Our practice project this year is to partner with Groundworks Lawrence, a river cleanup group dedicated to environmental equity for all, including mill and industrial towns on the Merrimack River that have been severely affected by factory and industrial waste. This will be a two way conversation between Lesly and our students as they embark on their practice project challenge to raise 5 cents for every minute they practice during a 7 week period. How does this tie into our piano music studies? Our students are studying and performing music that helps us to think about clean air and water as students get ready for our Silent Movie Project accompanying the historic environmental awareness movie Koyaanisqatsi on April 9th. We will also study music that represents the many ethnicities that have called the Merrimack River their home. Between now and our end-of-year showcase recital in June, students will be performing Puerto Rican, Mexidan, Guatemalan, Asian , Haitian and Native American music as we learn about the historic waves of immigration that fed the needs of the industrial towns upriver from us. This music will speak to the equitable need for clean air, water and earth for all. At the end of our discussion, we will all enjoy a locally made ice-cream cnamed “A River Runs Through it”!