Photos courtesy of Jack Garner and Robert Sohovich
Symphony performances aren’t for the fidgety. They aren’t for the loud, or the hyperactive, or those who prefer stretching out and relaxing to sitting attentively.
Mental illness can often bar those who would otherwise be symphony connoisseurs. But the New Albany Symphony Orchestra refused to accept that, and now, it offers such audiences an alternative, pushing the envelope of what it looks like to go to the symphony and wiping out the exclusivity.
The orchestra’s 2016-17 season features the brand-new Saturday at the Symphony Series at the Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts in New Albany. The series includes three shows tailored to those who seek a more relaxed symphonic experience.
The series is inclusive to all, but Heather Garner, founder and executive director of the orchestra, worked specifically with the Autism Society of Central Ohio and Methodist Eldercare to cater the performances to those on the autism spectrum or with Alzheimer’s disease.
“For many families with young children or children on the spectrum – or even families with a loved one struggling with dementia – attending a concert can create a lot of unneeded stress,” says Garner. “During these concerts, audience members can feel free to get up a move around, talk and bring your own reinforcements and motivational systems.”
(C)ROBERT SOHOVICH
Other than the freedom to get up, stretch out and make noise, ticketholders should expect each of the three performances to be no longer than an hour, and the shows will include dancers to add a visual element.
The symphony’s first dip into the world of sensory-friendly performances was during its 2015-16 season, when it put on a sensory-friendly production of Peter and the Wolf. The show was a hit.
“I think Saturday at the Symphony will attract new families into our community,” says Garner. “Because this is a somewhat new initiative, we have noticed people are traveling quite a distance for this experience.”
The orchestra was able to add the series to its schedule thanks to a PNC Arts Alive grant. The grant is awarded to groundbreaking productions around central Ohio, and the grant the orchestra won is its fourth.
“PNC has been an incredible partner to the New Albany Symphony in allowing us to dream big and make a difference through the arts,” says Garner.
Though music therapy is no new concept, it has been growing in popularity as of late. For skeptics, the National Board of Medical Examiners recently created a board certification for music therapists, legitimizing board-certified music therapists as MT-BCs (Music Therapy-Board Certified). The orchestra’s groundbreaking series plays off the fact that music is hugely beneficial.
Either for therapeutic reasons, relaxation or just because one likes the symphony, the orchestra and Garner aim to make the symphony a more inclusive, accepting and relaxing place.
“Music is powerful,” says Garner. “It can be healing, rejuvenating and inspiring, and I want everyone to be able to experience it without barriers.”
Amanda DePerro is an assistant editor. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
Dec. 17: Santa and the Symphony
11:30 a.m., tickets $16
Santa and the Symphony is a Christmas-minded performance in which the Jolly Old Elf himself will join orchestra conductor Luis Biava on stage.
March 11: Take Me Out to the Ballgame
11:30 a.m., tickets $7
Ticketholders are invited to wear baseball jerseys, and can arrive early for an orchestra instrument petting zoo and Cracker Jacks in the lobby. Lovers of America’s favorite pastime will listen to the 1888 classic by Earnest Thayer, “Casey at the Bat.”
April 29: H2O
11:30 a.m., tickets $7
The orchestra emulates the peaceful sounds of water in a performance featuring Johan Strauss II’s “Blue Danube Waltz,” George Frideric Handel’s “Water Music” and Gioachino Rossini’s “William Tell Overture.”
For All Ages
Representatives of Methodist ElderCare Services, New Albany Symphony Orchestra, VSA Ohio and The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center pose after annnouncing a partnership on Newsradio WMNI. Photo courtesy of Methodist ElderCare Services
Methodist ElderCare Services was inspired to be involved with Saturday at the Symphony because of the opportunities the series affords to the seniors it serves, particularly those with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
The nonprofit’s soon-to-be-expanded presence in New Albany is all the more reason to support the series, says CEO Peg Carmany. Wesley Woods at New Albany, a continuing care retirement community focused on active, independent living, is slated to be fully open in summer 2017, with the first eight villas opening in January.
Residents there, as at affiliated Methodist ElderCare facilities Wesley Glen and Wesley Woods, are likely to include many longtime music aficionados, Carmany says.
“But the real benefit will be for our residents with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, who are oftentimes beautifully brought alive by music,” she says. “The format of these concerts – shorter and during daytime hours – will benefit residents from all our campuses.”
Learn more at www.wesleyatnewalbany.com.
Garth Bishop is managing editor. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
