Washington Park’s first to fourth grade students were treated to a special sound extravaganza – a Young People’s concert on April 5^, 2022 performed by the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra entitled “Sound Lab with the Symphony.”  

According to elementary music teacher Mark Poole, “The Concert Program included six selections from various composers, and conductor Maestro John Devlin performed as “Dr. Freakquency” along with special guest artist David Wolf who worked with Dr. Freakquency as “Bunsen.” Combining musical selections with “lab experiments,” the two taught the students about sound, such as the different timbres of each instrument, how sound changes depending on what it’s traveling through, and how sounds are affected when the instruments play them loudly or softly.  

The program included the following selections: Danse Negre from "African Suite" by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor; Pasodoble from "El Gato Montes" by Manuel Penella; Aquarela do Brasil by Ary Barroso; Largo al Factotum from "Il Barbiere di Siviglia" by Giacchino Rossini; Slavonic Dance Op. 46 No. 8 by Antonin Dvorak; and Star Ride by Enrico Lopez-Yanez (which incorporated live music with pre-programmed electronic music). 

The Wheeling Symphony musicians were very impressed with the students’ attentiveness and their excitement, and knowledge in answering the questions during the “lab experiments” in the performance. The students loved the concert and enjoyed learning in a different way. Wheeling Symphony’s Young People’s Concerts are free of charge to the students as they are sponsored from businesses and individuals around the area.  

Posted April 2022