“MyMusic”, a project for and with young people from all around the world and Northern Germany

MyMusic considers itself an intercultural project without borders, a contribution to a creative and joyful togetherness of different people and cultures. We would therefore like to thank the Hans Thomann Foundation for their support once again on behalf of all those involved.

Music has always been and remains one of the most important connections between people and cultures. Expressing their emotions is an age-old basic need of humans. In this sense, MyMusic is a project for and with young people from around the world and Northern Germany, who get together in the ABC education and conference centre.

Music and Drama take centre stage. Over a period of ten days, 24 young people workshop one music performance and one drama performance together. In doing so, they are supported by a professional team made up of Christina Heitfeld, theatre director, Iris Cyrol, vocal coach, Benny Kuhlman, musician and music educator as well as the sound engineers Juan Romero and Christoph Knödler. Partick Merz, director, keeps track of everything and coordinates the project’s music and drama sections.

In autumn 2015, more than 20 young people from a wide variety of family backgrounds thus workshopped two projects for ten days. Music and text/lyrics were continually revised day and night, stage-managed, recorded in the newly-furnished sound studio, rehearsed, sung, spoken – for all they were worth.

The venerable walls of the former manor house that is now home to the ABC education and conference centre were shaking more than once. Language barriers, origins and nationalities were insignificant; everyone found their way of contributing to the whole and expressing themselves irrespective of musical, acting or language skills. Finally, the piece performed was “Moonstock”, derived from the legendary Woodstcok rock concert, performed to an audience of 50.

The long days’ and short nights’ work received their deserved recognition when the audience broke out in extended applause and delivered a standing ovation.

Now, for a larger stage: “Moonstock” will be performed on February 14, 2006, in the “Alter Schlachthof”, Stade’s event location. Videos of the rehearsals and a number of making-of films can be viewed on our website, mymusic.abc-huell.de.