Seven Notes, One Future! - A music project

From July 5th to 14th, 2024, Udruga Better Me hosted a Youth Exchange focused on the future of the younger generation and the fight against adultism. Young artists from organizations in Croatia, Italy, Romania, Bulgaria, and the Czech Republic had the opportunity to discuss these important topics and express their voices through music. As a result, we are excited to announce the release of a brand-new album featuring incredible new songs!

For download the album, click on the artwork below!

So, how did we achieve this significant goal?

First and foremost, it’s essential to understand that our primary aim wasn’t to create an album for commercial purposes. We didn’t approach this project with the intention of selling the album or making a profit (the album was released in a way that neither we nor anyone who downloads it has the right to monetize it). Instead, our focus was on providing the participants with a platform to raise their voices in societies that often hold biases, prejudices, and stereotypes against young people. These societal attitudes undermine their participation and suppress their voices, often dismissing them as not relevant or “adult” enough.

With this project, we aimed to address these issues while also empowering the participants by enhancing their artistic skills and giving them complete creative freedom. We wanted them to have the liberty to define and shape their album without major interference or censorship from us as organizers. This approach was based on the belief that young people should have the autonomy to express themselves fully, but within certain boundaries to ensure respect and responsibility.

One of the crucial aspects of the project was establishing clear guidelines for songwriting. We made it clear that while the album was a space for expression, certain themes and language would not be acceptable. Specifically, blasphemy, hate speech, discrimination, racism, and xenophobia were not compatible with the values of Erasmus+. However, we also acknowledged that explicit language, like the use of words such as “fuck,” was a way for the participants to express anger and frustration. This form of expression was not intended to harm anyone or encourage negative behavior, but rather to channel emotions in a raw, honest way. In the debate between politeness and freedom of expression, we leaned toward the latter, provided that the language used did not lead to any harmful consequences for others.

The role of the organizers was to ensure these boundaries were respected and to make sure the participants’ work stayed within the agreed-upon guidelines. However, the lyrics themselves were the responsibility of the participants. The personal beliefs and views of the organizers did not influence the creative process in any way; our task was to provide a framework, not to shape the message.

As for the logistics, it was our responsibility to manage the schedule and ensure the project stayed on track. The recording sessions were set for three days, and due to both economic and logistical constraints, we were unable to extend the recording time. We encouraged the participants to deliver their recordings within the given timeframe, ensuring that the project remained structured and focused.

Now that we’ve clarified how we approached the project, let’s dive deeper into the methodology we applied in producing this peer-to-peer album. This methodology emphasized collaboration, self-expression, and ownership, enabling the participants to engage with the music-making process in a way that was both meaningful and empowering.

Methodology

How to create “esprit de group” by using the national music tradition of each group

The participant had the possibility to learn about the music tradition of each Countries, with the activity “Folk ‘n’ Roots” . Prior the arrival in Zagreb, each national team prepared a song representative of their own Country. The criteria to be taken in consideration were:

song easy to perform, memorize and play
a song that each participant could teach to other participants.

Each national team performed the song, explaining the meaning and the importance in their culture. After that, the whole group was split in 5 group of 5 people (1 person per each Country). Then, to each group was assigned one of the song performed before with the task to learn it and performe at the end of the day.

How was the project, according with the participants’ podcast

The band “SiriouS Pasta”