Not everyone can enjoy a Pacific Symphony performance at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, maybe because of economic or transportation constraints, sensory issues or any number of other barriers.
But for nearly 20 years, a passionate group of musicians has met listeners where they are at, offering concerts through the symphony’s Heartstrings initiative.
In partnership with a range of local schools, social services agencies and nonprofits, quartets of performers play special concerts throughout the year, providing access to music to a broader segment of community, said Mary Hawkes, the symphony’s senior director of community engagement, and customizing performances to meet the needs of their audiences, whether they are younger or older or have special needs.
The program also provides transportation and tickets to thousands of people a year so they can attend a concert at the Segerstrom Hall, she said.
“It is to bring music to those who might not otherwise go,” she said of the program she’s been part of since joining the symphony organization a dozen years ago.
On Wednesday, orchestra members Cheryl Gates, Agnes Gottschewski, Jennise Hwang and Emma Lee performed two sensory-friendly concerts for the students and staff of Del Cerro Elementary School in Mission Viejo.
The sensory-friendly performances the symphony’s quartets offer are designed with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism, in mind, Hawkes said. “The hope is we can connect music with children and families on the autism spectrum in a meaningful way.”
The music is paired with visuals on the screen and often the audiences are offered interesting snippets to listen for ahead of the playing of a piece so they can sing along or otherwise interact.
“There are different ways for the child to follow along and engage,” Hawkes said.
Renee Ramirez-Radabaugh had reached out to Hawkes about bringing a concert to the Mission Viejo campus after her family attended a sensory-friendly concert with the Pacific Symphony last year at the town’s community center.
“All eyeballs were glued to the stage,” Ramirez-Radabaugh said of Wednesday’s concerts, which were divided between younger grades in the first assembly and older grades, including some music students, in the second assembly. “They were just so connected and keyed into the performance.”
The school is full-inclusion, she said, with students with special needs mixed into classes, including her kindergartener Jackson, who is on the autism spectrum.
She’s been able to go to children’s programs at the concert hall with her older daughter, Ava, she said, but “for a child like Jackson, it is not as easy.”
After seeing how enthralled her son was at the concert last year, she wanted to share the opportunity with all of the students at the school, she said, which also includes students from socio-economic backgrounds that might not be able to afford to go to symphony concerts.
“He was just smiling the entire time,” she said of Jackson enjoying Wednesday’s performance. “It was such an amazing experience (for all).”
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