The ACO is interested in growing the next generation of music lovers and has several programs where we collaborate with the teachers from area schools. Since the 2013-2014 season, the Austin Civic Orchestra has provided free admission to children 18 and younger to attend our concerts with their parent. Since 2016, the Orchestra has collaborated with area music and art teachers in the a Paint to Music Art Contest and then virtual Art Show. Since 2022, the ACO collaborates with AISD Elementary Music Teachers to have a joint concert with the children and their teachers in grades 3-5 in the Austin ISD Performing Arts Center. Finally, we are pleased to be on stage for the Austin ISD Music Memory Program as the performing orchestra.

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The Paint to Music art show delves into the connection between music and visual art, specifically highlighting how classical music enhances creative expression in artistic endeavors.

WHAT
Students are invited to create artwork either at home or in the classroom while listening to Scheherazade by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.  Prior to creating the artwork, the teacher presents the story behind Scheherazade with this 10 minute video from Minnesota Public Radio. The teacher uploads the digital photos of the completed artwork to the ACO’s Google Drive. For those with time constraints, ACO staff can collect the original artwork and upload digital copies on your behalf.

The ACO will curate and showcase the submitted artworks in a digital exhibition during the concert on May 13 while the orchestra plays the piece. This slide show will be published on ACO’s Facebook page, YouTube channel, and shared via email with the participating schools. Students and their families are invited to the concert on May 13 at 4 pm.

WHO
The ACO Paint to Music Art Show welcomes all students from grades 3-12 enrolled in schools within Austin and the surrounding areas. This includes public, public charter, private, parochial, and home schools.

Participating teachers will oversee the creation of artwork and will be responsible for submitting the artwork by uploading pictures of their students’ creations. If you’re a teacher wishing to join in, please email the ACO Education Team to register your participation.

We will establish and share a link to a designated folder on our Google Drive to store the uploaded artwork. A student permission form will be distributed once the folder is set up.

Please note that these permission forms are intended for use if your school mandates them.

HOW

Students will have the opportunity to create their own original artwork while listening to a recording of Scheherazade by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.

As part of this initiative, we’ve provided a video on the story behind this piece to be used as a lesson prior to the children starting their artwork.

While the children complete their artwork, the teachers should play a recording of Scheherazade to inspire the children in creating their artwork.

Here is a suggested YouTube video of the University of North Texas Orchestra playing the piece.

We don’t suggest concentrating on one movement, but to play the entire recording. Recognizing you may not have that many minutes, here are the links for each movement.

0:01 I. The Sea and Sinbad’s Ship
10:33 II. The Kalendar Prince
23:42 III. The Young Prince and the Princess
34:17 IV. Festival at Baghdad – The Sea – The Ship Breaks against a Cliff

Students are encouraged to use a variety of mediums for their creations, including paint, crayon, marker, collage, chalk, or pastels. It’s important for students to fill the entire page or canvas since the artwork will be photographed; light coloring or uncolored areas should be avoided, as these do not translate well in a digital art show.

Each student may submit only one entry. After notifying us of participation, digital copies of the artwork should be uploaded to the designated folder.

When labeling the artwork, please use the format

“first name_Last initial_grade_”

For example, Mario_G_3rd.

Files must be in .jpg, .jpeg, .png, or .pdf formats only. Please ensure that the filename extension remains intact when uploading the artwork.

WHEN

The submission deadline for artwork is set for Friday, May 1, 2026. Early submissions are encouraged and appreciated.

The video showcasing the submitted artwork will be presented during the ACO’s Extraordinary Woman concert while the ACO plays Scheherazade.

Date: May 13, 2026
Time: 4 pm
Location: Austin Stone Northwest, 9001 N FM 620, Austin, TX 78726.

All participating teachers, students, and their families are invited to attend the concert free of charge! Teachers will be emailed the link to get free tickets.

QUESTIONS?

Email us at education@austincivicorchestra.org or call 512-970-4882.

Brass Ensembles

Woodwind Ensembles

String Ensembles

Percussion Ensembles

ACO’s Link Up Concert October 16, 2025, 10 a.m. at the Austin ISD PAC

What is Link Up?

Carnegie Hall’s Link Up program pairs orchestras with students in grades 3–5 at schools in their local communities, giving students the opportunity to learn about, listen to, and perform great music. Students participating in Link Up explore an interactive curriculum in which they learn to sing and play an instrument in the classroom before performing with the orchestra from their seats at a culminating concert.

Link Up provides a free, high-quality yearlong curriculum that teachers can implement, along with teaching materials, online video and audio resources, and the professional development and support necessary to make the program an engaging experience for students.

Schools Receive:

• Link Up curriculum resources for each teacher (featuring repertoire for singing, playing the soprano recorder or violin, and program-related lesson plans and activities) with accompanying audio and video resources
• Link Up resources for students
• Professional development resources and webinar for lead teachers and administrators
• Access to Carnegie Hall’s online resources, including additional lessons and interactive classroom resources
• Access to Carnegie Hall’s Link Up Facebook group, which connects teachers, Carnegie Hall staff, and featured contributors to share ideas, student work, videos, and photos

What is Needed From Teachers:

• Fill out the interest form
• Watch the virtual teacher in-service to learn how to engage your students in the concert
• Fill out a survey from Carnegie Hall after the culminating concert

The Orchestra Swings

“Swing” is many things. It’s a distinctive rhythmic feel; a musical era dominated by big band jazz; a style of dance that grew alongside the music; and that elusive but unmistakable feeling that results when musicians are deeply tuned into each other and playing in sync, or “in the pocket.” Though swing is characteristic of jazz, an orchestra can also swing. Through the Link Up repertoire, hands-on activities, and a culminating interactive performance with [orchestra name] and jazz ensemble, students will explore the elements that contribute to that magical moment when musicians start to swing.

Repertoire Highlights:

• Thomas Cabaniss’s “Come to Play”
• George Gershwin’s “I Got Rhythm”
• Duke Ellington’s “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)”
• Florence Price’s “Juba” from Symphony No. 1
• John Clayton’s “Recorder Mae and the Giant Swing Machine”
• Duke Ellington’s “Duke’s Place”
• “When the Saints Go Marching In”

Questions?
Email the ACO Education Team
Call Amy Crandell at 512-970-4882

The annual Amster Chamber Music Program provides young musicians, eighteen years of age or less, from Austin and the surrounding area the opportunity to make music in a chamber ensemble.  This year, we plan to provide to funding to another organization to work with the students.  Students selected to be a part of the ensemble will receive college scholarships and the opportunity to perform at Austin Civic Orchestra concerts in the spring in a pre-concert event.

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