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Philadelphia Lullaby Project
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Philadelphia Lullaby Project

Year: 2020–2022

In spring 2020, World Cafe Live joined with Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute to launch The Philadelphia Lullaby Project, bringing to Philly Carnegie’s internationally acclaimed program in which teaching artists work with parents and caregivers to write lullabies for their babies and toddlers.

Over the next three years, together with community partners across the city, we will join Carnegie’s team in bringing this intimate exploration of musical play, songwriting and parent/child bonding to families in our community. The project combines group cohorts with one-on-one songwriting collaboration between a parent/caregiver and a teaching artist, and encourages singing together as a way to support attachment and parents’ role as their babies’ first teacher.

The project features in-depth evaluation about the impact of this work on parent/child bonding and development, which will inform the project’s growth. One participant in the pilot, Mariah, began the project just after becoming a mother for the first time. “This has really helped me grow as a mom,” she said of participating. “I’ve seen my growth as a mom from beginning to now. I’m just thankful that he can have something for the rest of his life.”

Lullabies to Watch

Ave Roja by Paulina, with Todd

Macaquinho by Anna & Tim, with Bethlehem

Full Concert Celebration, Summer 2020

Lead support provided by the William Penn Foundation