ABOUT

OneBeat is an international cultural exchange that celebrates the transformative power of the arts through the creation of original, inventive music, and people-to-people diplomacy. In the fall of 2013, approximately 25 musicians (ages 19-35) from around the world will come together in the U.S. for four weeks to collaboratively write, produce, and perform original music, and develop ways that music can make a positive impact on our local and global communities.

Building on the success of our inaugural 2012 season, OneBeat 2013 will take place from September 9 to October 6, divided into two segments, a residency and a tour. During the residency, OneBeat Fellows will spend two weeks at the Atlantic Center for the Arts in central Florida, immersed in a process of collaborative music creation and experimentation. During the two-week tour, OneBeat ensembles will collaborate with local musicians to give public performances and lead workshops with youth and community groups. OneBeat Fellows will also work with a diverse group of expert Collaborating Artists— including luminaries of classical music, hip-hop, jazz and more—to develop and deepen the scope of their collaborative work.

OneBeat is a musical journey like no other. It is a chance for adventurous musicians from an incredible diversity of traditions to seek common ground, creating new musical combinations, pushing the boundaries of music technology, and finding ways to involve all members of society in the process of musical creativity. OneBeat endeavors to be the nexus of a new way of thinking about how music can connect people from across the world and around the block.

Learn more about this past year’s program, OneBeat 2012: http://www.1beat.org/2012program/

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.

2013 PROGRAM

* Applications for the 2013 program are now open. Application deadline is January 21, 2013 at 5pm EST.

The second annual OneBeat program will take place from September 9 - October 6, 2013. OneBeat consists of two segments, a Residency and a Tour, each of which will run for about two weeks. While OneBeat is not able to pay Fellows performance fees, all costs will be covered for OneBeat Fellows, including travel and accommodations. Fellows will also receive a per diem during the tour, and a modest honorarium.

Residency OneBeat begins with a two-week musical residency at the Atlantic Center for the Arts, nestled in the coastal mangrove forests of Northeastern Florida. There OneBeat Fellows will form creative ensembles to invent new musical works, record and produce tracks in custom-built mobile studios, design social engagement workshops, and work with master musicians from various musical disciplines. 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.

Tour OneBeat will then go on the road, touring from Florida up the east coast to New York City. At each tour location, OneBeat Fellows will perform the music they have developed during the residency, lead workshops with local youth and community groups, and continue to record and rehearse their original music. In addition, Fellows will get a chance to experience the unique musical culture of each location by working with local musicians, attending concerts, and exploring the local environment. At each location OneBeat ensembles will perform in public spaces ranging from outdoor music festivals to concert halls.

One Beat, Three Approaches We encourage OneBeat Fellows to work together, across borders of musical traditions and backgrounds, in three complementary approaches that we call Analog, Digital, and Social. Analog refers to creating music the ‘old fashioned’ way, getting together to explore new music with instruments and voices. In the Digital approach, OneBeat fellows make use of the latest digital technology, and work with music and video software programs. Using the Social approach, groups design and lead workshops that share their musical traditions with the surrounding community and collaborate with youth and community groups to create original music.

The OneBeat Philosophy OneBeat is designed with the belief that the creation of high-quality original music is an ideal vehicle for crossing cultural and political divides. This creative process exemplifies how people from drastically divergent musical backgrounds, with diverse training, conceptions of music, and aesthetics, can negotiate differences and find a fertile interplay of cultures that maintains the integrity of each tradition. At OneBeat we encourage musicians to listen deeply to each others’ musical voices, and to create work that values the complexity and idiosyncrasies of each tradition, creating risky, wholly unique musical works. This type of egalitarian, cross-cultural interaction continues in our discussions of social issues, as we find ways to use music to catalyze positive change in our communities and internationally.

ELIGIBILITY

Age

OneBeat is open to musicians ages 19-35. Applicants must be 19 or older at the time of the application and 35 or younger at the end of the program (October 6th, 2013).

Eligible Countries

Applicants must be residents and citizens of the following countries: Bangladesh, Bolivia, Burma, Cambodia, China, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Denmark, Egypt, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Mozambique, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Palestinian Territories, Panama, Philippines, Poland, Russia, Senegal, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, United States, Venezuela, Vietnam.

Important Information for Applicants:

1. All musical backgrounds are welcome. 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, beat-making, multimedia art, or any combination of these styles. In additional to full-time professional musicians, we also invite adventurous musicians who double as community organizers, instrument builders, writers, videographers, musicologists, educators, storytellers, dancers, shadow-puppeteers, and more.
2. 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 across stylistic and cultural divides in the pursuit of new musical possibilities.
3. OneBeat is socially engaged. We 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, and other ways of working towards more egalitarian and democratic societies.
4. OneBeat is a FREE program! (but not a paying gig) The OneBeat program covers all Fellows' travel, transportation, food, and lodging costs. We also offer a modest stipend. While we are not able to pay performance fees, OneBeat offers Fellows visibility, along with a chance to create new material, establish lifelong musical partnerships, learn new marketable skills, and develop professional connections.

Audio/Video Application Materials:

Potential applicants should plan to write about their musical background and interests as well as future projects and goals. Applicants will submit 3-5 samples of their solo and collaborative work (both audio and video are accepted).

Review Criteria

1. Musical Excellence – A high level of performance, composition, improvisational, production and/or technological skill. Ideally OneBeat musicians will be innovating either stylistically, lyrically, or technologically within their musical worlds.
2. Collaboration — Applicants’ willingness to cross cultural and musical divides in creating original music, or re-interpreting traditional music, while respecting the essence of each tradition.
3. Social Engagement - Musicians who have used music to serve their communities or greater societies. This might consist of starting a music school, promoting peace and democracy through musical content, reviving dying musical traditions, and more.
4. Age – Applicants must be 19-35 years old.
5. English Proficiency – Applicants should be able to converse in basic English, as it will be the common language of all OneBeat fellows. Interpreters will be provided during the first and last days of the program if necessary.
6. Country of Origin – OneBeat Fellows must live full-time in one of the 40 eligible countries and territories, and have not traveled extensively to the U.S. or have rarely performed in the U.S.
7. Internet Proficiency – When possible, OneBeat Fellows should actively use email and be able to connect to the internet to participate in OneBeat website-based activities.

FAQs

1. Who is eligible to apply?
See the ELIGIBILITY tab or click here

2. How do musicians apply to become OneBeat Fellows?
See the APPLY tab or click here

3. When can musicians apply? When is the application deadline?
Applications for the fall 2013 program open Dec 17, 2012, and are due January 21, 2013, 5:00 p.m. EST.

4. Do I have to be a certain age to apply to OneBeat?
Applicants must be 19 or older at the time of the application and 35 or younger at the end of the program (October 6th, 2013).

5. What are the eligible countries and territories?
Bangladesh, Bolivia, Burma, Cambodia, China, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Denmark, Egypt, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Mozambique, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Palestinian Territories, Panama, Philippines, Poland, Russia, Senegal, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, United States, Venezuela, Vietnam

6. Why are certain countries not eligible for OneBeat? Will you make any exceptions?
For OneBeat 2013 we are focusing on bringing musicians from the countries listed above. Unfortunately, we aren't able to bend the country requirements. However, there are other programs funded by the US Department of State which you may be eligible for. For more details see: http://exchanges.state.gov/non-us.

7. Can I apply if I am from one of the eligible countries, but currently living in a non-eligible country?
While we are sensitive to the fact many countries have an extensive diaspora, in order to be eligible for OneBeat, applicants must be both a resident and citizen of one of the eligible countries.

8. Can I apply if I am currently a resident of one of the eligible countries, but am originally from elsewhere?
Unfortunately you are eligible for OneBeat if you are both a resident and citizen of one of the eligible countries.

9. Are musical groups able to apply together?
OneBeat fellows will be chosen as individuals, although several members of a group may all apply separately.

10. Are U.S. musicians also eligible?
Yes. We anticipate accepting a number of U.S. musicians out of the approximately 25 OneBeat 2013 Fellows.

11. What is the selection process? When will artists be identified?
All applications will be reviewed by the OneBeat Selection Committee, made up of OneBeat staff, U.S. Department of State staff, and accomplished musicians. Selected Fellows will be notified by early May, and will have 2 weeks to confirm their participation in the program.

12. Will artists be chosen from every eligible country and territory?
Because of the number of eligible countries and territories (39), and the number of 2013 OneBeat Fellows (approximately 25) we will not be able to accept Fellows from every country. We do intend to invite Fellows from all six regions.

13. How many artists will be selected?
Approximately 25 participants will be selected this year.

14. Do I have to be a full-time professional musician to apply?
No, we encourage advanced students and highly skilled semi-professional musicians to apply. (We understand that music isn’t always the easiest way to make a living!)

15. Are non-musicians who work in related fields eligible to apply?
OneBeat is only open to musicians, although we do encourage musicians to apply who also work in other fields.

16. Do OneBeat applicants have to play a particular genre of music?
Musicians from any genre or background are encouraged to apply. We are looking for musicians who have achieved an advanced proficiency in styles and skills such as: Hip-Hop, electronic music, traditional music, jazz, experimental, classical, sound-art installations, DJing, audio engineering, etc.

17. Do the participants need to speak English?
Participants must have a basic grasp of English, in order to participate in ensembles and creative sessions.

18. What are the costs of the OneBeat program for participants?
All costs will be covered for the Fellows, including travel and accommodations. Fellows will also receive a per diem and modest honorarium.

19. Will OneBeat help secure Visas to enter the United States?
Yes, OneBeat Fellows will travel under a J-1 Visa, a non-immigrant visa for individuals approved to participate in work- and study-based exchange visitor programs.

20. How long will they stay in the US? What will the participants do while in the U.S?
The program will be 26-28 days in length. While in the U.S. the Fellows will participate in a two-week residency, during which they will develop and rehearse original material. Afterward, they will go on a 10-14 day tour, when they will perform the music they developed and rehearsed during the residency period. Throughout the tour Fellows will develop and lead creative educational workshops for youth and community groups along the tour route.

21. Can I participate in only part of the program?
No, OneBeat Fellows must commit to participating in the entire program, which will last approximately 28 days, from September 9 to October 6, 2013.

22. Will there be post-OneBeat activities for OneBeat Fellows after the program in fall 2013?
Yes. We will encourage OneBeat Fellows to be part of a vibrant and growing OneBeat online community, through which Fellows will continue to be able to collaborate on new work.