This is an art contest for grades K-8, presented by the Jackson Symphony League with partners, LeBonheur Children’s Hospital and Aeneas Internet & Telephone.

The finalists’ art is displayed at the Jackson location of LeBonheur Children’s Hospital lobby and will remain so until we crown our next year’s winners.

West Tennessee area K-8th graders have the opportunity to listen to classical music and interpret works visually. Art work is judged by a panel of local artists and musicians. Winners of selected entries are presented awards at a reception at the Carl Perkins Civic Center in April. More than 6,000 students were participants in the project last spring.

The goals of the project are:

• To provide an opportunity for listening to and visually interpreting classical music
• To increase awareness of the Jackson Symphony
• To encourage appreciation of symphonic music by young people

Beginning in 1998, this project has been conducted in classrooms of participating schools in West Tennessee counties and has included public, private, and home school groups. Nearly 6,000 students have listened to and visually interpreted selections by famous composers. Each school that participates selects entries to represent their school based on their total number of participants. Over four hundred entries are sent to the Symphony League for the final judging. From these finalists, four top awards are chosen and receive the Jackson Symphony Award as well as a cash prize. The Color of Music is a successful program for the children of West Tennessee due to the dedication of these fine teachers.