Link Up: The Orchestra Sings

What Is Link Up?

Carnegie Hall’s Link Up pairs orchestras with schools in their local communities to learn about, listen to, and perform great music. Students in grades 3–5 are given the opportunity to join the orchestra in this highly participatory program, in which
they learn to sing and play an instrument in the classroom and perform with a professional orchestra from their seats at a culminating concert.

Since 2003, Carnegie Hall has partnered with professional, community, and university orchestras through Link Up to support their existing education programs, strengthen their
partnerships with local schools, and provide the highest quality print and digital curricula, resources, and professional development—all free of charge. In recent years, Link Up has
been implemented by more than 100 partner orchestras and served as many as a half million students and teachers.

Program Goals

• Teach fundamental musical concepts to students in grades 3–5, including creative work and composition.
• Introduce students to the symphony orchestra and the concert hall in their community, inspiring the next generation of musicians and orchestral music lovers.
• Foster relationships between orchestras and their local schools.
• Provide professional development opportunities for teachers and teaching artists.

Why Link Up?

• Connects with the community
• Develops and strengthens educational partnerships with schools and teachers.
• Collaborates with local artists and arts organizations.
• Creates a lasting impact on students through an interactive concert experience.

Support teachers with free educational resources

• Provide teachers with access to high-quality educational resources, including curricular materials, professional development, and a wealth of digital resources.

Establish lasting partnerships

• Create a lasting relationship with Carnegie Hall.
• Join a global network of orchestras and educators

In 2025, the ACO will perform The Orchestra Sings! with AISD 3rd-5th graders.

Melody is one of the universal elements of music, and defines the music we know and love. Composers create melodies through a combination of rhythmic patterns, contours, and expressive qualities. Through the Link Up repertoire, hands-on activities, and a culminating interactive performance with the Austin Civic Orchestra, students will explore what makes a melody great.

Repertoire Highlights:

• Thomas Cabaniss’s “Come to Play”
• Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy”
• Reena Esmail’s “Ram Tori Maya”
• Dvořák’s “New World” Symphony
• Jim Papoulis’s “Oye”
• Stravinsky’s Finale from The Firebird Suite
• Nathalie Joachim’s “We Shall Not Be Moved”

This project is supported in part by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts.