Vitamin L Website
Mission
The purpose of the Vitamin L project is to spread love and goodwill through music... to uplift and inspire young people and encourage positive character development, through music. The objective is that the listeners will absorb the ideas we present and integrate them so that these ideas can help them make healthy choices and have healthy relationships with themselves and others. Our mission is to reach and positively influence as many children as possible.
Description of Work
The Vitamin L Project is a unique, innovative, music based-character education project for young people. Founded in 1989, we produce concerts of character building songs year round.
The purpose of the Vitamin L Project is to encourage positive character development in young people through the powerful medium of music. We accomplish our mission using award-winning songs written by Mr. Jan Nigro. The songs have meaningful positive messages and uplifting ideas. Our goal is that our youth chorus members and our audiences absorb the lessons of tolerance, respect, cooperation, kindness, perseverance and confidence presented in the songs, and weave these concepts into the fabric of their characters in ways that help them make positive choices and have healthy relationships with their families, their friends and the world around them. Our goal is to reach and positively influence as many children as possible.
Director's Bio
I have been drawn to work for justice, love, peace, and brotherhood since my childhood. I was very fortunate to have been strongly influenced by the teachings and the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. since I first met him when I was five. I grew up in an activist household in Atlanta, Georgia in the midst of the civil rights movement and I was inspired by the example my parents set. It was natural for me to want to work for the good of humanity and to work to encourage awareness of the world as one family.
Later, my personal studies of various spiritual approaches to life strengthened my determination and decision to do my best to add to the love and light in the world. I have also always loved music and a variety of musical styles. My work in Vitamin L combines my love of music and working with youth with my personal philosophy of being proactive about positive social change.
Social Impact
Vitamin L has touched thousands and thousands of young people and adults via concerts at schools, camps, festivals and conferences since 1989. Thousands more have been positively influenced by exposure to the Vitamin L songs in schools that use the music across America and beyond, and on children's radio programs.
Our statistics vary a bit from year to year....
In 2006, Vitamin L :
- performed 60 concerts
- reached 14,700 youth and 4,000 adults in concerts
- performed for 33 schools, 2 education conferences, festivals, camps and various community events.
- gave leadership and performing opportunities to our 70 chorus members
What people are saying about the Vitamin L Project...
"Amazingly wonderful...The messages combined with memorable and singable tunes will instill positive values in timeless ways! The group's energy is contagious and appealing! The sound/blend of the voices and choreography are other highlights that are attractive to the audience! I especially liked the programming...and how audience participation was so encouraged. Thank you for your positive and up-beat music!"- Brenda Wright - music teacher, VEW Primary, Bath, NY.
"Students loved seeing the young people in the group. Many were impressed by the youth of the group, realizing what they would be able to do with practice and hard work! It was great!"- Mary Hallatt, music teacher, Lakeshore Rd. Elementary, Cicero, NY
"It was the most enjoyable school event I witnessed in 23 years of teaching/administration.- Mark Parrillo, Principal, Elden Elementary, Baldwinsville, NY
"The young age of the performers inspired my kids. It let them know young people can do great things.-2nd grade teacher - Poquonock School, Windsor, CT.
"The members of the group demonstrate teamwork, respect and gratitude during the performance and are wonderful role models for our students.
"I just cannot express how much Vitamin L brings our school together! The songs teach such great values and are presented in such a professional manner! Thank you for all your hard work! You are doing a SUPER JOB!- Jennifer Coyne - music teacher - Elm St. Elementary, Phoenix, NY
"What an absolute precious, precious gift you are sharing with young people. I think if more young people had the opportunity from an early age to experience something like this, the world would be a very different place."- Yolanda King - daughter of Martin Luther King, Jr.
"The lyrics touch so many aspects of their (the students) lives that in today's world are ignored (justice, truthfulness, gossip, making mistakes). The songs had great appeal to all our students no matter what their culture or socio-economic background."- Carolyn Smith - Music Teacher - Willow Field Elementary, Liverpool, NY
The Vitamin L Project has had, and continues to have a positive impact on systems of thinking and understanding and in the overall development in many of the youth who spend years performing with the group and also in youth who grow up listening to this music. To learn more about this, please go to vitaminL.org to the newsletter section. The newsletters have an essay from an alumni and one from a current member that illustrate the positive affect of Vitamin L on young people.
Over time, as more and more children grow up with the ideas of transformative action inherent in the Vitamin L songs, Vitamin L's positive effect will expand. Already, we have alumni who have felt empowered by the Vitamin L experience and are going out into the world and working for the good of humanity in various capacities. We have met people in their 20's who did not perform with Vitamin L, but who grew up with the recordings influencing them and empowering them to believe that they can make a difference in this world.
The more we can carry on our work, reaching thousands of children a year, the greater will be the influence of Vitamin L.