Semi-finalist|Arts/Culture|Awards/Contest|Parents/Families|Storytelling

Contact: Peter Payette
payettepc@interlochen.org
Project Link: http://www.interlochenpublicradio.org/programs/kids-commute
Project Details

Our mission is to inspire love and appreciation for classical music among young people by providing history, context, and insights into composers and their work. Every week, we ask our young listeners a trivia question related to the current theme. Those who answer correctly receive a Kids Commute Prize Pack. We also encourage them to participate in the Kids Commute Story Challenge to create artwork or a story inspired by a specific piece of music. We then pick our favorites and bring them to life in a dramatic reading voiced by Interlochen Arts Academy theatre students.

Kids Commute educates and inspires our audience by not only connecting them to the mainstays of classical music, but also introducing them to what’s new and relevant in classical music. Our “Pop! Goes the Classical Week” highlighted classical arrangements of pop songs by modern classical ensembles and interviews with renowned musicians and composers.

Many of our young listeners are learning to play a musical instrument themselves, and we encourage them to record their version of our show’s theme song and send it in. To date, dozens of students have submitted their greetings, artwork, and stories, and the program features them regularly. Through these efforts, we are creating a generation of listeners who have the capacity to appreciate music and hear with a more sophisticated ear.

In addition to its weekly broadcast, Kids Commute has hosted popular live concerts in cooperation with Interlochen Arts Academy faculty. For example, the Circus Extravaganza concert featured students from the IAA Theatre Department who, in collaboration with the IAA Wind Ensemble’s performances, depicted clowns portraying how various emotions can be expressed musically.

Project Impact: Kids Commute educates and inspires our audience by connecting them to not only the mainstays of classical music but also introduces them to what's new and relevant in classical music. Many within our audience are learning a musical instrument themselves, and we encourage them to record their version of our show‚ a simple theme song on their instrument. To date, dozens of students have submitted their greetings, artwork and stories, and they are used regularly on the program. Each week kids eagerly await the opportunity to respond to our trivia or Story Challenge. Through these efforts, we are creating a generation of listeners who have the capacity to listen to music with a more sophisticated ear.

Kids Commute Live concerts, regularly engage over 300 kids and parents during each annual public performance. Through these live public performances, we ignite a lifelong passion for the arts through excellence in educational, artistic, and cultural programs that enhance their quality of life through the universal language of the arts.

Funding (if applicable): Kids Commute continues to inspire listener support during our annual fund drives. Kids Commute receives underwriting support from local and national businesses who have identified the Kids Commute audience as a desirable, influential, and active demographic. Underwriting examples include Go-Go Squeeze, the regional network of seven Chase banks, and The Traverse Symphony Orchestra, which are all enhancing their brand and reaching new audiences through the power of Kids Commute.