Chicago West Community Music Center (CWCMC) participated in the launching of cultural exchange trips between Chicago’s West Side and the city of Santo Andrè, Brazil. Several CWCMC staff, youth, musicians and a local artist traveled to Brazil from March 24th through April 3rd to take part in an exchange of cultural ideas, creating music performances and producing several large scale, community-based public murals. This summer, the program will send several youth artists from Brazil to work with young people in the East Garfield Park community, participating in a music program at Chicago West Community Music Center.
The Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance received a MacArthur Foundation grant allowing the music teachers with Chicago Community West Music Center, Charles Li, Darlene and Howard Sandifer and two students, David Houston and Jamaal Crowder, to travel to Brazil.