How come no one ever does concerts designed for children ?

[jzp93]

Where pieces played are not too long and designed to attract more
kids to music.

[richard black]

I don't know about the situation where you live, but I've been involved in plenty of concerts for children. In particular, one orchestra I sometimes play with does 2 or 3 children's concerts a year, where pieces are short and characterful and the conductor talks to the kids (he's got several of his own so he's good at it!).

[gerryjay]

I have some interesting experience - both as performer and audience - with this kind of concert where I live and vicinities. The basic idea is to mix short pieces with talking, just as Richard described. Something that I like is thematic sections (animals, seasons, colors, usw).

Try it!

Best regards,
Jay.

[lostinidlewonder]

jzp93 I think that is a very good idea. One could approach daycare centers, clubs, schools etc and organize small concerts for them, perhaps during lunch breaks or even during school time!

Children like to feel involved with the music making process, so giving them something to join in while you play would also be quite important I would think. If you work with young children like 6/7 and under, I would encourage using toys to enhance the presentation, perhaps even puppetry, something that moves that can distract their eyes. If they only watch the musical performance they will become too bored, so give them something to distract the eye now and then and also allow them to contribute and they will love it.

I wheeled a piano into the assembly areas of several schools when I first ever started doing piano solo concerts. I gave the music for free to all the kids and literally hundreds gathered around the piano to listen, it was so strange for them to see a piano in school grounds being played! I handed out flyers for a concert I was giving to all the students (which many demanded that I signed lol), I noticed a number of them at my concert with their family later that week. It is extremely noisy giving concerts to children at their school, I did it at their assembly time which was very quiet and respectful because that's what they have to do, but during the lunchtime break that was really the best one, the kids could shout scream do what they liked, ask questions about the piano, look at it closely, hear the music, watch the hands on the keys, see what the insides of a piano looks like and what it looks like when being played etc. It is chaos, don't expect it to be silent and respectful like a concert full of adults.

[jzp93]

I live in LA and I'be never heard of a
classical concert designed for kids here
or I would have taken my son to it already .
 

[nataliethepianist]

The San Francisco Symphony has many concerts for children. They have a section on their website indicating appropriate times for children to attend concerts. Aside from allowing schools to attend the concerts, they are very involved in the community and children's upbringing in music. They also have "music for families" which are more "educational and engaging" concerts.

I supposed that would be nice to have a concert specifically designed for children, like having someone read a children's book and then the symphony complementing the events with music. The SF Symphony might do that, but I haven't heard of any concerts like that. 

[retrouvailles]

I live in LA and I'be never heard of a
classical concert designed for kids here
or I would have taken my son to it already .
 

I live in LA, and there are TONS of children's concerts. The LA Phil does a series called the Toyota Concerts for Children or something like that. They don't do pops, they do "more legitimate" works with lectures aimed at kids also. I've never been to any, so I can't say how good they are.