On Sunday, April 7, we had a Sensory Friendly Concert at Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, Maryland. In the past, we’ve always had our concerts at Anne Arundel Community College, so this was a new location for us. About 150 people that attended the concert! Our headline performer was The Bulliet Trio, which includes a cello player, a double bass player, and an oboe player. Each member of the trio introduced themselves and their instruments by performing both classical and today’s modern music. Towards the end of the performance, two autistic pianists played a piece. One pianist performed, “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong. The other played a song by DJ Snake and “Hall of Fame” by The Script. Then our new program called Musical Autist Troupe played “High Hopes” by Panic! at the Disco, which was the grand finale.
After the performance, I was interviewed by a reporter from The Baltimore Sun. The reporter asked me questions about music, perfect pitch, and autism. The music therapists that facilitated the concert were also interviewed by a panel discussion comprised of Peabody students. It was very exciting for The Musical Autist to be interviewed at the concert because that has never happened before. The article will be a teaching opportunity for people who have never heard of Sensory Friendly Concerts.
We’re really proud because the article was featured on the FRONT PAGE of the Baltimore Sun last week!
Read the article here: https://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/arts/bs-fe-peabody-sensory-concert-20190325-story.html
Our concert was also featured in an article on Johns Hopkins University’s HUB: https://hub.jhu.edu/2019/04/05/sensory-friendly-concert-autism-spectrum-neurological-differences/
I enjoy going to these concerts because they give me the freedom to be myself without being judged. I feel that I can move and stim in my own space, which is rare in my life. When I am always told to keep still, I feel awkward because it forces me to try to fit in with the rest of the world. When I’m around other people on the spectrum, I feel empowered and supported because we understand each other. This level of understanding is important because it helps us work together effectively and efficiently when we perform music.
The Musical Autist would like to continue having Sensory Friendly Concerts at Peabody Conservatory to reach a bigger and more inclusive audience. Reaching an inclusive audience helps us to fulfill our mission of creating equal access to the fine arts and platforms for advocacy. We will let you know when the next concert will take place at Peabody. If you are interested, please check back on The Musical Autist website for updates and sign up for our newsletter!
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