According to conservatory officials, all the activity is a result of the ’’continuum’’ model. Implemented largely by Kathy Czerny, who became the conservatory’s president in 2006, the model consists of interconnected clusters of programs geared to specific age groups. The result is a cohesive learning track that enables students — from infants to the elderly — to take classes or join groups regardless of skill level.
’’When we first started programming, we wanted [the students] to feel like they were a part of something larger than just coming in for a lesson and going home,’’ said Elaine Sorrentino, communications director and a kindergarten teacher at the conservatory.
The South Shore Conservatory was created when it branched off from the New England Conservatory in the 1960s. Initially, the staff focused on private instruction, and over time, more programs were added. But in 2006, enrollment was declining, and the group knew it had to do something to further invest their students in the programs.
Czerny arrived from the Music School in Providence, where enrollment quadrupled during her tenure as executive director. She set out to do the same at the conservatory, starting with the younger generation.
’’We started thinking about how do we grow our base, how do we make sure families understand the need for a music and arts education for their children, and thinking about that we needed a stronger childhood program than we had,’’ Czerny said.
The Music Together class, which introduces toddlers and their parents to the arts, was created, bringing 200 new families into the conservatory. At that point, it was about next steps.
