Application Deadline: February 5th 2016 at 5PM EST

OneBeat is a music exchange and incubator for music-based social entrepreneurship, where innovative musicians from around the world launch collaborative projects designed to make a positive impact on local and global communities.

OneBeat brings together emerging musical leaders from around the world to collaboratively create original work and to develop a global network of civically engaged music initiatives

Now in its fifth year, OneBeat is cultivating a groundbreaking international network of leading artistic, technological, and social innovators in music. An initiative of the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairsin collaboration with the groundbreaking New York-based music organization Bang on a Can’s Found Sound Nation, OneBeat employs collaborative original music as a potent new form of cultural diplomacy.

OneBeat brings musicians (ages 19-35) from around the world to the U.S. for one month each fall to collaboratively write, produce, and perform original music, and develop strategies for arts-based social engagement. OneBeat begins with an opening residency, when Fellows collaborate to create original material, record new musical ideas, and incubate their projects.

OneBeat fellows then go on tour, performing for a wide array of American audiences, collaborating with local musicians, and leading workshops with youth. In a closing residency, each OneBeat musician sets out their plans for the future, developing projects in their home countries linked to a mutually-reinforcing network of music-driven social enterprises.

Eligibility Requirements:

Age

Applicants must be between 19 and 35 year old during the program dates (fall 2016).

Eligible Countries and Territories

Algeria, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burma, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Malaysia, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Panama, Pakistan, Palestinian Territories, Philippines, Russia, Senegal, Serbia, Slovak Republic, South Africa,Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkey, United States, Venezuela,Zimbabwe

Important Information for Applicants:

Musicians from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply, with or without formal musical training

Benefits

1. Collaboration is central. OneBeat offers musicians the opportunity to collaborate on new projects and to explore new musical traditions. Rather than showcasing solo talent, OneBeat musicians will work together across stylistic and cultural divides in pursuit of new musical possibilities.
2. OneBeat is socially engaged. OneBeat are looking for musicians who have a strong commitment to their communities and who are seeking new ways to engage in youth development, music education, music therapy, conflict resolution, a global dialogue through music, and other ways of working towards more egalitarian and democratic societies.
3. OneBeat is a FREE program (but not a paid gig). TheOneBeat program covers all Fellows’ travel, transportation, food, and lodging.
4. One Beat also offer a modest stipend. While we are not able to pay performance fees, OneBeat offers Fellows a chance to create new material, establish lifelong musical partnerships and friendships, learn new marketable skills, tour the US, and develop professional connections.

One Beat Program:

Opening Residency:

OneBeat begins with a two-week musical residency where Fellows will collaborate to invent new musical works, record and produce tracks in custom-built mobile studios, design public engagement workshops, and meet with social entrepreneurs. The Residency is a time for Fellows to listen to one another’s musical voices and to weave together their interests, histories, and skills into unique, original works. Past residencies have taken place at the Atlantic Center for the Arts in Florida and Montalvo Arts Center in the Bay Area.

Tour:

After the residency, OneBeat hits the road for a two-week tour featuring performances, youth workshops, and public music-making events. Past events have included an art installation and music festival in an abandoned train factory, university panel discussions and workshops, interactive street studios, and much more.

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the 2016 OneBeat International Residency Program