My Projects & Causes Page

Projects and Causes 

The goals of my music-based projects, both live and online, include lifting people's spirits, spreading awareness, and supporting various causes through my original songs, as well as a wide repertoire of American and multilingual music.  

Spreading multicultural awareness through music: I aim to enhance listeners’ connection with their own heritage, culture and language. I perform World Music in up to 12 languages, and am available to perform at public, private and corporate events, and community centers. 

Supporting the Connection between Music and Art: I am a YouTube artist. There are tens of artistic music videos that I created since 2012, which can be viewed on my YouTube channel, embellished with visual imagery of various talented photographers and artists. I have been performing at many art gallery openings and art museums, which showcase art work by a wide variety of artists. 

Keeping Classical Music Alive in Communities: Hearing me sing Russian Romances at the Nicholas Roerich Museum in New York City in 2013, the president of The Pushkin Society in America invited me to represent this organization performing classical repertoire, including singing Russian Romances at various concerts and celebratory events at venues across New York and New Jersey. I continued to do that until 2019 ('Unforgettable' Concert at Pushkin Hall, NYC). As a classically trained soprano, I also have performed in community theater opera performances and concerts. 

Practicing Community Music Therapy: Music has played a tremendous role in my life since my early childhood. Holding a Bachelor Degree in Music Therapy, Cum Laude from the John Cali School of Music of Montclair State University, I feel compelled to give back to diverse audiences through what I call ‘community music therapy’. 

  • Supporting disability and autism awareness at conferences and live events. 
    Since my high school years, I have been volunteering with children with special needs (commendation awards). I have presented my original musical works and project at national autism conferences, disability conferences and events, music therapy conferences, and university programs and schools. 
  • Spreading disability and autism awareness on my YouTube channel ('Words and Beats: The Larissa G. Show). There, I share my personal stories, music, and  interviews with other professionals
  • Spreading awareness of differences through my Musical Book Project (please see the Online Book Showroom). All together, I published NINE paperbacks which include music tracks, activity and coloring pages, and some artwork by high school artists with unique needs. The books focus on topics of autism & disability awareness, on dealing with anxiety and learning disability, on healing arts, on building self-confidence in children and teens, and building independence skills in younger children. 
  • Entertaining the Community of Holocaust Survivors through Music. I have been holding concerts on the platform of Cafe Europa as part of the Jewish Family and Children's Services of Northern New Jersey. 

 

 

 

 

Special Thanks  

I could not have been where I am today without the support and help of these special individuals. My wonderful and supportive family, my great-grandfather Abram Svet for my musical genes, my energetic music manager, producer, and creative project director Irina Perelman, my former lead technician James Williams, my most loyal fan and videographer Simon Greenstein, my videographer Joe Gentile, my voice professor Dr. Julia Rowling, my voice teachers Reegan McKenzie and the late Marlene Delevan, my college piano professor Mark Pakman, my Theory and Composition professor Ting Ho, my piano teachers Victoria Dondysh, Svetlana Miasnikova, Eleonora Schneider, and Kerry Dunn, as well as my first voice teacher, Rita Wolthal, who inspired me to sing on. I am grateful to my current musical partners Lera and Mitchell for the beautiful music we make together.  I am also thankful for 5 years of musical theater production with Summer Stage at Leonia and for my performance musical start with them, and Dr. Victoriya Kurchenko, president of the Pushkin Society in America, for giving me the opportunity to be involved in the society's literature and art project, and to represent the society through music.