By Margie Smith Holt
The conductor raised his baton and, as the first few strains of Beethoven’s sublime “Pastoral” Symphony floated from the stage, somewhere in the concert hall a baby cried. A man in the audience grunted. Not at the baby, at the orchestra. He seemed to like the music but not his seat, which he kept changing. In the row behind him, a toddler added to the beat in the air, keeping time with his toy truck.
On an average Saturday night at David Geffen Hall, these off-stage acts might solicit a raised eyebrow, or the wrath of an usher, but on this summer morning there was no judgment, no discreet “ahem.” This open rehearsal was one of Lincoln Center’s “Relaxed Performances” and it was, concertgoers were advised, a “shush-free zone.”
Composer and Upper West Side mom Sayo Kosugi — mother of the budding percussionist — loved it.
“I am a musician. I want to enjoy excellent music,” Kosugi said. “This situation allows me to be with small kids.”
As part of its accessibility efforts, Lincoln Center is welcoming guests to “come as they are and be their full selves.” At Relaxed Performances audience members are free to get up and move or vocalize. The house lights stay up so it’s never fully dark. Patrons can take a break in one of the “chill out spaces” throughout the venue.
The performances are designed for people with autism, learning disabilities, or sensory and communication disorders, but they are open to all — and most of the events are free.
At the open rehearsal on July 23, even the musicians looked pretty relaxed. Some members of the Festival Orchestra of Lincoln Center wore T-shirts, shorts, or sneakers as music director Jonathon Heyward led them through the symphony’s movements, stopping occasionally to fine-tune a few measures. But the music itself was exactly what the paying audience that evening would hear.
“As professional musicians we always keep our focus on the task at hand — working out the details of the music and developing a program that will be refined and compelling, given the limited rehearsal time we have,” said Festival Orchestra violinist and Upper West Sider Martin Agee. “The presence of an audience at a rehearsal, and in particular this audience, serves as a reminder to us that our mission is to speak to our audiences through music. There is no other art form that affects the human heart more deeply. The relaxed rehearsals are gratifying to us as performers because we are reaching a special audience that will reap benefit in ways most of us can’t begin to imagine.”
“Just getting out into the community” is important, said Lidia Layme, a staff member of Adapt Community Network, a nonprofit supporting New Yorkers with disabilities. She accompanied a patron who she said especially enjoyed the crescendos and vibrations of the music.
“One of the people we came with today is really into music and … it was very exciting getting to see the reaction.
“This is a great event for them to … be able to experience something like that, that they can’t experience often.”
Lincoln Center’s next Relaxed Performance — geared toward people with dementia and their caregivers — is on September 11 and there’s a full schedule of events for the coming season. While most events are free or choose-what-you-pay, registration is required for some performances. For more information email access@lincolncenter.org.
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I recall, quite a while back, cutting work to attend afternoon dress rehearsals of great orchestras at Carnegie Hall. It was marvelous to hear them fine-tuning (pun intended) that evening’s concert. Tickets cost very little but the rules for audience behavior were strict: we were required to be silent and not move around or do anything that might distract the musicians. Very different from the “relaxed” Lincoln Center performances, which also sound like fun.