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Sunday, April 27, 2025 | Special Advertising Section 10practicing, like so many parents. ButKatrina loved the group and orchestralexperience.%u201d Whitman%u2019s older daughteris a harpist. %u201cInvesting in kids makes them fine human beings; some may becomeprofessional musicians, while mostwill excel in other chosen fields. It%u2019s allabout community and cooperation.%u201d Mark Tomko plays double bass in theBSO. %u201cMy parents didn't play instruments,but they took me to see the ToledoSymphony frequently when I was small,%u201d he says. %u201cThat had a big impacton how I and my siblings' viewedmusic. We all played instruments.%u201d%u201cWe try to foster music in addition toother interests,%u201d Tomko continues. %u201cIgrew up with this silly fallacy that youcould either be a musician or an athlete%u2014 not both. But being a musician is alot like being an athlete, and many ofthe tools used to train for one apply tothe other.%u201dMusic plays frequently in the homeof Tomko and his wife, Lina. Theirkids attended BSO rehearsals whenthey were very small, something allBellingham children can do now, for free, as part of the BSO%u2019s Classical Kids program. When they were 3 or 4, hischildren could manage being in theaudience, Tomko says, %u201ceven if theydozed off sometimes.%u201dBoth of Tomko%u2019s kids grew an interestin playing music and started taking lessons. Solveig, 10, plays cello andJens, 8, plays violin. %u201cWe%u2019re carefulnot to pressure them, but do remindthem to practice,%u201d Tomko says. %u201cI'mmore likely to give an offramp frompracticing.%u201dTomko and Solveig recently playedtogether at a BSO %u201cMeet a Musician%u201d event in the children%u2019s wing ofBellingham%u2019s Whatcom Museum.Toddlers watched with saucer eyesas the duo played the double bass and cello. Several explored theinstruments up close during and afterthe performance.Several BSO programs introduce young listeners to classical music andthen support and encourage theirgrowth as musicians. The BSO bringsvisiting soloists into area schools,holds popular instrument petting zoosso children can experience a varietyof instruments firsthand, provides aprogram for youth chamber players,and more.SPONSORED CONTENTPROVIDED BY BELLINGHAM SYMPHONY ORCHESTRAIn our modern, digital world, it%u2019smore important than ever to sharethe wonders of classical music withchildren.%u201cThe nuance and musicality of realpeople playing real instruments willalways be superior to electronicallygenerated sounds,%u201d says Kristi Kilgore, an elementary school music teacherand horn player in the BellinghamSymphony Orchestra. %u201cRecorded musicis great, but even better if they canwatch music performed live and seethe emotions and movement of themusicians.%u201dThere%u2019s no doubt that listening toclassical music calms us; %u201cBaby Mozart%u201dCDs were all the rage for a reason. Butresearch shows that playing a musical instrument does amazing things toour brains %u2014 and especially in youngchildren.%u201cMusic is language, math, reading, writing, physics %u2014 so much,%u201d saysBSO Executive Director Gail Ridenour. %u201cPlaying a musical instrumentteaches children how to relate to andcommunicate with others. It stimulatesthe writing and reading center of yourbrain and activates fine and grossmotor skills.%u201dResearch backs up all of this and much more. Listening to and playingclassical music helps in language development, boosts memory,enhances creativity, improves listeningskills, productivity and brain function, builds self-confidence and reducesstress.Parents can instill a curiosity and loveof classical music, even if they don%u2019tplay an instrument.%u201cEvery child can learn,%u201d says BSO harpist Jill Whitman, one of the original teachers to train kids withthe Suzuki harp method. %u201cFosteringan environment of encouragementand positivity and careful practice is important; the parent/child/teacher isthe core triangle.%u201dWhitman%u2019s younger daughter, Katrina,didn%u2019t gravitate to the harp; she fell forthe viola. %u201cSince I knew nothing about viola,%u201d Whitman says, %u201cI felt a bit helpless inUnlock kids' creativity, confidence and learning with classical musicThe Bellingham SymphonyOrchestra has been sharinglive classical music with itscommunity for 50 years %u2014 andis looking forward to the nextfive decades.. Learn more atbellinghamsymphony.org.Jill Whitman plays harp for children at Bellingham%u2019s Whatcom Museum at a recent Meet a Musician event. (Stacee Sledge photo)%u201cMusic gives something to childrenthat they%u2019ll carry with them their wholelives,%u201d says Tomko. %u201cIt will shape whothey become and help them, even ifthey don%u2019t spend their life onstage asprofessional musicians.%u201dWhitman%u2019s daughter, Katrina, now hasa master%u2019s degree in viola and playsalongside her mother in the BSO.%u201cGrowing up with a musician parentwas really special,%u201d Katrina Whitmansays. %u201cHearing the harp musicdrift around the house shaped myimagination.%u201dShe recalls a life at home scoredby Mozart, Debussy, Salzedo, Raveland others %u2014 alongside the constantbeating of the metronome.%u201cMaybe I would have found music without my mom,%u201d she says, %u201cbut sheopened the door for me and nudgedme through it.%u201d