November 2, 2016—Washington, D.C.—Last week, at the Sidney Harman Hall of the Folger Shakespeare Theater, artists and partners affiliated with The Canales Project played a major role in this year’s TEDxMidAtlantic program. Appearing before over 500 delegates at the event, TCP founder and CEO Carla Dirlikov Canales introduced TCP’s mission to bring together artists who are committed to leading positive social change and helping to heal cultural divides and take audiences on a journey from the “other” to the “all.”
In addition to Dirlikov Canales, TCP artists and partners who performed and spoke at the event included:
- Tariq Al Sabir, a vocalist and composer, who performed “The Little Things” from the operetta Quadar by Tony Small (who accompanied Al Sabir on the piano) and who also presented the world premiere of a piece on the struggle for racial equity in the U.S. called “Too Close.” Al Sabir is a graduate of the Peabody Institute, grew up in Baltimore, and now teaches and performs in New York City.
- Judah Adashi, a composer and faculty member at the Peabody Institute, presented a piece he wrote that was also inspired by the tensions in Baltimore where he lives and works, entitled, “The Beauty of the Protest.” Adashi’s piece was performed on cello by his wife Lavena Johanson.
- Sarah Johnson, director of Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute, a partner of The Canales Project, introduced Carnegie’s “The Lullaby Project,” an initiative that harnesses the power of creating lullabies for newborns to help build mother-child bonds in families facing special challenges. Participants in the program from teen mothers to the homeless have worked with professional musicians to compose personalized lullabies for their babies. Following Johnson’s remarks, Dirlikov Canales and TCP artists Jessica Garand, a violist, and Joshua Cerdenia, a pianist, performed two lullabies that were written as part of the project.
As Dirlikov Canales explained in her remarks during the event, these artists are part of the growing roster of artist-advocates working with TCP programs across the country such as the “Between Two Worlds” concert series, the in-school programs related to “Between Two Worlds” and the “Finding Your Voice Program” now piloting with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Tucson.
“We have a surplus of talented artists in this country who want to make a difference and a social deficit of the critical skills and abilities artists can offer. At TCP we bring those artists in search of great programs and venues together with organizations in search of artists with special gifts and motivation. TEDxMidAtlantic, like Carnegie, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Tucson, and our many other wonderful partners, was great to work with and a perfect showcase for our team,” said Dirlikov Canales.
Dirlikov Canales was returning to TEDxMidAtlantic a year after her initial presentation for the group, an appearance she described in her 2016 talk as having inspired her to launch The Canales Project. The focus of this year’s TEDxMidAtlantic was “New Rules” for a rapidly changing world. The event featured speakers like the Washington Post’s Bob Woodward, former Maryland Governor and 2016 presidential candidate Martin O’Malley, and many others.
“The Canales Project artists were nothing short of inspiring,” said Nate Mook, Curator of TEDxMidAtlantic. “They are exceptionally talented musicians, but also thought-provoking — and shared the stories behind the performances, which provided context and engaged the audience on a deeper level. They were the perfect complement to our program, and the audience feedback has been incredible. We are delighted to be partners with Carla and TCP, and are looking forward to future collaborations."
Tariq Al Sabir said of the experience: "I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to connect with so many thought leaders and world changers at TEDxMidAtlantic. I thank The Canales Project for inviting me, and I’m excited to be a warrior of the Army of Compassion."
"We couldn't have enjoyed our experience at TEDx more! To a person, everyone we interacted with was warm and enthusiastic. There was a palpable sense of shared purpose, a collective desire to create a more just and empathetic world. We were grateful for the chance to share words and music with this community, and proud to represent The Canales Project," shared Judah Adashi.
For more information about The Canales Project, go to www.thecanalesproject.com and follow TCP on Facebook and on Twitter @thecanalesproj. Press queries should be directed to Maria Ory at maria@thecanalesproject.com.
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