ANNUAL REPORT
To build a community of creative, confident, and socially engaged students through music education.
MISSION VISION
To bring Louisiana together through music.
Kids’ Orchestra Team
Dr. Patrick Tuck Executive Director
Dr. Brian Gallion Operations Director
Madeleine Case Program Manager, Private Lessons Coordinator
Samuel Trevathan Education Director
Erika Richardson Project Manager
Lauren Fowler Board Chair Exit Realty
Katie Schellack
Immediate Past President Writer & Volunteer
Christina Davis
Secretary Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana
Trang Phuong Huynh, MD
The Women Services, LLC
Rosalinda Ramirez Program Manager
Sydney Cooke Grants and DevelopmentCoordinator
KO would like to recognize two valuable staff who moved on to new opportunities during the 2023-2024 school year. Thank you to Dr. Sinella Aghasi and Nicklaus White for their exceptional work!
Board of Directors
Kelly Hurtado Bank of St Francisville
Marvin Broome Retired Professor/Community Volunteer
Ann Marie Stanley, PhD Emeritus LSU School of Music
Adam Beary CEO/President, Bear Process Safety
Meredith Hathorn, JD Advisory Board
Layne McDaniel, CPA Advisory Board
Marie Powell Advisory Board
Stewart Gordon, MD Advisory Board
John Pearce, JD Advisory Board
WELCOMINGOURNEW EXECUTIVEDIRECTOR
Dr. Patrick Tuck
I joined Kids’ Orchestra just a few weeks ago and I am even more impressed with the organization now than I was when watching for several years from the outside! What an amazing time of year to join KO with end-of-year concerts at schools across four school districts. I met school administrators and teachers who were already talking about plans for next year. I may have gotten to play in a drum circle or two, and now as I write this message to you from The Dufrocq School auditorium, we are in our first ever month-long of Summer Music Camp! We are enjoying our largest camp enrollment ever of 177 registrations! We offered 106 summer camp scholarships and during the school year, we served approximately 12,000 afterschool snacks! I am sincerely honored to represent KO as I continue to meet with donors and community partners across South Louisiana. The respect that we have earned over the years is palpable. I am thankful to our incredible staff including over 90 teachers and site coordinators, head office directors, program, and project managers. Here’s to an exciting school year to come and to all things new on the horizon!
Total Expenses: $1,078,061 AWARDED IN SCHOLARSHIPS
Total Revenue: $1,006,222
1,094
SCHOOLPROGRAMS
2023-2024IMPACT
3,000+
of SEL 200+ Total Snacks Provided 12,169 Instruments Offered 14 Schools Represented 63
89% of students believed that they could face challenges and succeed.
88% of families reported seeing a positive change in their child’s learning and reading music.
80% of families reported seeing a boost in their child’s self-confidence.
2,815
Total Class Sessions
143 Community Engagement Events
84% of students stated that participating in the program made them feel happy and supported.
8,430 People Served at Community Events
DEMOGRAPHICS
DIVERSITY,EQUITY&INCLUSION
This year, Kids’ Orchestra’s updated its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) statement to better reflect our commitment to fostering an inclusive and equitable environment for all. As part of this initiative, we hosted two professional development sessions focused on cultural competency and its direct connection to the mission and work of KO. These enriching discussions provided our team with profound insights into diverse perspectives, significantly deepening our understanding and appreciation of cultural differences. By engaging in these sessions, we enhanced our ability to create meaningful change within our community, reinforcing our dedication to fostering an inclusive atmosphere. We firmly believe that by embracing and celebrating our differences, we can collaborate more effectively, ultimately building a more just and unifying organization.
Our vision is to bring Louisiana together through music education, and this vision is central to our work in diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our work breaks down barriers when we deepen our understanding of the challenges faced by those we serve, many of which are rooted in long-standing patterns of social inequities, exclusions, and divisions. Kids’ Orchestra brings people of all backgrounds together and generates equity. Our commitment to dialogue and listening are our standard. As a result, we commit to being actively anti-racist.
COMMUNITYPROGRAMS&EVENTS
Dia De Los Muertos
In November, KO hosted a vibrant celebration, honoring Mexican culture. This rich cultural event was open to the public and was filled with an ornate ofrenda, artisanal vendors, traditional Mexican cuisine, and guest performers and speakers educating attendees about the historical significance of Dia de los Muertos. It brought the community together from various backgrounds, fostering the sharing of artistic experiences in the realm of music performance. Dia De Los Muertos was part of KO’s vision of bringing Louisiana through the music.
KO Makes Music with the LSU Tigers
3rd through 6th graders joined KO at the LSU School of Music for a morning of musical workshops hosted by members of the music education faculty and instrumental faculty. This event culminated in an afternoon performance where all students came together for a collaborative drum circle.
KO Parents Day
Parents joined their KO students for an afternoon of KO programming at McKinley Elementary and WHAM. Parents participated in snack time, social and emotional learning activities, and the music lesson. Parents were able to learn new instruments from their student’s point of view. It was a fantastic opportunity for the students, families, and our staff to all make music together!
Volunteers of America
Kids' Orchestra provided music making sessions for the Volunteers of America South Central Louisiana Day Center. The VOASCLA Day Center provides personal growth, recreation, and social programs for individuals with diverse disabilities. They provide an environment that promotes strength and growth in all aspects of life. Participants engaged in group lessons on singing, hand drumming, ukulele, and composition. Each semester concluded with a performance and celebration with families and the VoA staff.
Books & Music
Kids' Orchestra has expanded its partnership with the East Baton Rouge Library to showcase the hidden musical gems within the EBRPL's children's collection, aiming to blend literacy with music education. Each lesson pairs a featured book with engaging activities such as games, dances, songs, handson projects, and musical instruments. By incorporating basic music education skills like rhythm, melody, and instrument recognition, we help connect music and books in a fun and enriching way.
75 STUDENTS IN PRIVATE LESSONS 23% GROWTH FROM 2022-2023 SCHOOL YEAR
180 STUDENTS 650% GROWTH IN ENROLLMENT FROM 2023
8 STUDENTS IN THE LOUISIANA YOUTH ORCHESTRAS
$23,500 RAISED IN SCHOLARSHIPS 1,175% INCREASE IN SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS
THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS DONORS
Director’s Circle of Kids’ Orchestra ($5,000+)
Advantage Charter Academy
Anonymous
Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge Alliance for Students
Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana
Capital Area United Way
East Baton Rouge Parish Library
East Baton Rouge Parish School System
Episcopal Community Services
Foundation for East Baton Rouge School System
Frost Family Fund
Helix Aviation Academy
Huey and Angelina Wilson Foundation
Irene W and C B Pennington Foundation
Louisiana Department of Revenue
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Foundation
Patrons of Kids’ Orchestra ($1,000 - $4,999)
Bank of St. Francisville
Baton Rouge Area Youth Network
Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee
Amy Crane
D'Addario Foundation
Brian and Barbara Haymon
Cordell and Ava Haymon
Mike and Janet Hebert (in honor of Ola Mae Matthews)
Home Bank
Enrique and Kelly Hurtado
Junior League of Baton Rouge
Ari and Kelly David Kocen
Julio Melara
Mercedes-Benz of Baton Rouge
Friends of Kids’ Orchestra (up to $999)
AIG (Your Cause)
Lloyd and Patricia Alford
Alford Safe & Lock
Danny and Pam Arnold
Baton Rouge Blues Foundation
Big Buddy of Baton Rouge
Billy Heroman's
Randall and Kim Black
Scott and Debra Calkins
Jeff and Wendy Carbo
Deana Carrillo
Roberta Chapman
CA Ciesielski
Elizabeth A Conklin
Brett Cooke
Sydney Cooke
Costco Wholesale
Christina Davis
Lauren Deutsch (in honor of Brian Gallion, in memorium of Bee Colman)
Sandra Dieppa-Rivera
David and Jennifer Ellis
Gordon and Lou Ellis
Mehdi Farasat and Sinella Aghasi
Mary Farrington-Lorch
Carter Figueroa
Nicole Fitzgerald
Blake and Lauren Fowler
Daniel and Eileen Gallion
Gulf Coast Office Products
Michel and Jody Hanet
David Hanner
Virginia Hart
Michael and Debra Harwood
Noah Hawk
Suzy Hebert (in loving memory of Kurt Braun)
Anthony and Denise Iannitelli
J.D. Meisler Middle School
JED's Local Po'boys
Mary Terrell Joseph
Katharine Joyner
Carson Kelly
Robert and Kay Kenney
Trang Huynh and David Kirsch
Erica Krug
Ken and Allison Kummerfeldt
Tameka and Jerome Learson
David Lindenfeld
Tom Mackey LLC
Layne and Jill McDaniel
Sean McDonald
New Schools for Baton Rouge
Manny Patole
William and Beth Pecue
The Link School
Thrive Academy
John Turner and Jerry Fischer
Volunteers of America South Central Louisiana
Willow Charter Academy
Zachary Community School District
National Water Infrastructure, LLC
Regional Arts Council of Zachary
Elise Rosenthal
Jonathan and Katie Schellack
Phyllis Taylor (in memory of Joan Wharton)
The Children's Classical Music Fund of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation
Christopher John Meyer
Keith Murphy and Amanda Albin
Donna Myers
Dimitris and Alison Nikitopoulos
Deborah Osgood
PayPal Giving Fund
Raymond Prince
Camilla Pugh
Patricia Ragusa
Martha and DJ Richard
Sigma Alpha Iota
Chris Solomon
Rhett Spano
St Andrew's United Methodist Church
Symphony Malveaux
The Honorable and Mrs. John W. deGravelles
(Mary Virginia deGravelles Fund of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation)
Samuel Trevathan and Alicia Monroe
Tom and Marsha Wade
Mike and Pam Wall
Karnisha Williams
The Wise Family
Daniel and Cyryl Yannitell
Tamara Youngblood
Sangho Yu
$50,000+
$10,000 - $49,000
$5,000 - $9,999 up to $4,999
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