u down w ypp?

Thanks all of you for your help! We met and exceeded our Kickstarter goal, and have great projects in the works, collaborating with amazing young folks from Philly (who’ll be traveling down to New Orleans) and Chicago.

We’ve got some great projects brewing in Chicago and Philadelphia and we’ve partnered with some fantastic organizations in these cities: We the People Media, People for Community Recovery, Village of Arts and Humanities. We’ve launched a Kickstarter page to help raise additional funds for this work. If you haven’t seen Kickstarter – check it out! The way it works is simple: if you don’t raise ALL of your pledged amount your don’t get ANY of it. So we have all until MAY 31st and we’re getting close! So give and you shall receive. In return for your donation we give you madd cool wavy stuff!!!!

To donate or read more click on the picture or HERE.

ZIMBABWE

Co-directors Christopher Marianetti and Jeremy Thal traveled to Zimbabwe for two weeks to lead the Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA) Young Producers Project. Working with a group of 12 Zimbabwean musicians and artists, including pop music star Alexio Kawara, as well as youth, they began developing new works using music, poetry and personal narratives (interviews) to examine, reflect on, and respond to issues relating to HIV and AIDS in Zimbabwe. The project will culminate in the creation and distribution of an album. Excerpts from the forthcoming album were premiered in a group performance at HIFA on April 30th.

Featured Tracks:

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“Hausi Wega” translated from Shona as “You Are Not Alone.” Featuring Alexio Kawara.

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“Tick Talk” Featuring Outspoken, Hope Masike, and T. Shock.

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Young Producers Project HIFA 2010 Podcast

The project was made possible through donation from the people of the United States of America and the President’s Emergency Program for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), with technical support from Population Services International (PS) – Zimbabwe.

ISLA

In connection with Carnegie Hall and the Weill Music Institute’s Cultural Exchange program Young Producers Project led a month-long audio and video production workshop at the International School for Liberal Arts (ISLA) in the Bronx. The workshop synthesized themes students, the majority of whom were born in the Dominican Republic, had been learning about all year during the cultural exchange program.  They used the rhythms of Mexican harp virtuoso Celso Duarte’s music as a jumping off point for the creation of a new piece of music. Students assumed the role of ambassadors as they observed their community in light of what they wanted to represent and share with their peers in Mexico. The goal of the resulting song and music video was a portrait of the vibrant community surrounding ISLA from the unique perspectives of this young generation. The music video, directed by Jon Vitagliano, premiered at Zankel Hall on May 6, 2010.

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“Una Vaina Bien” track from music video

RIKERS ISLAND, HORIZONS & CROSSROADS

This past year Carnegie Hallʼs Weill Music Institute invited YPP to join the pilot year of its Musical Connections Program. Through Musical Connections, we’ve had the opportunity of leading music composition and production workshops with patients at Beth Abraham Hospital’s Institute for Music and Neurologic Function (IMNF), and with young inmates on Rikers Island in collaboration with the Charlie Porter Quartet. This winter YPP joined forces with vocalist Jo Lawry and percussionist James Shipp in two successful and emotionally charged projects at Horizons and Crossroads Juvenile Detention Centers in the Bronx and Brooklyn.

Featured Tracks:

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“Crossroads Podcast” featuring interviews and music produced by residents at Crossroads.

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1: “Sky Super Fly” featuring Charlie Porter and Joseph Lepore
2: “On The Corner” featuring Jo Lawry and James Shipp
3: “Untold Story” featuring Charlie Porter

BCAM HIGH

YPP is now in its third year at Brooklyn Community Arts and Media High School (BCAM), which has been the site of some of our most successful projects. Our videos ‘Yin & Yang’ and ‘Right About Now’ feature musicians who came out of this program. We owe our success at BCAM to its talented students, as well as support from Principal James O’Brian and Assistant Principal Samantha Charles-Pierre. We have also had the pleasure of collaborating with BCAM teachers Adam Mendola (video), Christy Herbes (art), and Kevin Greer (English).

Featured Tracks:

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1: James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake: Remixed
2: Real Lives
3: Rock Paper Scissors Say Shoot (RPSSS)
4: Ya Dig
5: Welcome to Brooklyn
6: Bang On A Can