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Melodic mission: Concord Conservatory of Music planning program for students on autism spectrum

Wicked Local Northwest - 4/21/2020

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Executive Director Kate Yoder started the Concord Conservatory of Music 14 years ago. During that time, she's had parents ask for various types of programs to help get their kids involved in the art.

More recently, she's heard one specific ask: Do you teach students with special needs? She's planning to come through with that this fall.

"We're a community music school, so we want to be able to serve the needs of everybody," Yoder said. "Having folks that are trained to teach music to kids who might be on the spectrum, that's something we want to try to be able to fulfill."

Her current faculty are being trained to expand the program in the fall with help from a director from Berklee College of Music.

"Everybody is different. Everybody has their own unique needs," Yoder said. "Everybody learns differently, regardless of whether you are on the spectrum. You can't just label them as they have ADD or they have autism because how they all learn is still very different."

Yoder said she's hoping to add more instructors who are trained and potentially open group classes on the weekends.

An age range has not been determined, as the program is still in the planning stages.

"It's not something you can jump right into," she said. "You have to make sure the instructors are carefully trained."

The number of weekly classes that will be offered is still being worked out.

"I want to make sure we have correctly identified the need," Yoder said. "It will be students who are taking private lessons, but then there will also be a couple of classes. There will probably be two or three classes available for students on varying different instruments."

The school has a fleet of full-sized keyboards, guitar, band instruments and more to offer students.

Already helping others

CCM has experience teaching students who are dealing with certain health issues. One program started last year is geared toward people living with Parkinson's disease, a progressive nervous system disorder affecting movement.

"One of the issues that they have is that their voice becomes very soft and they lose their vocal range," Yoder said. "It was brought to my attention last year that a chorus is something that could help them."

Singing with Parkinson's offers people in the community an opportunity to participate in voice therapy while singing. The chorus covers songs from a variety of genres, and input from the group helps guide the repertoire. The class is on Thursdays from 10 -- 11:30 a.m.

Caretakers and family members are invited to take part in the program. The chorus director takes the group through vocal exercises to help them identify how their vocal cords work.

"They all sing together and sing multi-part songs," Yoder said. "We get a lot of funding for that through the American Parkinson's Disease Association of Massachusetts."

One program that started this year and has already taken off is the Concord Conservatory Girls Chorus, a challenging, performance-oriented curriculum for choristers ages 9 -- 14. No experience is required, just a love of singing.

"They are singing in German and Italian," Yoder said. "They are singing contemporary music, too. They are doing multiple-part harmonies. Their parents are blown away by what they can do."

The group is looking to add more vocalists.

A good feeling

Yoder said watching the development of her students, from having the first-day jitters to finally being able to stroll out full of energy and confidence, is something she never takes for granted.

"It makes me feel really great," she said. "I started this school 14 years ago. To have people say they enjoy being part of this school and this community (is gratifying)."

For more information about any of the programs being offered, contact Student Services Manager Emma Huggard at registrar@concordconservatory.org.

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