MSU College of Music hosts “Celebrating the Spectrum: A Festival of Music and Life”
Act I: College of Music celebrates the spectrum
While everyone can enjoy and appreciate music, the ways musicians approach it can vary based on their neuro diversity.
At the Michigan State University, the College of Music is celebrating the abilities of young musicians on the autism spectrum for the second summer in a row. The four-day music program, “Celebrating the Spectrum: A Festival of Music and Life” starts and ends with free, public concerts.
The program immerses advanced music students who are on the autism spectrum in a collegiate musical experience. They spend a week getting instruction from MSU music professors, mentoring from MSU piano students, living on campus and attending lectures.
MSU piano student mentors will perform the opening concert at 6 p.m. on July 24 in the Cook Recital Hall in the Music Building. At the end of the week, a free public concert will feature the young musicians. That's at 4 p.m. July 29 at the Cook Recital Hall.
“The students who attend our Celebrating the Spectrum program amaze and inspire us,” said professor Deborah Moriarty, program co-founder. “These talented young adults give it their all during a fun but intense week, and the finale concert on the last day is truly a celebration of their achievements. It’s inspiring and uplifting for everyone involved, including those who attend the concert.”
The program is designed to benefit the participants and also change the perceptions people have about what people on the autism spectrum can accomplish and their ability to attend college. It is also intended to provide leadership opportunities to current students who participate as mentors and teachers.
Program directors participate in local, national and international conferences and research to further the understanding of autism and piano pedagogy.
“We call this a festival because it truly is a celebration of what musicians on the spectrum are capable of accomplishing,” said professor Derek Polischuk, program co-founder and director of piano pedagogy at MSU. “It’s about music, it’s about life, and it is bigger than any one individual in the positive impact it can have. We have established this program as an effective learning environment for cultivating the talents of advanced pianists on the autism spectrum, and there is a lot of joy that comes from that during the finale performance on the last day.”
This year there are six students, including four returning from last year. One of the new students, Jude Nyame Yie Kofie, who goes by the stage name Jude Keyz, has achieved social media fame from his YouTube videos and his appearances on America’s Got Talent and The Kelly Clarkson Show.
Act II: Children’s theater infuses the summer with chill performance
In East Lansing, young theater artists will be letting it go from July 28 to Aug. 6.
All-of-Us Express Children’s Theatre will be performing Disney’s “Frozen Jr.” at the Hannah Community Center on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
“Frozen Jr.” is based on the 2018 Broadway musical which, in turn, is based on the 2013 animated film. It’s a version designed for middle schoolers that is condensed to one hour and features a more accessible musical range. It features all of the songs heard in the movie plus five numbers written for the stage version.
The story is an adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen.” In the Disney version, two sisters, Elsa and Anna, are princesses and the older, Elsa, has magical powers that she is unable to control. After ascending to the throne, Elsa accidentally reveals her powers and flees, unknowingly plunging the kingdom into an eternal winter. Anna seeks her out and nearly dies in the process.
The musical explores the meaning of true love and is filled with songs both inspirational and fun.
On opening night, the theater’s board invites the public for a pre-show reception where they will share food, drink, games and door prizes. It will take place at 5:15 p.m. at the Hannah Center Ballroom.
Next year’s season — the company’s 35th — will feature “The Witch’s Princess,” “A Christmas Carol,” “The Addams Family,” “The Wind in the Willows” and “The SpongeBob Musical.”
Encore!
Audio Air Force will perform the classic comedy “The Adventures of Nick Danger” live at the Hannah Center Auditorium at 7 p.m. on Saturday. The radio show is a spoof of the detective noir genre.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: MSU College of Music marks “Celebrating the Spectrum” with concerts
