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The Bartlesville Symphony Orchestra performed for their “5th Grade Carnegie Link Up” program at the Bartlesville Community Center on Thursday afternoon in front of approximately 800 area students.

The students did not just listen to the concert. All students were encouraged to participate in the concert.

Karen Wollman, the Special Projects Coordinator for the Bartlesville Symphony Orchestra, said the kiddos learned some songs to sing for the program while others learned how to play recorders so they could play along with the orchestra. She said lives change when kids participate in music early in life.

Music helps students with different aspects of their lives. Whether it is teaching students to be attentive in the classroom or it is teaching them to have a better focus on life, music brings a different format to the brain of young souls.

Music is something that stays with kids for the rest of their life. Wollman said this concert is exciting because most of the fifth grade students that participated in the Bartlesville Symphony Orchestra's event will decide whether or not they will pursue music next year when they become sixth graders. She said it is exciting to see BSO move children to a life of music.

The number of students for the 5th Grade Carnegie Link Up normally runs at 1,300 to 1,500. Winter weather caused the event to be cancelled last week, and the rescheduled time did not work for all schools. Wollman said they at least got to have an impact on 800 students this year, which is something BSO could be proud of any day.

Community Elementary, Dewey Elementary, Hoover Elementary, Richard Kane Elementary, Jane Phillips Elementary, Ranch Heights Elementary, Wayside Elementary, Wilson Elementary and Paths to Independence were in attendance on Thursday afternoon. Also in attendance were private schools such as St. John's, St. Andrew, and Wesleyan Christian.

Wollman also wanted to give a shout out to the Doenges Family of Autos. She said the dealership made this possible for the students. Doenges was the sponsor of the transportation that was used to bus the students to the Bartlesville Community Center where the event took place.

Two chairs on the BSO Education Committee were also praised by Wollman. Those two individuals are Amber Vargas and Caroline Casselberry. Sarah Stogner, the Chair of the 5th Grade Carnegie Link Up, received recognition from Wollman as well, because she reached out to all the schools, she scheduled all the programs for the schools, and she just made it all possible.

Without volunteers like Vargas, Casselberry and Stogner, the Bartlesville Symphony Orchestra would not be the Bartlesville Symphony Orchestra the Bartlesville community has grown to love and cherish. Wollman said if you would like to volunteer your time with BSO, you can call her office at 918.366.7717. You can also send her an email. Her email is karen@bartlesvillesymphony.com.