacher.