Meet the maestro

At Extra Crispy Creatives, we believe music education is about far more than learning notes on a page. It’s about storytelling, creativity, collaboration, and helping children discover the power of their own imagination.

Conductor Devin Patrick Hughes recently spoke about the unique magic of orchestral music and why introducing children to symphonic experiences at an early age matters so deeply.

“Music can speak to the higher self in us,” Hughes explained. “It’s a commonality that everybody shares no matter what language you speak or where you come from.”

That philosophy is at the heart of children’s programming initiatives like family concerts, interactive performances, and educational storytelling experiences. Rather than presenting orchestral music as something distant or intimidating, these programs invite young audiences directly into the adventure.

Today’s kids connect naturally to music from films, games, animation, and pop culture. What many don’t realize is how deeply those sounds are connected to the symphonic tradition. By blending classical masterworks with movie music, contemporary styles, humor, and theatrical storytelling, children can experience orchestral music as something alive, exciting, and relevant.

Hughes emphasizes that children do not need formal musical training to connect with great music.

“You don’t need to know anything,” he said. “You don’t need to have played an instrument or taken a music class to get something out of this music.”

Research continues to show that arts education helps children develop creativity, empathy, communication skills, and confidence. Music also teaches teamwork in one of its purest forms: dozens of people listening, collaborating, and creating something larger than themselves in real time.

That spirit of collaboration is central to the mission of Extra Crispy Creatives and projects like The Curious Clues of the Concertmaster, an original children’s concert experience that combines mystery, comedy, rap, storytelling, and orchestral music into an immersive educational adventure.

When children laugh, participate, imagine, and emotionally connect to live music, they are far more likely to carry that love of the arts with them for life.

And that’s the real goal:

not simply teaching children about music,

but helping them experience wonder through it.