Athens Symphony Orchestra raises $2,240 for Cedar Shoals High School students

More than 60 students from Cedar Shoals High School attended a live performance of the 1931 “Frankenstein” film score on Oct. 25 at The Classic Center Theatre in downtown Athens, after the Athens Symphony Orchestra raised funds to cover their ticket costs.

The symphony performed the original score in sync with a screening of the classic movie.

The opportunity arose after Tara Stuart, the English department chair at Cedar Shoals High School, noticed event promotions while her Advanced Placement Literature students were reading Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel “Frankenstein.”

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Stuart contacted Brad Maffett, conductor and artistic director of the Athens Symphony Orchestra, to ask about student attendance at a dress rehearsal to remove financial barriers.

Instead of hosting a dress rehearsal visit, Maffett organized a fundraising campaign among orchestra members and friends, raising $2,240 to send the students to the live performance.

The donation covered ticket costs for all of Stuart’s AP Literature students, alongside approximately 40 members of the Cedar Shoals High School orchestra.

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Maffett said he immediately felt the need to bring the students to the show.

“When Tara first contacted me, I immediately felt that we needed to find a way to bring these students to the performance,” Maffett said. “The 1931 film is quite different from the novel they were studying and I thought this would be a wonderful opportunity for them to experience the story in a different way. More importantly, I wanted them to experience something truly unique—a live symphony orchestra performing alongside a classic Universal Studios monster movie.”

Maffett met with the high school students surrounding the concert, saying he was “thrilled” to put it together and that he enjoyed meeting the students before and after the performance.

“I had the pleasure of meeting the students before and after the concert and was thoroughly impressed,” Maffett said. “Providing young people with opportunities to experience the arts is incredibly important to me and I hope this is something they will remember for years to come.”

One student said the event helped her compare story elements between mediums.

“From the previous unit we had worked on, I was able to make comparisons with the storyline and the movie and explain how they were different and similar,” Sa-Ida Arnold, a senior in Stuart’s AP Literature class, said. “It stuck with the spooky vibes for Halloween and fall and the overall field with the class was enjoyable.”

Litzy Pinto Mojico, another senior in the AP Literature class, noted how the live performance altered their view of the monster.

“While some things varied between the book and the movie, having the orchestra playing made the experience more interesting and added depth and thrill to an already great movie,” Pinto Mojico said. “It helped us see a different side of Frankenstein’s monster and how he’s interpreted differently.

Pinto Mojico said the group was “super thankful for the amazing experience presented to us by the Athens Symphony Orchestra and most importantly, super grateful for Mr. Maffett” for helping raise the funds needed to share the experience free of charge.

Cedar Shoals music students said they also drew insights from watching the professional ensemble.

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