A local artist and teacher’s paintings and illustrations were brought to life through music and animation in a recent collaboration with a Chicago symphony.
ABC-Stewart School teacher Susie Signorino is the illustrator for the children’s book "May There Always Be Sunshine," which was recently featured in a performance by Chicago Symphony Orchestra musicians as part of its CSO for Kids video series.
The CSO’s video performance, which premiered online Jan. 22, features Jim Gill (a musician and the book’s author), five CSO brass musicians, and Chicago Symphony Chorus soprano Melinda Alberty. As the music plays and Gill and Alberty sing, animations of Signorino’s illustrations appear onscreen in time with the lyrics. Animation design was done by artist and illustrator Liviu Pasare, and the performance was presented in partnership with the Chicago Public Library.
According to CSO Sounds and Stories, "This animated story features the delightful children’s tune, based on a Russian folk song, later popularized by legendary folk singer Pete Seeger."
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"May There Always Be Sunshine" and its accompanying song relates different wishes for things and people that the narrator hopes will always be around. Each line begins with "May there always be."
"The project encourages children to imagine and express their own wishes, following the example of wishes collected from children nationwide," CSO officials said.
After the song has ended, Gill asks each of the performers what they wish there will always be and encourages children to draw their own wishes. The video then transitions into a rendition of Modest Mussgorsky’s The Great Gate of Kiev from "Pictures at an Exhibition."
Signorino said that the CSO got in touch with her around November of 2020 about using the book’s images for the performance and also commissioned three new paintings for the video.
“It’s so exciting and so unexpected, because the book was done a long time ago," she said. "I’ve not illustrated another kids’ book, or a book for that matter."
The book is being reprinted, which will means she’ll make some extra money on royalties. She thinks the reprint will mostly resemble the original and not include the commissioned paintings.
"We’re lucky that this has happened," she said.
Signorino said her collaboration with Gill on the book stems back to when she was living in Chicago and working at a newspaper in advertising. A friend of hers worked in the graphics department and was a friend of Gill, who was looking for someone to create lettering and artwork for his first album.
Signorino took on the task. After that, Gill said he liked her style and wanted her to illustrate the book "May There Always Be Sunshine."
“And then in the meantime, I moved from Chicago back to Indiana, to Columbus," she said. "And that’s when I actually made all of the paintings for the book.”
Signorino’s original paintings for the book were done with oil paint and took about a year. In contrast, she said she tried to get the new ones done before Christmas and used acrylic paint so that they would dry more quickly.
She hopes the CSO’s video helps introduce kids to classical music and has used it to introduce brass instruments to her students. The performance might also inspire "the wonder of how things are made" and possibly spark an interest in animation, she said.
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The Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s performance of "May There Always Be Sunshine" can be viewed free at cso.org/tv, or on the CSO’s Facebook and YouTube pages.
Cso.org/tv also includes a guide for helping children engage with the video and get creative, as well as an additional video featurette (also available on YouTube) teaching kids about the brass instruments used in the performance.
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The CSO’s performance of "May There Always Be Sunshine" is part of its CSO for Kids video series.
According to csosoundsandstories.org, the series was launched in October by the Negaunee Music Institute at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and provides free, educational videos for children, families and teachers.
"Each video is based on a popular children’s book and features classical music performed by CSO musicians, with animation inspired by the book’s illustrations," the site explains. The series also offers guides with activities and resources that can accompany the videos.
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