32 musicians from 21 countries—hip hop, electronic, roots, jazz, rock, and experimental musicians— gathered at Atlantic Center for the Arts to write, produce, and perform original music, and develop ways that music can make a positive impact on our communities. From Cambodian MCs to Arab-American jazz trumpeters to traditional instrumentalists from three continents, OneBeat is a cutting-edge iteration of an age-old urge: to connect people and foster mutual respect through music and the arts.
From September 10 to October 7, 2012, OneBeat will travel from Atlantic Center for the Arts in New Smyrna Beach, Florida to New York, embodying the spirit of the American road trip. As part of this State Department-supported effort to bring diplomacy to Main Street, the Fellows will engage with local community organizations, educational institutions, and public spaces, sparking everything from a music production session with incarcerated youth, to an outdoor ‘street studio’ in a city park, to a performance of devotional vocal music in a resonant church.
OneBeat Fellows will perform with US-based musicians, including a number of well-known artists with a long history of collaborative work. These Collaborating Artists include: acclaimed jazz trumpeter Dave Douglas, Bang on a Can guitarist (and Paul Simon's music director) Mark Stewart, seminal composer and deep-listening pioneer Pauline Oliveros, and legendary DJ Ali Shaheed Mohammed of Tribe Called Quest.
One BeatSM is an initiative of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, administered by Bang on a Can’s Found Sound Nation. OneBeat builds on Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s vision of “smart power” diplomacy. It embraces the use of a full range of diplomatic tools, including music, to bring people, especially youth, together for greater understanding.
To learn more about the OneBeat musicians and tour dates, go to www.1beat.org.
For more information, visit www.exchanges.state.gov.
Click below to view clips from the free community performances:
Thursday, September 20, 2012 - A Walmart Ruckus! https://vimeo.com/49936003
Wednesday, September 19, 2012 - Arts on Douglas http://vimeo.com/49945142
Friday, September 21, 2012 - Atlantic Center for the Artshttp://vimeo.com/49973585
