For applicants interested in participating in an upcoming Cultures in Harmony Project, applications for 2013 projects will be by invitation only. Please contact us for more details.
Participants in Cultures in Harmony projects will travel to one or more countries in 2013 on missions of cultural diplomacy. Projects may involve any of the following musical activities: collaborating with local musicians, teaching master classes, presenting workshops, giving benefit concerts, giving outreach performances, teaching lessons, rehearsing, speaking with the media, coordinating an instrument petting zoo, and more. In addition, projects may involve learning the local language, staying with host families, assisting humanitarian organizations with their goals, traditional and/or formal dinners, meetings with diplomats and civic leaders, and other activities designed to promote good will.
Participants will be treated as equal, collaborative contributors to the projects in which they participate. They are expected to independently attain a high level of familiarity with the politics, history, and culture(s) of the country to which they travel.
Please note that applicants who are accepted as participants in a Cultures in Harmony project are required to raise $1,000 towards the cost of their participation in a CiH project. Participants who do not do so will be unable to travel.
Project participants do not receive an artist fee; however, they do receive a small stipend for use in the countries where they will travel. All expenses associated with the trip, ranging from airfare to travel vaccinations, are paid for by Cultures in Harmony, from funds including donations from individuals; grants from the government, corporations, and foundations; and the $1,000 raised in donations by each project participant. Cellists should have their own flight case, as Cultures in Harmony cannot purchase a flight for your cello. Bassists may only apply for projects where Cultures in Harmony can borrow a bass.
Though Cultures in Harmony makes every effort to guarantee the safety of all project participants, all participants travel at their own risk. In the past, Cultures in Harmony projects have occasionally involved dealing with minor inconveniences such as: no access to modern plumbing for short periods, uncomfortable sleeping arrangements, unconventional means of transportation, and more. While project participants’ dietary restrictions will be respected, Cultures in Harmony in turn expects a general respect for the diet of the countries we visit. Obviously, extraordinary sensitivity to the cultural norms of other societies is the primary non-musical expectation of all project participants. Finally, applicants should have a strong background in educational outreach programs here in the U.S., as well as extensive teaching and performing experience at the highest level.
