For more than 35 years, violinist Mary Margaret St. John has captivated crowds as an associate concert master with the Flint Symphony Orchestra.
On Tuesday the mellow sounds that resonate from St. John’s strings along with the Troubadours, an outreach program of the Flint Symphony Orchestra, comprised of four professional string musicians
and a storyteller, visited Oakwood Elementary School.
‘We started out 15 years ago just a string quartet visiting Flint schools,? said St. John. ‘Then we
started getting a lot of feedback from students over the years. So we added a storyteller and the program
just grew. Honestly, there’s just not enough days in the year now’last year we visited 138 schools in the area. It’s just been very rewarding year to year’the students remember you.?
Through educational entertainment, music and visual aids, students learn about historical facts, core curriculum and character education. Students get to see and hear stringed instruments performed through the talents and skills of professional musicians.
‘Do you hear what I hear, emphasizes respect and that often there’s two or three sides to every story,? St. John said. ‘The message teaches children not to judge a book by its cover. Through music, maps and our storyteller the children hear through the customs of other cultures.?