Phoenix Symphony Golf Tournament a ‘Score’ for the Entire Community
When golfers tee off at Biltmore Golf Club at 8 a.m., Nov. 7, they will strike a chord that will resonate throughout the Valley for months and years to come. The first-ever Symphony Score Golf Tournament will benefit The Phoenix Symphony’s Education and Wellness programs.
In this one-of-a-kind event with a clever name, amateur and pro golfers will compete against the Symphony’s own musicians for musically themed prizes. “We want to infuse the tournament with a little more fun,” says Jim Ward, Phoenix Symphony president and CEO. “Many of our musicians are very good golfers,” he adds. “The question is: ‘Do you have what it takes to compete with them?’”
Though Ward isn’t willing to divulge many of the surprises throughout the 18-hole tournament, he does offer a teaser: In addition to standard golf-tournament fun, along the way, he says, golfers may encounter some music.
UNIQUE SYMPHONY PROGRAMS
While the day promises enjoyable golf and plenty of entertainment, an even more important reason to sign up is to benefit the community. Ward points to the innovative programs that distinguish The Phoenix Symphony from any other American orchestra.
One of these programs is the Mind Over Music initiative that trains teachers to integrate music into STEM (science, technology, engineering math) concepts. It is the first symphony program of its kind in the nation. With ASU Preparatory Academy, the Symphony seeks to develop a model that can be replicated in schools across the state. Results will be measured by an independent evaluator.
Another unique program is One Nation, a partnership between The Phoenix Symphony and the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. Symphony musicians provide private and group music lessons to students during the school day and after school to prepare them for public performance.
The Symphony also partners with the community through its health and wellness programs, promoting physical, mental and social wellness through the healing power of music. These programs reach out to facilities that serve the homeless as well as to hospitals. In a collaboration with the College of Health Solutions Research at Arizona State University College of Nursing and Health Innovation, ASU Herberger Institute of Music and Music Therapy Clinic and Huger Mercy Living Center, which is part of Dignity Health and Barrow Neurological Institute, the Music and Alzheimer’s Memory Research Initiative evaluates the impact of music on individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or other dementias.
