The Opens Arms Music Project provides aspiring musicians across the country with the opportunity to advance their careers through offering additional information about the music industry.
The Open Arms Trust project aims to give young Namibians who want to be music professionals the right resources, knowledge, networks and tools to succeed.
Artist management, media training, image and branding, online music distribution and revenue streams, music production, financial literacy, monetising digital content, working with record labels, intellectual property and royalties, and funding opportunities will be the areas of focus, according to founder Kgosi Makaza.
Makaza says Ongwediva, Rundu, Keetmanshoop, Swakopmund, Gobabis, and Windhoek will host three-day workshops between 20 July to 23 September, and applications are now open.
“A lucky participant in each town who shows promising talent will be given the opportunity to record, mix, master, and promote a lead single in a professional recording studio within their region at the conclusion of each workshop,” says Makaza.
Established guest musicians will be invited to each workshop to network with participants and share their experiences in the music industry, and Makaza says the first day of the workshop, led by him as a comedian, filmmaker and creative entrepreneur, covers an introduction to the Namibian entertainment industry.
Llewelyn Adams and Blessed Simasiku, co-founders of the Namibian streaming platform Donlu, will lead the workshop on the second day, focusing on building your career in the music business. On day three, legendary music producer and Namibian Society of Composers and Authors of Music (Nascam) board member Elvo Diergaardt, will give a masterclass on music production.
Makaza says aspiring musicians and professionals in the music industry based in the selected regions are encouraged to apply online on the project website.
Interested participants should go to openarmscommunity.org.na and select ‘music workshops’ from the ‘projects’ tab.
“A list of towns and dates will appear, and the applicant should select their town and fill out the form. After that, applicants who are selected will be notified prior to each workshop,” says Makaza.
The Music In Africa Foundation (MIAF) and Goethe-Institute’s Sound Connects Fund provides funding for the Open Arms Music Project. The European Union’s financial contribution and the Organisation of ACP States’ support make the Sound Connects Fund possible.
