Symphony for a Broken Orchestra, Amy Ignatow
Symphony for a Broken Orchestra, Amy Ignatow
List: $9.99 | Sale: $7.00
Club: $4.99

Symphony for a Broken Orchestra
How Philadelphia Collected Sounds to Save Music

Author: Amy Ignatow

Narrator: Tyla Collier, Robert Blackson

Unabridged: 8 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 11/01/2022

Synopsis

The schools of Philadelphia were filling up with broken violins, drums, pianos, and more, making it difficult for students to learn to play. This sparked an idea for a symphony, played entirely with the broken instruments, that would raise funds to repair the instruments themselves. Musicians young and old volunteered, and their captivating performance showed that even something broken can sing—and that great music is always possible with a bit of inventiveness and improvisation. Based on real events, this inspiring story introduces young listeners to a range of instruments as it celebrates a community coming together to make a joyful, meaningful noise.

About Amy Ignatow

Amy Ignatow is the author-illustrator of the Popularity Papers series and Mighty Odds trilogy. She lives with her family in Philadelphia.

About Gwen Millward

Gwen Millward is the illustrator of many books for children, including Super Milly and the Super School Day by Stephanie Clarkson. She lives in the United Kingdom.

About Tyla Collier

Tyla Collier is a trained actor, singer, dancer, and audiobook narrator who received her bachelor's degree in musical theater from the Boston Conservatory. She has performed professionally off-Broadway as well as in numerous regional theaters around the country. She currently resides in New York City. For more information, visit TylaCollier.com.

About Robert Blackson

Robert Blackson is the founding director of Temple Contemporary, a research and public-program initiative at Temple University’s Tyler School of Art and Architecture in Philadelphia whose signature projects include Symphony for a Broken Orchestra. A board member of Site Collective, Isle of Skye, Scotland, he previously worked as a curator for Nottingham Contemporary and BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Newcastle/Gateshead. His writings have appeared in monographs and journals.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Andrea on January 12, 2023

Very cool. I had no idea the Broken Orchestra was a thing.......more

Goodreads review by Barbara on October 30, 2022

Colorful, sound-filled, almost musical digital illustrations support a true story about how a community rallied to repair the damaged musical instruments used by budding student musicians. The text is just as lively as the artwork, describing how the city of Philadelphia is filled with all sorts of......more

Goodreads review by Linda on February 25, 2023

No matter how carefully cared for, musical instruments do break for a variety of reasons. Amy Ignatow tells the story of the instruments in the Philadelphia School System in a page-by-page, full-of-sounds way, from saxophones to violins. The back matter tells about Robert Blackson, the artistic dir......more

Quotes

A euphonious and unique look at urban renewal.

Add to Cart
Add to Wish List