Community Corner
Instrument Petting Zoo to Visit Long Beach Libraries
Children have a chance to "pet" and play instruments presented by Long Beach Symphony Orchestra volunteers June through August.
Long Beach youth will be able to lay their hands on new kinds of noisy animals when the Instrument Petting Zoo travels to seven local libraries in an ongoing summer tour that resumes Thursday at the Brewiit Library.
Volunteers from the Long Beach Symphony Orchestra’s OVATION! group will introduce children to various orchestra ensembles, such as the woodwind, string, brass and percussion sections, followed by a hands-on session that will provide children the opportunity to try out different instruments.
The hour-long programs are devised especially for children ages 7 and under as a way for Long Beach Symphony Orchestra members to familiarize students prior to visiting them as 2nd and 3rd graders at local elementary schools, according to a statement.
The summer program is part of the orchestra’s year-round committment to augment musical education for students in the Long Beach Unified School District and is held in addition to other prgrams, such as the Miller Foundation Symphony Concerts for Young People. More than 25,000 students benefit annually from the orchestra’s efforts, according their web site.
The first library to be visited by the one-of-a-kind petting zoo is Brewitt Library on Thursday from 4 p.m.-5 p.m., located at 4036 E. Anaheim St. See below for the full schedule.
- , 1595 W. Willow St.: Tues., July 3, 3-4 p.m.
- , 3680 Atlantic Ave.: Thurs., July 5, 3:30-4:30 p.m.
- , 2900 Studebaker Rd.: Wed., July 11, 12:15-1:15 p.m.
- , 1401 E. Anaheim St.: Tues., July 17, 4-5 p.m.
- , 18025 Bloomfield Ave.: Wed., August 1, 3:30-4:30 p.m.
For more information, click here or on the names of libraries listed above.