California Music Educators Association – 2021 Music Industry Leadership Award San Diego, CA - The California Music Educators Association is honoring San Diego nonprofit Classics 4 Kids with their 2021 Music Industry Leadership Award. The award honors an organization or individual for outstanding leadership in music education, which Classics 4 Kids has illustrated numerous times in its almost 30-year history. Other notable winners of the award include the Disney Performing Arts in 2016 and Macmillan/ McGraw Hill Language Arts in 2007. The California Music Educators Association is a federated unit of the National Association for Music Education that seeks to support [...]

Chances are you have heard of the theory that simply listening to classical music will make you smarter– otherwise known as the “Mozart Effect.” While the basic idea of the “Mozart Effect” is true, popular culture’s countless books, articles, and other reports of the idea are not 100% accurate. In fact just recently, a Harvard University study illustrated that music does not enhance childrens’ cognitive abilities. Additionally, the original 1993 report which led to the invention of the “Mozart Effect” found that cognitive gains from listening to Mozart only last for about 10 minutes. The “Mozart Effect” is shrouded in myths [...]

Dana Zimbric has been benefitting children throughout San Diego County with music education since 2003. This classically-trained conductor is on a mission to make classical music relevant, engaging and accessible for today’s audiences. She holds a Bachelor’s of Music and a Master’s of Music in Orchestral Conducting. In a competitive field that severely lacks leadership positions for women, she is paving the way for female conductors. She has led the San Diego State University Symphony Orchestra and Honors Orchestras with the San Diego Unified School District as a guest conductor and has also served the San Diego Youth Symphony. She holds [...]

Mimi Lee is one of San Diego’s most remarkable community champions. She is a former teacher who specialized in students with special needs. After teaching, her second career was to advocate for special needs students at Grossmont Community College as the Chair of Disabled Student Services. During her 22-year tenure, she served on the Academic Senate and the Grossmont Hospital Rehabilitation Advisory Board,  achieved the rank of Professor, and was named a Grossmont College Distinguished Chair. She was also honored by the El Cajon Soroptomists International as a Woman of Action. In her 16 years of retirement, she has become involved [...]

Public health restrictions during the COVID-19 Pandemic have resulted in many performing arts organizations innovating solutions to continue fulfilling their missions. While many groups, including Classics 4 Kids, are providing virtual performances and educational opportunities via Zoom, The Old Globe Theatre took a different approach. They are hosting their production of "Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas! On the Radio" on December 20th at noon, and on December 24th at 6:00pm. The Old Globe opted out of streaming the production on video, and have decided to host the performance over radio, as was common in the pre-television era. As the [...]

Earlier today, Classics4Kids held our Meet & Greet Special Event hosted by Artistic Director and Conductor, Dana Zimbric. The Meet & Greet Special Event was a live virtual program designed for students at home to learn more about music from a C4K educator.  Throughout the event, Dana showcased her piano, named “Hershey,” and played a variety of classical songs from composers like Beethoven and Tchaikovsky. During her performances, Dana received lots of audience participation. Once the students were taught to conduct in a 4/4 pattern and a 3/4 pattern, they helped Ms. Zimbric to perfectly play her songs. And, for her [...]

Our Virtual Soiree & Fundraiser was a HUGE success! GRAND TOTAL: $56,700 Special thanks to: our performers - Stars Aligned Siblings, our Wine Expert - Mike Zimbric, and all of our sponsors. All proceeds benefit our virtual music education programs to support distance learning across San Diego. In case you missed it, our program is now available on YouTube.