Family Fun At The Symphony
No matter the concert program, Spartanburg Philharmonic is a fantastic way to introduce children to music. Through our FIVE concert series, we are proud to provide our community with the opportunities to experience everything from Classical music to Bluegrass and enrich your lives with high-quality, live performances. But we know that bringing children, especially young children, can sometimes seem daunting, especially if it’s your first time joining the Spartanburg Philharmonic for a concert. Here are a few tips to help your entire family have an exceptional concert experience:
Choosing Which Concert To Attend:
We LOVE seeing kids of all ages in the audience! It’s pretty awesome to see their faces light up when they enter the concert hall and then again when the music really excites them, but sometimes a two-hour concert is a lot depending on your child’s age. Lucky for you, we offer programs of varying lengths along with musical styles.
Zimmerli Series - Full orchestra concerts that range from 90 minutes to 2 hours. Each Zimmerli Series concert page features a “Full Program” tab with information on the estimated run time for each piece. This is a great way to gauge how long the concert will last. Need to leave early? We hope you join us - even if you can’t stay the entire length of the performance.
Espresso Series - One-hour concerts with varying themes and music styles. Hear everything from classical chamber music selections to jazz to contemporary blends of instruments and styles. The evening always begins at 5:30 with a complimentary social hour featuring wine, craft beer, appetizers, and of course, non-alcoholic beverages for our under-21 guests. Not only is it a one-hour concert, but the evening wraps up by 7:30, leaving plenty of time for a late dinner or to get the kids home and in bed at a reasonable hour.
Bluegrass Spartanburg - features 90-minute sets with award-winning Bluegrass bands. Concerts begin at 8:00 PM, and sometimes our artists jam a little longer, so plan for a later night.
Youth Orchestra - it can be a really awesome experience for children to see other kids, sometimes ones not much older than them, performing on stage. It helps them see themselves doing something similar and can also help them connect with the music even more. SPYO concerts are a super way to introduce your family to classical music, and at an earlier time - 3:00 PM on Sundays.
Music Sandwiched In - a series of free, 45-minute concerts in partnership with the Spartanburg County Library. These programs feature everything from classical guitar and woodwind trios to opera, chorale groups, and more. These concerts are a perfect early introduction to music for even the smallest children.
So you’ve chosen a concert, now what?
First things first, it’s okay if your children make noise - adults aren’t even perfectly quiet during performances. Or even perfectly still. We know that kids can get a little fidgety, the balcony can be a great place to sit if you think they’ll need to leave frequently. Especially at Twichell Auditorium, the shorter rows at Twichell mean it can be easier to get in and out of your section, even in the middle of a piece. Trust us; sometimes, our adult patrons need to leave mid-movement too. The side sections on the floor are also a great place for family seating. We recommend finding your seats a little early so you can map out an exit strategy in case you need one. Plus, it can be fun for kids to hear the musicians warming up before the concert begins.
Do I need to dress my children up?
Just like with our adult patrons, a symphony concert is a perfect opportunity to dress up for a night out, but it is NOT required. We encourage everyone in our audience, even our youngest members, to dress comfortably. Itchy or hot dress clothes can be extra distracting when you’re trying to immerse yourself in the music, and we definitely want what you and your kids are hearing to be the focus of your night with the Spartanburg Philharmonic.
Any other advice?
Continue the concert experience at home! Talk with your children about the music they heard. Which piece did they like the most? How did the music make them feel? Did the music remind them of something they’d heard before? Want to listen to the music with them again? You’re in luck - each concert page on our website features a Spotify playlist of the entire program, so you can keep sharing the music. If you attend one of our Zimmerli concerts, you’ll also get a link to the Livestream - one that will continue to work for you if you want to watch the concert with your kids again. Happy listening!
Take A Deeper Dive
Read more about family time at the Symphony from around the ‘net
See More from the Joyful Novice’s Guide To The Symphony
