OneBeat 2018 brings together 24 adventurous musicians from 17 countries to reimagine NASA’s landmark Voyager Golden Record through the lens of digital culture and global folklore.

Earlier this Spring I was invited to come on board as a Baltimore representative & music collaborator for OneBeat, a musical ambassador cultivation program, which is an extension of the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational & Cultural Affairs + the legendary New York-based music organization Bang on a Can’s Found Sound Nation initiative.

Teaching young musicians how to serve as ambassadors of sound across the globe, while staying rooted in their original source of personal & professional cultural context? Twist my arm why don’t you?

They’re coming to the Creative Alliance & the Eubie Blake National Jazz Institute and Cultural Center, right here in Baltimore next month, so stay tuned for much, much more.  – Dominic Shodekeh Yalifero, Professional Beatboxer, TU Department of Dance & Board Member for TU Asian Arts + Culture Center

“Now in its seventh year, OneBeat brings musicians (ages 19-35) from around the world to the U.S. for one month each fall to collaboratively write, produce, and perform original music, and develop strategies for arts-based social engagement. OneBeat begins with an opening residency, when Fellows collaborate to create original material, record new musical ideas, and incubate their projects. OneBeat fellows then go on tour, performing for a wide array of American audiences, collaborating with local musicians, and leading workshops with youth. During the month, each OneBeat musician also sets out their plans for the future, developing projects in their home countries linked to a mutually-reinforcing network of music-driven social enterprises…” – OneBeat