Sunday, April 10, 4 PM
Canyon Theatre at the Boulder Library
1001 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder
Join us for a sensory-friendly chamber music concert created especially for families of children on the autism spectrum, presented by the Boulder Phil in collaboration with theBoulder Public Library. While studies show that music, dance and theater profoundly affect children with autism, there are few avenues in our community for these families to experience live arts performances without shame, guilt and fear. But at this concert, it’s OK to be exactly who you are and to experience the immense joys of music in a public setting.
What is a sensory-friendly event? Expect a quieter and more brightly-lit environment, as well as a welcoming attitude from the performers and other audience members that encourages movement and expression. Though the performance is geared towards children living with autism and their families, this event is open to the entire community.
Audience members will be treated to the works of favorite composers like Mendelssohn, Haydn and Dvořák performed by the Boulder Phil String Quartet, with 2014 Temple Grandin Award winner Benjamin Tarasewicz as a guide. The concert runs approximately one hour, and attendees can choose to move in and out of the theater at any point during the performance in order to access adjacent gallery, library and outdoor spaces.
Read the Daily Camera article about the series: Boulder County kids with autism inspire series of sensory-friendly concerts
Music Director Michael Butterman said he hopes the sensory-friendly show will become a reoccurring event for the Boulder Phil. “This fits into the larger aim of the Boulder Phil, which is to be more things to more people and to share what we do with a wider swath of the community,” he said.
“Music is for everybody – or it should be.”
~9-year-old sibling of a child on the autism spectrum