I am so happy to join Carnegie Hall's Lullaby Project! I connect to this project both as a musician and as a mother, and what fun to collaborate with other artists around the world during our training. To learn more visit https://www.carnegiehall.org/Education.Programs/Lullaby-Project.
It was my pleasure to help create and host YOU HAVE A VOICE. My goal was to bring people together through song, while celebrating our diversity and raising money for high impact organizations addressing critical issues such as climate change, women's health, immigration, refugees and LGBT rights. The multi-cultural and multi-generational line-up featured the Backtrack Vocals, Braata Folk Singers, Stonewall Chorale, Heritage O.P., New Camerata Opera, Bev Grant and the Brooklyn Women's Chorus, and the Middleschool 51 Show Choir. It was truly a community celebration and no-one in the audience left without joining in the singing and dancing! We hope that it will be the first of many and serve as a template for others.
What a privilege to join former Global Teacher Prize winner Nancie Atwell to advocate for arts education at the GLOBAL EDUCATION AND SKILLS FORUM in Dubai, an international event that 'brings together world leaders from the public, private and social sectors and seeks solutions to achieve education, equity and employment for all https://www.educationandskillsforum.org. Together we make the case that quality arts education and arts integrated learning are not a luxury, but of equal importance to STEM subjects that receive priority in education systems worldwide. I make the opening argument in favor in the Oxford style debate which you can watch here (spoiler alert, we win!):
I discovered music at an early age, and it affected my life in a profound way. It is important to me to create and take part in opportunities to do the same. It was my pleasure to help out the ONE WORLD BROOKLYN KIDS CHORUS, a program that focuses on music from around the world in an effort to educate and expose children to the importance of friendship, fellowship, social justice, diversity and mindfulness. For more information on this organization, visit One World Brooklyn Kids Chorus.
Music is a universal tool that promotes learning, empowerment and community-building. I encourage anyone interested in the arts, to get involved with local arts outreach programs. Here are a few organizations that I think are worth investigating in the New York City area and beyond: