Chengdu International Sister Cities Youth Music Festival 2018
The BIG ANNOUNCEMENT has come! As the title suggests, I have the extremely humble and fortunate opportunity to participate in this year's "Chengdu International Sister Cities Youth Music Festival 2018" coming July 25-31, 2018! A huge thank you to the Alberta Foundation for the Arts who approved my grant to make this once in a lifetime opportunity possible!
The “Chengdu International Sister Cities Youth Music Festival” is an annual music festival that aims to promote and enhance international relations by offering a platform for local and abroad performing artists to showcase and share their talents. The 2018 festival will host a grand opening and an abundance of diverse musical performances over 7 days of celebration from July 25 to July 31 in Chengdu Eastern Suburb Memory. The Chengdu International Sister Cities Youth Music Festival is described as a “music feast”. This festival hosts over 30 art teams from China, 400 musicians from 31 countries and regions around the world to celebrate performance arts on the same stage over 7 days.
I will also have the fortunate opportunity to perform at suburban towns and visit schools to teach piano and share my music with foster children who were displaced by the 2013 earthquake that killed 200 and injured thousands. Being able to connect on a personal and musical level with the children is a huge fulfillment - I can already feel that lump in my throat develop.
To this day I do not believe that in exactly one month's time I will be half way across the world sharing my music on an international level! This will be my first time in China and in addition to giving my best stage presence there are a few goals, learning experiences and expectations I've set for myself that I wish to accomplish when I'm in Chengdu and when the festival ends.
1) Build connections, to learn and grow as a musician from the other artists participating in the festival.
2) Participate in culture sharing, to promote the city of Edmonton and province of Alberta music and arts from a cultural diversity perspective. Promoting organizations such as YEG Music and the Alberta Foundation for the Arts who have helped me get to this point in my music career!
3) To act as a liaison for other Edmonton and Alberta based artists to participate in subsequent festivals and to expand not only my own music but Edmonton's/Alberta's arts and music market internationally.
4) To bridge opportunities for performers from Chengdu to showcase their artistic talents here in our community, making Edmonton and Alberta the focal point for international performers to share their culture and arts with.
5) To learn other styles of planning, managing and artist promoting strategies
Interesting fact!
I know Calgary just obtained the cutest attraction from Toronto but Chengdu is home to the "Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding"! SO CUTE! This is one stop I CANNOT miss while I'm there!
Over the next month I will be posting preparations leading up to the festival and working really hard to find a way to stay CONNECTED with all you while I'm in Chengdu (their connections and internet availability are very restricted) and would love for all of you to be by my side along this journey from start to finish! I hope you are all as excited (and nervous - in a good way!) as I am! Are you ready for Chengdu?!
