“Bees. Birds. Bach!” features a performance of classical music by the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra.
In addition to the main performance, WonderLab and the Jacobs School of Music’s program “Musical Beginnings” will offer a variety of activities centered on nature and music.
The concert begins at 6 p.m.
Musical activities are from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
The event is no additional charge with paid admission to WonderLab.
General admission is $7, and children under the age of 1 receive free admission.
Donna Lafferty, executive director of the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra, said the concert is an enjoyable experience for both children and parents.
“It’s fun to be interacting with kids on an active level like this,” Lafferty said.
Lafferty said the concert is like a “musical nature walk” where audience members can actively engage in the experience.
The audience will be encouraged to sing and dance along during the performance, according to the Symphony’s website.
She said there are also “funny little interludes” involving people in bird and bee costumes.
The Bloomington Symphony Orchestra is performing a variety of well-known classical pieces that relate to the theme of nature.
The selection includes music by Georges Bizet, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Béla Bartók, Aaron Copland, Edward Grieg, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Johann Sebastian Bach.
Lafferty said the music was chosen because it is recognizable and approachable for all audiences.
She said “Musical Beginnings” plays an important role in educating children about music.
The program teaches young children activities combining music and movement to create an understanding and appreciation of music at a young age.
“It allows children to understand music on a deeper level,” Lafferty said.
Lafferty said previous audiences have praised the concert.
She said it often inspires children to participate in educational music programs.
“It definitely gets their imaginations going,” she said.
The event’s hands-on experience is centered on music and nature, said Staci Radford-Vincent, WonderLab’s Programs and Outreach manager.
These activities include creating bird masks, learning about the role of vibration in music and making simple musical instruments.
“It’s mainly for younger kids who get bored quickly,” Radford-Vincent said.
The interactive nature of the venue allows children to be more comfortable than they would at a theater or auditorium, Radford-Vincent said.
WonderLab is a family-oriented museum, she said, so it is a fitting place for a children’s concert.
Radford-Vincent said the family as a whole can enjoy the concert whether they are parents who like to listen to the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra or children who like hands-on activities.
“The wonderful music fills up the space,” she said. “It’s a different way to experience the music.”
