FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Carolina Schwarz

Voices For Children Foundation

Tel: 305.324.5678 ext. 12

Children in foster care are introduced to the wonders of an orchestra

March 16, 2007- Miami, FL- A collaboration between The Cleveland Orchestra and Voices For Children Foundation, the fundraising arm of the 11th Judicial Circuit Guardian Ad Litem Program, gave over thirty children in foster care a once in a lifetime opportunity to learn, enjoy, and come close to a world renowned orchestra. On March 14, Cleveland Orchestra horn player Hans Clebsch, narrator Maryann Nagel, and New World Symphony fellow Ciro Foderé presented Musical Rainbows, part of a program to introduce children to the instruments of the orchestra.

His House Children’s Home served as location for this stop of The Cleveland Orchestra’s Musical Rainbows Program, which introduces children to the instruments of the orchestra, one at a time by using storytelling, demonstrations, and musical selections. On this occasion, the Orchestra presented The Happy Horn, which introduces children to the French horn. During the Rainbow, Hans Clebsch invited the foster care children to take an up-close look at the French horn, while Maryann Nagel’s sweet demeanor invited children to be active participants in this musical journey.

Voices For Children’s collaboration with The Cleveland Orchestra responds to the organization’s strong commitment to the arts and to improving the lives of the abused, abandoned, and neglected children served by Miami-Dade’s Guardian Ad Litem Program. Musical Rainbows comes in the midst of a series of artistic workshops Voices For Children is organizing for the foster children served by the GAL Program. The workshops, which range from photography to even glass blowing, are aimed at allowing abused, abandoned, and neglected children to canalize their frustration and despair in a positive manner while building their self-esteem.

The mission of Voices For Children Foundation is to raise funds to ensure that every abused, abandoned, and neglected child in Miami-Dade County has a court appointed Guardian Ad Litem to represent their best interests in court and that financial assistance and other resources are available to meet their needs. There are approximately 4,000 children in court proceedings who need representation, with the Guardian Ad Litem advocating for nearly 72% of them at any given time. Be a Voice, visit www.voices4.org.

###