In-School Concerts/Petting Zoos

Instrument Discovery and School Outreach

MAPAA brings live classical music directly into Lawrence and Kansas City-area schools through two connected outreach programs designed to build the next generation of musicians and audiences.

For elementary schools, MAPAA presents in-school mini-concerts followed by instrument discovery stations — a "petting zoo" format that lets young students touch, hold, and try the instruments they just heard performed. This hands-on experience transforms passive exposure into active curiosity, giving children the tactile understanding that often sparks a lifelong interest in playing an instrument.

For middle and high school music programs, MAPAA's professional musicians perform in classroom and rehearsal settings, connecting emerging student musicians directly with working professionals. These performances promote MAPAA's season programming to the next generation of concert-goers and Youth Orchestra Festival participants, while giving current music students the rare experience of hearing professional-caliber performance in their own school building.