Who doesn’t love music? But what about the power of making music…together? CFS’ The Magic of Music program is convening in person for six special weeks to jam together and come up with a CFS theme song!
Since the pandemic began, CFS has been hosting a Magic of Music program on Zoom as a way for people to express and process their feelings using the wonderful healing power of music. Even if sometimes making music meant just making noise! Rapping at anything that would make a sound, singing, drumming on any surface available to them, Magic of Music recipients expended energy and released stress caused by the pandemic’s isolation, and channeled those feelings into a communal healing spirit.
Now, with an innovation planning grant of $3,500 from the CFS Foundation made possible by our community of donors, the Magic of Music will be meeting in person for six-week sessions in three of CFS’ locations, beginning with Manhattan. The in-person series will work with the CFS Poetry and Drama Club to create unique music, dreamed up by CFS participants. Those attending the program will learn about songwriting, how to play instruments, and of course, practice singing their favorite songs!
The program will be led by musician and song writer Lindsey Wilson who has many years of experience working with people of all abilities. Lindsay will support advocates to express themselves using the outlet of music.
In addition to creating wonderful music together, taking the program to an in-person model will help our advocates reconnect with each other and give them something new to do during the winter months. It is critical to create new outlets and experiences during the dark cold winters when we can all feel a bit isolated, and this special program will do that in more ways than one.
One of those exciting new experiences: Oscar Segal, another CFS individual who is also a filmmaker and YouTuber, has connected with a music studio that plans to help record CFS’ Magic of Music Theme Song when that’s ready!
In their first session, they learned from Lindsey the components of a song, and what the process of writing is like. “The key to a song is to tell a story,” Lyndsey told the group. “What we have learned; what we’ve been through; what we’ve seen – that makes for a great song.”
Stay tuned… for a tune full of the healing power of making music together!
