PORTLAND, Ore. — Wrapping up its 39th season, Portland Columbia Symphony (PCSO) has always been about community outreach, and now the group is working on a project to make music education fun for kids.
“What really drives us is accessibility and affordability,” said executive director Rebekah Phillips. "So we try extra hard to be locally relevant and affordable, and in the community, make music really accessible and fun
We all know how musicians have been affected in the last twelve months. Phillips touts how everyone’s come together.
“I think folks understand that it's more important than ever that we innovate and that we stay connected,” she said.
The innovation she mentions includes getting children involved. Thanks to the artistic mind of PCSO musician Nicole Buetti, they’re on the right track. Buetti is also a puppeteer who’s created several characters to help kids with educational STEM-based lessons. “Vincent and The Nirks” are featured on her YouTube channel “In A World Music Kids” to make learning fun.
“Some people think that classical music is a little bit stuffy and hard to get involved in, and this is just a way to kind of to remove that wall, and hopefully make it more accessible,” Buetti said.
Buetti’s built quite the online following thanks to other series like “Meet the Planets” where her intricate puppet creations sing about our solar system. Now, Nicole, Vincent and the rest of the Nirks have partnered with PCSO for her latest series, “Meet the Instruments.” It will premiere on Friday, March 12 and episodes will continue through June.
“We wanted it to align with the rest of the school season to help support folks who are learning at home, music educators, parents, families and teachers,” Phillips said. "It kind of coincided with the school calendar, and so it runs weekly through the end of June."
“I really enjoy just trying to create a characters that the kids can relate to that can help make learning fun,” Buetti said.
With music typically the first thing to be cut when school budgets get tight, both PCSO and “The Nirks” are committed to bringing it to kids any way they can.
“This is hopefully just a resource that kids can have to still keep them connected to the music community to show them how wonderful and fun music can be,” Buetti said.
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