Love Healing and Lullabies

The Lullaby Project, a project of Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute, pairs community organizations with professional artists to write and sing personal lullabies in healthcare, social service and justice settings.

Iris Collective is currently the only organization in Tennessee with the rights to Lullaby Project programming, and this season we’re thrilled to use this work in partnership with two amazing organizations: Thistle & Bee and Memphis Oral School for the Deaf (MOSD). 

With the women of Thistle & Bee— survivors of prostitution, trafficking and addiction—we held workshops that helped the women write lullabies to the people (and even pets) that they love, miss or wish they could see again. Iris artists helped the women not only with their words but also created custom music with them to create a finished piece. These lullabies and the stories behind them are on our website at iriscollective.org/medicine.

In January, we’ll start our Every Voice a Song collaboration with community partner MOSD. Parents and caregivers of children with hearing loss in their Sound Beginnings early intervention program will be able to co-create original lullabies celebrating their child’s unique journey. Research shows that singing to your children improves reading and speech development, so what a wonderful gift we can share with this long-time Iris Collective partner.