At The Discovery Orchestra, we are committed to teaching people how to connect emotionally with classical music. We strive to reach people of all backgrounds, ages and abilities and seek to create “aha” moments around the concept of listening versus hearing music.
For the past 25 years, Maestro George Marriner Maull has provided listening lessons to music students and senior groups. During these interactive sessions, participants are engaged in problem-solving activities designed to heighten awareness of musical detail. As one student from the Newark Boys Chorus School put it, “After Maestro Maull left, my way of listening to music changed. Maestro Maull helped me explore my own music.”
Our current outreach partners include:
Over the past few years, we have expanded our outreach efforts by inviting community groups to our Discovery Concerts. We not only provided concert tickets, but also bus transportation.
Our Latest Television Show: Discover Saint-Saëns’ “Organ” Symphony
In September 2022, we recorded our 6th interactive television show: Discover Saint-Saëns’ “Organ” Symphony, featuring George Marriner Maull and ninety-one musicians of The Discovery Orchestra. Discover Saint-Saëns’ “Organ” Symphony is an aural journey through the Finale of French composer Camille Saint-Saëns’ Symphony No. 3. We were pleased to provide transportation for Rhythms for Life of Morristown, the Newark Boys Chorus School, and the Newark School of the Arts. Audience members were able to gain a better understanding of the Finale by engaging with Maestro Maull’s insights and questions about tempo, instrumentation, and other musical elements, all in order to learn how to “listen better.” Learn more here.
In September 2019, we were able to bring community groups to our Discover The Firebird TV taping. The show began with a complete performance of Kastchei’s Infernal Dance from Igor Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite, as played by 85 members of The Discovery Orchestra and led by Maestro George Marriner Maull. The program then featured a fun exploration of musical details to notice in this electrifying movement. The live audience and viewers were cajoled to take part in a deconstruction process that was interactive, and even humorous at times. Who knew at the time that this show would be the recipient of two Telly Awards!
The prior spring, we were excited to welcome four music student groups to our Bartok a la Mode Discovery Concert at Drew University on April 7, 2019. Sister Cities Girlchoir, Paterson Music Project and Newark School of the Arts Conservatory Program students, parents and educators joined us to explore Bartok's Romanian Folk Dances. An older group of Drew University students were able to attend as well. Click here for more pictures from this event.
Pianist Fei-Fei joined Maestro Maull to explore Robert Schumann's delightful "Scenes from Childhood" at our Discovery Concert on November 18, 2018. We were thrilled to have 80 music students and family members attend from the Trenton Music Makers, Sonic Explorations, Newark School of the Arts Conservatory Program and Keys2Success. After the concert, Fei-Fei engaged with students of the Keys2Success program in Newark. The students did a great job performing for her!
Click here for more pictures from the concert event.
Click here for more pictures from the Master Class with Keys2Success.
Additional pictures from our successful outreach efforts:
Your “listening guide” amazes me, in that it is a means of illustrating the role of various instrumental sections in communicating and “telling” a story. My background is science and technology so the 1 -1 ½ hours listening to a symphony with your presentation was an exciting learning experience I was not expecting.You are an exceptional talent and personality to be able to introduce someone like myself to the very complicated language of a symphony.