Bunnies, frogs and horses, oh my!
Elizabethtown College’s Music Therapy Program presents the Open Door Recital, an interactive and engaging concert specifically for children and parents.
The performance begins with an interactive harp solo. During the performance, known as ABC, a student is on stage representing each letter. Letter ‘C’ was described as ‘a little feisty’ by Dr. Gene Ann Behrens, professor of music and director of music therapy, who assisted in the creation and longevity of the Open Door Recital. Each child is provided a stick with a spinning wheel. This stick enables the children to rotate the wheel and show the letter performed at each given time.
For the concert, the Zug Memorial Hall stage is transformed, through use of garland and fake trees, into a garden. All props are student-made, including a large sun, boat, and white picket fence. The props are “humongous,” said Kaitlyn Anastasi, senior music therapy major, who serves as this year’s recital cochair.
In the middle of the recital, audience members have the opportunity to get up and move around. Children are lead in a procession by court jesters during the recital’s Carmen Overture by George Frederick Handel. Each child is given a shiny blue crown, Anastasi said. As the music progresses, a queen will appear.
During another recital piece, Nocturne in F minor, op. 55, No. 1, by Frédéric Chopin, Anna Wismar, senior music therapy major, dances. Wismar’s movements will embody the “light and flowy” feel of the music, as animals come on stage and dance with her.
The recital concludes with Irving Berlin’s “I Love a Clarinet.” Each time the concert has taken place, over the past dozen years, this piece is rewritten to highlight a different instrument and focus on senior talent.
All aspects of the program are designed to be kid-friendly. Throughout the performance, students are not only on stage, but also interacting with the audience. To keep the young audience engaged, each concert piece is about three minutes or less, with the overall performance reaching approximately 45 minutes.
Students truly have a wonderful time putting this all together…What they feel and what they learn, it’s just exceptional.”
“I really like sitting in the audience and interacting with the kids,” Anastasi said. “I tend to be in a ballgown. It’s a big hit with the kids,” she said, noting that the little girls tend to view her, as a princess.
“I’ve dressed up as a lot of different things,” Wismar said with a laugh. “It’s been a learning experience, going outside my comfort level.” Wismar’s costumes, in past concerts, have included animals, clouds and flowers, to name a few.
Alpha Mu, Elizabethtown College’s Professional Student Music Therapy Group, organizes the recital. All music therapy majors are part of the planning. This year, 42 students are involved. Seniors Anastasi and Genesis Bordner are serving as the cochairs. They and Behrens sat down and listened to prospective musical pieces together. Once selections were made, they conceptualized the ideas, including props and choreography. The club then transforms their brainstorm into reality.
“Students look forward to the recital, they are really enthused about organizing jobs,” said Behrens. She tells them that the “devil’s in the details,” as all events are planned out and prepared. The recital provides opportunities for students to present music in a variety of ways, Behrens said, mentioning that Alpha Mu provides a similar recital geared toward older adults in the fall. Behrens has heard from music therapy personnel at Masonic Village about the recital’s success. Residents have told visiting loved ones “You can either come with or wait for me; I’m going to the recital.”
The Open Door Recital began 12 years ago, after clients of the Music Therapy Program’s on-campus clinic expressed interest in attending College performances. However, they were hesitant to attend; afraid their young children would not remain quiet. In an effort to provide parents and children an opportunity to hear classical music, the program created the event.
The name, Open Door Recital, originated from the performance’s intentions, to provide an open door. Throughout the performance, parents can come and go with their children as needed. Mom and dad need not worry about their child’s behavior, said Behrens. All children are welcome. Typically the children range from infants to 10 year olds. This age range is flexible, dependent on the child’s developmental age. All children, those with and without developmental disabilities, are encouraged to attend.
“Once people get hooked, they stay until their kids out grow it,” Behrens said. This year five or more Music Therapy alumni will be returning with their children. The free recital has already distributed 74 tickets.
“Recitals are my favorite things that we do,” Wismar said. “As a senior, it’s an experience we really enjoy doing with the underclassman,” Anastasi added. The two seniors reminisced, noting that as the underclassmen continue to plan the event they’ll appreciate the experience more and more.
“I’m incredibly proud of the students,” Behrens said, noting the students’ efforts to give back to the community. “Students truly have a wonderful time putting this all together…What they feel and what they learn, it’s just exceptional.”
Following the performance, parents and their children are invited to a reception. Kid-friendly foods are available. And students stay in character, providing children the opportunity to interact with their favorite performers.
The Open Door Recital takes place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 29, in the Recital Hall of Zug Memorial Hall at Elizabethtown College. Tickets are free, but advance reservations are requested by calling 717-361-1212 or by contacting Gene Ann Behrens at 717-361-1991 or behrenga@etown.edu.