Dimensions in Sound & The Studio Orchestra

media release: Local musical non-profit Dimensions in Sound and the Studio Orchestra is hosting a free Winter Community Concert as a fundraiser at the Middleton Performing Arts Center on Sunday, December 3 at 2pm.

Dimensions in Sound and the Studio Orchestra, also known as DISSO, is a non-profit music group that consists of two performing groups: a big band (Dimensions in Sound) and a full orchestra (The Studio Orchestra). Both groups consist of a total of 50 volunteer musicians who go into senior living facilities and perform for people who are unable to access music and cultural events due to advanced age or disability. 

Dane County's senior population, and the number of senior living facilities needed to host them, is growing rapidly. Those venues can struggle to support the mental stimulation needed for seniors. This population is generally isolated from live public cultural experiences, such as music concerts and they were also the hardest hit by COVID-19 due to extra safety precautions to keep the elderly healthy.

Music plays an important role in life: evoking emotion, bringing up memories of valued life experiences, and even relieving stress, especially for seniors who can be overlooked for emotional support. Live performances provided by these two music groups bring up these emotions and memories for audiences, since they are often unable to go out on their own to seek similar cultural experiences that they have enjoyed in the past. 

DISSO believes that seniors of all physical and cognitive levels deserve to participate in cultural activities, so its mission is to bring music to these underserved populations.

For the last 46 years, this organization has been performing primarily private shows for senior living communities, in addition to some concerts for other non-profit groups in the area like Badger Honor Flight and Walk to End Lupus. 

For the past two years, they have hosted public community concerts to raise awareness of their work and raise funds for their cause. DISSO’s Winter Community Concert is Sunday, December 3 at 2pm. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend. Find more information at disso.org.