The first part of the Erasmus+ SoundBeatsTime project mobility took place in the beautiful city Timisoara, the historical capital of Banat, under the organisation IREA - Institutul Roman de Educatie a Adultilor. The mobility lasted from 22 to 26 September 2022.
On the first day, the facilitator led icebreaking and team-building activities, so that the group could easily resume the harmony built in Italy. This was followed by a plenary reflection on the changes in the music market during the pandemic and the effects on business strategies. In the afternoon, the participants worked divided into groups, each of which having to explore and deepen the different aspects in the music industry, previously identified in plenary, including creativity, inspiration, culture, technique, communication, business planning and others. After the presentation of each group, a moment of debate followed. The day ended with a wonderful guided tour of the historical centre, where the youngsters visited the Metropolitan Cathedral, Piata Unirii, Piata Victoriei and discovered the rich history of the Banat region, of which Timisoara was the heart. We were lucky, the Hungarian Festival was also taking place during the days of the exchange, and there were concerts, local markets and street food in the historic centre!
On the second day, musician Sorina Savii showed to the participants very original percussion instruments from all over the world, explaining the history and manufacture of each one. She also showed some of her handmade creations of other percussion instruments. Sorina taught the group the basics of reading percussion instruments and the sense of rhythm, using a very creative storytelling and other interactive games. In the afternoon, the young participants met local singer and producer Joel Benson, who told them about his musical journey, which began as an amateur musician, and led to building his own recording and music production studio. He gave a lot of advice to the youngsters based on his experience, and finally played and sang along with the youngsters.
The entire third day of the activity was an in-depth look at strategic thinking and the construction of an entrepreneurial plan in music, based on the Project Guide. The participants brainstormed in plenary on plans, resources, promotion and risks. Finally, each group worked on their ideas and objectives, identified key actions to pursue their goals, and presented their music entrepreneurial plan.
On the last day of the activity, the group visited the Faber Community, born from an urban regeneration project, an example of autonomous entrepreneurship. Faber is a renovated former factory, a community of local artists turned it into an independent cultural centre. Musician and producer Bogdan Cotirta showed the youngsters all the rooms and buildings where musicians can play and record, as well as all the appropriate equipment. He talked about how he organises appointments, working days, techniques and timings for music production and recording.
The day ended with a reflection and evaluation activity of the learning process and the handing over of certificates to the participants by the IREA organisation.
Diletta