Some may say seven is too young to attend a concert at Orchestra Hall. I tend to disagree…start music appreciation early. Of course, it’s important to keep in mind the maturity and personality of the child. Friday night, we took my son and his friend to the Future Classics concert at Orchestra Hall. Little did we know the excitement that awaited us.
We planned to arrive early enough to find parking (we actually found a FREE spot across the street!) and walk around. By arriving 45 minutes before the concert, we could get our tickets from Will Call, run around outside (they have a nice spacious area away from the street), explore the skyways, and go to the bathroom. Running outside and then calmly walking the skyways usually diminishes leftover antsy energy.
Before entering (15 minutes before showtime), we reviewed the Orchestra rules. Use walking feet at all times. Even when the doors open to go inside the hall. Even when we’re going down the aisles to our seats. Even when we’re super excited. Stay quiet. If you need to say something, use whisper voices. We can talk at Intermission. Keep your body still so we don’t distract those around us. They can kick us out if we don’t follow these important rules.
We were surprised to see that we were in row 4! Because we were so close, we weren’t able to see the entire orchestra. It was nice however, because we were able to view instruments and musicians close up. We had a fantastic view of the director. We didn’t even need “goggles,” as our son’s friend called them. This was good since we forgot the binoculars at home.
The music was absolutely fantastic! There were many short pieces played and the composers were interviewed. For many of them, it was the world premier of their piece. It was neat to learn about the composer and the story behind the music. I thoroughly enjoyed each piece of music. They were very unique. You have access to a sample HERE. Just click the link and scroll down to the MUSIC section.
Another reason the evening was enjoyable was because I had the chance to see it through the child’s perspective. My son’s friend was so excited- he had to work hard to control his body at times- he seemed to feel the music in every muscle of his body 
Though he tried not to, when I peeked over, I saw him ‘conducting with the conductor.’ After each piece, he would jump to the edge of his seat with a smile and clap joyfully. At intermission, he said, “It’s so exciting! It’s like you know something is going to happen because it’s soft and then it’s getting louder. And faster. And you know it’s coming. It’s kinda like a chapter book. Ya know? With no pictures. It’s like a story in the music, in your head.” I smiled because he was experiencing something new and making sense of it in his mind. He seemed so happy. My son seem to enjoy it as well. When I asked if both boys if they were ready to leave (because it was already 9:20pm), they both said, “NO, let’s stay!” And that we did. The concert actually ended about 10:10pm.
No, the children didn’t sit perfectly still the entire concert, but they were well behaved and thoroughly enjoyed the concert. Even though it was way past their bedtime. I think it’s important to foster an appreciation of the arts at a young age. If we set them up for success by appropriately planning, often times they meet (or exceed) our expectations 
