Local youth and members of the Marquette Symphony Orchestra, Marquette Senior High School Music Department, Bothwell Middle School, and Northern Michigan University Music Department gathered at the children’s museum for a Get to Know the MSO Fun Night, which familiarized children with the MSO and hopefully sparked a musical interest in some, said concertmaster of the MSO and director of the U.P. Youth Symphony Orchestra Janis Peterson.

“Sometimes we’re told that people are afraid of the orchestra, that it’s scary. If kids get to be around these instruments and this kind of music when they’re young, then it’s familiar to them,” Peterson said. “They see that we’re just a bunch of people who like to make music on these strings and wire and wood. We want to expose them … If we don’t show them what the possibilities are we might be missing the next Beethoven.”

Previously, the MSO held a children’s concert for fourth- and fifth-graders every other year, to ensure that every child in the area would have experienced a symphony orchestra by the time they reached adolescence. The concerts were so well received, the orchestra decided to make the concert an annual event and celebrated its third ever event at the children’s museum Tuesday.

The fun night featured performances by members of the MSO, learning to Sing with Sign Language with sign language students from NMU, instrument demonstrations, an Instrument Petting Zoo to see how string and wind instruments feel and sound, music rhythm reading which taught youth how to read musical notes, and musical shaker making.

Students from the Marquette Senior High School Symphony Orchestra, Becca Yates and Paige Hendrickson, play the pie game, which teaches children rhythm, at the Get to Know the MSO event. (Journal photo by Trinity Carey)

Events such as these are so valuable to the youth because music provides an outlet and a way of expression unlike any other, Peterson said. Music provided a safe zone for Peterson during her formative years and she hopes others will find it to be one for them as well.

“I sincerely believe I wouldn’t have survived without music. There were a lot of situations where I missed something that might have caused me great personal harm if I hadn’t had a musical activity that I had to go to,” Peterson said. “I’ve had so many opportunities to travel because of my music. I’ve met incredible people through music … Music is a universal language.”

From left, Marquette Symphony Orchestra members Janis Peterson, Maija Niemi, Kirsten Salmela and Andrew LaCombe perform during the Get to Know the MSO event held Tuesday evening. (Journal photo by Trinity Carey)