★ Kids Count - Day 4 ★

Music is powerful.
It helps young people express themselves, become themselves.

Join our crowdfunding campaign today to provide music for thousands of kids.
Gabrielle
"I am of music
I create off of triumph, struggle, a single seed...
I am of dreams...
I am not just one li'l kid from this concrete jungle we call streets,
I am a story to be told
I am like Sappho,
My heart sings of poems of love..."

-Gabrielle, 10th grade, Hill Freedman World Academy, Philadelphia
Imagine opening up a student's folder and seeing those words jump out at you!

Gabrielle is part of a residency LiveConnections is doing at Hill Freedman World Academy, a public high school in Philadelphia. We're thrilled to have Philadelphia Poet Laureate Yolanda Wisher working with the entire 10th grade on writing poetry. Now, students are selecting poems to set to music and record, mentored by songwriter/producer Andrew Lipke.

Yolanda has been urging kids to flex the muscles of their language. They're responding! "Hope is in my blood..."; "When I breathe, I give birth to imagination..."

Then there's Gabrielle. Not just "one li'l kid," but "a story to be told." A young woman "of music" whose "heart sings."

Our city's kids write with energy. They speak powerful truths.

At LiveConnections, we use writing and music to help young people express themselves, become themselves. We believe music is a powerful tool for change and growth.

You can help. Donate today to create more opportunities for young people to tell their stories! Help us raise $40,000 by May 17. Just $25 sponsors 2 students.

Donate today!

♫ P.S. Tell your own story about music's impact! Tag @LiveConnections #KidsCount2017 on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, and follow us for new stories each day.

Yolanda Wisher residency
Yolanda Wisher (right) coaches students on how to perform their original poetry. [Image: Jaci Downs Photography]

[Top image: courtesy of the student]
About LiveConnections
LiveConnections inspires learning and builds community through collaborative music-making. In 2008, a team of artists, educators and entrepreneurs founded LiveConnections to address declining music education in Philly schools and tap into the people-connecting power of music. Bridge Sessions, our signature interactive educational programs, blend live performances with hands-on activities, introducing urban students and people with disabilities to diverse musical cultures. Our in-school and after-school residencies provide students with sustained, in-depth music-making experiences. In addition, our critically acclaimed LiveConnections Presents concert series features collaborative concerts that cross musical boundaries. We are a nonprofit organization in residence at World Cafe Live. [learn more]

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Thanks to our 2016-2017 sponsors!


Sponsors 2016

(List includes sponsors at the $2,500 level & up, current as of sending.)

LiveConnections is supported in part by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. Additional support provided in part by the Philadelphia Cultural Fund.

LiveConnections.org is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, tax ID 26-2666641. The official registration and financial information of LiveConnections.org may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll-free, within Pennsylvania, 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.

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