In the summer of 2015, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra pulled together a team of teachers from across a number of counties to produce curriculum materials for the BSO’s Midweek Concert series.  The team included three teachers from River Hill High School, Mr. Greg Clark, Ms. Caro Appel, and Mr. Richard McCready. 
 
Mr. Clark worked with the BSO to create incredibly inspiring arts-integrated lesson ideas that wove together music and science.  Ms. Appel provided insight into visual arts, and collaborated on the design of the materials and overall arts integrated approach.  Ms. Appel also wrote the materials about the BSO’s Centennial, a unique compendium that accompanied each of the four guides.  Mr. McCready was the facilitator for the week, and as facilitator, Mr. McCready selected the team of teachers, directed the team throughout the writing process, sculpted the overall structure of the lessons, and then edited every lesson with an immense eye for detail while ensuring that each lesson built upon the next to produce a genuinely impactful resource for teachers and students.
 
The feedback we have received about all four of these guides that Mr. Clark, Ms. Appel, and Mr. McCready helped to develop for us has been glowing. They have been regarded as some of the best guides the BSO has ever provided for educators.  They have been praised by Ken Skrzesz, Coordinator of Fine Arts for the Maryland State Department of Education as “progressive, accessible, and exciting.”  We are also receiving very positive feedback from teachers from across the state that these guides are “excellent” “incredible” and “easy to use and provide many good ideas.”  One educator also commented: “I have been looking at BSO guides since 1997 and worked in arts integration for a long time- these were some of the best I've ever seen.”
 
Mr. Clark, Ms. Appel, and Mr. McCready are extraordinary educators, full of creativity, originality, and thoughtful curriculum writers.  Their work on these guides has helped to create truly meaningful, educational, arts-integrated and STEAM-activated experiences for hundreds of teachers and thousands of students across the state. Mr. Clark, Ms. Appel, and Mr. McCready are truly gems and curriculum leaders in our state.
 

Annemarie Guzy
Director of Education
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra