Every Saturday morning, Laura Massironi and her daughter, Amanda, head to Parkes Hall for a piano lesson. Amanda’s lessons, which are run through the Academy of Music and Arts for Special Education, are a highlight of her weekend. In fact, she reserves an outfit for Saturdays: a white shirt paired with a green pleated skirt, black leggings and a bright yellow hat.
Massironi said this is Amanda’s way of showing her dedication to AMASE. Other parents of neurodivergent children had recommended the program to Massironi, who thought Amanda might enjoy it. Now, AMASE is one of her favorite activities.
Amanda is one of 25 students taking music lessons through AMASE, a program that pairs neurodivergent students of all ages with Northwestern undergraduate teachers for music lessons. These students are learning instruments like piano, violin, guitar and harp from more than 80 volunteers.
Each Saturday, AMASE hosts four hour-long sessions split between a music lesson and arts and crafts. The club also coordinates quarterly music recitals, events like a winter Snowball Dance and a spring carnival, and a community choir for neurodivergent students and adults.
McCormick senior Alex Gerber, a co-operations director for AMASE and one of Amanda’s piano teachers, said she has appreciated the opportunity to build a relationship with Amanda over the three years they’ve worked together.
“After a few lessons, she was giving me big hugs, and that was just such a sweet moment,” Gerber said.
Gerber joined AMASE as a freshman to continue her passion for playing piano and working with special education students in college.
Bienen and Weinberg senior Abigail Arnold, co-operations director for AMASE, also joined in her first year. Since then, she has been teaching piano to her student, Lissette.
“At first, it felt more like a student-teacher relationship,” Arnold said. “But after a while, she really opened up to me, and it just kind of feels like catching up with a friend.”
Like Gerber and Amanda, Arnold and Lissette have grown close — Lissette has even invited Arnold to her birthday parties. Arnold said that volunteering with AMASE has been an “integral part” of her experience at NU.
“No matter how long a week I had, I always just feel so energized by my student,” Arnold said.
Both Arnold and Gerber said they loved watching their students improve musically.
At past recitals, Amanda would restart her song when she made a mistake. But at her latest performance, she played her song all in one try.
“You could see Amanda was so proud, and Alex was so proud of her too,” Massironi said. “They have a special bond.”
As the mother of someone with special needs, Massironi said it’s sometimes difficult for her and Amanda to find community. But Massironi said AMASE is a space where Amanda isn’t treated differently for being neurodivergent. AMASE has become a part of their routine, and Amanda hopes to continue taking lessons even after Alex graduates.
“People are respectful, and there’s no judgement whatsoever,” Massironi said. “How can you say no to that?”
Email: cecilialuce2028@u.northwestern.edu
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