The old building without a sign on the door disguises

any hint of the hurried preparations taking place inside.

On one side of the main room, rectangular tables are

covered with boxes of pastries and carafes of coffee. The

empty gray walls are lined with stacks of tan metal chairs, now

being arranged into a large circle around the perimeter of the

room. Before long, people begin filtering in until the room is

humming with excited chatter with mostly women ranging from

20-somethings to early 40s. Children run in circles, screaming,

hands sticky with doughnuts and orange juice, giving

sharp contrast to most of the adults in the room who seem

apprehensive and tired, clinging tightly to their cups of steaming

coffee. When 9:30 rolls around, the adults find their seats as the

children are led downstairs to play, and the first session of the

Lullaby Project begins.

The Lullaby Project is an intensive Community Connections

project in which mothers in challenging circumstances come

together with specialized Seattle Symphony teaching artists

and musicians to write, record and perform lullabies for their

children. During this Creative Workshop, the first session of

By KRISTIN SCHNEIDER & THOMASINA SCHMITT

the project, Seattle Symphony teaching artists and staff joined

the staff and mothers of Mary’s Place, a homeless shelter for

families in downtown Seattle. The day began with breakfast,

introductions and sharing of bedtime rituals. After these

introductions the teaching artists paired off with the mothers to

begin writing lullabies for their children. It was an intense day, but

by the end of it, the mothers reported feeling relaxed, comforted

and accomplished — a huge contrast to the stressed and

overwhelmed feeling they reported at the beginning of the day.

A few short months later, after the lullabies had been arranged for

small ensembles and recorded by Seattle Symphony musicians

and teaching artists, Mary’s Place mothers and Seattle Symphony

teaching artists and musicians gathered together once again

for the Sharing Session to listen to the recordings and reflect on

their experiences. As this Sharing Session unfolded, a young new

mother, Emily, sat quietly in her chair, holding her son of only a

few months. At the start of the project, her baby had remained

in his stroller, and the two had interacted very little with one

another. What a change could be seen today, as they were entirely

absorbed with one another, their eyes locked, engaged in a

Mothers and children of Mary’s Place at the Creative Workshop.

10 SEATTLESYMPHONY.ORG

conversation that the rest of us could only guess at. When

asked about her experience of the Lullaby Project, she said:

“I think that doing this project has helped with

stability for both me and my son. Realizing that

here’s the situation that we’re in… but that’s okay.

Because at least we’re together. And we have each

other. And that’s what’s important. It’s helped me to

focus on what it’s really about. It’s given me a focus,

a goal to work toward. He’s my whole world right

now. I can be stressed and pulling my hair out, and

I just hear his cry, and I know that what I’m stressed

about isn’t important. What’s important is taking

care of my son.”

Throughout the Lullaby Project (the creative workshop,

recording session, sharing session and final concert), the

teaching artists and musicians were able to put into words

and into song each mother’s individual stories and hopes

for the future. The mothers and teaching artists, who were

strangers at the start, were able to discuss, maybe for the

first time, such tender topics of safety, loving a child, what

it is to be a parent — all within the safety of a simple song.

And our teaching artists and musicians were there to listen,

to witness, to come alongside.

The world is big and scary

But there’s no courage without fear.

Nothing in life worth having

Ever comes without a fight.

Hush little baby, child that holds my heart.

Don’t shed a tear, you’re safe, Mother’s here.

– Emily’s Lullaby for C.J.

The Mary’s Place mothers are not the only ones who have

been deeply impacted. Seattle Symphony musicians,

teaching artists and staff along with staff from Mary’s Place

have also been moved by this powerful project.

“I wasn’t expecting this project to be so meaningful to me,”

shared Seattle Symphony flute and piccolo player Zartouhi

Dombourian-Eby. “Not only did it raise our own awareness,

it’s a beautiful reminder that music is a powerful way to

serve the community.”

Mary’s Place Executive Director Marty Hartman commented

on how this project has helped strengthen the partnership

between Mary’s Place and the Seattle Symphony.

The Symphony’s initial contact with Mary’s Place began

through a suggestion from an anonymous major donor

to the Symphony. “Our donor family not only supports

On right: Mothers with Seattle Symphony teaching

artists and musicians at the Creative Workshop.

Photos: Tracey Salazar

encoreartsseattle.com 11

us financially,” says Jane Hargraft,

Seattle Symphony Vice President of

Development, “but helps us make

meaningful connections in the

community.”

The partnership with Mary’s Place has

become so strong that they held their

recent fundraiser Brunch for Beds at

Benaroya Hall. The program featured two

live lullaby performances while families

shared their stories of homelessness

and how these lullabies helped them get

through. Seattle Symphony cellist Joy

Payton-Stevens also spoke, sharing that

programs like the Lullaby Project provide

the opportunity to remember why music

is so vital and to see first-hand how

transformative it can be.

This project has also raised the bar

for Seattle Symphony teaching artists.

Several hours of specialized training

goes into preparing the teaching artists

who work directly with the mothers to

help them write their lullabies.

The Seattle Symphony will partner

again with Mary’s Place for this season’s

Lullaby Project. The project will culminate

with a celebration concert which will take

place the weekend of Mother’s Day on

Saturday, May 7, at 3pm in Soundbridge

Seattle Symphony Music Discovery

Center. This free concert will feature live

performances of all the newly created

lullabies and is open to the public.

On right: The Lullaby Project’s

final concert in May 2015.

Photos: Tracey Salazar

12 SEATTLESYMPHONY.ORG

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONSThe Lullaby Project falls under the larger

Community Connections program,

the Symphony’s commitment to

building bridges with diverse nonprofit

organizations throughout the Puget

Sound region. This program provides

free access to Symphony concerts,

customized small-group workshops, and

mainstage co-creation projects with over

50 local partner organizations serving

the social services, health and welfare,

military, youth development, seniors and

cultural heritage.

For more information about the

Lullaby Project or Community

Connections, please visit

seattlesymphony.org/inthecommunity,

email education@seattlesymphony.org

or call 206.336.6650.

GET INVOLVEDSpecial endeavors like the Lullaby

Project are only possible through

donations to the Seattle Symphony made

by people like you. Gifts of every amount

make a difference.

seattlesymphony.org/give

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