LaGRANGE — More than 2,000 third grade students recently enjoyed live musical experiences provided last week by the LaGrange Symphony Orchestra during its annual children’s concerts.

More than 1,300 third grade students from Troup and Meriwether County filled Callaway Auditorium during two concerts on Feb. 25. In Valley, Alabama, more than 700 students from Chambers County and Lanett (Ala.) City Schools came to Langdale Auditorium on Feb. 26 to experience their own memorable moments of music.

Each performance included music from famous composers like John Williams, Leroy Anderson, Edvard Grieg and John Philip Sousa. The concerts also included a performance of “The Thrill of the Orchestra” by Russell Peck. “Thrill” provides an introduction to the families of instruments that comprise a typical orchestra.

Many children dress up for the occasion, a first time visit to a live performance for most of the children. Each student receives a booklet prior to the performance, which provides them with a teacher-led classroom experience to prepare for the concert and to write stories and answer questions about what they experienced after the concert.

A highlight of the event is a few individual students going on stage to actually conduct the orchestra during each concert. After watching young maestro Abigail McLain from Hillcrest Elementary School direct a portion of “Stars and Stripes Forever,” one friend and fellow classmate attendee exclaimed, “I just know she is going to be the boss of our band.”

“Contributing to arts education for elementary students is a worthwhile investment which generates returns that last a lifetime,” said Raylene Carter, LaGrange Symphony executive director. “For 26 years, the LaGrange Symphony Orchestra has been creating memorable moments of music through concerts, educational initiatives and enriching musical experiences for the entire community. We are grateful for the support of our donors and corporate partners whose contributions allow us to continue these important initiatives.”

Major funding for these children’s concerts was provided by the West Point Fund of the Community Foundation of the Chattahoochee Valley. The LaGrange program was supported in part by the Georgia Council for the Arts through the appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly.

GCA is a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support was given by Chick-fil-A on Lafayette Parkway in LaGrange.

More information is available at www.lagrangesymphony.org.