Peter & The Wolf comes to ArtBreak!

Shreve Memorial Library is joining with Shreveport Symphony Orchestra and ArtBreak to bring a brand new READING ADVENTURE to 2nd grade students throughout the Caddo Parish School system for the 34th ArtBreak Festival. “Peter and the Wolf,” composed by Sergei Prokofiev and conducted by Shreveport Symphony Orchestra Associate Conductor Kermit Poling will be performed live during daily performances throughout the week at The Shreveport Convention Center. A hands-on, mask making project facilitated by the Shreve Memorial Library staff will extend the concert experience for the students, and Caddo Parish teachers will get a summer reading list from the Library with titles that will supplement the “Peter and the Wolf” program and a hands-on activity guide for making more activities upon returning to the classroom.

Orchestras and educational groups throughout the country have utilized Sergei Prokofiev’s “Peter and the Wolf” to introduce students to classical music and the symphonic experience. The story, along with the sounds of the symphony orchestra, captivate young audiences. As they listen to the Shreveport Symphony perform, students will want to know what happens to Peter, the bird, the duck and even the wolf. At the same time, students will become a part of the story through a handson mask-making activity hosted by Shreve Memorial librarians with seven different character masks designed by Northwest Louisiana Artists Eric Francis and Lisandra Di Liberto Brown. These include whimsical and colorful masks representing Peter, the wolf, grandpa, the hunters, the cat, duck and bird.

“We are so pleased that our friends at SRAC made the connection with the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra and Shreve Memorial Library to make this experience possible for Caddo 2nd and 3rd grade students. ArtBreak is a celebration of all the Arts in Caddo Parish and a great way to engage school children with all of the Arts at an early age,” said Symphony Associate Conductor Kermit Poling. “‘Peter and the Wolf’ is a quintessential musical story with a narrator and the instruments playing very definite parts in the story, so the connection between that and reading stories is naturally very close. Along the way, the students also learn about the instruments and sections of the orchestra! It has been a classic and a staple of children’s programming since the 1930’s,” added Poling.

Shreve Memorial Library’s Executive Director, John Tuggle. Is excited about the opportunity to promote reading during the 34th Annual ArtBreak Festival and its new 2nd Grade Reading Adventure. “Whenever I am asked about the importance of early childhood literacy, I always reply with this Dr. Seuss quotation: ‘The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.’ I read in the news recently that our country continues to change rapidly to a knowledge-based economy. Never before has continuing education been more important, and lifelong learning requires efficient reading comprehension. One of the best ways to learn reading comprehension at an early age is to read, and read, and read some more. Shreve Memorial Library is dedicated to helping our young people in Caddo parish learn to love reading and learning. Partnering with SRAC for ArtBreak provides Shreve Memorial Library a wonderful way to encourage children to read and enjoy the arts while promoting our summer reading program.”

ArtBreak and the 2nd Grade Reading Adventure with the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra will also be a great way to introduce Shreve Memorial Library’s Summer Reading Program, appropriately entitled, “Libraries Rock!” All summer long, children, teens and adults will be encouraged to explore the many ways libraries and music go hand in hand. What better way to kick that off than with the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra during ArtBreak 34!

Caddo Parish School Libraries and Shreve Memorial Library will also sponsor a huge ArtBreak Book Fair Friday through Sunday, April 27- 29 as yet another way of adding to students’ reading fun. Parents can be a part of motivating their children to read as they shop thousands of the newest books during this exciting event.