DENVER — It was a special concert, and the musicians were world class from the Colorado Symphony (CSO).
The audience members were excited to be there, and some were longtime music lovers. Others were discovering classical music for the first time.
All had something in common. They work at Arc Thrift Stores in Colorado, and many have intellectual and developmental disabilities. They don’t normally get to go to concerts, so this one was special.
Catherine Beeson, assistant principal violinist with CSO, also has her own group called Ensemble Faucheux. Beeson and musician Sophia volunteered to play for the Arc employees and to talk about the music.
The audience loved it. They clapped and danced, and one who’s a musician joined in on harmonica.
"All music is a song and dance, I like to say, and to have to be perfectly quiet, in the dark for more than two hours – sometimes it’s just a little much. You want to burst out," Beeson said.
And that’s what they did. These young adults burst out with pleasure.
As Seth Weshnack, an ARC employee for 11 years told us, the concert is just one more way the company treats their workers with respect.
“People with disabilities don’t get judged based on their differences,” Weshnack said. “We don’t consider it being disabled, we consider it just being different.”
And that difference was celebrated with the help of music – the universal language.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Colorado Guide
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