Link Up - The Weill Music Institute of Carnegie Hall

The Gulf Coast Symphony Orchestra (GCSO) is proud to serve its second year as the host organization for Link Up (formerly Communities LinkUP!)  From a modest beginning of two partner schools, GCSO is now partnering with seven schools with a total student participation of over 500 students.  Support for Link UP is provided by funding from the Mississippi Arts Commission.

The 2010-2011 school partners are:

A national program, The Weill Music Institute's Link Upshares Carnegie Hall's educational expertise and resources with orchestras and school districts throughout the United States.  The standards-based curriculum of Link Up enables orchestras to expand their current education programs and strengthen relationships with surrounding schools and communities.

Link Up is designed to increase students' performing, creating, and listening skills through a series of sequentially linked activities.  In addition, The Weill Music Institute provides professional development for teachers and orchestra administrators, student and teacher workbooks, and supporting audio resources and materials.  The culmination of the yearlong program is a live performance for the Link Up students with the host orchestra – the Gulf Coast Symphony Youth Orchestra and members of the Gulf Coast Symphony.  During the culminating concert, students apply the musical concepts studied through the unique opportunity of playing recorder or singing along with the orchestra in the studied repertoire.

Link Up is based on Carnegie Hall's own acclaimed Link Up program, which, since its inception in 1985, has engaged in musical learning for thousands of children in New York City and the tri-state area schools.  Link Up is one component of an expanded roster of national and international outreach initiatives led by The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall.

The Gulf Coast Symphony is one of 16 organizations from across the United States chosen for Link Up National.  2010–2011 participants include:

For details on how your school or orchestra can participate in Link Up National, educators and administrators may visit: