Actual Music

“Actual Music is designed to emphasize the basic joy and fun of music, singing and dance, while improving the child’s social skills, stressing Patience, Respect and Teamwork.”

Shirley Morgenstern, Co-founder of the Cleveland Pops

Overview

Actual Music is a foundational elementary music residency program integrating orchestral music, English language arts, and social-emotional learning through voice, movement, literacy, and basic keyboard skills. Instrument families are introduced while reinforcing phonics, word decoding, and reading comprehension through music vocabulary, read-aloud books, and song. Each session builds sequentially from musical foundations to a culminating class performance where students perform 2–5-note melodies drawn from the Cleveland Pops’ repertoire, on mini pianos. Watch as students build confidence performing “Actual Music.”  * Designed for 2nd grade (adaptable for 1st and 3rd grade)

Residency Length: One homeroom class | 1 visit per week for 6 weekly visits | 45 minutes per session

* Designed for 2nd grade (adaptable for 1st and 3rd grade)

Actual Music Outcomes

By the end of the residency, students will:

Demonstrate appropriate performance and audience behaviors in both ensemble and listening contexts (OLS-FA: Music-2.2CO, SEL-E3.1. a)
Identify and respond to basic musical elements such as tempo and dynamics, using grade-level vocabulary (OLS-FA: Music-2.3RE, 2.4RE)
Recognize how instrument families produce sound and classify instruments by family through grade-level phonics activities (2.3PE, OLS-ELA-RF 2.3, SL.2.2)
Apply phonics and vocabulary skills through music-integrated literacy activities, demonstrating growth from Session 1 ELA pre-assessment to Session 6 post-assessment across four literacy skills (OLS-ELA-RF.2.3, RL.2.4, RI.2.6, SL.2.2)
Participate confidently in a culminating group performance using voice, mini pianos, and movement demonstrating appropriate audience behavior, singing, proper instrument technique and movement (OLS-ELA-2.4PE, 2.1CR, 2.6RE)

Ohio Learning Standards for English Language Arts (OLS-ELA)

Ohio Learning Standards for Fine Arts: Music (OLS-FA: Music)

Social Emotional Learning Standards (SEL)

History

Actual Music was founded in 2009 by the late Shirley Morgenstern, co-founder and longtime President/CEO of the Cleveland Pops Orchestra. Shirley was a professional tap and jazz dancer, choreographer, master class instructor, and owner of Morgenstern Dance Studio, whose love of music, movement, and children drove her to create something lasting. Shirley understood the transformative power of live music and believed every child deserved access to it. She designed Actual Music to bring that world into the elementary classroom, emphasizing the joy of singing, moving, and making music together while building the social skills that make learning possible: patience, respect, and teamwork. Her vision was simple and profound. Music isn’t a subject apart from childhood development; it is childhood development.

Now booking the Actual Music Residency Program for the 2026-27 School Year!

Please complete the form below, and one of our staff members will reach out to you within 1-2 days to discuss how to bring the Actual Music Residency Program to your school.

Questions? Contact Bettyjeane Quimby at 440.671.7386 or bettyjeaneq@clevelandpops.com

Click here to submit inquiry form.