On a Sunday morning in November, I had an experience that was unique to say the least. In the company of hundreds of children and their parents, I attended a concert by the Orchester symphonique de Montréal (OSM) intended to introduce little ones to classical music.
You will tell me that we have been doing this for ages. But this one was special in that it brought together neuro-atypical children, many of whom live with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This is the first time that the OSM has held such an event in its concert hall (the previous Thursday, the same concert had been presented to school children).
This experience, nicely baptized OSMose, is the fruit of several years of preparation. In fact, it was born from the observation of a music therapist from Saint-Étienne school, Nathalie Leroux, who found that the OSM’s youth concerts were great, but that they were not adapted to reality. children with ASD, attention disorders or any impairment.
It’s not easy to bring a neuro-atypical child into an environment where the codes are very strict regarding silence and behavior.
And if there is an area where this is the case, it is that of classical music. So how do you offer the experience of a concert to neuro-atypical children while allaying their fears and anxieties?
Mélanie Moura, head of youth programming and mediation at the OSM, has taken on this task. She first went to see how some orchestras in Ottawa and Toronto offer what are called “relaxed concerts”, or “relaxed performances”. She then consulted with professionals who have expertise with children with special needs.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
The concert format is adapted to the reality of children living with an ASD.
In 2018, a first concert took place with OSM musicians in a school context. But since the ultimate goal is to get the child to live this intramural experience, that is to say at the Maison symphonique, we decided to take the plunge.
“The idea was to help the children, but also those around them, to overcome challenges,” explains Mélanie Moura. It is important to emphasize that the OSM team imagined this event based on children with special needs, but also neurotypical children. It was important to keep the inclusive aspect in all of this.
While the content of the program resembles that of other youth concerts offered by the OSM, the setting is very different. Light is maintained in the room throughout the concert, the doors remain open, “appeasement rooms” equipped with cushions are created on each floor and, in the center of the room, a large carpet is laid out to allow children who wish to move or dance to do so. At the entrance to the room, noise muffs are given to children who are afraid of harsh sounds.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
Noise-canceling shells are provided for children for whom sounds can be irritating.
It was fascinating to discover the thousand and one details that accompanied this event. For example, on the OSM website, we published an access guide that explained to children what the route they were going to take to get to the Maison symphonique looked like, depending on whether they came by metro or in the family car.
The purpose of this experience is to bring the child to discover classical music in its environment in order to give him the taste to come back later. “We hope that its adaptability will then be easier, continues Mélanie Moura. During the preparation, we had the idea of allowing the children to eat and drink. We put this initiative aside, because it is not something that the child will find later. »
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
Children could express themselves freely, especially through dancing; however, our columnist was generally surprised by the quality of their listening.
This experience caught the attention of some researchers, including Cassiea Sim, a student in the School/Applied Child Psychology program at McGill University. The young woman is very interested in the social issues surrounding autistic children. “As an autistic person myself, I am aware that we perceive the world differently. The question of inclusion is therefore at the heart of my concerns. »
Cassiea Sim took advantage of the concert to conduct a survey which should allow her to better understand how this experience was received, both by the school environment and by the general public who came on Sunday morning.
This Sunday morning in November, I saw smiling, playful children. Some were probably a little anxious, but they were mostly very curious.
I think of this little guy who went to everyone to find out if Rafael (he only used his first name) would be there.
Rather, it was Thomas Le Duc Moreau who conducted the orchestra in short excerpts from works by Prokofiev, Grieg, Saint-Saëns, Beethoven and many others. No need to tell you that the Harry Potter theme, by John Williams, was the highlight of the concert.
Each section of the orchestra was identified by a color of t-shirt worn by the musicians. Orange for percussion, blue for brass, green for woodwinds and purple for strings.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
To keep the children’s attention, the OSM musicians wore t-shirts of different colors, which made it possible to distinguish the various sections of the orchestra at a glance.
Charles Lafortune, whose commitment to the Autistic & Major Foundation is as sincere as it is sustained, hosted the concert. A character nicknamed Octave appeared on a screen to submit questions to the children. The director Michel-Maxime Legault had even provided two dance teachers to make us move a little.
Of course it was squealing, it was gesticulating and it was a bit fussy, but all that was not very serious for adults or for musicians. In fact, I was rather surprised at the listening quality.
During the concert, I observed a lot of parents, grandparents, godparents who had brought a child. I saw no trace of stress on their faces. For once, no one had the damn fear that their child would disturb everyone.
The OSM wants to bring this formula back next season. I was also told that elements of the OSMose experience were going to be incorporated into regular youth concerts.
At the end of the concert, Charles Lafortune said to the adults present: “Very often, we have the impression of driving on the service road. This morning we were all on the highway together. It was there that the children and the parents sang Ode to Joy with the musicians.
It was well worth it!