On Sunday, February 24, at 4 pm, Meadowlark Music Together will host a benefit concert for young children (birth–age 8) and their families. The show will take place at Unity of Lawrence, 900 Madeline. Tickets will be $20 per family of up to 5 and are for sale at https://mmtevents.ticketleap.com/hello-uncle-gerry/.
The concert will feature recording artist Gerry Dignan, along with Meadowlark Music Together teachers, singing favorite Music Together songs. “Uncle” Gerry is featured on the CDs given to the thousands of families worldwide who take Music Together classes.
Concert proceeds will benefit the scholarship funds of the Lawrence Children’s Choir and Meadowlark Music Together. “I believe all children are born musical,” says Karen Abraham, director of Meadowlark Music Together, “and both the Lawrence Children’s Choir and the Music Together program help develop the inborn musicality in children, as well as providing the many cognitive, physical, social, and emotional benefits of active music making. It is important that these programs be made available to as many kids and families as possible, and scholarships can help make that happen.”
In addition to recording for Music Together, featured concert performer Gerry Dignan has worked and recorded with Grammy-nominated cellist, David Darling, and has contributed to the work of Music for People organization (David Darling, co-founder), an organization dedicated to self-expression through improvisational music. Gerry was also a seven-year member of the world-renowned Chicago Symphony Chorus and traveled with the chorus and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra to perform at the Concerthalle in Berlin, Germany, as well as in New York City at Carnegie Hall.
“We are excited to welcome Gerry to Lawrence to sing and dance with us in honor of our tenth anniversary of making music with the families of Lawrence and Topeka, Kansas. All of my families are very excited to hear Uncle Gerry’s familiar voice. We hope many local families will come out and enjoy a fun afternoon of music with their children, all to benefit a wonderful cause,” says Meadowlark Music Together director Karen Abraham.
Music Together® is an internationally recognized early childhood music and movement curriculum for children between birth and grade two and the adults who love them. Originally offered to the public in 1987, it pioneered the concept of a research-based, developmentally appropriate early childhood music curriculum that strongly emphasizes and facilitates adult involvement.
According to Kenneth K. Guilmartin, Founder/Director of Music Together, “All children have the ability, from birth, to learn music. At Music Together, we introduce children to the pleasures of actively making music, which is critical for their music development. Many parents may not realize that they are their child’s most important music teachers—even if they don’t consider themselves musical. It is not important that caregivers sing or move perfectly; what matters is that they model the enjoyment of making music. We have been providing families with the tools to joyfully and enthusiastically make music together for 25 years and are proud to have impacted so many lives.”
Music Together classes are held in more than 2,500 communities around the world. Local classes are offered in Lawrence and Topeka, Kansas by Meadowlark Music Together. For more information, please visit www.meadowlarkmusictogether.com.
