Roberts Elementary School’s halls and classrooms were filled with music from local artists during its inaugural Music on the Move event hosted by the school’s Parent Teacher Association.

The week-long event gave students a chance to be exposed to live musical performances, said PTA President Mary McDonald.

McDonald, who organized the event, brought in performers last week and accompanied them to different classrooms as they played mini concerts, around three minutes each, for the children.

“It introduces students to new instruments and live performances,” she said.

The PTA invited parents and other residents with musical talents to perform at the event, McDonald said. They hosted 11 performers playing different instruments. Instruments included a ukulele, a Hawaiian string instrument; guitar; electric guitar; piano; mandolin, an eight-string instrument shaped like a small guitar; cajon, a wooden box used as a drum and makes a variety of sounds; flute; cello; violin; and banjo.

An opera singer also was featured.

“We have about two [performers] a day,” she said.

Each performer went to the majority of classrooms, McDonald said.

The students have music classes, but do not get much introduction to live music until they reach the sixth grade, when they can take band classes, she said.

“We just do not know how often kids are exposed to live music,” McDonald said.

Taylor McAllister and Brent Huckaby, members of Hope Church in Dallas, performed on mandolin and the cajon on Feb. 12.

“We are pretty passionate about the arts,” McAllister said.

Both enjoyed performing for the students, they said. It was also a treat to be able to play for the classes, which had youth members from their church in them, Huckaby said.

“It is nice to show them there is more than what they hear on the radio,” he said.

After performing they quizzed the children on what the instruments were called, since most were not familiar with them. They also took questions from the students.

“I hope they got the feeling that music is fun,” Huckaby said.

The PTA was using this event to lead up to the school’s biannual Festival of the Arts last Friday which showcased music, dance and other art forms.

This daylong event allowed the students to rotate between lessons about the arts. Also the students, faculty and staff were encouraged to dress as their favorite storybook characters.