Muskegon’s West Michigan Symphony takes Click Clack Moosic to Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital

MUSKEGON, MI – Aug. 12, 2015, West Michigan Symphony’s Director of Education and Community Outreach, Karen Vander Zanden, has spent close to a decade creating music education programs for youth. This fall she will bring the newest program she created, called Click Clack Moosic, to Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids, MI.


Vander Zanden oversees the organization’s educational programs for youth which also include the West Michigan Symphony Children’s Choir, the Instrument Petting Zoo and, in cooperation with Carnegie Hall, the Link Up recorder program.


This fall Vander Zanden will take Click Clack Moosic to Grand Rapids’ Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. A musical story time program for families, Click Clack Moosic is normally presented at the Symphony’s smaller performance space, The Block, in downtown Muskegon. Like many of the Symphony’s educational programs, Click Clack Moosic is also built to move. In the past year the program has traveled to Muskegon’s Lakeside Elementary school and the Muskegon Farmer’s Market.


“Community engagement is important to the mission of the West Michigan Symphony. Education programs such Click Clack Moosic help us connect with and support our community,” stated Vander Zanden. “We are happy we can bring this engaging, kid-friendly program to Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital.”


Click Clack Moosic is an interactive children’s concert series using the “Click Clack Moo,” series of books by Doreen Cronin. The program invites children and their families to participate in a live musical story time event where children have the opportunity to meet professional musicians and learn about basic music concepts. The music was specifically written for the program by Phil Popham, a professional musician based in Los Angeles and West Michigan Symphony’s principal oboe player.


The Click Clack Moosic programs, complete with red barn backdrop and professional Symphony musicians, will travel to Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital on three dates, Sept. 29, Oct. 22 and Nov. 19. The three programs are called Click Clack Moosic! What are Dynamics? Giggle Giggle Quackle! What is Tempo? and Dooby Dooby Moosic! What is Pitch?


For more information about the West Michigan Symphony, its concerts and the educational programs it provides, go to
westmichigansymphony.org.

Michigan Arts & Culture Council
National Endowment for the Arts