NEW YORK (PIX11) — If you’ve ever been the parent of a newborn, you know about the sleepless nights and the need to find the perfect lullaby.
There’s a program at Carnegie Hall to help parents craft individual lullabies, unique for their babies. It is heartfelt and enchanting; these original lullabies were written by mothers and fathers with help from professional musicians. It’s called the Lullaby Project.
“This songwriting program sets parents with musicians and they work closely together with parents,” said Tiffany Ortiz, the director of Early Childhood Development programs at Carnegie Hall.
The Lullaby Project started at Jacoby Medical Center in the Bronx in 2011 and has spread across the city and beyond. Many of the parents who wrote lullabies were dealing with postpartum depression and sleepless nights.
Bignesh Shrestha, from Jackson Heights, Queens had an amazing singing voice and sang to his 6-month-old baby girl Arianna.
“It’s the magic of music,” Emily Eagen, a teaching artist, told PIX11 News. “Really when you start talking about their babies, usually it just flows.”
Another big beautiful voice was from mother Jennalyn Bussey, of Hempstead, Long Island. Her mother and husband were so proud of how she created a lullaby for their baby girl, Emoni.
“I was a first-time mom with a crying baby,” Bussey said. “But every time I sang the song, she just fell asleep. It was a wonderful experience.”
“It was so amazing and wonderful, hearing her sing with love and joy,” Stanley Bussey, Emoni’s dad, told PIX11 News. “It was just amazing.”
And beaming grandmother, Ellen Thomas, was also so happy.
“It’s awesome. It’s a blessing. It’s so good. I am so happy right now,” the grandmother said. “And so is Emoni.”
