Meet Lullaby Project Pittsburgh, Our October Nonprofit Feature
Lullaby Project Pittsburgh, a local nonprofit, is on a mission to empower mothers and families who have experienced birth trauma or loss through free, collaborative songwriting. Lullaby Project musicians trained in trauma-informed care work directly with local families to write personalized lullabies that encapsulate their struggles, spirit, and love in a truly unique song. These communal songwriting sessions require no musical background, focusing instead on the individual experiences of each participant.
“A lot of parents come into our sessions thinking [they] have no idea how to write a song, or
where to start’,” explains Claire Gunsbury-Massey, Program Director for Lullaby Project Pittsburgh.
“But once you get talking, there’s a full story and a full song within everybody.”
The program hosts two different types of sessions: Lullabies for Birth Trauma and Lullabies for Loss. Both workshops are designed to provide parents with a supportive, accepting environment to translate their experience into an empowering song. No medical diagnosis is required, making their sessions accessible for any parents looking for community and connection.
“Participating in the Lullaby Project felt healing and inspiring.
My husband and I were able to talk about our long infertility journey which included painful
miscarriages and IVF treatment. Our musicians were compassionate, creative, and
curious toward hearing our story of giving birth to our daughter.”
-previous Lullaby Project Pittsburgh participant
The Lullaby Project initiative was founded in 2012 at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute, and now has nearly 100 partner organizations around the world. Beginning as a college course at Carnegie Mellon University in 2022, the Pittsburgh chapter of Lullaby Project quickly evolved into a full community project under the direction of Claire Gunsbury-Massey and Sean Andres, Development and Artistic Director. Under their leadership, Lullaby Project Pittsburgh established partnerships with Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, and multiple other major arts organizations in the city.
Recently, Lullaby Project Pittsburgh celebrated its 50th original song with the release of their inaugural album, “Rivers of Light.” This is a collection of eight lullabies, all written by Pittsburgh parents. This album showcases how Lullaby Project Pittsburgh’s songs encapsulate the unexpected loss, unimaginable joy, and unbelievable ways in which parenthood changes hearts.
» download or play the spotify album here «
“We hope that these stories serve to encourage and validate all parenthood journeys,” says Andres. “Every song created in our program has the potential to be produced into a studio quality recording of a full band, but the real magic happens when sung between parent and child.”
As a local nonprofit, Lullaby Project Pittsburgh funds its programming through donations, relying on the generosity of the Pittsburgh community to continue providing their invaluable songwriting sessions. To give, please visit https://www.lullabypgh.com/donate.
If you, or someone you know, would like to participate in a songwriting session, you can sign up and learn more at lullabypgph.com.
To get regular updates on what Lullaby Project Pittsburgh is doing, you can follow them here on Instagram.
Are you a local non-profit? Email thepghmoms@gmail.com to be considered for future monthly features.