Opus
Opus is a music coaching program which supports instrumental music programs in San Francisco’s middle schools and high schools. Opus provides: the services of professional musicians who visit schools weekly as clinicians, technical assistance and supplies, and concert tickets. Opus is presented free of charge.
The Opus program addresses specific music education needs at the middle school and high school level in San Francisco’s public schools. The San Francisco Unified School District, in discussion with the San Francisco Symphony, expressed that its greatest music educational need in middle- and high-schools was artistic and technical support for its instrumental music programs. The district also informed the San Francisco Symphony that over the years, many students have been stimulated to learn instruments beginning in middle school because of their engagement with the Symphony’s Adventures in Music program throughout their elementary years. As a result, there is a great demand in the district for participation in instrumental music programs. The San Francisco Symphony created the Opus program in collaboration with the district in response to these discussions.
Opus provides school instrumental programs with diagnostics and coaching, consultations, resources and supplies, and access to specially selected San Francisco Symphony concerts. Because teachers request Opus assistance based on their program’s specific needs, the Opus program differs at each site.
The three parts of Opus are:
Coaching: The principal part of Opus is coaching, which is provided by teaching artists selected by the San Francisco Symphony’s Education Department.Site music teachers request Opus teaching artists for particular instruments or instrument-sections. The teaching artists’ sessions may range from coaching fundamentals to rehearsing ensembles.
Coaches and site music teachers spend time together discussing student challenges, instructional goals, and desired outcomes, as well as logistics such as coaching days, times, and locations. Site teachers may request also request Opus assistance for diagnostic purposes: checking bows, matching mouthpieces, checking embouchure placement, etc.
Resources for Music Teachers:The second aspect of Opus is that the program offers resources to support site music teachers.These can range from providing replacement strings, bow rehairs or upgrades, shoulder rests, better mouthpieces, instrument repairs, music books, and many other resources as requested by the site music teacher in discussion with the Opus teaching artist and the SFS Education Department.
Opus at Davies: These concerts for Opus students, as an extension of what the students are learning in their orchestra and band classes. Here at Davies Symphony Hall, students are able to experience and be inspired by models of excellence in music. Also, coming to Davies helps students develop habits of concert-going in a way that is meaningful to their daily experience.