Music students and the Richland County Library collaborate for innovative children's program

 

Library Events

Sunday, Nov. 2, 3:00 p.m.
Plink, Rattle, Toot! Words Meet Music
Richland County Library
Children’s Room
(1431 Assembly St., Columbia, SC 29201)

Saturday, Nov. 8, 11:00 a.m.
Plink, Rattle, Toot! Words Meet Music
Richland County Library
Cooper Branch  
(5317 North Trenholm Rd.
Columbia, SC 29206)

SPARK: Carolina’s Music Leadership Laboratory prepares music leaders for the 21st century through its core mission of success, innovation and community. Community engagement is an important aspect of SPARK’s commitment to positively impact lives, and USC students have participated in music programs for a number of community partners.

One such program is a collaboration between MOO!@USC, a student-run musical outreach organization, and the Richland County Public Library. USC student composers and musicians write and play original compositions to accompany the library's Story Hour, a picture book reading for children.

Organized by SPARK, music students perform classical music as stories are read aloud. The program features USC student composers Austin Howard and Cameron Harvard, who each wrote an original composition paired with one of the books.

Conceived by Leslie Tetreault, manager of the Children’s Room at the Richland Library, and Rebecca Nagel, director of SPARK, the program was initiated last spring, and because of its success, was expanded to include a library branch as well as the main library.

In addition to the library program, USC students have designed community music programs for A.C. Moore Elementary School, EdVenture Children’s Museum, Hand Middle School, Oliver Gospel Mission, Rice Estate, Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, SisterCare and Dorn VA Medical Center.

Through initiatives like these, students learn to develop meaningful and enriching music programs and play an active role in their community.
Learn more about SPARK’s community engagement priority, get involved, and see videos of MOO! at the Richland County Library.

About SPARK: Carolina’s Music Leadership Laboratory

SPARK: Carolina’s Music Leadership Laboratory taps into the creative and imaginative energy of USC music students and faculty. Focused on success, innovation and community, Spark, formerly Carolina Institute for Leadership and Engagement in Music (CILEM), prepares music leaders for the 21st century. Learn more about SPARK.