Interactive Elementary School Music Program
Created by Callan Milani
Students grades 3 – 5 join Sound and Silence
on an interactive journey to answer the question:
What is music?
Program Goals
Foster music appreciation
Students listen with curiosity.
Develop music literacy
Students comprehend music with specific terminology.
Create community
Students perform alongside the orchestra at the culminating concert.
Click for more information about Sound and Silence at the San Diego Symphony!
Meet Silence!
A quiet bubble child from the Niente Nebula learns to be heard.
Meet Sound!
A rowdy musician from the Crash Cluster promotes his interstellar musical.
What People Say
The San Diego Symphony uses Sound and Silence to teach elementary school students about music.
6,000 elementary school students took part in a world-class musical performance with the San Diego Symphony at the Rady Shell.
"Callan’s approach focuses on activating the listener's imagination while staying grounded in learning the fundamental building blocks of music. Through Sound and Silence Callan builds a universe for us to learn how to listen to the music and each other."
— Laura Reynolds, VP of Impact and Innovation
San Diego Symphony
“Sound and Silence is a game changer for helping young listeners understand how music works. The use of fun characters, animations, incredible musical examples, and the adaptability of the program to fit just about any situation has made it a great way to connect with students just beginning their own musical adventure.”
— Dan Howard, Director of Operations & Education
National Repertory Orchestra
“I’m so thankful that Sound and Silence found its way to us. As an advocate for putting the ‘A’ (Arts) into the popular and trendy ‘STEM,’ I'm a strong believer that Sound and Silence is a powerful artistic presentation; an amazing tool for building a love of music and fine art in the minds of children.”
— Crystal Noe, Children’s Librarian
Little Tokyo Branch Library
"Sound and Silence is entertaining, informative, innovative, and creative. I believe that it offers a fresh and modern approach to music which will enable children to understand and connect with it through engaging stories."
— Dr. Mallory Thompson, Professor of Music and Director of Bands
Northwestern University
"Your performance of Sound and Silence very nearly brought tears to my eyes."
— Marla Frazee, Children's Literature Author and Illustrator
Three Time Caldecott Honors Recipient
The Sound and Silence Animatic
Sound and Silence’s adventure with movement!
Music is Sound and Silence
Experience Sound and Silence
for Brass Quintet, String Quartet, or Woodwind Quintet.
Brass Quintet
Sound and Silence for Brass Quintet features music from:
Malcom Arnold Quintet No.1 for Brass
Kevin McKee Escape
String Quartet
Sound and Silence for String Quartet features music from:
Jessie Montgomery Strum
Ludwig Van Beethoven String Quartet No. 8 in E minor
Woodwind Quintet
Sound and Silence for Woodwind Quintet features music from:
David Maslanka Quintet for Winds No. 3
Paquito D'Rivera Aires Tropicales
Sound and Silence
Shatter the Symphony!
Learn about the orchestra, but first, let’s shatter it!
Directed, Written, Illustrated, and Edited by Callan Milani
Sound and Silence perform with orchestra and SHATTER it!
Performed and recorded with the Boise Philharmonic.
Sound and Silence premiered with the Boise Philharmonic in 2022.
The elementary school music program was shared with
200 educators and 12,000 children across the state of Idaho.
Thank You!
I hope Sound and Silence brought you joy!
If you wish to contact me, please email me at milankalani@gmail.com