Feel the Beat from Around the World
Music lovers can get a backstage look at an opera house, listen to professional musicians engaging with the next generation of performers, or take a virtual walk through London with a curated playlist celebrating the city’s history.
Don’t miss the chance to immerse yourself in the world of music this weekend thanks to these institutions supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies:
Celebrate DanceAfrica with the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM)
Each year, the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) hosts DanceAfrica, the country’s largest celebration of African and African-American dance, music, and culture. This year, BAM will celebrate DanceAfrica online through a series of digital offerings honoring those who have shaped the celebration of African heritage over the festival’s 42-year history.
Additionally, visitors can explore performances, events, and interviews celebrating BAM’s vibrant, 160-year history through the Leon Levy BAM Digital Archive.
Enjoy One of The Barbican Centre’s Playlists
Check out one of the many playlists offered by The Barbican in London. The Barbican’s music collection runs the gamut from jazz to electronic to classical and everything in between – including a playlist filled with music from legendary Afrobeat drummer Tony Allen. The carefully curated selections are a study and celebration of different musical cultures, ranging from the 1970s and 1980s hip-hop, rap, and graffiti scene to a podcast about the illustrious sounds of the Baroque tradition.
In addition to enjoying music, you can learn about some of history’s most famous classical composers, including Mozart and Handel, with the Barbican’s podcast, Nothing Concrete. And you can watch Barbican Sessions for a beautiful piano performance of Brahms’s Op 118, No 3 ‘Ballade’ or a 12-piece ensemble performance, or expand your horizons with an introduction to Ambient Music.
Whether you want to listen to an old favorite or discover something new, you can also experience a range of performances, recordings, and livestreams from the Barbican’s associate orchestras and ensembles.
Join the Next Generation of Performers with Youth on Record
Youth on Record (YOR) helps underserved youth in Denver, Colorado achieve academic, artistic, and personal success by employing local professional artists to help them develop the coping tools and inspiration to become the leaders of tomorrow. YOR now hosts music-based workshops online through Open Lab, a free after-school program for young people ages 14- to 20-years-old who are interested in producing music, songwriting, recording songs, audio engineering, and playing instruments.
In My Youth on Record, YOR’s podcast, young musicians take on the role of interviewers and ask the professionals about the stories behind the music they created as teens and how they use art to express themselves. Recently, YOR created a new podcast, My Youth on Record Interrupted, to offer artists a platform to share how their personal, professional, and creative lives are transforming in the time of COVID-19.
Peek Behind the Curtain of Opera Australia
Have you ever been curious about what it takes produce an opera from beginning to end? In a five-video series, Opera Australia takes you backstage – and back in time – with a detailed chronicle of how it brought a production of “The Pearlfishers” to life.
Check Out the London Jukebox at the London Mithraeum Bloomberg SPACE
Whether it’s the Clash’s anthemic “London Calling,” the Kinks’ dreamy “Waterloo Sunset,” or Taylor Swift’s poppy “London Boy,” there is no shortage of songs about the Swinging City. Artist Susan Hiller has made songs such as these the core of her piece London Jukebox. As the London Mithraeum Bloomberg SPACE’s latest commission, the piece is centered around a vintage-style jukebox loaded with a selection of 70 songs about London that Hiller spent a decade assembling. She selected the songs to pay tribute to the rich diversity of London’s neighborhoods.
While the museum is temporarily closed, you can see photos of London Jukebox, listen to recordings about Susan Hiller, and explore the entirety of the museum and other unique cultural content by downloading Bloomberg Connects from the App Store or Google Play.
Please check back in with us next week as we continue to highlight online resources from arts and cultural institutions around the world. Remember to follow Bloomberg Philanthropies on Twitter and Facebook for a daily cultural spotlight, and catch up on the previous posts in our virtual arts experience series:
Five Ways to Explore Culture This Weekend with Podcasts, Online Courses, Livestream, and Music
Five Ways to Travel the World Virtually This Weekend
Explore the Outdoors While Indoors This Weekend
The Show Must Go On – Light Up Your Living Room with These Virtual Performances
Tribeca Film Festival: Together, Apart