BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC: We Are All Connected: Berklee College of Music Reaches Out to the Women of Darfur

Berklee College of Music

We Are All Connected: Berklee College of Music Reaches Out to the Women of Darfur

© 2006 Berklee College of Music (634479398575)

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Berklee College of Music students, faculty, and staff incorporate musical clips from the women of Darfur into original compositions from genres including spoken word, electronica, pop, r&b, gospel, country, folk, world, and more.

notes

We Are All Connected is the culmination of a collaborative effort engaging many members of the Berklee community. Early in 2005, a delegation of Boston women, including Bright Horizons Chair Linda Mason, wife of Berklee president Roger Brown; award-winning TV journalist Liz Walker; and the Rev. Dr. Gloria E. White-Hammond, traveled to the Sudan with Mercy Corps to learn about the impact of the civil conflict on women and children of Darfur. They took with them two songs: "We Are All Connected" and "To The Sudanese Women" written and performed by Berklee students Andrea Whaley and Farah Siraj.

The songs, the result of a songwriting competition proposed by president Brown and initiated by Jack Perricone, chair of the songwriting department, were produced specifically for the trip and presented to the Darfurian women as a musical gift from their sisters a world away. The music was played for women in the refugee camps on a laptop – a device that many of them were seeing for the first time. Upon hearing the two songs, the Darfurian women leapt to their feet and began trilling and singing in jubilant musical response. That outpouring of emotion was recorded in the field and brought back to Berklee.

During the trip, the Boston delegation heard firsthand accounts of the violence that has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions to refugee camps, ripping families apart and leaving women and children homeless, hungry, cold, and in personal danger. Mason shared these stories with the Berklee Women’s Network, inspiring the group to take action to produce a full-length CD – including the initial two songs – with the goal of raising awareness and funds.

Submissions for We Are All Connected were solicited through another songwriting competition open to Berklee students, faculty, staff, and alumni. The participants were encouraged to use the field recordings of the Sudanese women as inspiration, and their voices can be heard throughout the CD. More than 40 songs were submitted for consideration. From that rich pool of talent, 18 songs were selected by a committee that included Mason, Perricone, Berklee Chief of Staff Carl Beatty, professors Leanne Ungar and Karen Wacks, staff members Shannon Kim and Lynette Gittens, Melinda Weekes of My Sister’s Keeper, and Laura Guimond of Mercy Corps.

The Berklee community mobilized not only for the songwriting, but also for the recording and production of the CD. Music production & engineering Professor Ungar lent her talents and considerable time to executive produce the CD. Other faculty members served as mentors and producers for student compositions, which were recorded in Berklee studios, other professional studios, and homes across Massachusetts. Guest artists appearing on the compilation include Meshell Ndegeocello, Abe Laboriel, Sr., Vinnie Colaiuta, and Jamey Haddad.

Songs from We Are All Connected have been performed at Berklee’s commencement ceremony, on the TV show Sunday With Liz Walker, and for tens of thousands in New York and Washington, D.C. In Washington, singer Patti Austin joined the group onstage for a performance of “We Are All Connected” that was broadcast on C-SPAN.

All proceeds from the sale of this CD will go to Mercy Corps and its mission to benefit the women and children of Darfur.

Berklee College of Music was founded on the revolutionary principle that the best way to prepare students for careers in music was through the study and practice of contemporary music. For over 60 years, the college has evolved constantly to reflect the state of the art of music and the music business. With over a dozen performance and nonperformance majors, a diverse and talented student body representing over 70 countries, and a music industry "who's who" of alumni, Berklee is the world's premier learning lab for the music of today — and tomorrow.

reviews

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  • Beautiful--Inspiring-Awesome!
    author: Chris

    This has become one of my favorite CDs and I am purchasing more for friends and family! I want to encourage everyone to listen and buy this--you won't be disappointed! BRAVO students of Berkelee College of Music--your songs are inspiring and so rich with emotion that it makes me want to share them with everyone! Your great musical talents are truely awesome! Thank you for caring and sharing with the rest of us~!

  • The power of compassion
    author: Robert

    I first got wind of this CD while I crused the internet to see the recent news concerning the Darfur crisis. As always, I visited the Savedarfur website and from there I ended up at the Holocaust Museum site where I viewed a video clip with the audio stream from the song "To the Sudanese Women". I was transfixed by the powerful emotional force of the music and the words. This, I thought, was truly inspired work. I commend the work of the committed and compassionate people who put this together. This is a great contribution to the dignity and meaning of the lives of oppressed women and peoples everywhere there is inhumanity, because, "We are all connected" ... Blessings...

  • great to hear it, great music for great cause
    author: amina alrasheed

    I love this CD, it shows great compassion and its a great present in solidarity with women in Darfur, Salute and many thanks from a Sudanese women.

  • author: S Payne

    We ordered this CD after listening to a few cuts on an e-mail that was sent to us by Mercy Corps. We very much enjoyed the diversity in the music presented. Thank you very much for your concern and interest in producing this CD. We ARE all connected.

  • Meaningful and timeless music; very heartful and necessary.
    author: Jo Turner

    I ordered the CD because of the NPR interview, however, I really appreciated the different styles of the artists and their talents. Sometimes you need to know that others care about humanity as much as you do...This CD lets me know that I am not alone. To the students and faculty at Berklee:Thanks for caring.

  • Great..!!!!!!
    author: dabronx

    Listening to the music makes me want to do even more to be part of the solution. Thank You..

  • I was surprised at how wonderful this cd is as I didn't know what to expect.
    author: Stacy Amaral

    I bought five copies of the CD to give as presents. I can't wait for my friends and family to open this gift. They are going to be amazed and so happy. Thank you, Stacy

  • author: dionna

    thoughtfully assembled, vast genre represented, soul stirring, a beautiful work of love and concern

  • This entire process has been wonderful, and so very fast and personal.
    author: Arlene O'Sullivan

    The recordings are beautiful, soulful, sad and encouraging. I bought the CD's for a few friends and also wanted to contribute to the fund raising/awarness, I am also letting people know about your web site and sources. Thanx everyone you're doing a wonderful job. Remember to keep my email address private, please. Arlene

  • All connected
    author: Alex

    Indeed we are all connected, what a beautiful way to help. I heard the music on the radio and bought CDs for a friend, one step at a time we can all make a difference

  • Beautiful music, variety of styles, well-produced - bravo!
    author: S M Lynch

    All the artists on this CD are to be commended for creating beautiful music about the ugliest of situations, the genocide in Darfur, in order to give support and hope to the people of Darfur. There are a variety of styles represented on this CD, some very modern American, some reaching to traditional African roots, but all well worth hearing over and over. The lyrics are from the heart, and from the news stories coming from the refugee camps in Darfur and in neighboring Chad. The musicianship is excellent. This CD is a shining example of people using their talents together to help others and to make the world a better place. Bravo to all involved in the creation of this CD!

  • This cd is heart felt, spirit filled and uplifting.
    author: DeVora

    I could not have made a better purchase. This cd will be played again and again.

  • Fantastic music, vital cause.
    author: We Are All Connected: Berklee College of Music collaboration for

    I love this album so much I bought three extras for friends. This is a really great CD with important, genre-transcending music.

  • author: Thomas Cook

    This is an issue that we should not take lightly,and this is a perfect opportunity to see how lucky we all are.Other Fundrasing projects such as C. Kenneth Lee's "Metamorphosis" and Connor Fabiano's "Sonatina Oubreak" are also worth looking at.

  • author: CD Baby

    We'd like to introduce you to a powerful and moving musical project powered by Berklee College of Music students, faculty, and staff. The story behind We Are Connected began in early 2005 when a group of Boston women traveled to Sudan with Mercy Corps to learn about violence towards women as part of war. As part of their work there, they presented two songs written by Berklee students for the women. This gift of music was so powerful that upon return, it was decided that a full length album should be produced and used to raise money for the cause. These songs are the result of that songwriting competition and incorporate musical clips from the women of Darfur into original compositions from genres including spoken word, electronica, pop, r&b, gospel, country, folk, world, and more. All proceeds from the sale of this CD will go to Mercy Corps and its mission to benefit the women and children of Darfur. May the power of music unite us all through love for our fellow human beings.

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