The Children's Troupe, Auricolae (Latin for 'Little Ears"), was founded in 2001 and has performed for thousands of young people of all backgrounds. Audience participation and non-spoken means of communication are hallmarks of the presentations. The goal is to get young people thinking about different ways to tell a story; actual words are just one piece of a puzzle. You can tell a story without speaking by letting the music speak for itself and hearing how music invokes feelings and thoughts.

Auricolae is an active supporter of new music and constantly in the process of commissioning works for violin, cello and narrator.

Auricolae activities take two forms:

Assemblies

A typical program is forty-five minutes to an hour. Repertoire is fitted to the age group and life experiences of the audience and can be changed at a moment’s notice.

Residencies

Residencies involve multiple school visits, usually between four and eight times and have a strong literacy component. After seeing an Auricolae performance, students of all ages (including pre-school) create their own story/libretto and, over the course of multiple visits, explore how to set their own story to music. This
residency can also have an arts and craft element with students making sets and props. The final concert
involves the students in a semi-theatrical performance reading text and music they wrote themselves.