Urban Music Project
The Urban Music Project, coordinated by hip-hop Artist, MC Trey, delivers music workshops for diverse and socially excluded young people with limited access to resources and opportunities, including education and employment opportunities.
The project
The program allows participants to write their own lyrics, create beats using computer programs and record their original songs at ICE’s Switch Multimedia and Digital Arts Access Centre. Upon completion of the program, a CD compilation with participants music created during the program is pressed and opportunities to perform live at the CD launch and various events are provided.
These music programs allow participants to express themselves in their own words, through a medium they enjoy, with current musicians, in a fun and safe environment.
Previous Urban Music courses include:
- Hip-Hop 101 (co-funded by SWSI Granville TAFE outreach)
- Hip-Hop 101.2
- Hip-Hop 101.3
- Suburban Sista Soundz 1 (co-funded by SWSI Granville TAFE outreach)
- Suburban Sista Soundz 2
- Island Beatz 1 (co-funded by SWSI Granville TAFE outreach)
- Island Beatz 2 (co-funded by SWSI Granville TAFE outreach)
- Afro-Beatz (co-funded by SWSI Granville TAFE outreach)
- African Soundz
One-off motivational skill-development and career information sessions with touring artists:
- Sessions with Spider (UK)
- Sessions with 4Corners (NZ)
- Music with Mystro (UK)
- Sessions with Champ (UK)
Music mentoring and recording project:
- DUETS (co-funded by the Australia Council for the Arts)
Suburban Grooves CD compilations and books include:
- Vol 1: Music with Mystro (2005)
- Vol 2: Suburban Sistas (2005)
- Vol 3: Island Beatz 1 & 2 (2006)
- Vol 4: The Urban Music CD and Subtext book (2007)
Beyond the project
Upon completing our music programs, some participants have gone on to study sound engineering, events management, returned to high school, gained apprenticeships and enrolled at various TAFE courses or have gained employment. Some have formed performance groups and have begun performing around Sydney. Some are working on albums and some have come back to ICE to assist on projects as paid assistants.
ICE is committed to maintaining contact with participants and continues to provide artist advice, employment and training opportunities.
The Vodafone ‘World of Difference’ Program
During 2006-2007, this program was co-ordinated by practising hip-hop artist, MC Trey, thanks to a World of Difference grant from the Vodafone Australia Foundation.
For 2007-2008, this program will continue to be co-ordinated by MC Trey, thanks to a Vodafone Australia Foundation Organisational partnership grant with Information and Cultural Exchange (ICE).
IMAGES
- Hip-Hop Projections 3, Sydney Writers’ Festival, May 2008
- Hip-Hop Projections 2, Sydney Writers’ Festival, May 2007
- Suburban Sista Soundz, Metro Theatre, November 2005
- Hip-Hop Projections 1, Sydney Writers’ Festival, May 2005
USEFUL LINKS
RELATED NEWS ARTICLES
African Soundz Returns | 23 January 2008
Heads Up! Hip Hop artists take their stories to the screen | 18 September 2007
Urban Music workshops for Fijian Youth | 31 July 2007
Hip-Hop Projections II - Sydney Writer's Festival | 28 May 2007
Making a world of difference | 8 February 2007
Hip-Hop 101: stand up and be heard | 8 January 2007
African Soundz set to sizzle | 16 November 2006
Suburban Sista Soundz conquer the Metro! | 4 January 2006
RELATED MEDIA RELEASES
Sydney Hip-Hop Artist Talks Human Rights in Austria | 22 October 2007
Local hip-hop guru nominated for ARIA | 12 October 2007
Free advice from music industry experts | 27 September 2007
Hip-Hop artists take their stories to the screen | 1 August 2007
Free urban music workshops for Fijian-Australian youth | 25 July 2007
More African Soundz for Western Sydney | 6 July 2007
Sydney Writers' Festival Events | 7 May 2005
Hip-Hop 101: A Class Act | 29 September 2004