Give a Beat

Musicians without Borders

12:00 PM

January 8, 2014

Today we discovered an amazing organization called Musicians without Borders. Musicians without Borders is a global network organization using the power of music for healing and reconciliation in areas torn by war and conflict.

“Community music-making is a worldwide phenomenon that has flourished in the last decade. It is a direct and accessible tool for connecting people and engaging and mobilizing communities. From drum circles to choirs to rock bands, all forms of music can be practiced by any person at her/his own level regardless of musical skills, whether in small groups or in a setting of hundreds or even thousands of people. Our professional trainers and music educators are specialized in running community music-making projects in places struggling to deal with trauma, fear and segregation as a result of war and conflict.”

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Finding Happiness in Angry Music

1:00 PM

January 7, 2014

Nothing like a heavy metal session for some much needed catharsis. Check out this article from The Atlantic about how listening to angry [heavy metal] music supports an overall better sense of well-being.

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How Music Changed My Life: Dichondra

11:30 AM

January 6, 2014

Detroit House music… helped me to win my first dance contest at 5yrs old at party against older folks on the west side of Detroit in the '80s…and taught me that I was a dancer at a young age, for it moved me in ways I cannot explain.

Music …made me social from beginning to play the flute at 7 years old and performing in front of large groups and gaining the courage to do theater… a shy girl became a social butterfly and a fly Diva.

Music…showed me that a Detroit girl transplanted to East Lansing was just as good as my more rich, affluent, privileged peers…I could stand up to the best of them and be 1st chair in the band, despite their confusion on how I got to be so great.

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Artist Spotlight: Big Syphe

11:46 PM

January 4, 2014

Big Syphe joined us back in December when we partnered with We Are the Movement to teach music production and DJ'ing to youth in the Los Angeles foster system.

Watching Big Syphe win over a crowded club with his irresistible mix and irrepressible personality, it’s hard to imagine there was a time when the Los Angeles-native was too shy to tell people he was a DJ. He made mix tapes for friends in junior high while secretly sharpening his turntable technique for the stage. Syphe says he was waiting for the right moment to unveil his hidden talent at one of the infamous backyard parties that were a major part of his high school experience. “In my neighborhood, you were either a DJ or in a party crew that was loyal to a certain DJ,” he says. “I didn’t tell people that I was a DJ because I was more interested in getting on stage and proving it.” He passed the test, graduating from backyards to Hollywood clubs, which is where he met Eric D-Lux, a fellow DJ. They produced break beats together that were popular among DJs at clubs and radio stations, and later earned national airplay with their remix album Buko Breaks Vol 1-3.

Website // Facebook // Twitter // Soundcloud

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Turning Weapons into Instruments of Peace

1:00 PM

January 4, 2014

After hearing about the amazing Recycled Orchestra in Paraguay, our team wanted to see what other ingenious and beautiful ways people are repurposing to create music. In 2012, Mexican artist, Pedro Reyes, used 6700 confiscated weapons to create a 50 piece orchestra - taking weapons of fear and transforming them into instruments of peace and harmony.