My favorite experiences with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra center on the innovative education programs, which reach an astouding number of children each year. As I am a firm believer in music education and its proven benefits, I am delighted each time I get to witness a child’s first experience with orchestral music. The Music and Meditation program, presented by the NHSO and composer Jin Hi Kim, had an immediate and profound effect on each child it touched. I was grateful to bear witness to these effects. It’s not every day one gets to watch a class of rowdy middle school children meditate peacefully and quietly. The look of concentration on their faces is something I won’t soon forget.