FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

 

1) What's up with all these names: Cultures in Harmony, Music for the People, Fractured Atlas? How does this affect me?

Fractured Atlas is a non-profit arts service organization. While Cultures in Harmony's application to become an independent non-profit is considered by the I.R.S., Fractured Atlas receives donations on behalf of Cultures in Harmony, so that donations are fully and legally tax-deductible. As important as this may be from a fundraising perspective, the relationship between Fractured Atlas and Cultures in Harmony does not affect applicants or participants in any way. For more information about fiscal sponsorship, click here. Cultures in Harmony was founded as Music for the People on January 1, 2005. Because a non-profit already exists called Music For People, we had to change our name to Cultures in Harmony. However, all our accounts are not yet switched over, which is why your application fee must be made payable to Music for the People. Please contact us if this doesn't make sense; we understand that it's a bit complicated.

 

2) Who evaluates applications?

In 2006, George Stelluto, Resident Conductor at The Juilliard School and Director of the Las Vegas Music Festival, evaluated the recordings. Amanda von Goetz, a music and web marketing expert who has done work for Carnegie Hall, NAXOS and other prominent companies/organizations, evaluated the essay portion.

 

3) Why do you have to be a U.S. citizen?

We are so grateful for the interest of foreign-born musicians studying in the U.S., many of whom have contacted Cultures in Harmony about participating in its projects. Their interest in cultural diplomacy in general is admirable. However, Cultures in Harmony has a very specific and focused mission, as expressed in the concluding sentence of our mission statement ("Who We Are" on the home page): "Through the universal language of music, our projects foster cross-cultural dialogue that improves relations between the U.S. and the rest of the world." In other words, our main interest lies in ameliorating bilateral relations between the U.S. and other countries, not international relations in general, a mission far too broad for an emerging organization.

Cultures in Harmony can be best compared to a "Peace Corps for musicians." The mission statement of the U.S. Peace Corps is very similar to the mission of Cultures in Harmony, and like Cultures in Harmony, the U.S. Peace Corps requires that its volunteers be U.S. citizens.

Please note, however, that Cultures in Harmony not affiliated with the U.S. government, any federal agency, The Juilliard School, or any other organization except Fractured Atlas, its fiscal sponsor.

 

4) Why do you have to be 21 years old?

On recent projects, participants gave master classes at St. Scholastica's College in Manila, Philippines, and Escuela Superior de Musica in Mexico City, Mexico. There are many students currently matriculating at both schools who would easily be accepted by some of the finest music schools in the U.S., and many students in our master classes are older than the Cultures in Harmony clinicians! Therefore, our master classes are not intended as "master classes" per se, but as opportunities for world-class young musicians from the U.S. to share ideas with colleagues in other countries. Just as you might ask a friend to listen to you before a big performance, so do our master classes encourage constructive relations between peers. However, in order to avoid even the appearance of condescension, our project participants must not only be capable of the maturity and wisdom that comes from experience, but be able to be perceived by our hosts as possessing these traits. Therefore, no one under 21, no matter how experienced as a teacher or performer, can be considered for our projects. Be patient, and apply when you turn 21...we plan to be around for a while!

 

5) Why do you have to be a classical musician?

We are considering ways to incorporate jazz into our projects, since jazz has been called America's classical music. Currently, our musician contacts in the countries where we conduct projects are either from the Western classical tradition, or from a classical/traditional genre of music particular to that country or culture. Hopefully, this network of contacts will expand in the not-too-distant future, enabling us to include jazz.

However, it is unlikely that genres other than classical (including electronic artists inspired by the classical tradition, such as Karl Pestka) and jazz will be added. Genres such as rock, hip-hop, and pop are geared more toward changing tastes and trends, so we currently focus on classical music in order to present music that is timeless and rooted in the musical traditions that have historically informed American culture. In many countries, popular American genres of music (excepting classical and jazz) can often be perceived as a threat to local music. In a meeting with world-renowned musician Oliver Mtudkudzi in Zimbabwe in 2006, the great singer spoke eloquently of his belief that Zimbabwean youth should listen more to mbira music than to American popular genres.

Hip-hop musicians interested in cultural diplomacy should be aware of the outstanding organization World Up, which has a similar mission to Cultures in Harmony, except that it aims to bring together youth of different cultures through their shared interest in hip-hop.

 

6) Why do you have to be a musician?

One organization cannot do everything. While dance, drama, and other arts have an extremely powerful role to play in cultural diplomacy, we focus on music in order to maintain a manageable focus for the organization. I am honored to know many magnificent artists who have launched extraordinary initiatives in cultural diplomacy. In fact, the recent years have seen many of my fellow Juilliard students and graduates launch projects: Mauricio Salgado's arts camps for underprivileged children in Florida and South Africa; Amelia Uzategui Bonilla's Public Dance Theater, which has created cultural exchanges in Peru; and Sumaya Jackson's Dogodogo Project, which offered dance performances and workshops to children in Tanzania.

Dancers interested in engaging in cultural diplomacy at the professional level should audition for the Battery Dance Company.

 

7) Are participants paid, or do they have to pay to participate?

Participants do not have to pay anything to participate in Cultures in Harmony's projects except the $75 non-refundable application fee. The security deposit of $400, paid by applicants accepted into Cultures in Harmony, is fully refundable after successful completion of the project. Applicants may be asked to pay for some expenses out of pocket, such as vaccinations and sheet music, but will be fully reimbursed after they have successfully completed the project for which they have been selected.

Participants are issued a small stipend to cover expenses in the host country, but are not paid an artist fee. Any artist fees paid by presenting organizations go directly to Cultures in Harmony.

 

8) What if I'm accepted, sign my contract, and then decide I don't want to go?

The only acceptable reasons for an applicant withdrawing from a project after sending a signed contract to Cultures in Harmony (and after Cultures in Harmony has purchased an international airline ticket on behalf of the participant) are death in the family (with documentation) and severe personal illness (with documentation). If you withdraw for any other reason, you may be held liable for any costs that Cultures in Harmony has incurred on your behalf, as well as any additional costs Cultures in Harmony incurs as a result of your withdrawal. These costs could conceivably add up to $5,000, so applicants selected to participate in a project are advised to consider the offer very seriously before making a commitment.

If a project must be canceled, reduced, or otherwise altered for security reasons, these decisions will be made solely by Cultures in Harmony in consultation with the U.S. Embassies in the relevant countries.

 

9) Are there any other organizations similar to Cultures in Harmony?

Yes: American Voices, Genesis at the Crossroads, Kantara, and Apple Hill.