Embassy continuing Meredith Livingston’s work

The Association for Culture, Education and Communication (ACEC), a Slovak outreach program headed by Ľubomíra Slušná, announced the creation of the project “Gypsy Spirit” based on their multi-year experience of field work in the Roma community.

Prof. Sarah Meredith Livingston worked closely with Slušná in the development of the program, which brings music to the Roma people.

Roma children learning music

The aim of the “Gypsy Spirit” project is to create a tradition in evaluating work in the Roma community, as well as a public platform for presenting positive contributions. The project will inform the public of activities of organizations and individuals working on the integration of the Roma community in society.

Meredith Livingston has partnered with the U.S. Embassy in Slovakia since 2001, and she and Prof. Angela Bauer-Dantoin have worked with Slušná on coordinating travel courses to Slovakia.

The U.S. Embassy in Slovakia recognized Prof. Meredith Livingston, Art’s and Visual Design, for her work bringing music to the country’s people.

A mention was on the embassy’s web site.

Meredith Livingston spent time in Slovakia during her sabbatical last November, bringing vocal training lessons to 13 Roma children and two Roma music teachers. She spent four days teaching music basics and vocal techniques.

Her visit culminated with the children singing at a Roma village community gathering.

“It was a service learning experience, and I ultimately would like to set up a program for UW-Green Bay music students to do a service learning travel course,” she said. “These Roma children are extremely talented. Their vehicle for getting out of third-world life is music and dance. They just light up when they sing and dance.”