"Music is an outburst of the soul" - Frederick Delius
Help ALEGRIA provide the opportunity for the kids in the orphanage of La Sagrada familia and give the gift of music this month. Here's how:
Donate here and spread the word:
monthofmusic.causevox.com
Join us this month! Unese con nosotros.
Learn more about ALEGRIA & our work here.
Art Direction by Shay Grabowski
Animation by Amelia Charles
Character Development by Thomas Bryant
We need YOU to:
1) Give $30.
2) Rally all your friends to do the same.
You can also...
3) Change your FB profile photo to match ours and spread the word. Pull it off the ALEGRIA page:
www.facebook.com/wearealegria
4) Mail us your actual instrument! We need flutes, saxaphones, guitars, clarinets.. the list goes on. Email rachel@wearealegria.org for details where to ship it in NYC (We'll get it to the kids in Peru).
Join us. Give music this month.
Let's get this party started.
]]>The first day I went to the Community to lead workshop I felt a little shy, not knowing if the kids would like the class I prepared for them. Little by little I loosened up and I saw that the kids were responding positively and that art, by means of music, created smiles beaming from their faces! I initially thought that I would be volunteering for some kids, now I understand the meaning of ALEGRIA and the Community. The opportunity to give something from my community through ALEGRIA has completely filled my heart. Everything that we can do for these kids will always be worth it. Thank you!
Desde hoy formo parte de ALEGRIA y, realmente, después de entrar en contacto con la Comunidad, me doy cuenta que no existe mejor nombre para esta organización. No sólo por el empoderamiento que reciben tantos niños y niñas que hace que se fortalezcan sus autoestimas sino, porque cada sonrisa y cada abrazo de esos pequeños rebasan de gratitud nuestros corazones. Gracias Shay, Rachel y Erika por darme este regalo maravilloso!!
El primer día de clases que fui a la Comunidad, me sentí un poco tímida por saber si a los niños les gustaría la clase preparada por mí... poco a poco me fui soltando y vi que los chicos respondían positivamente y que el arte, a través de la música, hacía que sus rostros irradiaran una sonrisa!!... Relamente, lo que yo pensé incialmente fue: YO voy a hacer un voluntariado para unos niños, ahora que entiendo el significado de ALEGRIA y de la Comunidad digo que la oportunidad de dar algo de mí en la Comunidad a través de Alegría, ha llenado mi corazón completamente y todo lo que podamos hacer por esos niños, siempre valdrá la pena!!... Gracias!!
]]>Each time I participate in a project or activity like the one ALEGRIA sponsors – personally I feel my spirit renewed and a ratified feeling that in this world EVERYONE can make a difference with an action, display of affection, smile, joy, artistic expression, or simply doing something with the spirit of solidarity. When we give the best so that others are comfortable with you, losing their fear to take a step forward and attempt to do something that might give them pride – to have hope!
The experience allows you to enjoy the simplest and most beautiful thing in life, where your smile and treating kids as friends gives them the security to share their talents with you. These kids are so talented and are looking for security and motivation to express themselves.
ALEGRIA has the genius idea of creating a mixture of activities and talents. Peruvians and Americans sharing their talents with kids!
During the week at La Sagrada Familia, I was able to work with Sheila Tang, in the Peruvian Music workshop. In the workshop kids were able to know a little more about the roots of Afro-Peruvian music through singing, dancing and acting.
In the beginning there is a lot of timid laughter by many of our students, but as the days go by you can see the passion many of them have when they dance, act or sing.
They were fascinated with videos of Peruvian artist who were acting out the same songs they were learning. They were even more fascinated when Sheila would sing, her voice would caress your ears and make your jaw drop. The kids, realizing what an amazing singer she was, would not tire from asking, “miss Sheila, miss Sheila sing the Titanic song!” They simply loved hearing her sing.
We had two groups, the first one was going to learn choreography to Afro-Peruvian music and seeing their fear and timidity, I decided to tell them the personal success stories of members of ALEGRIA. I told them if they liked to draw they should draw to the best of their abilities and they might one day be like Shay, a designer and animator. I gave them examples of cartoons and t.v. commercials, they were fascinated! They love the idea of being able to have a professional career in something creative.
I walked them around the chapel, showing them the photos from the benefits in New York that ALEGRIA puts on showcasing the artwork the kids had made and photographs they had taken. They had seen the pictures before, but had not realized that it was their artwork they had created in ALEGRIA workshops that was being exhibited, artwork created in the community! They were happy and enthusiastic!
We talked about some of the people that made up last years Joy Project team; Megan Shuffle’s passion for and career in dance, Nate Poekert combining his passion for photography into his work, Nathan Clancy’s improv acting, Greta’s creative design, Jean Michelle, Chinae Alexander and all the members that may not be designers or professional artists, but ALWAYS have creativity, ingenuity and fearlessly seek to uncover opportunities in the art world. This really helped the kids loosen up and understand how important it was to do their best in their workshop.
Personally, in a few words, I think that the most important part of this week, aside from helping with the workshop, was to clarify to the kids what ALEGRIA is doing is giving them hope to lose their fear of expressing themselves and with creatively they can have the world at their fingertips to develop through an artistic lifestyle!
Throughout the week in the Community there were developments that weeks later turned into important events. There were people that had come to know the community for the first time through their work with ALEGRIA. They were so moved by the community that they told their friends. In turn their friends wanted to support the community and a few weeks after the Joy Project a $100,000 water project was approved to provide the community with clean water! Thanks to ALEGRIA the Community was made known to people that could provide a solution and quickly approve this project.
During the week ALEGRIA was able to contribute 6 industrial sewing machines to the sewing workshop at the Community. The workshop is a way for the Community to earn money and a place for the older kids to learn a practical trade they can develop and one day turn into a marketable skill. There were tears of joy and thanksgiving when the head of the sewing workshop and Miguel, the head of the Community, learned of the new machines!
I am only left to give infinite thanks to what you are doing for our kids in Peru and for giving me a chance to be part of such a beautiful project!
Let us continue to give joy to the world! And we can continue through the future events and projects that benefit the kids. ALEGRIA: Hope Through Art is the best way to help! We all have something to give: energy, talent, money, time, love – everything is worth giving! Everything that will allow us to give more joy to the world is welcomed!
Thank you and until next time!
Cada vez que participo de proyectos o actividades como las que Alegria hace - como una sensación personal para mí - es la renovación de mi espíritu y a la vez es el ratificar que en este mundo TODOS podemos hacer la diferencia con alguna acción, muestra de afecto, sonrisa, alegría, expresión de arte, o simplemente haciendo las cosas con ganas de realmente ayudar y dar lo mejor de sí, para que los demás pierdan el miedo a dar ese necesario paso e intentar hacer de su historia realmente algo de lo cual se sientan orgullosos! En pocas palabras: tener esperanza!
Esta experiencia te hace disfrutar de las cosas más simples y bellas de la vida…. Donde el solo hecho de sonreír y tratarlos como tus amigos les da seguridad de compartir contigo su talento! Chicos muy muy talentosos que buscan seguridad y motivación para dejarse expresar!
Alegría ha tenido la genial idea de hacer una mezcla de actividades y talentos. Peruanos y Americanos compartiendo sus talentos con los chicos!
Durante la Semana de trabajo con los niños del Hogar La Sagrada Familia, pude trabajar con una excelente profesional, Sheila Tang, en el taller de Música Peruana, donde pudimos hacer que los chicos conozcan un poco más sobre las raíces Afro-Peruanas y al mismo tiempo de conocer la música, puedan actuar y bailar al ritmo Negro del Peru!
Obviamente al comienzo son muchas risas, mucha timidez de parte de algunos, pero al pasar de los días vas viendo la pasión que muchos de estos chicos muestran al momento de Bailar, actuar o cantar!
Se quedan fascinados con los videos de artistas Peruanos en la web, actuando lo que ellos están aprendiendo! Y pues doblemente fascinados al escuchar a Sheila recrear algunas de estas canciones! Una voz maravillosa que acaricia los oídos y te deja boquiabierta! Hermosa voz que al notar estos chicos que sus dotes de canto eran tan bellos, no se cansaban de pedirle..:”miss Sheila, Miss Sheila cante “Titanic” (My heart will go on, by Celine Dion)” jajajaja a ellos simplemente les encantaba escuchar la voz de Sheila!
Tuvimos 2 grupos, el primer grupo iba a bailar una coreografía de música Afro-peruana y pues como los nervios y la timidez predominaban en el grupo, no me quedo más que usar una de las armas que para mí fue dando mayores resultados durante toda la semana Y fue hablarles de algunos miembros del grupo Alegria y los éxitos de sus vidas! Pues les comente que si les gusta dibujar deberían hacerlo lo mejor posible, porque tal vez ellos en algún momento sean como Shay! Diseñadora grafica de animaciones! Y les puse ejemplos de dibujos animados (cartoons), comerciales de televisión, etc.! FUE LO MEJOR! Estaban fascinados!!! Les encantaba la idea de saber que se podrían dedicar a eso como un trabajo profesional!….
Asimismo, les mostré - en las vitrinas donde estaban aun colgadas las fotos que el grupo del año pasado habían puesto – las fotos de los eventos benéficos que el Grupo Alegria en New York hace y muestra las obras y fotos de ellos mismos haciendo sus dibujos y actuaciones! Realmente habían visto las fotos antes, pero no les habían prestado la debida atención a que las cosas y fotos expuestas en NY fueran del trabajo que ellos habían hecho en sus talleres con Alegria en la comunidad!!! Estaban muy alegres y entusiasmados!
Hablamos un poco de algunas de las personas que los habían visitado este año y el año pasado en la comunidad; como de la pasión por el baile y como se ganaba la vida Megan Shuffle, del trabajo de Nate Poekert combinado con su pasión por la fotografía, del trabajo actoral de Nathan Clancy, de la creatividad y diseño de Greta, Jean Michelle, Chinae Alexander, y de todos los integrantes que hasta ahora habían conocido los chicos…. Aun cuando no se tengan los dotes artísticos del dibujo o el diseño, SIEMPRE con un poco creatividad, ingenio y sin miedo podían descubrir en el arte un mundo lleno de oportunidades! Esto ayudo muchísimo a que los chicos se suelten y puedan entender y hacer mejor el trabajo del taller en el que trabajábamos durante esta semana!
Para mí en pocas palabras, creo que lo más importante de esta semana, fuera de enseñarles el taller, fue poder aclararles un poco que lo que el grupo Alegría está haciendo con estos niños es darles la esperanza de que, perdiéndole el miedo a expresarse y con mucha creatividad, pueden llegar a tener el mundo a sus pies y desarrollar a través del arte un estilo de vida!
A través de la semana en la comunidad se desarrollaron, paralelamente y semanas después también, algunos eventos importantes. Hubo gente que por primera vez trabajaba en la Comunidad y con el grupo Alegria, pero se interesaron tanto y les conmovió el trabajo que al contarles a sus allegados y amigos, les intereso también el hecho de contribuir así que luego de unas semanas nos enteramos de un proyecto aprobado por $100,000 para solucionar el problema del agua que viven en la comunidad! Efectos paralelos que gracias al grupo Alegria se pudieron conocer y llegar a la gente indicada para la presentación y aprobación del proyecto!
Asimismo durante la semana la Alegria fue máxima en el taller de Costura, donde Alegría hizo entrega de 6 maquinas de cocer industriales! Taller a través del cual generan ingresos a la comunidad y donde los chicos aprenden un oficio para luego poder desarrollarse y ganarse la vida. Hubo lágrimas de Alegria y agradecimientos muy emotivos de parte de la persona encargada del taller y de Miguel Rodriguez, director y fundador de la Comunidad de Niños Sagrada Familia!
Solo me queda agradecer infinitamente por lo que hacen por nuestros niños en Peru como por darme la oportunidad de ser parte de un proyecto tan bello!
Sigamos dando Alegría al mundo! Y ya les pondremos al tanto con los próximos eventos y proyectos en beneficio de los niños! Alegría Hope Through Art es la mejor manera de ayudar!
Todos tenemos algo por dar! Energía, Talento, Alegría, Dinero, Tiempo, Amor, todo es válido!!!! Todo lo que nos lleve a dar Alegría al mundo es bienvenido!
Gracias y hasta la próxima! ;)
]]>Whoa. Lots goin' on! We have some incredible announcements coming your way. Keep your eye on the blog to hear from our amazing ALEGRIA team in Lima... They have quite a bit to share from their heart. I'll just leave you with a Thursday thought and photo.
ADELANTANDO in Spanish means 'moving forward'. This is how I can best sum up our coming season.. Moving and shaking and making big strides in the lives of these children. If you haven't yet, read HERE about what we've been up to lately.
Please join us.
We recently shared how we're teaming up with Miguel and the National Symphonic Orchestra of Peru. Give of your resources today to provide musical instruments for the children.
photo by Vanessa Vásquez
Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and cannot remain silent.
Victor Hugo
Miguel shared recently: 'Es hoy o hoy. Mañana es tarde.' 'It's today or today. Tomorrow is late.'
The children cannot wait. We won't stand for it. Adelantando, juntos! Moving forward together.
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We've been very busy and very blessed. We have so much to share with you! Our teams been busy in La Sagrada Familia, in Lima, and in NYC. Here's a few highlights:
Shay's Drawing and Painting Workshop
A huge part of ALEGRIA's work is investing in sustainable resources for the Community. Our fundraising from our first annual Exhibit of Hope in November and throughout this year allowed us to contribute significantly to the orphanage. We provided 6 industrial sewing machines, which will provide much-needed resources for women who come to the community to sew for the kids as well as sew items that bring in income for the orphanage. The machines will also be used for older children's sewing classes. The sewing teacher, Maximiliana, was overwhelmed with gratitude. She works very hard there every day, and her expression alone was worth every dollar and every hour of planning. Muchisimas Gracias, ALEGRIA Community.
ALEGRIA is partnering with Miguel and the Peruvian National Symphonic Orchestra (Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional). We were able to provide resources for 4 violins immediately. Miguel and the Community were overjoyed! Thank you. We are continuing to fundraise over the next few months to invest in music. More to come on this!... Please give today.
We had an ALEGRIA booth at the annual FIT Block Party this last Saturday. We're obsessed with artists using their creative voice to advocate on behalf of those who have very little.. in our case, our kids we support. We can't wait to see what blooms here with FIT + ALEGRIA.
We had a Joy Project this week in the Community. Joy Project = Mobilizing professional artists to teach creative workshop intensives to the children. Our team of Peruvian artists was incredible. Our teaching artists taught 5 workshop intensives to the children: Product Design, Fashion Design, Afro-Peruvian Musical Theatre, Drawing + Painting, and Collage.
Flavia Melendez's Collage Workshop
We can't wait to share stories from each workshop. For now, I'll show you a quick video of our Drawing + Painting workshop. In this workshop, were cuentacuentos.. visual storytellers. Aren't they so talented!?
Many more stories to come. Sheilla will blog next from her incredible Criolla musical theatre workshop.
One final thought... It's Mother's Day today in the US and Peru, and our hearts are with our kids. Kids who live in an orphanage community, who miss their mothers very much, who lack for lots but love abundantly. If you pray, please pray for them today. Please also support them by giving of your resources.. A little goes a long way. Muchas gracias for your generosity and commitment to this important work.
Love,
Shay + The ALEGRIA Team
Come JOIN US Saturday, May 7 at the FIT Block Party from 12pm-4pm! ALEGRIA will have a booth, so stop by to learn about us, make cards for the kids and enjoy music, fashion, food and fun!
Located at The Fashion Institute of Technology on 27th street between 7th and 8th Ave http://fitnyc.edu/1888.asp
Watch a clip of the 2009 FIT Block Party at this HERE
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photo above is from the children's sewing class
2 things I must share with you now..
1) As one of their daily classes, the older boys here are learning how to sew. Older students in the Community and adults create items to sell for the surrounding community, as well as for their own community, bringing income and further growth to the Community. ALEGRIA invests in the orphanage community's existing workshops, to provide much-needed resources for further sustainable growth. Miguel requested new sewing machines, and this is something we continue to invest in now and throughout this year.
The machines they have now are old and wearing out. We're starting with a few industrial sewing machines in 2 WEEKS! Please don't wait.. DONATE TODAY to provide more resources.
Last, we have a fashion designer named Greta coming, so she'll be utilizing these new machines as a part of her workshop intensive. Win all around!
2) We have an artist from Lima, Mateo, coming to teach urban mural painting. He'll be using graffiti/hip hop as a vehicle for the kids to express positive messages to their Community.
That's a joy project.
More to come!
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Recap of 'The 7-Year Itch', Hilary Rushford's one-woman show dedicated to ALEGRIA as part of the En Vivo series
by Hilary Rushford
To celebrate my 7-year-anniversary in New York this February I decided to throw a party, in the form of a cabaret. The goals were to challenge myself creatively, collaborate with my talented friends & celebrate. And the silver lining was to donate the proceeds & allow our artistic experience to allow artistic experiences for children who don't yet have exposure to the arts.
I love the idea that we could gather in rehearsal studios to orchestrate our talent & that by sharing that with an audience, money was raised to allow children to have the same exposure, vision & opportunities: art, creativity, collaboration & joy. I'm so delighted to know that our performance enabled ALEGRIA to purchase an industrial sewing machine for Hogar de La Sagrada Familia in Lima.
As a little girl my parents purchased a handful of costumes each year for my dance recital which were then worn for living room performances, school talent shows & make-believe in the backyard for years to come. For my cabaret, one of my best friends built me a costume from scratch to represent the stories I was telling throughout the night. Pieces of fabric, knit together not only protect us from the elements as clothes, allow us to express ourselves as fashion, but also transport us to different places & characters as costumes.
When ALEGRIA travels back to La Sagrada Familia for their joy project in May, they will be bringing a sewing machine that provides a daily life need as well as a source of creativity. And I believe we were created by an artistic God who painted this world with a palette full of color & delights when we discover & revel in them!
Here's to one chilly night in Brooklyn & a packed room of talent & laughter, creating new opportunities of creativity for the next generation halfway around the world. ALEGRIA, thank you for letting myself & the company of "The 7 Year Itch" partner with you!
- Hilary Rushford, www.HilaryRushford.com
Recap of 'The 7-Year Itch', by Hilary Rushford. Gracias, Hilary for dedicating your incredible cabaret on behalf of these kids!
Trinity Grace Church is home to many of our artists and leadership, and ALEGRIA launched out of this amazing community of faith and creativity! Thank you, Trinity Grace, for your endless support and encouragement.
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