The seasons may be changing, but there’s one constant: music in Aquinas College’s Kretschmer Recital Hall to warm the heart. On Saturday, November 5, the second annual Music for the Soul concert will take place in the College’s Arts and Music Center. With an emphasis on families, Music for the Soul promises to offer a variety of sights and sounds for no charge at all.

Music for the Soul is a concert event sponsored by the Aquinas College Music Department. Primarily composed of student performers, members of ensembles, and other talented contributors, the event offers an inviting cultural experience for families with children of special needs. While attending standard concerts might present challenges for these families, Music for the Soul takes into special consideration these obstacles, offering an impressive line-up of the arts catered especially to these young minds. The program is now in its second year, after a successful kick-off and positive reaction.

Karen Mannino, an art student, senior at Aquinas College and active contributor to the event, explains the goal of the programming: “These families don’t otherwise have a chance to go to a concert as a family and hear really good music. So [the event] is designed to entertain and enrich these families - and especially the children with special needs - to give them the culture they would otherwise not be welcome to partake in.”

The event is comprised of nine acts. Two separate performances (at 2:30 and 4:30 p.m.) on Saturday will offer flexibility for families who perhaps can’t make one of the scheduled times. The event is expected to run about forty-five minutes. “It is short and high-energy,” Mannino said.

Orchestrating an event with this impact takes unique considerations. “The biggest challenge at first was, ‘Well, we want to do really good music that these families don’t have a chance to enjoy together.’ So we wanted to bring out our favorite classics,” said Mannino. “As we were talking to the music therapists that are helping us, it came up that to help [the kids] enjoy the music we would need to do a little more: somehow engage the senses other than just hearing.”

Music therapists helped inform the decisions made regarding the line-up of performances. Using their insights, the event will be as accessible and engaging as possible from a variety of stimuli. These stimuli include visual aids to accompany the music, courtesy of contributors from the Aquinas Art Department. For example, one piece for piano will be puppet-themed. To accent this performance, marionettes and other visual cues associated with puppetry will be present on the day. These performances will ideally compel the emotions and the senses. This partnership between the Music and Art Departments will help make that possibility a reality.

Among the music to be heard is a brass ensemble, the classical piano, a cappella and choir performances, and others. Mannino notes, “Instrumentalists, vocalists… I think it’s pretty ensemble heavy this time around.” Last year, between scheduled performances, audience members were treated to renditions of favorite Disney songs on oboe. Mannino recalls that much of the crowd sang along, delighted. She understands this year to offer just as much fun and culture as the previous, highlighting a range of genres, familiar classics and folk songs.

Another standout element of the Music for the Soul event is the Instrument Petting Zoo. An opportunity before and after the performances of the day, audience members may see and touch various instruments. Each is given their opportunity to hear an instrument up close and maybe even try it out. This is an excellent chance for young audience members to understand the responsibility of caring for and learning an instrument, as well as experience first-hand the process of creating musical sounds.

Mannino, chuckling, said of her work by the piano last year, “The kids’ eyes just light up when they hit that key and it makes that note. Some were really interested in watching the little hammers work, so they’ve got their heads inside the piano. They’re looking at all the strings and stuff. It’s really neat!”

Mannino believes the focus of the event is on bringing music, the arts, and a bit of culture to those who might not be presented with the opportunities to encounter it otherwise. Considering last year’s success, she believes this year will also satisfy. She said, “I value the experience of setting something like this up, catering to a specific audience, and the opportunity to work with these kids. It’s really cool. I hope for the audience that they are enriched, that enjoy it, and that they hear something that makes them come alive somehow.”