Davenport, IA - The ninth annual Quad City Symphony Orchestra Association music education program Listening Olympics will be held on Friday, April 24 at Asbury United Methodist Church, 1809 Mississippi Blvd., Bettendorf. Registration begins at 3:30 PM with preliminary rounds at 4:00 PM and final competition at 5:30 PM. More than 40 fifth-grade students, in teams of three, from Quad City area schools will compete for gold, silver and bronze medals at this friendly competition challenging students' knowledge of classical music.
Playing on the theme of Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader, the QCSO will be fronting three adult teams to compete against the students in the final round. Three teams will represent the Orchestra members, the Board of Trustees and Volunteers for Symphony respectively. These exhibition teams cannot take home medals, but it should be great sport to watch them play.
Listening Olympics is a fun and interactive competition testing students' knowledge of classical music elements, including titles, composers, families of instruments, and style. Student participants have been studying music examples and answering questions like, "Who is the composer?" or "Is this music from the classical or romantic period?"
"Listening Olympics is a fun and wonderful way for fifth graders to become further acquainted with symphonic music!" said Laurie Skjerseth, QCSO Education Coordinator. "We're so excited to have these schools joining the competition." Currently confirmed participants at this year's competition include : Butterworth, Hamilton, Franklin, and Jane Addams from Moline; and Colorado and Madison from Muscatine.
Listening Olympics is offered at no cost to schools and participants through support and funding from Volunteers for Symphony. Photos and interviews can be arranged by calling the Symphony office, 563-322-0931.
