Support Roma Pupils Playing Music Instruments - MK

Roma Rock School stardet a new project financed and supported by Goethe Institute, Skopje. The project duration is 6 months (April - September 2022).

Objectives of the project 

To contribute to intercultural tolerance between young Roma and non-Roma in North Macedonia by opening new channels of communication offering them the opportunity to network away from the political scene through rock music with Roma elements created and performed by young people as part of a mixed band transmitted to the general public through a music video.

Project description

This project promotes intercultural cooperation by being part of a band, but also by creating something new. Individually everyone involved will gain a lot of new experience and skills by performing with at least 6 others in the band, supported and taught by a band coach, and communicating with the general public. It will give the involved parties a chance beside being in step with modern nowadays music and promoting the Roma music, to promote themselves as musicians and learn a lot about song writing and recording and to find cultural diversity as an advantage for creativity. During the project there will be 1 new song written and produced for the band. The song will contain elements from Roma traditional music and rock.

Main activities

• Open call for audition
• Conducting an audition to select band members for the new band
• Band coaching, rehearsing and classes with young musicians
• Song writing and composing
• Audio recording of the song in a professional studio
• Recording music video for the song
• Promoting the band

Dear Friend of Roma Rock School,

we deeply appreciate your support for free music education of Roma children in Skopje, North Macedonia!

Thanks to your donation, we managed to continue with free music classes till December 2021. Our goal include creating opportunities for our students to work outside Šuto Orizari and to connect with young musicians outside their own community. We also menaged to open a branch in the town of Kriva Palanka, 100km from Skopje near the Bulgarian-North Macedonian border.

In the period from August to December 2021, classes were held for more than 30 students. As a result, two compositions were recorded in a professional studio. The students used  music instruments that were procured thanks to your donations. 

We offer nine different classes: drums, guitar, bass guitar, piano, vocals, woodwind instruments, violin, theory of music, and solfège. Additionally, we have bands that rehearse regularly and perform at concerts. 

How your funds are used:
- each student has free lessons twice a week for his instrument 
- investing in instruments inventory and equipment for rehersals
- audio recording of songs in studio
- video recording
- providing free transportation for students from Shuto Orizari to the city centar and back
- organizing workshops
- organizing concerts
- investing in the school conditions
- upgrade recording equipment and software at the Roma Rock School
- organizing promotional events to promote the bands...

Unfortunately, at the moment we can not continue our activities due to lack of funds.

Please share this project with your contacts and invite them to consider supporting this ongoing project.

We are deeply grateful for your support,

RRS Team

Links:

• Roma Rock School - YouTube Chanel