Peer Ambassadors for Chamber Music (PACMan)

The Peer Ambassadors for Chamber Music (PACMan) program takes place on Friday of the Fischoff Competition weekend. It involves our youngest competitors – ensembles from the Junior Division.

Each year, carefully chosen junior ensembles are invited into area classrooms to present informal performance-workshops for second and third graders. The program’s purpose is to present to little learners a friendly and “real” introduction to chamber music. Since Fischoff junior division competitors are also in school, they make perfect peer-role models for elementary school children who look up to and identify with older students. The performance level of Fischoff junior division ensembles creates an excitement that is a powerful mentoring tool in encouraging young children to pursue music and to consider joining their own school or community band and orchestra programs.

This year’s Peer Ambassadors include:

Aurora Winds, Austin, TX
Breshears String Quartet, San Francisco, CA
Encore Flute Quartet, Crystal Lake, IL
Five Guys Wind Quintet, Washington, D.C.
Halcyon Saxophone Trio, Houston, TX
Lowell Quartet, Gilbert, AZ
Passera Piano Quartet, Chapel Hill, NC
Purple Hippopotami, Chicago, IL
Quid Nunc Saxophone Quartet, San Antonio, TX
Trio Fiammifero, Highwood, IL
Trioscuro, Evanston, IL
Voyageur Trio, Worthington, OH

Schools receiving Peer Ambassadors programs in 2024:

Ballard Elementary, Niles, MI
Clay International Academy, South Bend, IN
Coquillard Elementary, South Bend, IN
Emmons Elementary, Mishawaka, IN
Lasalle Elementary, Mishawaka, IN
Marquette Montessori, South Bend, IN
McKinley Elementary, South Bend, IN
Monger Elementary, Elkhart, IN
Swanson Elementary, South Bend, IN
Waterford Elementary, Goshen, IN
Warren Elementary, South Bend, IN

Major funding for PACMan comes from an endowment established for the program by Barbara Warner. Special thanks to Diane & Nick Entrikin for their generous support of PACMan, along with our gala fund a need contributors. Additional funding is provided by generous annual contributions from our donors and sponsors.

PACMan Activities

2022
In 2022, the following schools participated in the PACMan program:
- Ballard Elementary School, Niles, MI
- Concord South Side Elementary, Elkhart, IN
- Darden Elementary School, South Bend, IN
- Harrison Elementary School, South Bend, IN
- Kennedy Academy, South Bend, IN
- LaSalle Elementary School, Mishawaka, IN
- Marshall Traditional School, South Bend, IN
- Mary Daly Elementary, Elkhart, IN
- St. Joseph Grade School, South Bend, IN
- West Goshen Elementary, Goshen, IN
2021 - Chamber Music Alive!
Fischoff continued to grow its Virtual Education Outreach Program with Chamber Music Alive! in 2021. Fischoff highlighted the diversity of the Junior Division’s instrumentation and musicians to ignite that spark of curiosity in area 2nd through 5th graders as they get ready to choose what instrument they might want to play in middle school. In Chamber Music Alive! Junior Division ensembles put together video interviews that highlight their backgrounds and personal stories. These interactive modules included activities that introduce students to the world of chamber music, its composers, and the instruments these musicians love to play. Fischoff also offered several partner schools the opportunity to participate in live Google Meet video call sessions with our PACMan musicians.

In 2021, the following schools participated the “Mystery Musician” program:
- Battell Elementary School, Mishawaka, IN
- LaSalle Elementary School, Mishawaka, IN
- Northpoint Elementary School, Granger, IN
- Nuner Fine Arts Academy, South Bend, IN
- Prairie View Elementary, Goshen, IN
- Roosevelt STEAM Academy, Elkhart, IN
- West Goshen Elementary School, Goshen, IN
2020 - Mystery Musician

In 2020, with the COVID19 outbreak, Fischoff was disappointed that our live competition in South Bend was canceled due to the CDC recommendations. However, a new format for the competition still occurred, albeit virtually. In light of the nation’s school closings, Fischoff created an online learning experience, Mystery Musician to connect South Bend area elementary students with our talented, young musicians who have advanced to the quarterfinal round of the competition.