POCATELLO — The soaring sound of rhythmic jazz fills the auditorium at Idaho State University’s Stephens Performing Arts Center as hundreds of fourth-graders watch the Idaho State-Civic Symphony in amazement.

The children rise to their feet in a giant wave to romp and twist, compelled by Century High School dancers who are swing dancing with each other in bare stretches of aisles in the iconic concert hall.

The thundering boom of the percussion and the tinny brass of the horns punctuate the rising crescendo of string and woodwind instruments. The songs, which are a collection of jazz and swing inspired blues beats, perfectly encapsulate the sound of their collective eras.

The musical endeavor is part of Carnegie Hall’s Link Up Program, which provides curriculum to local schools that educate young students in enriching music and art. The students will learn many of the songs in their music programs that will later be part of their symphony experience, seeing and hearing professional live musicians perform them in the Grand Hall of the Stephens Performing Arts Center.

Fourth-graders from across all of Southeast Idaho, including charter, public and private schools, were given the opportunity on the morning of March 7 to visit the Stephens Performing Arts Center and revel in the majesty of the “Orchestra Swings” program, which is one of four iterations of music that the Carnegie Hall Link Up program provides.

In previous years, the orchestra performed the “Orchestra Sings” iteration of the Carnegie Hall program, which had a different musical focus. The program also offers “Orchestra Rocks” and “Orchestra Moves.” This year was all about the moody, off-beat and soulful tunes of jazz through “Orchestra Swings.”

Nell Flanders, conductor and artistic director for the Idaho State-Civic Symphony and assistant professor in the music department at Idaho State University, understands the importance of these music programs.

“‘Orchestra Swings’ is a unique program because it’s a collaboration between the orchestra and jazz septet,” Flanders said. “At ISU, we have an amazing jazz and commercial music program. The singer for this program is Jenna McLean, my colleague, who is the history professor and teacher in the commercial music program. She got together a really great set of students who performed as the jazz band for this show.”

Bradley Gray, who is the choral director at Century High School, is also involved in the program and directs a group of singers who fill the aisles with wild dancing and call-back chants as the orchestra performs jazz classics.

“The Century students have been participating for several years and I think they have a great time,” Flanders said. “There’s just such great energy in this concert with all of the vitality coming from the kids and their enthusiasm. It is wonderful to have the Century singers also be a part of that.”

Through musical inspiration, young elementary school students can be enriched through these programs, planting the seed of musical arts for many that they will seek into adulthood.

“Every fourth-grader in Pocatello gets to experience a live orchestra, they get to experience a genuine grand concert hall which is such an incredible jewel of our community,” Flanders said. “They don’t just get to experience that as passive audience members, but they are participating in the music. It’s both a learning experience and it’s a chance for them to be musicians themselves.”

Flanders continued, “It’s really about the kids. The reason to do this program is to introduce youth to instrumental music, to get them excited about being musicians themselves. This is kind of the first step in a long process. In fifth grade, they also are invited to come to a youth orchestra concert. The Idaho State-Civic Symphony Youth Orchestra performs for all of the fifth-graders and then at that point they select what instrument they’d like to play. The hope is that this gets people excited to play instruments themselves and participate in bands in the orchestras.”

Music for so many people can be uplifting and moving, flooding its listeners with a wide variety of emotions. Every musical note that touches the ears of its devotees can create an outpouring of imagination and inspiration, spurring them to create their own unique art.

For Flanders, that melodious zeal was developed at a young age and she now inspires future generations with her creative spark, igniting their passion for music.

“I grew up in a musical family,” Flanders said. “Everybody in my family plays instruments and sings and it’s been just absolutely central to my own life. I know it’s brought love and connection to other people and inspiration and richness that I would love for everybody. Everybody should have the opportunity to be involved in music and experience the joy that it can bring.”