A reflection on the sweet surprise that cemented a lifetime of music between an old instrument and an orchestra-less conductor. By Dana Zimbric Piano saved my life. Well, one specific piano saved my life… her name is Hershey. First, her backstory: Hershey was born in Holland, Michigan around 1926, created by piano maker Bush & Lane. She is a grand piano made of beautiful wood, and has been rebuilt at least once since her birth. She came into my life in 1990, when I was a twelve-year-old aspiring musician. My parents purchased her from The Piano Shop in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The lifesaving began [...]

In a 2016 report conducted by the League of American Orchestras, it was found fewer than 2% of musicians in American orchestras are black. This lack of representation has been prevalent in the classical music realm for a long time, however, black classical musicians are finally beginning to find a voice in their community.   One such example is Bartholomew Poyser, a community ambassador and artist-in-residence at Canada’s famed Symphony Nova Scotia, who held a concert with the Maritime Bhangra Group to illustrate the diverse styles of classical music. The concert was a huge success that lended Poyser more power and [...]

Dr. Indre Viskontas, a trained operatic soprano turned director, neuroscientist, and communicator who is on faculty at SFCM and is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of San Francisco recently issued a report which highlights some critical findings. Her research demonstrated that music education keeps students involved in school and provides that key sense of belonging, which, in turn, can help break poverty cycles while improving GPAs and graduation rates. Click HERE to read the full article.

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 [...]

We are thrilled to be broadcasting Sing Me A Story: The Enchanted Tail on iTV - Channel 16 to reach children throughout San Diego County with a FREE educational music performance. We partnered with opera singers Victoria Robertson (Soprano) and Bernardo Bermudez (tenor) with Opera4Kids and The San Diego Children’s Choir to bring this story to life at the Balboa Theatre in 2019. Victoria Roberston wrote this 40-minute mini-opera written for young audiences to allow kids to experience classical music in a fun and engaging way.  This performance features two lovable characters (performed by Robertson and Bermudez) in an original story set [...]

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 [...]

Classics 4 Kids was featured by KPBS on January 13, 2021 about how we are exhibiting leadership in the music industry. READ THE ARTICLE

Classics 4 Kids needs you for our Advisory Council! What is the purpose of our Advisory Council? Our Advisory Council is a volunteer group of community members formed to give advice and support to Classics 4 Kids’ staff. The is a no liability governance role that consists of individuals from community activists to music lovers. What is our Mission? Inspiring children through the experience of music, generating creativity, academic success and cultural understanding. Who are we? Classics 4 Kids provides critical music education through professional orchestra concerts, in-school workshops, online programs and community events designed for elementary students. Our culturally diverse [...]

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 [...]