THSO Awarded Two Grants from WVCF to Serve Vigo and Clay Counties
The Wabash Valley Community Foundation has awarded the Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra $11,000 to launch two new community engagement and education programs in Vigo County and Clay County beginning in Summer 2025.
The THSO submitted two project grant applications that partner with the YMCA of the Wabash Valley and Camp Navigate in Vigo County and Clay County Community Schools to share educational performances featuring small ensembles of THSO musicians for students.
After-School/Summer Programming with YMCA and Camp Navigate - $5,000
The THSO will share one (1) Summer 2025 program and one (1) after-school program during the 2025-2026 school year with each the YMCA and Camp Navigate, totaling four (4) programs during the project. Performances will feature small ensembles of THSO musicians such as quintet, quartets, and trios. Ensembles will share instrument demonstrations, arrangements of movie and popular music, introductions to composers like Mozart, or different styles of music like Jazz or Latin American.
Music Education Tours to Elementary Schools in Clay County - $6,000
During the 2025-2026 school year, the THSO will partner with Clay County Community Schools to share music education performances at all seven (7) elementary schools in Clay County. The THSO will share four (4) tours featuring small ensembles (quintets, quartets, and trios) for educational performances that complement school curriculum. Performances may include instrument demonstrations, specific composers or styles of music currently being studied, or engaging activities like rhythm games. In addition to providing educational performances schools, ensembles will share a free public recital in the evening at a local venue or community center in Clay County. Students, families, and Wabash Valley residents are invited to attend the public recitals. The THSO shared this program with Greene County elementary schools during the 2023-2024 season (pictured below).
Programming serves three (3) main objectives:
1. Supplement our Adventure Concert music education performances
THSO Executive Director, Samantha Johnson-Helms, accepted the grant award for Vigo County on April 9, 2025 at the Terre Haute Convention Center. The WVCF awarded $134,040 in foundation grants to local Vigo County non-profits. The Clay County Foundation award presentation will take place on April 24, 2025.
All Vigo County 4th graders and multiple Clay County elementary schools attend the THSO’s full symphony Adventure Concerts annually at Tilson Auditorium on the campus of Indiana State University. Students in attendance often have trouble seeing the instruments from their seats, so these programs offer a close-up experience that also includes the opportunity for students to ask THSO musicians questions about their instruments, careers in music, and how to get started in school music programs.
2. Inspire and encourage students to learn an instrument or continue their school music programs.
The THSO whole-heartedly believes that when a student makes the decision to join their school or church music program, they have the opportunity to build important life skills such as perseverance, problem-solving, communication, and responsibility. The THSO aims to inspire students to pick up an instrument and MAKE music!
3. Support and advocate for the importance of the arts and music in public schools and the community.
By providing direct engagement programming with students in Vigo County and Clay County, the THSO also helps support school music programs and the importance of the arts in public education. The THSO is uniquely positioned as the only professional performing ensemble in the Wabash Valley that has the means to plan and execute these vital programs for children. Music education has a profound impact on both academic success and quality of life, especially in economically underserved communities.
The THSO will be seeking funding and sponsorships to continue both programs in the future! If you are interested in making an impact on students in Vigo and Clay counties, please contact Samantha.Johnson-Helms@thso.org.