The Canales Project Launches "Finding Your Voice Project" in Tucson, Arizona
In Partnership With the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson | Using the Arts to Address Issues of Identity
New York, New York - Last week, from October 10-13, The Canales Project inaugurated its "Finding Your Voice" project presented in conjunction with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson. The project, supported by a generous gift from Linda and Stuart Nelson of Tucson and New York City, brought together more than two dozen teenagers (all of whom are members of Boys & Girls Clubs), from across the greater Tucson area in an effort to use the arts to give them tools to help express and deal with the challenges they face associated with cultural divisions in our society.
Internationally known opera singer Carla Dirlikov Canales, founder and CEO of The Canales Project, and pianist Justin Snyder, led three days of intensive sessions in which the young people--hailing from across Tucson and its Clubhouses--systematically explored their common experiences and feelings and sought to help them express those feelings through music and song. The session is the first in a series for the participants and is part of what will be a year-long program that will ultimately result in the production of a music video produced by and starring the students.
"It was an exceptionally moving experience," said Dirlikov Canales, "watching these students, many of whom did not know each other at first, gain the sense of trust that enabled them to express themselves openly. When they did, they found they were not alone in many of the concerns they had and they began to work together at finding ways to translate their feelings into the lyrics that will be part of the song we collectively produce."
The Canales Project has been in development of the "Finding Your Voice" initiative for several months with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson. Laurie Wetterschneider, an Emeritus Board Member of the Boys & Girls Clubs who has been affiliated with the organization for 27 years and is the daughter of the Nelsons, said, "In the almost three decades that I have been a part of this amazing organization which is dedicated to serving children from the most at-risk populations in our community, I have never been more touched by a program's ability to not only educate and open the minds of our children, but to show them that someone like them has made a great career in the arts. Carla is a one of a kind performer and human being and she should be very proud of this program!” Since the conclusion of the first workshop, Ms. Wetterschneider has worked with local residents to secure pianos for the local Boys & Girls Clubhouses to ensure the program participants are able to continue to work on the project on an on-going basis, with two pianos secured within a few days of the conclusion of the first session.
“This program aligns perfectly with our mission to provide young people in Tucson, especially those who need us most, with a clear path to reach their full potential and pursue their dreams. With this program, our youth have the opportunity to gain new pathways and tools to develop and feel confident through their voices. We are so grateful to the Nelsons and Ms. Dirlikov Canales for providing this incredible opportunity and for debuting it at BGCT,” said Debbie Wagner, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson.
Upcoming sessions of the program will take place throughout the 2016-2017 academic year and will culminate in the spring with the production of a video and a song that will be presented on local radio, YouTube, and other channels.
The Finding Your Voice workshop was featured on KVOA, Tucson’s local news station. Watch the segment here: http://bit.ly/2dvUtwA