Nearly 800 sixth-graders in the Lompoc Unified School District (LUSD) will have the opportunity to hear the symphonic folk tale for children, “Peter and the Wolf,” performed by the Lompoc Pops Orchestra during a district-wide field trip Jan. 27.

The program will feature two local artists Mark Herrier, actor and executive director of the Lompoc Theater, as The Narrator, and Brian Asher Alhadeff, artistic director and conductor, who leads the Lompoc Pops Orchestra.

The field trip was made possible by Julia Anderson, director of bands at Lompoc High School and Lompoc Pops Orchestra Board member who dedicated seven years of fundraising, planning, and coordination to the event.

Support also comes from donations from Anderson, Diana and Douglas Ludden, Maureen Tolson, and Christiana Wagner.

“This event makes me so excited for what’s to come in our district,” said Jackalynn Snow, Visual and Performing Arts Program specialist for LUSD. “Arts are not extra for students. They are part of what makes us human, and every child deserves access to amazing experiences like this.

“I am thankful that this concert will be a building block for more professional arts opportunities for nearly 800 students.”

Megan Evans, Los Berros Visual and Performing Arts Academy principal, said she sees the positive impact of the arts for her students every day.

“Research has shown that arts education contributes to improved creativity and confidence, better mental health and emotional stability, and increased academic achievement in our youth,” Evans said.

“Opportunities to attend live performances, such as the Lompoc Pops Orchestra concert, further develops appreciation and knowledge of music for our students, and inspires future musicians to play instruments themselves,” Evans said.

“Arts need to be a ‘right’ for children, and not a ‘privilege,’ said Asher Alhadeff. “It’s my goal that every child leaves public school having experienced ‘Peter and the Wolf.’

“Giving the gift of live music to children is the most important job every professional musician owes back to the world.”