During a recent meeting of the Rotary Club of Naperville/Downtown, Heather Hutchison, Artistic Director for Artful Impact!, introduced singer and guitarist Forrest Kellogg, an alumni of the SPECTRUM program and now Mentor and Counselor for SPECTRUM. SPECTRUM programs are open to any individual (ages 9 to 99) with a developmental disability, including cognitive, learning, motor, hearing, and visual impairments, genetic and/or neurological conditions.
After Hutchinson provided an overview of the programs offered at the nonprofit business in collaboration with the School of Performing Arts, Kellogg shared his musical talents that were first recognized by the community a few years ago when he performed on stage at the Wentz Concert Hall for Ignite the Nite, a fundraising showcase of young creativity for KidsMatter.
Artful Impact! is dedicated to making individuals stronger by empowering them through a wide range of arts experiences. For information, visit www.artfulimpact.org.
At the conclusion of the Rotary presentation, Hutchison noted more was in the works to connect music and the mind, and to promote Autism awareness.
International awareness event ‘Stronger thru Song’ gets started by Artful IMPACT!
To promote World Autism Awareness Month, schools and organizations across the world that support inclusivity and empowerment for individuals with special needs will be participating in an inaugural event called “Stronger thru Song” throughout the day on April 26.
Spearheaded with the help of Artful IMPACT!, this global initiative is the brainchild of Hutchison.
For starters, Hutchinson connected with a longtime friend/colleague, Colin Millar, with whom she once served as a camp counselor in Connecticut. Today Millar is the principal at a school for children with special needs in Northern Ireland. One of his students is Kaylee Rogers, the 10-year old with autism who created an international sensation last winter when she sang Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” on YouTube.
PHOTO GALLERY / Click any photo to enlarge.
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‘Let it Go’ promotes ‘Stronger thru Song’
On April 26, 2017, groups from Los Angeles, the United Kingdom, Bangladesh and other places across the globe (Organizers say the list is growing.) will record their renditions of “Let It Go” (from Disney’s Frozen) and post their videos on social media with the hashtag #StrongerThruSong.
Brief background of ‘Stronger thru Song’
Just as many individuals with autism, Kaylee Rogers’ back-story is that she has difficulty connecting with other school subjects and children, but through singing, she completely frees herself and opens up. Hutchison calls it “the connection of the arts and mind,” and says it’s not uncommon among individuals with special needs.
“Kaylee just happens to have an angelic voice, and the video went viral quickly on YouTube,” Hutchinson explained.
The original YouTube video, which now has 5.2 million views, prompted a concert tour for the young talent throughout the U.K., a singing performance in Boston, and earlier this month, a visit with the Queen of England.
Though the 9AM “curtain call” was delayed due to traffic in Ireland that prevented the accompanist from arriving on time, seven members of Artful Impact! were lined up in front of NCTV17 video cameras eager to demonstrate the transformative power of the arts by singing “Let It Go” all the way across the Atlantic by connecting via Face Time.
After working out a few additional technological difficulties with cell phone in hand, Hutchison sat down at the piano and began playing “Let It Go.”
Then thanks to technology, Ryan Ward, Forrest Kellogg, Soenum Jethwa, Mark Hasshelo, Sophie Boyle, Alex Kotas and Elizabeth Andersen began singing with all their hearts along with Kaylee Rogers, connecting voices, dreams and goals more than 3,600 miles apart.
The School of Performing Arts and Artful Impact! are now in a new location at 1112 S. Washington Street.
