What if we told you that Secret Planet had a musical fellowship program for international musicians age 19-35, funded by the State Department? Well, we don’t. But if we did, it would strive to look exactly like OneBeat — an incubator for borderless musical ideas that provides a unique opportunity for a cadre of artists to connect, experiment, and jam out with each other.

Twice each year, the program selects a residency location in a different part of the country and brings approximately 25 musicians from 15 countries to spend a couple of weeks together in musical exploration and intercultural exchange. The residency culminates in a few select performances in the region.

This Spring and Fall, Onebeat artists land at the Avaloch Farm Music Institute in New Hampshire. We’re excited to welcome the first group of fellows to perform at Bombyx this spring.

The group of fellows hail from Morocco, Greece, Ukraine, Kenya, Mexico, Indonesia, India, Japan, South Korea, Argentina, Honduras, Egypt, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Kyrgyzstan, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the USA. (Take a closer look at the fellows here)

During the residency, they will collaborate on new music and participate in professional development workshops and masterclasses with guest artists including composer, multi-instrumentalist, singer and poet Ben LaMar Gay and Grammy-nominated performer and producer Shahzad Ismaily.

They represent traditional to avant-garde musical traditions, instrument builders and sculptors, educators, and creative entrepreneurs, all of whom contribute to their communities and the music industry through their artistic practice and dedication to music and sound as a form of cultural cohesion.