PNC Grow Up Great

By: Marisa Jacques

In a powerful partnership between the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD), and the PNC Foundation, the DSO is excited to continue its participation in the PNC Grow Up Great program, which unites music and early childhood education to set students up for success. The DSO has participated in Grow Up Great for many seasons, but this year marks a significant milestone in the program’s growth. Throughout the 2024–25 season, the DSO will visit all 130 DPSCD preschool classrooms for the first time, which is a large leap from the 38 classroom visits last year.

During each school visit, students and teachers welcome a DSO teaching artist and a DSO musician into their classroom. For 45 minutes, students are led on an exciting musical journey that fortifies the established DPSCD curriculum. These interactive visits invite curiosity and encourage students and teachers alike to actively participate by singing, dancing, and clapping. The lesson plan includes activities such as call-and-response with a DSO musician, practicing rhythm with movement and voice, and using the contents of the DSO Music Toolbox, a W.K. Kellogg Foundation sponsored kit that includes a variety of instruments and educational props.

Grow Up Great is as important to the teachers as it is to the students. Teachers are educated on how to implement these musical activities into their daily lesson plans, as music is a catalyst for achieving crucial early childhood education milestones relating to literacy, number recognition, social and communication skills, and more. This functional practice of music helps teachers deliver lessons in an engaging way while laying the foundation for long-term social, academic, and potential musical success for these young children at such a pivotal time in their development.

There is much to celebrate as the DSO is in the midst of the first season of partnership with all DPSCD schools. Following this expansion, the DSO hired two new teaching artists, adding to the single teaching artist already on staff. Sarah Boyd, Audra Kubat, and Shirel Jones are professionals in different artistic disciplines, but they share expertise in early childhood education. The students now benefit from a wider range of lessons and activities, exposing them to music in ways they may not have experienced before.

The mission of the DSO’s Learning & Engagement team is that of the organization at large—to provide unforgettable musical experiences for our city and the global community. The opportunity to share these experiences and create a lasting impact on every preschool student in Detroit is a tangible realization of this mission, and the DSO looks forward to continuing these connections for years to come.