Sensory-friendly concert will open musical world for those with cognitive challenges

A first-of-its-kind musical performance scheduled to be held Saturday afternoon in Raleigh will cater to a special audience.

The sensory-friendly concert will be tailored for all families, including children and adults who have autism or other sensory sensitivities.

When musicians with the North Carolina Symphony take the stage at Raleigh's Meymandi Concert Hall, guests tend to follow certain formalities.

Music director Grant Llewellyn says Saturday's performance will be more interactive.

"It's never a question of sit and listen and applaud," he said. "It's them and us, making the connection."

Llewellyn realized there was a world of children and adults with special needs who might have felt out of place in the symphony's performing space.

Andy Pidcock, who hosts the sensory concert, specializes in making music accessible for everyone.

"It's about making a very relaxed atmosphere in that hall so people feel very much at home," said Pidcock, whose original music is designed for video audiences and school rooms.

Llwellyn helped Pidcock translate his work for the concert stage because Pidcock knows that some special needs children and adults can't be confined to a seat for long.

"If they want to get up and dance (or) move around to the music or if they want to vocalize (and) sing along to what we're doing, all of that's good," Pidcock said.

Some in the audience may be challenged by occasional loud crescendos, and the musical creator has factored that into the musical performances.

"They can go and just have a five-minute chill and come back into the space," Pidcock said. "That's just part of their life skills."

The concert at Meymandi Concert Hall is supported by the William R. Kenan junior Charitable Trust and is scheduled to be held Saturday at 1 p.m. Doors will open at noon.

Tickets cost $5 and can be purchased online or at the door.