L’album “M.U.S.I.C.A – Music Uniting Soulmates in Covid-19”

Scarica l’album / Download the album!

Between September 20th and 30th, 2023, Associazione Attiva-Mente organized a Youth Exchange focused on processing the aftermath of Covid-19. Young artists from Italy, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, and the Netherlands collaborated to process pandemic memories. The outcome? A fantastic new album, freshly released!

But how did we achieve this significant milestone?

First and foremost, our project wasn’t about creating an album for commercial gain. Instead, it provided a platform for participants to navigate their emotions and experiences during the pandemic. Our primary goal was to nurture their artistic abilities and grant them absolute freedom in crafting their album, minimizing interference and censorship from organizers. To achieve this:

Establishing Songwriting Boundaries: We outlined the boundaries for songwriting. While certain expressions like blasphemy, hate speech, discrimination, racism, and xenophobia were clearly incompatible with Erasmus+, we allowed the use of explicit language such as “shit” to convey anger and frustration, as long as it didn’t demean others or cause negative impacts.
Non-Interference by Organizers: The responsibility for all lyrics lay with the participants. Organizers refrained from imposing personal beliefs or ideas during this process.
Timely Completion: Organizers maintained the project schedule, ensuring recording sessions were adhered to within the allotted time frame. Due to logistical constraints, extensions to the recording sessions weren’t feasible.

Moving beyond these points, let’s delve into the methodology employed for producing this peer-to-peer album.

Methodology:

Jam Sessions and Songwriting (scroll the slideshow):

To break the ice, each group shared a pop/rock song from their country, allowing everyone to contribute and collaborate. Groups were mixed, tasked with learning and responding to one of five selected songs.

The jam sessions served a dual purpose: processing pandemic memories and difficulties while providing a platform to share experiences through an activity called “My Covid Story.” Using the jam session method (improvising lyrics and melodies), participants discussed and communicated their pandemic stories through music.

This session comprised “YES” or “NO” questions related to the participants’ Covid experiences. Participants moved to designated sides of the room based on their responses, leading to discussions and impromptu songs to sway opinions.

Preparation for the Concert and Rehearsals (scroll the slideshow):

Prior to recording the album, a crucial day was dedicated to rehearsing arrangements, instrumental and vocal parts, and bonding among the bands. This phase emphasized supporting young artists without stifling their creativity. Group leaders focused on vocal coaching, suggesting arrangements, and fostering a professional approach to performing and engaging with an audience during concerts.

The aim was not solely to teach music but to guide participants towards a professional demeanor in musical presentations, offering tools for stage management and on-stage communication.

This methodology encouraged artistic expression, fostered collaboration, and provided a safe space for processing pandemic experiences, culminating in the creation of a remarkable album.

Recording in a Professional Studio (scroll the slideshow)

Recording in a professional studio necessitates technical assistance from an institution (like an association or a private company) to ensure accurate click recording and oversee the overall quality of the process. While group leaders oversee production, their role isn’t to dictate but to foster self-evaluation, critical thinking, and self-assessment among the participants. Maintaining a strict schedule over the 3-4 recording days is crucial.

The magic happened at the mobile recording studio of Dalek Studio at the Agricamping Sophia! Without their dedicated team – Claudio, Gaetano, Antonino, and the entire organization – this project might not have become the extraordinary journey it was. A heartfelt thank you to them for their dedication, professionalism, and generosity!

Artwork Selection

Communication skills were central to this project’s success, including the enhancement and acquisition of new skills. Choosing the artwork for an album focused on processing lockdown memories—and the broader pandemic experience—enhances the messages and emotions the participants wish to convey. Throughout this phase, fostering creativity and an entrepreneurial spirit was paramount. Here are the three phases:

Allowing participants to create their artwork using AI, programs, web-based applications, or traditional drawing and painting methods (with offline tools provided).
Encouraging democratic selection of the best artwork.
Letting participants decide how to digitize the chosen artwork and determine who delivers the final version.

Licensing on Jamendo and Album Release

Jamendo, a platform allowing free downloads and derivative use, empowers artists to claim authorship. This choice of platform also grants producers/artists the flexibility to restrict or expand user freedoms. More details on Creative Commons policies are available here.

The licensing policy chosen:

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

This means:

Ownership involves all participants, youth workers, and producers.
Third parties interested in derivative works (jingles, movies, clips, etc.) must credit the artists and the album.
Neither us nor those downloading the album can profit from these efforts.

The key point: Why not monetize the album after all the hard work, little sleep, and unusual project management?

Here’s the simple answer: The European Commission expects recipients of support to deliver outputs for free.

Ultimately, the project’s goal wasn’t just producing the album but inspiring another Erasmus Plus generation to rock, process grief, and navigate beyond these pandemic years.

Soon, it will be available a documentary about this project and it will included in this guide.

To provide further clarity, we’ve asked our participants to evaluate the entire project through podcasts. Enjoy listening!

Thank you for reaching the end of this comprehensive article. If you wish to engage with the initiative or seek further information, feel free to contact us at [email protected].

Long live to Musica!

The Documentary!

Podcasts about the experience of this project

Scroll the slideshow

Busking in Marzamemi, Sicily.

In order to get the atmosphere of the project outside the venue, the participants performed several acoustic performance in the arabic city center of Marzamemi. Scroll the slideshow

Hey, but we had also a great leisure time exploring Marzamemi 🙂 Scroll the slideshow

Dissemination post mobility