Education Programs

Overview

Many people fondly remember those days in school when they played in band or orchestra, sang in choir or attended a school concert. Today, unfortunately, many such programs have been entirely eliminated from public school classrooms because of shrinking budgets, staffing reductions or a shift in legislative and administrative priorities.

Because the NMSO believes, as many educators and artists do, that education in the arts contributes to the quality of learning in all subjects and to the overall learning environment, music education is an important part of the NMSO's mission.

The arts have a unique capacity to engage students at three levels: intellectual, emotional and physical. Study in the arts gives students a sense of civilization and an understanding of their own culture. It fosters creativity, better communication skills and tools for critical assessment of what students read, see and hear. Studies have shown that instruction in music improves the spatial reasoning ability of young students and results in higher verbal and math test scores for older students.

The NMSO Music Director, along with the Education Director and Education Committee, plan and coordinate all programs with the Albuquerque Public Schools Fine Arts staff. There are many programs the NMSO currently offers in Albuquerque area schools: