UNION, NJ — In a recent ceremony in Union, Music For All Seasons received an Outstanding Service Award from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Union County.
The award was presented to MFAS by Jennifer Lampert, a longtime musician/facilitator with MFAS who was one of the musicians for the Voices of Change program. She is currently director of Resource Development and Marketing for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Union. MFAS works closely with Russell Triolo, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs.
Last spring, MFAS, in partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs, brought three cycles of the Voices of Change songwriting program for teens to the Clubs in Union, Elizabeth and Plainfield. This extensive program, funded by The Westfield Foundation, was transformative for the young participants. They produced and recorded three amazing songs and a video.
The Voices of Change program aids in putting a stop to bullying, violence, and preventing and discouraging self-harm. Through the experience of communication and creativity, the quality of life for the participants and those around them is set to significantly improve. The collaborative experience of writing a song as a group inspires trust and creates a support structure to help today’s youth navigate the current challenging social landscape. Participants do not need any prior musical experience.
Twelve youngsters, ages 13-16, participate in each session – nine 90-minute sessions – of Voices of Change. The youngsters work closely with two professional musician/facilitators and learn how to write a group song that reflects their shared personal feelings and challenges. They learn how to craft lyrics, how to set lyrics to music and how to sing and record the finished song, which is professionally recorded. At the end, they have a song release party.
MFAS Artistic Director Rena Fruchter said, “We are thrilled to partner with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Union County and extremely honored to receive this award. We are proud to provide this unique program and appreciate the generous grant from the Westfield Foundation making it possible.”
Photos Courtesy of Jennifer Lampert and Vinnie Demuro