Bringing Somali Culture to the Concert Stage Through Story, Poetry, Song, and Art

St. Paul Civic Symphony will help to develop a multidisciplinary arts project for its free 2025 Children's Concert inspired by a recent publication, The Rhythm of Somalia: A Collection of Songs, Stories, and Traditions by Qorsho Hassan, Minnesota Teacher of the Year (2020), and music specialist Becca Buck, both educators at Gideon Pond Elementary, Burnsville. The goals of the project are: 1) expand the artistry of Somali youth at Gideon Pond Elementary, grades 4-5, through artist residencies in art, drumming and poetry that bring to life an original music composition by Minnesota composer Jan Gilbert based on a Somali folktale and performed by the SPCS; 2) increase understanding of Somali culture through an original composition for symphony orchestra that brings Somali musicians, artists, a narrator, and Somali youth as performers to the concert stage.