Sucre, Bolivia
MUYU PROJECT
CREA(C)TIVE MUSIC EDUCATION WORKSHOP
IN THE CITY OF SUCRE
CARMINA BURANA 2018
"Muyu" is a Quechua word (the indigenous language of the Bolivian highlands) that means "circle." Typically, Bolivian village communities gather in a circle, symbolizing individual and collective self-reflection, where all gazes meet. Symbolically, it represents the circle of life,
changing seasons, and generational renewal.
In the circle of small societies, people change, are born, grow, and die. It is a space of community, belonging to a time and place, and listening to others.
promotional video for the fundraising campaign to support the realization of the project (Victor Maidana)
The project MUYU aimed to engage the city of Sucre (Bolivia) in an artistic and educational project in the field of music, involving people of all ages and social backgrounds, with or without prior musical knowledge, cultural institutions, schools, cultural and social gathering centers. It aimed to offer free choir or percussion workshops and work towards the production of the Carmina Burana opera, with the goal of inviting the population to be an active participant in the cultural life of their city.
The MUYU project was born from observing the social and community results of some inclusive artistic projects and the widespread interest in classical music in the city of Sucre. They believed in the importance of presenting classical music in an accessible, educational, and democratic way. Additionally, they believed in active and co-participatory education. The project sought to offer the population, both musicians and non-musicians, the opportunity to be an active part of an artistic project, as an individual and collective cultural result.
Participating in a production over several months strengthens the sense of community, creates connections, allows people to meet others and share experiences. Participants become responsible for a community project, demonstrating commitment and overcoming individualism, turning the cultural event into a community achievement and source of pride.
The content of the activity follows a model characterized by positive and necessary elements for the growth of any society: democracy, commitment, listening, participation, competence, availability, exchange, organized collective action.
PROJECT REALIZATION
The project had two stages:
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Choir or percussion workshops
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Production and final event
The MUYU project offered the population seven-month-long music workshops for the production of Carl Orff's opera Carmina Burana.
The workshops were held in various places in the city, including orphanages, primary and secondary schools, and the conservatory of music. The final event took place in theaters in Sucre.
The realization of the project was made possible through crowdfunding and the support of the City of Sucre's Department of Culture.
A team of professional musicians was responsible for the workshop design, creating an educational program focused on learning the musical material. The program considered the training needs, the high artistic profile they aimed to achieve, and the social context of the participants, through group lessons.
Project Design and Implementation Team:
Beatrice Lupi
Francesco Paganini
Carlos Zegada
Alejandra Herrera
Viola Cartoni
Arthur Marden
WHY CARMINA BURANA?
The ancient Carmina Burana (Codex Buranus) are secular processional songs with a musical and rhythmic structure based on repetition and great versatility.
The themes of the songs are universal, human, and popular. The originally used instruments have characteristics similar to traditional Bolivian instruments (winds and percussion), and the opera does not require complex vocal techniques.
Modern Carmina Burana (by Carl Orff) is an arrangement of some numbers from the Codex Buranus. It is versatile music, and numerous subsequent arrangements have been composed in various musical styles
