County boosts MSO program

Mobile Symphony Orchestra (MSO) announced its music education program MSO Kids was the recipient of $51,000 in grants from the Mobile County Commission. The outreach program reaches area students through eighth grade by providing performance opportunities, instruments and acquainting them to the classical sounds.

District 1 Commissioner Merceria Ludgood provided $34,000 for music programs in Council Traditional Elementary, Holloway Elementary, Calcedeaver Elementary, Mt. Vernon/Belsaw and Old Shell Magnet School. The programs include Preludes, which provides general music classes for first and second graders and Strings, which provides violin and cello lessons for 3rd through 8th graders. Funds were also used to purchase scholarship violins and cellos and provide scholarship tuition.

District 2 Commissioner Connie Hudson provided $17,000 to support Preludes and Strings at Mary B. Austin, E.R. Dickson and Dodge Elementary. The District 2 grant also helped fund the Mobile Symphony performances of the annual Young People’s Concert, and Instrument Petting Zoos at the West Regional and Moorer-Spring Hill branches of the Mobile Library.

“With the support of the Mobile County Commission, the Mobile Symphony has been able to provide music education to thousands of students annually,” MSO president/CEO Celia Mann Baehr said in a press release. “We’ve been able to reach more children this year and provide them with at least an introduction to classical music. We are very grateful to our commissioners for helping us achieve this important part of our mission.”