The Lullaby Project: New album celebration at Kids in the Rotunda
Marie Pauls
Overture Center’s 2022/23 Kids in the Rotunda series wraps up with a very special performance that is sure to warm your heart. On Saturday, April 29, The Lullaby Project will present a program of original songs written in collaboration between local teaching artists and families through partnerships with Capital High Parenting and Unity Point Health-Meriter. Nine of these songs were recently recorded at Audio for the Arts, and this performance will be an album release party like no other. Per usual at Kids in the Rotunda, plan to BYOB, that is, bring your own baby.
The Lullaby Project is an international program created and established by Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute, and Overture Center initiated Madison’s chapter in 2019. New and expectant parents and caregivers are paired with teaching artists who collaborate with them to create a customized lullaby for their young child. From quirky and silly to tender and poignant, the songs are each distinct in style and content, a family treasure for years to come.
The Lullaby Project album was produced by Sam Taylor, with Buzz Kemper as lead engineer and mastering by Audrey Martinovich. Taylor, also a teaching artist, is featured as a performer on the recording as well.
In a typical recording scenario, the content is determined by an artist, such as a singer/songwriter or a symphony orchestra. The Lullaby Project, however, is unique in that parents provide material specific to their child, which the teaching artist then transforms into a song. In some cases, the parents begin songwriting before their baby has been born while for others, ideas for songs are generated through letter writing, thought mapping, drawing and more. It serves as a channel for expressing their hopes and dreams for their child, cultivating a loving community for the new parents and babies.
Lullaby Project Photos
For some, the recording process is a family affair, babies welcome. While the teaching artists are the primary performers, parents can play an active role. One mother sang the lead vocals, and another played French horn. One baby was especially keen to put her stamp on the record. Buzz Kemper fondly recalls a moment in the studio as he was recording the baby’s contented coos in response to the music.
“Toward the end, the baby started getting really fussy, and the mom, with perfect inflection, said ‘And…she’s over it’…and we all just about fell out of our chairs.”
Will the tantrum make the final cut?
“I think it’s going to make an appearance on the record,” says Kemper, who in the studio gets to witness the moment parents and songwriters come together and “turn the creative process from an idea into a recorded song.”
From start to finish, the Lullaby Project’s rockstar team of professionals, most of whom have worked together in the past, were like a well-oiled machine.
“I want to thank Overture for getting this started (in Madison). I really appreciate the people who were bold enough and creative enough to jump on board with this, to put the right people in place and fund it properly. This is going to be very enriching for many people,” says Kemper.
Overture is also very proud to have built a program that supports local families in such a special way.
“The Lullaby Project is one of my favorite programs,” says Tim Sauers, Overture Center’s chief artistic experiences officer, “WhenI experienced the program at Carnegie Hall in New York City I knew I wanted to offer it to the Madison community. The artistic creation is so heartfelt and authentic. What a precious gift to be given to your child!”
The grand celebration on Saturday, April 29 will mark the release of the Lullaby Project Album 22/23, which will be available on streaming services. Two free public performances will take place at the Rotunda Stage, at 9:30am and 1pm. The morning show will also be livestreamed on YouTube & the Kids in the Rotunda Facebook page.
Want to get even more of the nity grity?
Tune into 98.7 WVMO, The Voice of Monona, on Sunday, May 7 for Sunday Afternoon with Buzz Kemper. Hear Kemper’s live interview with Sam Taylor, along with an airing of the full Lullaby Project album.
To support the Lullaby Project or get involved, contact Alanna Medearis, director of programming and community engagement, at amedearis@overture.org.