Klassics for Kids

Nicky Jacobs

Daily Egyptian

The five-person band performed for an audience that was prone to pierce their songs with screams of delight, occasional crying and plenty of giggles. The band played on unperturbed and, to the delight of the tiny culprits, seemed to be asking the crowd for more disturbances.

To a concert frequenter, the racket could be described as down right rude, but to the participants at the Klassics for Kids concert, it was music to their ears.

The Klassics for Kids concert, featuring the band Loose Gravel, took place Tuesday morning in Altgeld Hall, with more than 100 children, parents and caretakers participating. Klassics for Kids is an interactive concert series aimed at young children to expose them to live music. Children have the chance to experience everything from a full orchestra to banjos and harmonicas. They are encouraged to dance, sing and clap along with the songs.

The program's coordinators are Edward and Kara Benyas. The Southern Illinois Symphony sponsors the concerts, and SIUC music students are the main performers. The program is scheduled to take place every Tuesday during the SIUC academic year.

Kara Benyas said she and her husband came up with the idea during a road trip with their 2-year-old daughter. "We thought how great it would be for the kids to listen to live music without the pressure of going to an actual concert and keeping them quiet," Kara Benyas said.

She said the program has been an immediate success, and the average turnout is more than 200 children, parents and caregivers. "The parents enjoy it, I think, as much or even more than the kids," Kara Benyas said. "It's educational for us, too."

James Johnson, a participating parent from Goreville, said this is the second time he has brought his two sons, Evan, 2, and Jayce, 4, to the program. The combination of education with an interactive atmosphere keeps his children coming back.

"We participate together as a family," Johnson said. "It's an excellent program, and we definitely look forward to coming back." Shelia Simon, a Loose Gravel member and Carbondale city councilwoman, describes the band's music as happy blues. Simon said the band picked faster paced songs that the children could "wiggle" to.

"Music is incredibly important from the little tiny guys all the way up to older children," Simon said. "We're happy to be here, and we hope to play again."

Jennifer Flath, a news producer for WSIU radio, brought her 2-year-old daughter, Becca, to join in the festivities for the first time. "I saw a flyer, and it sounded like a lot of fun," Flath said. "I think it's important for kids to get exposed to everything they can, especially when they're young. This lets them meet different kinds of people and try different kind of things."

Flath said her daughter reacted to the music by jumping around and clapping. "She knew some of the songs, so she was really excited when she knew the words and could participate," Flath said.

The program's interactive nature was what made it stand out, Flath said. "If you just tell them how much fun the music is, it's not the same as letting them dance and interact with it," Flath said. "They will learn so much more, and they won't even realize they're learning. We're definitely coming back."