At most orchestra dress rehearsals, the only feedback musicians get is from the conductor, and it usually isn’t applause. More often than not, they’re met with a raised eyebrow, a phrase like, “Let’s take it from measure 32, please,” or a gentle request for a tad less trombone.
But at a recent afternoon rehearsal at Vance Brand Auditorium, 600 E Mountain View Ave., Longmont, the Longmont Symphony Orchestra got something a little different: A small round of applause from a dozen Memory Care residents and their family members seated near the back of the hall. It wasn’t the feedback you’d receive after, say, selling out London’s Royal Albert Hall, but it was a rare and welcome interruption to the usual silence of a routine symphony sound check.
This moment marked the start of the symphony’s new partnership with Balfour Longmont, 1850 S Hover St., specifically for Memory Care residents. The program is designed to give older adults living with dementia or Alzheimer’s access to the concert-going experience in a setting that meets their needs.
This program sits alongside Balfour’s existing concert outings for independent and assisted-living residents, who receive six tickets per performance through the community’s symphony sponsorship and attend the regular public concerts at Vance Brand Auditorium…