OneBeat Program (Deadline-February 24, 2012)

OneBeat

 A music program developed by the

U.S. Department of State & Found Sound Nation

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs & Bang On A Can’s Found Sound Nation are pleased to announce OneBeat,  a cultural exchange program offering professional development opportunities to 50 young emerging - professional musicians and advanced students (ages 19-35) from around the world. Selectees will travel to the U.S. to work with their American counterparts in the composition and performance of new cross-genre works, the creation of innovative recordings and videos, and the development of practices of music as civic engagement.  Programs will be one month and includes visits to at least two U.S. cities.

Project Description:

OneBeat ventures to create an international dialogue about how to propel music forward, both from a purely artistic standpoint, and in community-based applications that encourage cross-cultural understanding, economic development, educational achievement, and conflict resolution.   OneBeat is designed to foster professional networks in collaborative music-making.

The centerpiece of OneBeat will be month-long programs consisting of a U.S.-based residency and tour.

During the residencies, participants will form small collaborative ensembles that improvise across genres, reinvent traditional tunes, compose original work, record in the state-of-the-art OneBeat mobile studio, and prepare for performances and educational workshops.  The groups will then tour to cities within the U.S. to perform the music they have developed during the residency, perform with local musicians, and partner with community-based organizations to conduct creative workshops with local youth. The program will culminate in a high-profile final concert, and a professionally-produced album featuring tracks recorded in the OneBeat mobile studio.  The program website is http://www.onebeatmusic.org

Project Goals:

OneBeat will bring musicians from around the world to collaborate in the creation and performance of

new music, share and develop ways to use music to positively affect their communities, encourage cross-cultural understanding, and foster ways that diverse people can creatively and collaboratively address universal issues. This program will serve as an incubator for new ideas in music and illustrate ways that music can be used for positive social engagement.

Participant Profile:

- Energize the work of international musicians in their own countries;

- Provide unique opportunities for musical collaboration, engagement, and performance among the international participants and with their American peers and American music professionals;

- Provide participants with instructive and informative experiences in their art form;

- Provide exposure to the creation and performance of world-class American music;

- Create opportunities for sustaining relationships with U.S. arts professionals; and

- Provide opportunities for educational outreach to American audiences and students.

How to apply:

Musicians will apply online via the OneBeat website: http://www.onebeatmusic.org . Applicants will describe their musical journeys and why they are interested in being OneBeat Fellows.  Applications will also include work samples, which can be in the form of audio, video, and/or written scores. Applicants are encouraged to include two to three letters of reference.

Deadline for Application:

January 16, 2012:                              Application Opens

February 24, 2012:                            Application Closes

April 2012:                                         OneBeat Fellows Notified

September 11-October 7, 2012:         Program dates

Notification letters:

Selected fellows will be notified by April 1, and will have 2 weeks to confirm their participation in the program.

Eligibility to Apply:

OneBeat is open to musicians ages 19-35, who demonstrate both an advanced proficiency in their musical work, an interest in cross-genre collaboration, and an experience with or interest in developing ways to use music as a way to improve their communities.

Musicians from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply, with or without formal musical training, from all genres, including but not limited to: hip-hop, traditional, experimental, electronic, jazz, classical, sound design, beatmaking, multimedia art, DJ-ing, audio engineering, or any combination of these styles.  We are especially looking for musicians that have a strong commitment to their communities, are seeking new ways to engage youth, arts-in-education, music therapy, conflict resolution, and other ways of working towards more egalitarian and democratic societies.

OneBeatSM

All costs will be covered for the fellows, including travel, food, and accommodations. Fellows will also receive a per diem and modest honorarium.

Background information about Bang:

Bang on a Can, formed in 1987 by composers Michael Gordon, David Lang and Julia Wolfe, is dedicated to commissioning, performing, creating, presenting and recording contemporary music. With an ear for the new, the unknown and the unconventional, Bang on a Can strives to expose exciting and innovative music  as broadly and accessibly as possible to new audiences worldwide. And through its Summer Festival, Bang on a Can hopes to bring this energy and passion for innovation to a younger generation of composers and players.   Found Sound Nation is an eclectic group of artists who make music from the sounds of the places and communities that surround them. Working with people across the globe, from schools to prisons, from young to old, and partnering with local youth, social organizations, music festivals, and artists across all disciplines, FSN strives to create musical spaces that transcend geographic, linguistic, and political borders. The work of FSN uses the expressive power of music and audio production to give voice to underrepresented communities, unlock the creative potential of youth, and build bridges between communities separated by cultures, economic disparities, and geography.