Lullaby Project CELEBRATION CONCERT
June 6, 2023 | 6:30 pm
Bradley Symphony Center
ABOUT THE MILWAUKEE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, led by Music Director Ken-David Masur, is among the finest orchestras in the nation and the largest cultural institution in Wisconsin. Since its inception in 1959, the MSO has found innovative ways to give music a home in the region, develop music appreciation and talent among area youth, and raise the national reputation of Milwaukee.
The MSO’s full-time professional musicians perform over 135 classics, pops, family, education, and community concerts each season in venues throughout the state. A pioneer among American orchestras, the MSO has performed world and American premieres of works by John Adams, Roberto Sierra, Philip Glass, Geoffrey Gordon, Marc Neikrug, and Matthias Pintscher, as well as garnered national recognition as the first American orchestra to offer live recordings on iTunes. Now in its 51st season, the orchestra’s nationally syndicated radio broadcast series, the longest consecutive-running series of any U.S. orchestra, is heard annually by more than two million listeners on 147 subscriber stations in 38 of the top 100 markets.
In January of 2021, the MSO completed a years-long project to restore and renovate a former movie palace in the heart of downtown Milwaukee. The Bradley Symphony Center officially opened to audiences in October 2021. This project has sparked a renewal on West Wisconsin Avenue and continues to be a catalyst in the community.
The MSO’s standard of excellence extends beyond the concert hall and into the community, reaching more than 40,000 children and their families through its Arts in Community Education (ACE) program, Youth and Teen concerts, Family Series, and Meet the Music preconcert talks. Celebrating its 33rd year, the nationally-recognized ACE program integrates arts education across all subjects and disciplines, providing opportunities for students when budget cuts may eliminate arts programming. The program provides lesson plans and supporting materials, classroom visits from MSO musician ensembles and artists from local organizations, and an MSO concert tailored to each grade level. This season, more than 5,800 students and 500 teachers and faculty are expected to participate in ACE both in person and in a virtual format.
ABOUT THE LULLABY PROJECT
The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra is pleased to be one of over 30 organizations across the country and the world to be a Lullaby Project partner, a program of Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute. Pregnant women, parents, and grandparents work with professional teaching artists to write personal lullabies for their children, supporting maternal health, aiding child development, and strengthening the bond between parent and child. The lullabies are then professionally arranged, recorded, and finally shared in a public performance featuring professional musicians and the parents themselves. The MSO is delighted to partner with Sojourner Family Peace Center to bring this program to Milwaukee.
ABOUT SOJOURNER
The mission of Sojourner is to transform lives impacted by domestic violence. Sojourner is the largest non-profit provider of domestic violence prevention and intervention services in Wisconsin, providing crisis housing, system advocacy, and individual support to individuals and families who are hurting. In 2021, Sojourner served 8,142 people with the primary goals to ensure the safety of survivors of family violence and to provide a pathway out of violence for survivors and offenders through opportunities to make positive and lasting changes for themselves and their children.
Sojourner and Children’s Wisconsin formed a unique partnership to create one of the first co-located child advocacy and family violence centers in the country. Using a proven, collaborative model, the Family Peace Center accommodates a number of co-located and visiting partner organizations and service providers, including the Milwaukee Police Department Sensitive Crimes Unit, Milwaukee Public Schools, the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office, Aurora Healthcare Abuse Response Services, Core / El Centro, Project Ujima, Jewish Family Services, and others. Families receiving services at the Family Peace Center have access to a wide array of services to support their efforts to achieve healing, self-sufficiency, and freedom from abuse. Sojourner is committed to creating communities where people live peacefully.
For more information or to access services, visit familypeacecenter.org or reach out to Sojourner’s 24-Hour Domestic Violence Hotline (414) 933-2722 or Textline (414) 877-8100 .
The Program
Symphony
By Dylan with Stephanie Birr
Three Mighty Men of Valor
By Regina with Beth Giacobassi
Angel Fish
By Anne with Ryley Northrop
Our Journey
By Knight with Meaghan Heinrich
Deano
By Trisha with Beth Giacobassi
Mommy’s Little Girls
By Brittney with Stephanie Birr
Everything is Irie
By Tangela with Meaghan Heinrich
Symphony
By Dylan with Stephanie Birr
Find your light
Shine your light
Be the light
Choose hope
Choose love
Choose life
You are my joy
You are my hope
You are my light!
Three Mighty Men of Valor
By Regina with Beth Giacobassi
CHORUS
We’re three mighty men of valor, If you need anything just holler, We have each other’s back each and every day, Put God first to show the way.
Strength on the left, Respect on the right, We stick together with all our might. A family of integrity, Watching out for you and me.
Stand tall Romell. You’re a happy boy, Full of joy, Strong personality. Be giving, brave, Humble too, Always know your fam’ly loves you!
CHORUS
Attention Eamon. Big smile, bright eyes, Strong high fives, Lots of determination. Our sour patch kid with a basketball, Stomp and dance your independence!
CHORUS
Thank you Lord – Ahmajii. It’s a beautiful day You like to say, You’re clever and smart, so funny. Love to hug and kiss, Keep your great attitude. You love monster trucks and Cuk Cuk too!
CHORUS
Attention family! We’re a family of integrity Hand in hand we’ll always be!
Angel Fish
By Anne with Ryley Northrop
CHORUS
Holding on to that loving feeling
I’m holding on for you and I
I’m holding on to that loving feeling
I’m holding on for you and I
I remember everything like it was yesterday
L.E.S. playing on the radio windows down in May
The 43 was empty as you close your eyes and smile
The smell of sweet grass blowing in the air
Like an ocean in our lives we change with the tide
I told you that I loved you and I’d be right by your side
We’ve come a long way as we’re finding all our places in life
The dreams and aspirations that we share
CHORUS
Holding on to that loving feeling
I’m holding on for you and I
I’m holding on to that loving feeling
I’m holding on for you and I
Was it good was it right through the struggle through the strife
Feelings that we sometimes hold inside
Oh Angel Fish where have you been
My shining star my beacon of light
Willow Tree you brought me shelter
Willow Tree I watched you grow
Like standing in the eye of a hurricane that feeling that you know
With you in my life I’ll be just fine, I’ll just call out your name
CHORUS
Holding on to that loving feeling
I’m holding on for you and I
I’m holding on to that loving feeling
I’m holding on for you and I
Our Journey
By Knight with Meaghan Heinrich
CHORUS
Mama was broken and afraid, But I still love you, I still love you.
Mama was so sad and down, But I still love you, I still love you.
My knights were so dark, I could not see. I felt like givin’ up. I was in the belly of the beast, But have you ever seen a lion give up?
CHORUS
Mama was broken and afraid, But I still love you, I still love you. Mama was so sad and down, But I still love you, I still love you.
Sometimes I feel like a motherless child A long way from home.
I don’t just feel like one, I am one. But with you I’ll never be alone.
CHORUS
Mama was broken and afraid, But I still love you, I still love you. Mama was so sad and down, But I still love you, I still love you.
[Spoken]
Princess, as you start your journey Mama wants you to know that you’re stronger than life. We were once in a prison, but now we are free. The journey has begun for you and me.
CHORUS
Mama was broken and afraid, But I still love you, I still love you. Mama was so sad and down, But I still love you, I still love you.
Deano
By Trisha with Beth Giacobassi
CHORUS
Dean, Dean, Dean that rhymes with Bean, bean, bean, you make me Ha-, ha- ppy to see your face.
Face, face, face that rhymes with Chase, chase, chase now pre- preTend, tend, tend that I’m a bear ROAR!
Bear, bear, bear that rhymes with Hair, hair, hair can you See, see, see all your strands. Run, run, run as fast as You, you can before Aun-, Aun- tie tickles you!
Fridays are fun days adventures await, With Tete and Gam Gam our days are so great! To museums and zoos, GRRR, in and out we go. Create and discover our messes make us shudder!
CHORUS
We use all our senses wherever we go, Can you hear the train go passing by, see the clouds in the sky. As we’re close to home, smell the country air, smell a few cows too – PEW! Taste an ice cream cone, feel summer wind, wherever we may go.
CHORUS
Arms wide, spread your wings, fly to oceans so blue. Open your heart, but be sure to take me too!
With our family we’ll see the world, together we will roam. Then jump in bed, lay down your head, be grateful we are home.
CHORUS
Be strong and creative, be true to your friends. Accepting of others, always make amends. Follow your dreams with both courage and might. I’ll always be with you to help guide your light!
CHORUS
Dean, Dean, Dean that rhymes with Bean, bean, bean, you make me Ha-, ha- ppy to see your face.
Face, face, face that rhymes with Chase, chase, chase now pre- preTend, tend, tend that I’m a bear ROAR!
Bear, bear, bear that rhymes with Hair, hair, hair can you See, see, see all your strands.
Run, run, run as fast as You, you can before – OOPS! Auntie got you!
Mommy’s Little Girls
By Brittney with Stephanie Birr
We three, we got this, we rise above, we’re making it. Mommy’s little girls, takin’ on the world.
Leilani, big sis, growin’ fast, chill and sensitive. So proud how you care, a leader without compare.
CHORUS
You are golden, you are brave
You are protected, you are safe. Together we dance, together we fly. We fly
Mercedes, my power house, little bug, unstoppable. A million times a day, “Love you” comes my way. All I know, all I am, inspired by you, whatever’s next. Collected mem’ries show, we’re stronger than we know.
CHORUS
You are golden, you are brave You are protected, you are safe. Together we dance, together we fly. We fly
You are golden, you are brave You are protected, you are safe. Together we dance, together we fly. We fly We fly
Everything is Irie
By Tangela with Meaghan Heinrich
CHORUS
I want you to have the best of me
You deserve the best of me
Because everything is Irie
Because everything is Irie
We’re leaving our trials and baggage behind. Only joy and hope we will find. No matter how life go, I want you to know
You’re the best part of me and I love you so!
CHORUS
I want you to have the best of me
You deserve the best of me
Because everything is Irie
Because everything is Irie
I want to comfort you today, tomorrow, and forever. You shine bright like a diamond because you’re on fire. Be brave, be the person you are, let your light shine bright
I’m by your side morning, noon, and night.
CHORUS
I want you to have the best of me
You deserve the best of me
Because everything is Irie
Because everything is Irie
We are making it work together
Mommy, Johnie, and Irie. We can weather any storm and get back up when we fall. We’re beyond the universe, we persevere through it all.
CHORUS
I want you to have the best of me
You deserve the best of me
Because everything is Irie
Because everything is Irie
Lullaby Project Participants and Staff
Songwriter Participants
Anne Brittney
Dylan Knight
Regina Tangela
Trisha
Performing Artists
Stephanie Birr, vocals
Taylor Eiffert, clarinet*
Teaching Artists
Stephanie Birr
Beth Giacobassi*
Meaghan Heinrich
Ryley Northrop
Arrangers
Beth Giacobassi*
Hyewon Kim*
Terry Smirl
Beth Giacobassi, bassoon*
Nathan Hackett, viola*
Meaghan Heinrich, ukulele & vocals
Ryan Kahlbaugh, percussion
Kayoko Miyazawa, piano
Paris Myers, double bass*
Ryley Northrop, vocals
Kevin Pearl, oboe*
Chris Riggs, percussion*
Jennifer Bouton Schaub, flute*
Vidar Skrede, acoustic guitar
Jennifer Startt, violin*
Alejandra Switala, violin**
Peter Szczepanek, cello*
Alex Wier, percussion
Heather Zinninger, flute*
Lullaby Songwriter Participants
* Member of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
Project Staff
Rebecca Whitney
Director of Education, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
Hannah Esch
Senior Education & Engagement Manager, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
Nayna Alam
Healing Program Coordinator, Sojourner Family Peace Center
Marleisa Quiles
Supervisor of Healing Services, Sojourner Family Peace Center
**Acting member of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra 2022.23 Season
