A Reprise!
Last fall we sat down with five inspiring resident leaders to hear about the work they are doing in Cleveland’s Clark-Fulton, Stockyards, and Brooklyn Centre neighborhoods. All five of these individuals have led projects through Rally CLE, an initiative of Building Hope in the City that unites and engages residents around the ideas they have for improving their communities by supporting projects and grassroots programs that promote connection, equity and grassroots leadership.
As we listened to each resident leader, we embarked together on the process of turning their stories into songs. This collaborative songwriting process known as Documentary Songwriting is a powerful way to share someone’s unique experience and connect people who might not otherwise hear these stories.
We were so inspired by the stories last fall that we went back for more! This summer we met with Peggi Cruz, owner and chef of Cha’firo, and Danielle Piscura, co-founder of the Garden Christian Academy, whose establishments are both located in the Clark-Fulton neighborhood. Together with Peggi and Danielle we wrote two more songs to add to our ‘Songs from the Neighborhood’ concert experience and performed the updated reprise on July 8th. What an honor and privilege to share once again a blend of instrumental music, history of the neighborhoods, recorded narratives, and these original Documentary Songs.
Just like in the fall, after the performance we invited attendees to greet each other, enjoy refreshments, and begin reflecting on what we had all experienced together by responding to some questions posted on the wall. We then continued this process of reflecting and learning through a panel discussion featuring two of our song-writing resident leaders (Ebonie Randle-Joiner and Peggi Cruz), Building Hope in the City’s Tenant Care & Community Development Specialist DaQuavion Roston, and Rebecca Shasberger, Renovare’s beloved Founder/Director & Cellist. Dr. Vatreisha Nyemba, Director of Leader and Community Development at Building Hope in the City, moderated the discussion, giving the audience a chance to understand their work and vision even more fully.
Peggi Cruz shared the following reflection about the experience of writing a song with us:
“I felt amazed! Never did I think that an opportunity like this would present itself to me. I always wanted to be a singer/song writer, and somehow with the grace of God, I was blessed to be a part of doing just that. The process was a lil’ intimidating at first, because I didn’t know what to expect. Not the writing part though, where you just sit and tell your story, but the second session where we actually find a beat and add music to your words, the words to your own story. How cool is that? Once we got going, I got more comfortable and the song turned out beautify, and it truly told a piece of my story. A beautiful time, Thank you!”
As we reprised ‘Songs from the Neighborhood’ we were once again struck by the incredible work these resident leaders are doing. May we all learn to see more clearly the beauty and brokenness of our neighborhoods, and may our increased vision translate into meaningful action as modeled by these leaders.