Foster care is complexly woven within the root of society; it is a hidden part of education, criminal justice, welfare, housing, as well as our judicial and legislative bodies. “Safe, stable, loving, and permanent home:” A Musical Ethnography of Foster Care in Chicago (MEFCC) will reveal this latency through an evening-length multi-media vocal oratorio that will broadcast collected stories from persons affected by or working within the foster care system. In collaboration with Constellation Men’s Ensemble and Intuit museum of outsider art, I will organize community-wide gatherings to facilitate discussions, conversations, and interview sessions throughout Chicago with those directly connected to the foster care system. This music will address issues amongst the foster care population by chronicling real-life experiences using the audio recordings as source material for electronic tracks to accompany Constellation Men’s Ensemble’s live singing. Ultimately, this project will embolden audiences, performers, and the community to advocate for the needs of foster youth in the country, and in doing so enact an equitable, functional democracy.
MEFCC is an offshoot of previous work from my graduate recital Welfare. Openness. Data. Reunification. Inspiration. Collective Action that premiered on April 7, 2018. The themes, text, and music for this recital were derived from interviews with 10 former foster youth. The performance’s reception and inspired dialogue demonstrated the need for further exploration. MEFCC will employ a similar generative method, but will increase the size and scope of the ethnographic sample, focusing on Cook County, the third largest foster care population in the country.
“This project is partially supported by an Individual Artists Program Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events, as well as a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, a state agency through federal funds provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.”
MEFCC is an offshoot of previous work from my graduate recital Welfare. Openness. Data. Reunification. Inspiration. Collective Action that premiered on April 7, 2018. The themes, text, and music for this recital were derived from interviews with 10 former foster youth. The performance’s reception and inspired dialogue demonstrated the need for further exploration. MEFCC will employ a similar generative method, but will increase the size and scope of the ethnographic sample, focusing on Cook County, the third largest foster care population in the country.
“This project is partially supported by an Individual Artists Program Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events, as well as a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, a state agency through federal funds provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.”