In the spring of 2019, I was selected to be the lead teaching artist for the Lullaby Project. When I read the job posting, my heart started racing. It was, to put it bluntly, my dream job. An opportunity to co-create meaningful music with others, to tap into the wisdom of other Madison-area musicians and the Overture Center, to apply my many years of experience coaching others and establishing long-term partnerships. I was elated. And also terrified.
This would be my first official job related to music, and I knew that I'd be working with - and helping to lead - local musicians who were all incredibly talented. My amazing Overture Center boss and mentor, Alanna Medearis, and I flew to NYC to attend a project training at Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute. THE Carnegie Hall. We sat with musicians from all over the world, learning more about the Lullaby Project, creating music together and practicing some of the songwriting techniques that they shared. I left even more inspired and grateful. I felt like I had found my community, my creative calling.
Fast-forward two years, and we've now written 15 lullabies in collaboration with mothers from two different organizations: Harambee Village Doulas and Madison Metropolitan School District's School Age Parent Program (SAPAR). These lullabies help new and expectant parents express their hopes and dreams for their children, and each one is unique and beautiful in its own way. You can hear some of those lullabies here. Last weekend, we hosted a virtual Lullaby Singalong for the Madison-area community (and beyond!) in honor of Mother's Day. I continue to learn with and from our incredible partners and our talented Madison-area teaching artists.
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