Toy Symphony

Toy Symphony is a three-year project (1999-2002) combining children, virtuosic soloists, composers, and symphony orchestras around the world to radically alter how children are introduced to music, as well as to redefine the relationship between professional musicians and young people. A complete set of Music Toys will be distributed to children in each host city (including Berlin, Dublin, Glasgow, Manchester/London, and Tokyo), where children will be mentored to create their own sounds and compositions for toys and traditional instruments. A pedagogy for using these Music Toys to teach and instill a love for musical creativity will also be developed. Final concerts will be presented in each host city including kids' compositions and specially commissioned works by young composers, to be performed by children, soloists, and orchestra, playing Music Toys, Hyperinstruments, and traditional instruments.