NE North Dakota News

The University of North Dakota's Department of Music is gearing up to host its inaugural event in the Sensory Family Concert Series, titled "Spectrum of Sounds: Music without Barriers." This unique concert, aimed at making music accessible to everyone, will take place at 2 p.m. on Saturday at the Christus Rex Campus Center located at 3012 University Avenue. Admission is free, and the event is open to the public, including up to 30 attendees from Grand Forks' Listen Center.

The Sensory Family Concert is organized by Ling Lo, a teaching assistant professor of Collaborative Piano at the University. Alongside Lo, Melanie Popejoy, teaching associate professor and associate director of Choral Activities, will co-direct the event. Ling Lo, originally from Taiwan, has a noteworthy background in music performance and education. She has been involved in various musical collaborations and earned doctoral degrees in Piano Performance and Collaborative Piano at Michigan State University. Her previous experience includes serving as a program assistant for a sensory-friendly music festival and presenting at an international autism conference.

"The whole experience was really life-changing for me," Lo shared. "As a universal language, music provides such a pure way for everybody to express their feelings. There’s no difference, no judgment. There’s nothing but pure expression, and I found that to be very powerful." This passion for inclusive music experiences has driven her to bring a sensory-friendly concert to Grand Forks, similar to those offered by metropolitan orchestras.

Lo emphasizes that the concert is designed to make everyone feel welcome and comfortable. The event will include accommodations such as spaced-out, padded chairs, constant lighting, and a lower volume. Participants are free to move around, use fidget toys, or wave colorful scarves if they wish. Additionally, there will be a "quiet room" and sound-buffering headphones available for those who need them.

The concert's opening performance will feature celebrated guest musicians Sangmi Lim and Dino Mulic from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. They will perform a four-hand piano duet followed by a singalong Disney Medley, pieces from “The Lion King,” and medleys from “Mamma Mia!” and “The Greatest Showman.” After an intermission, a special student performance of “The Carnival of Animals” by Charles-Camille Saint-Saens will be presented, including narration provided by student musician Isaac Anderson with excerpts from poetry developed by The Chicago Poetry Center.

“My ultimate goal is for everyone to have a fun Saturday afternoon of music,” stated Lo. “If it’s the first concert for even one person, I see that as a success because that shows we were able to create a sensory-friendly space where people will want to come back.”