In Chattanooga, as part of Startup Week Chattanooga, OneBeat musicians and the Miami-based Fellows of the New World Symphony will use low-latency software and ultra-high-speed connectivity in the Chattanooga Public Library to perform together while over 700 miles apart.
OneBeat will also work with the The Bridge Refugee Service, Coming to America, and Mad Priest Coffee Roasters to explore ways that music and culture can play a role in addressing refugee crises around the globe and easing the process of resettlement.
Events:
Tuesday, Oct 4: Chattanooga Public Library (at Start Up Week Chattanooga)
Tuesday, Oct 4: Granfalloon, Chattanooga (international potluck with storytelling and music)
Wednesday, Oct 5: Miller Plaza, Chattanooga (at Start Up Week, in partnership with Undaground)
"Initiated by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and produced by Bang on a Can’s Found Sound Nation, OneBeat inverts the standard approach to music diplomacy – touring an American band overseas – and focuses instead on providing the meeting place where musicians from around the world can collectively imagine new sonic universes and social realities. This year’s OneBeat theme of Musical Migrations encourages fellows to explore how people’s movement across the globe has shaped music, and conversely, how music can encourage dialogue and resilience amidst displacement and upheaval," officials said.
OneBeat begins at the Atlantic Center for the Arts in New Smyrna Beach, Fl. for a two-week residency from Sept. 10-25. The residency will be followed by a two-week, four-state tour that will trace the Great Migration and honor the global impact of African-American music by connecting with musical communities in the birthplace of jazz (New Orleans), the home of Bessie Smith (Chattanooga), and the sweet home for blues, electronic music, and hip hop (Chicago).
In each of these sites, OneBeat fellows will present audiences with a series of public performances, “street studios” (mobile recording studios) and educational events in collaboration with local musicians, educators, and community organizations. "These connections and collaborations during the program will be the launching pad for fellows’ own music-driven initiatives, as they develop project ideas for their communities that leverage the power of music for social good," officials said.
"All along the tour, people of all ages and backgrounds will have the rare opportunity to experience live what it sounds like when adventurous musicians from different parts of the world combine forces, and learn first-hand about the process of cross-cultural dialogue and creative collaboration. All OneBeat events will draw inspiration from stories of Musical Migrations, including the voices of migrant and refugee groups in each community, both currently and historically."