press

local news in Soacha covers the event...

and later interviews about the whole project...

Home

back in Asheville after a long day's travel, (4am until 11:15pm)... aside from additional mixing/mastering and editing this project is done... I begin similar work with local youth tomorrow afternoon.
Music production education.
No regular studio appointments for at least a week...
Peace

"graduation" and coming home

I never thought I'd get to hand out diplomas... this was pretty close... they were very proud and so were family members... words were very grateful... I never thought I'd have so much fun at such a ceremony...

Poster on the wall for this event

Something for the Studio Wall back home...

aside from much thanks and praise there was also alot of talk about how they will continue without me, several perpoals have already been written (by the Jovenes, without solicitation). specific steps, schedualling, classes/workshops they have offered to their community.

Of course the best part was the freestyle with beatboxing, harmonica (by me) and the overall feeling of genuine appreciation all around.

Thanks for keeping an eye one this work, I will be headed home in the morning, and available in town sometime in the next few days. Peace.

planning my exit...

The most important thing to fulfil as I leave, give certificates of completion and say "Adios" is to be sure that my students understand enough to continue without me... out of the 30 or so students who have been learning to produce instrumentals, record songs, and to mix their recordings, less than 10 can really run the equiptment by themselves... there is some concern from those who run the comedor that those who understand it best are actually from other neiborhoods than San Nicholas... Soacha has about 1,000,000 people and this comedor is mostly for those in this Barrio. I am incuraging the leader to continue to include anyone who understands the equiptment and software and is willing to share their knowledge... It has been rushed and many technical issues have been dificult for all the students to understand. some understand mixing but not setup, others setup but not effects. at the end of the day tommarrow, I am confident that they will be able to continue to grow and to learn and to make peaceful music without me.

It turns out that the video from the 1st day did upload, it only took a while to be available... it is rough and improvized, anything else will come later and be more professional in both audio and video, but for now...

Today's event

Here are some (of the many) pics from todays event... my little speech went well... the event was a success hours of live music, break dancing and speeches for peace were well recived by all in the main square of Soacha...

... we have video too... including my speech (for later)

Some Pictures

since videos will be later... and songs are too amazing to release rough versions.... here are some pictures...

this is how we do it (how we have to do it...)



Teacher man in translation



Another Rapper para paz (for Peace)









Edge of the world, Center of Attention...







A privilege to (help) record... see how the jovenes (teens) are at the controls.. 

morning students day 1

day 2

it seems videos with good audio will have to come later... (mostly next week after I return)... there isn't enough time... I am exausted and still have to write a speech (for a public peace event tommarrow), and homework for my estudiantes... (they are co-editing and writing the recording workbook that they will need to continue when I leave...) Music today was probably the stuff that most deserved to be recorded that I've ever done... 

producing friends at home are strongly incuraged to send mp3 instrumentals... this is your last chance... dstreetstudios@gmail.com

I didn't really know fruityloops (an easy to learn production software) fortunently one of my students did... he was able to teach the main lesson on instumental production and will do the same for the other group on saturday... very impowering for them... more and more I can step away from the controls while we record and this is only the 2nd day!!!