Boston Symphony Orchestra Partnership
Boston Symphony Orchestra website, www.bso.org, posted February 1, 2011
Music for Autism is partnering with the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) to present high quality musical programming for individuals and families who live with autism in the greater Boston area at Melmark New England.
The goal of Music for Autism (M4A) is to expose those with autism and their families to high quality, professionally performed music in an environment where individual differences are celebrated and where no one will be embarrassed. Families are greatly challenged to find programming that is appropriate for their family members with autism who may exhibit behaviors that are unpredictable. M4A works to prepare families ahead of time for the concert and to make the concert environment as predictable as possible for this population. The BSO will provide musicians for the first Boston concert on February 20, 2011. Music for Autism concerts are open to all individuals with autism and members of their families or those who care for them.
Music for Autism is raising public awareness and enriching lives through autism-friendly, interactive concerts developed specifically for individuals with autism and their families. The concerts, held in the United States and the United Kingdom, feature professional musicians, including Tony Award winners and Grammy-nominated classical artists. To ensure equal access for all, every Music for Autism concert is fully subsidized. Families note that the concerts fill a major psychosocial void, enabling them to enjoy enriching activities that are inclusive of children with autism.
M4A was founded in the UK by musicians and parents of a child with autism, Christine Cairns and John Lubbock in 2002. Building on the charity’s momentum, in 2007, U.S. Founder and Executive Director Robert Accordino introduced M4A to the United States with concerts in New York. Since then, as part of M4A’s strategic plan, the charity has expanded nationally to seven states and twelve cities. Benjamin Levy, a double bassist in the Boston Symphony has been a board member of M4A since its founding in 2007 and has been instrumental in bringing the program to Boston. Levy’s ensemble, Classical Tangent, will perform at the first Boston-based concert in February.
Robert Accordino, US Founder and Executive Director said, “We are tremendously honored to partner with the Boston Symphony Orchestra to bring our spectacular concerts to families with an individual with autism in the Boston area. It has been truly a thrill for Ben Levy and me to work closely with the outstanding members of the Education and Community Programs team at the BSO to ensure the success of the expansion of our programs to Boston.”
