San Diego, CA
The San Diego Symphony uses Sound and Silence to teach elementary school students about music
There is a special San Diego Symphony concert coming to the Rady Shell next month.
It will include two performances by professional musicians, with some help from hundreds of elementary school students.
The students in grades three through five are currently in the middle of a nine-week curriculum that features animated characters named “Sound” and “Silence.”
“Sound and Silence are these two (animated) characters who meet in their (musical) universe,” said Stephan Salts, the San Diego Symphony’s Director of Learning and Leadership.
“Sound is really energetic. He can sing high-pitches and low-pitches. He can play music with a really fast or slow tempo. And, Silence’s character is kind of shocked by all this new knowledge,” Salts said.
Two-hundred fifteen students at Sandburg Elementary in Mira Mesa are learning from Sound and Silence lessons. The curriculum also includes interactive videos with symphony musicians. On a recent visit, the woodwind quintet performed live in the school’s multi-purpose room.
Max Opferkuch played the clarinet, an instrument he admitted he stumbled on.
“I thought it looked cool, and I was able to get a sound out of it right away. That is not the case for most of the other instruments,” Opferkuch said.
The quintet’s instruments also include the bassoon, horn, flute, and oboe.
The musicians played for students and answered questions that included everything from how many years it takes to master an instrument to what they can expect to make in an annual salary as a professional.
Opferkuch said, “It’s little opportunities like this that might seem like not much, but they do plant a seed in the kids’ heads.”
The in-person concert at Sandburg Elementary supplements the online curriculum that culminates with a concert at the Rady Shell on April 19.
More than 5,000 students from schools around the county are registered for two performances that day, to join the Symphony using their new knowledge — and their bodies as percussion instruments.
Stephan Salts said it is the ultimate in interactive learning.
“They are learning this whole pattern of claps, snaps, and drum rolls on the lap. (The student participation) occurs on a very rhythmic piece that the symphony will open with.”
The collaboration of the Sound and Silence lesson plans with professional musicians online and in-person helps teach students about music concepts like pitch, melody, and tempo.
“I learned that the tempo can be fast, like really fast,” said Dexter Dang, 9, a Sandburg fourth-grade student who’s already played some piano. But it’s the cello he’s working with now. He said Sound and Silence have inspired him to keep on learning.
“I want to try out other instruments and then maybe go back to the cello or stay with whatever I (decide) I like,” he said.
His classmate Aziza DeNevares, 10, is more certain about her future in music. She’s tried the flute, but her creative heart is elsewhere.
“My big passion is guitar. I love it. So, I want to be a guitarist when I grow up,” she said.
Riza Eusebio teaches a class of 29 fourth-graders who will perform at the Rady Shell. Besides the required instruction of core subjects, she makes time on Fridays for independent creativity time. That includes time to practice an instrument.
“It’s important for them to know the creative arts is a profession and it’s definitely something to consider,” Eusebio said.
The Sound and Silence program is for students at any level of familiarity with music.
Salts said, “(the program works) if they already play an instrument at their school or even if their school (doesn’t have) a music program at all or if this is just brand new to them for them. Maybe they’ve never even heard a recording of a symphony orchestra before.”
“It’s important for them to know the creative arts is a profession and it’s definitely something (for students) to consider.”
Riza Eusebio, 4th grade teacher at Sandburg Elementary School
The San Diego Symphony’s first morning performance on Friday, April 19 at The Rady Shell is at capacity. However, there are still seats for more students and educators to attend the performance at noon.
Students should be in grades three, four and five, and educators can register to attend using the “Register Now” button.
San Diego Symphony school programs are free for all participants. Transportation is not included.
Here is some of the dining news from across San Diego County, as well as some upcoming events for foodies.
Cala café opens in La Jolla: From 6 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Amy de Leon will host the grand opening of her new restaurant Cala La Jolla Café in La Jolla’s historic Arcade building. Cala will offer what she calls an “omakase” coffee and matcha experience, breakfast and lunch menus and fresh-made pastries. De Leon, a real estate agent, also owns a coffee shop on the UC San Diego campus. 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. 7910 Girard Ave., La Jolla. 858-333-8610, calalajolla.com.
Board & Brew opens in Midway District: This sandwich-and-draft beer quick-service restaurant chain has opened a new location near the USS Midway Museum. Founded in 1979, the company now dozens of locations in California, Arizona and Texas. Shop hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. 825 N. Harbor St., Suite 109, San Diego. boardandbrew.com.
Vincenzo debuts pasta program: Vicenzo Cucina & Lounge in Little Italy has introduced an in-house pasta program powered by its new artisan pasta-making machine that guests can see churning out different varieties of pasta in the restaurants’ front window. The handmade pasta wil be served with lunch and dinner entrées. 550 W. Date St., Suite A, San Diego. vincenzosd.com
Urban Plates new summer menu: Urban Plates, with 22 locations statewide including Carlsbad, Del Mar and La Jolla, has unveiled new drinks and dishes this month for its summer menu. New dishes include a BBQ jalapeño cheesebuger, Southwest grilled chicken salad and a superfood grilled chicken salad. There’s also a new lineup of refreshing fruit-based “cooloer” drinks priced at $4.50. They include strawberry basil lemonade, pineapple coconut lime, organic lemonade and dragon fruit and strawberry. urbanplates.com
Del Mar festival lineup announced: This year’s Del Mar Wine & Food Festival, returning with seven events Sept. 30 through Oct. 3, has unveiled some of the culinary headliners who will be cooking at the event. They are Michelin-starred chef Drew Deckman; cookbook author and TV food show judge Aarti Sequeira; Camelback Mountain executive chef Beau MacMillan; “Top Chef” victor and now chef/co-owner of Huson in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood, Buddha Lo; cookbook author and Weelicious.com media platform founder Catherine McCord; L.A.-based chef Jackson Kalb; Pei Wei culinary executive, Food Network host and contestant and cookbook author Jet Tila; Clutch Chicken restaurang group founder and TV cooking show contestant Kelsey Murphy; chef, author TV personality and Morph Hospitality Group co-founder Maneet Chauhan; and James Beard-nominated chef of the Colorado restaurant Mawa’s Kitchen, Mawa McQueen. Tickets are now on sale at delmar.wine
Lion’s Share + Animae family-style collab: On July 9, two downtown restaurants will collaborate on ANIMAENIACS, a family-style dinner for parties of six. The Lion’s Share chef Dante Romero and Animae chef Tara Monsod will create a multicourse meal that draws on Romero’s Mexican heritage and Monsod’s Filipino heritage. The all-inclusive meal will include three beverages per person including cocktails, beer or non-alcoholic, and an after-party. Seatings are available at 5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. July 9. $1,080 for a party of six. The Lion’s Share, 629 Kettner Blvd., San Diego. Reservations at exploretock.com/the-lions-share-san-diego.
Tiki Oasis returns: The annual Tiki Oasis convention, which takes place each summer at the Town & Country Resort in Mission Valley, has announced its 2026 dates and theme. This year’s 26th convention, titled “Psychadelic Tiki,” will run Aug. 5-9. This year’s convention will include an art exhibition, more than 40 seminars, a 150-vendor marketplace, live entertainment and more. There will also be a sunset luau dinner at The Catamaran Resort. Details at tikioasis.com.
Pam Kragen, Union-Tribune
The San Diego State Aztecs are exuding a vibe that is catching recruits’ attention both on and off the field.
The latest is Travon Garrison, a 1,000-yard receiver at Damien High in La Verne, who announced his commitment to the Aztecs on Tuesday afternoon.
“I thank God for this opportunity. Grateful to all the coaches who helped me through this process. I’m excited to announce my commitment to San Diego State University!” he posted on X.
On3.com posted a picture of Garrison, some family members and SDSU coach Sean Lewis at Snapdragon Stadium. Garrison is wearing sunglasses and a sign in the picture reads, “Speed Limit None,” with the interlocking SD logo forming the “S” in Speed.
Why Travon Garrison committed to SDSU
“I’ve been on campus at San Diego State a lot,” Garrison said in an interview with on3.com. “Every time I go, I feel more comfortable, more at home. The city of San Diego is great, there’s a lot to do, the weather is nice and it feels like a place I can see myself living and growing in for the next few years.”
He added that he “really clicked well” with wideouts coach Matthew Middleton, and that he thinks he will “fit in really well with the offense. It’s very similar to what we run at Damien, so I feel comfortable with it and believe it will allow me to play fast and showcase my strengths.”
BREAKING: La Verne (Calif.) Damien WR Travon Garrison has committed to San Diego State and broke down why he chose the Aztecs
“Everything about SDSU, the coaches and the environment made it the right place for me.”
Intel: https://t.co/GW6CDqLW6Y pic.twitter.com/e2YajRQjGy
— Greg Biggins (@GregBiggins) June 23, 2026
The 6-foot, 185-pound Garrison told the recruiting website that it was a tough decision after making official visits to SDSU and Washington State, which is part of the reconfigured Pac-12 that the Aztecs will officially join on July 1.
“I had to think about what was best for me, but in the end San Diego State felt like home,” Garrison told on3.com. “Everything about the program, the coaches, and the environment made it the right place for me.”
The three-star had an impressive list of offers that, besides SDSU and WSU, included bids from Kansas, UCLA, Washington, Utah, West Virginia and Colorado State.
As a junior, he had 46 passes for 978 yards and 13 touchdowns. He had four 100-yard games and one three-touchdown game.
How Garrison could fit in at SDSU
Garrison is at least the fifth wideout from the class of 2027 to commit to the Aztecs, which should make for some lively competition a year from now.
The Aztecs currently have an intriguing wide receiver room. Although the group was hit by injuries last year, when the Aztecs had an impressive turnaround season that ended with a 9-4 record, they do return all three starters and their top four pass catchers.
The most eye-catching development in spring was when Bert Emanuel Jr. switched from backup quarterback to wide receiver. That will allow him to showcase his big-play skills while sharing the field with returning starting quarterback Jayden Denegal. They are both seniors.
The wideout corps is senior-heavy.
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