Exceptional Knights’ “A Day at the Parks,” one of the events in the UCF Celebrates the Arts lineup, offered a unique display of music and sound at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts on Tuesday morning. The performance offered audience participation and props for a sensory-filled show for the Deaf, hard-of-hearing and neurodivergent communities.
Cassandra Joseph
Laughter echoed through the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts on Tuesday as children danced during a unique and lively performance by the UCF Concert Band.
As part of the 2026 UCF Celebrates the Arts festival, the UCF Concert Band performed “A Day at the Parks,” an inclusive, sensory-friendly experience for the Deaf, hard of hearing and neurodivergent communities as part of the Exceptional Knights concert initiative.
Formally known as Inclusive Knights, this year’s name change offered a “greater synergy with the university’s track for Exceptional Student Education,” according to Artistry Online.
“I think it makes everyone feel more positive and inclusive of everybody,” said Ella Peterson, sophomore elementary education major. “Everyone is exceptional in their own way, and it’s a much broader term to be used. I’m happy with the change.”
Alexandra Batista, founder of Steps Learning Center in Orlando, brought her three children and 13 students from her microschool. Steps Learning Center aims to help children with autism, Down syndrome and developmental differences be successful in their education, according to its website.
“I like the focus shift on their exceptionalities and that they are just exceptional individuals,” Batista said. “Rather than ‘We’re doing this and including you guys,’ it just feels more like ‘This was for you guys.’”
The UCF Concert Band, directed by Assistant Director of Bands Dave Schreier, was themed “A Day at the Parks,” or theme parks, playing scores from films like “Harry Potter,” “How to Train your Dragon,” some Broadway selections from “The Lion King” and other fantasy-like films.
The event was held in the Steinmetz Hall and was open to children and families to be free, to move and talk as necessary, and to accommodate their needs. A sign language interpreter was also present on the left side of the stage for Deaf or hard-of-hearing attendees.
Ellis Hall, senior music composition major, got to experience playing and composing for his first neurodivergent-friendly concert.
Hall said it took about two days to compose his piece “Dreamland,” drawing inspiration from Disney’s Epcot theme park and “La La Land” to evoke the feeling of an imaginary theme park that invites audience participation.
“It was low pressure and it was very fun,” Hall said. “I didn’t realize how many people would actually participate.”
The audience was invited to pat their legs and put their arms up to simulate going on a roller coaster. Other songs prompted waving their hands on certain beats, watching colored flags and ribbon dances.
Batista said her children particularly enjoyed being handed glowsticks by the performers to mimic the conductor by waving their sticks in the air. Batista said she wondered how certain students would react given their different personalities.
Performers and families converse in the lobby of the Dr. Phillips Center after the Exceptional Knights’ “A Day at the Parks” performance on Tuesday. Band players and performers interacted with children, took pictures with them and allowed attendees to view and touch their instruments.
Cassandra Joseph
“They were enjoying it,” Batista said. “They were engaged and were participating and just put on their headphones if it was too loud.”
Peterson, who also performed in last year’s event, said she experienced this event in a deeper way as someone studying elementary education.
“A huge thing for me is the inclusivity of it all and getting to do that concert,” Peterson said. “It’s really special for me personally.”
Families went up to Peterson, and she said she loved interacting with the children and sharing her passions with them, such as letting them touch the golden buttons on her instrument.
“I think a huge part of this is it allows everybody to come to a performing arts center where otherwise they might not be welcome because of their inability to have to sit still or be quiet,” Peterson said.
While children got to interact and listen to the band play, they also got to learn and listen to isolated versions of the different instrument groups, such as woodwinds, brass and percussion.
“We put a lot of time and effort into this and so for it to pay off is really, really exciting,” Peterson said.