Project Overview
Summary: On May 8th, 2019, Medellín welcomed Yo-Yo Ma and his Bach Project. La Red, in collaboration with the Medellín Metro system, coordinated a series of events for this occasion. From a heartfelt discussion panel on cultural citizenship to captivating pop-up performances in metro stations, the Bach Project´s Day of Action became a testament to the power of music in fostering unity, healing, and social transformation. A highlight of the day was Yo-Yo Ma traveling on public transportation, joining student ensembles at various metro stations, and engaging directly with the community, thereby reinforcing the connection between music, public space, and social impact.
Project Title: Connecting Medellín
Involvement: Project Coordinator, Pedagogical Advisor.
Year: 2019
Deliverables:
✓ Cultural Citizenship Event: Assisted and facilitated discussions and activities with Yo-Yo Ma and students focusing on cultural citizenship and the role of artists in society. This event provided a platform for meaningful dialogue and reflection, fostering a deeper understanding of the intersections between music, identity, and community engagement.
✓ Public Performances in Metro Stations: Coordinated performances by student ensembles at six metro stations, engaging thousands of commuters and bringing music to unexpected public spaces.
✓ Preparatory Workshops: Developed and conducted workshops for La Red students to reflect on their repertoire and connect it with the mission of The Bach Project. These workshops served as a foundation for the students’ participation in the Day of Action, empowering them to infuse their performances with meaning and purpose.
Industries: Music Performance, Event Production, Music for Social Impact, Community Engagement, Social Music Programs, Public Performance.
Competencies:
Project coordination, Event Planning, Communication, Collaboration, Pedagogical Guidance, Community Engagement, Team Leadership.
“We survive because we are creative and resilient.”
Yo-Yo Ma
Context
Client/Organization: La Red – The Bach Project
Stakeholders: The Bach Project, La Red, Medellín Metro, Parque Explora.
Venues: Parque Explora and Medellín Metro Stations.
Objective: To create an immersive and impactful cultural experience by coordinating La Red’s events for Yo-Yo Ma’s Day of Action for The Bach Project in Medellín, Colombia. The goal was to highlight the role of public space, memory, and healing through cultural citizenship and public performance. By organizing reflective and interactive activities, including discussions, workshops, and surprise performances in Metro stations, the events aimed to demonstrate how culture connects us and contributes to the social transformation of Medellín.
Challenges: The project included the coordination and synchronization of events at various locations, involving around 200 students from diverse disciplines and backgrounds. Managing the logistics for pop-up public performances in busy metro stations and facilitating collaboration between the Medellín Metro system, Parque Explora, and La Red added layers of complexity. Additionally, ensuring the safety and well-being of a renowned figure such as Yo-Yo Ma while he traveled on public transportation posed an extra challenge. This required careful planning and coordination to guarantee a smooth and enjoyable experience for the artist, the students, the community, and the team.
Background: Medellín was one of the 36 global locations chosen for The Bach Project, where Yo-Yo Ma performed Bach’s Six Cello Suites without intermission. However, The Bach Project was much more than a typical concert tour; it included a “Day of Action,” featuring reflective and interactive activities in collaboration with local partners.
For the Medellín event, I acted as the Project Coordinator for La Red’s Day of Action activities in partnership with the Metro of Medellín. Both projects have been integral to the city for more than two decades, serving as networks of connectivity between the communes of Medellín. They are intertwined, like a system of arteries that pump culture and life to and from the different neighborhoods.
On the Day of Action, we organized a discussion panel and a series of pop-up performances that occurred almost simultaneously at various metro stations, surprising commuters and passersby with spontaneous musical experiences.
Approach
Part I – Cultural Citizenship Kickoff at Parque Explora: Yo-Yo Ma joined students and teaching artists in discussions about cultural citizenship. During these discussions, he addressed topics such as dealing with frustration, the importance of resilience, and using success responsibly. He encouraged participants to be “agents of change” with a “Secret Mission” to serve society through their art. The discussion concluded with a short performance by Yo-Yo Ma.
This event required:
✦ Constant communication with the local and international Bach Project Team to ensure our efforts were aligned with the project’s mission and vision.
✦ Ensuring diverse participation from students and teaching artists, including La Red and similar initiatives in Medellín.
✦ Coordinating the participation of a student cello ensemble who performed on stage before the discussion.
Part II – Connecting Medellín: After the kickoff event, we began the public performances by student ensembles in six metro stations. Yo-Yo Ma rode the Medellín Metro and visited three of the stations where student ensembles were performing.
He arrived at the first stop, San Antonio Station, where he found the Tango Orchestra Ensemble. Then he took the trolley car to the next station, Miraflores Station, where the Colombian Music Ensemble was waiting for him. His next ride was in a Metro Cable gondola, which took him over the rooftops to one of the mountains surrounding Medellín.
As the gondola ascended, he shared a very special musical moment with three students of La Red, featuring an unusual instrumentation reminiscent of the Silk Road Ensemble (bandoneon, Colombian bandola, Colombian gaita, and Yo-Yo Ma on cello). When they arrived at the top, at Trece de Noviembre Station, the Villatina Music School’s string ensemble was ready to share a final musical moment.
At each stop, he joined the ensembles with his cello, surprising the students who couldn’t believe they were performing with Yo-Yo Ma.
Before Yo-Yo Ma’s visit, we organized preparatory activities for the ensembles to reflect on their repertoire and The Bach Project. The Tango Orchestra reflected on how “progress” can lead to deforestation and the destruction of cultural landmarks. The Colombian Music Ensemble reflected on the importance of new generations embracing traditional music and reconnecting with cultural roots. The Villatina String Orchestra discussed how their vulnerable neighborhood has fostered community creativity and resilience through music, coffee plantations, and community gardens.
Key steps included:
✦ Coordinating with the metro system and La Red ensembles.
✦ Ensuring all logistical details, such as permits and sound equipment, were in place.
✦ Facilitating rehearsals and ensuring student readiness.
✦ Leading and coordinating reflection activities.
“Always be brave, and when you become successful, do not abuse your power.”
Yo-Yo Ma
Results and Impact
✦ Engaged Community: The pop-up public performances engaged thousands of commuters and passersby, bringing unexpected musical moments to their daily routines.
✦ Empowered Students: Students were empowered to reflect on their cultural roles and responsibilities, fostering a sense of cultural citizenship.
✦ Strengthened Connections: The project strengthened the connection between Medellín’s metro system and La Red’s music schools, highlighting their significant roles in the city’s social transformation.
✦ Fostering Unity and Collaboration: The coordination of events at various locations and the involvement of approximately 200 students from diverse backgrounds promoted teamwork and a strong sense of community.
✦ Effective Planning and Teamwork: The successful execution of the project, including overcoming logistical challenges and ensuring Yo-Yo Ma’s safety while traveling on public transportation, demonstrated the effectiveness of strategic planning and teamwork.
“Being part of the Bach Project, and being able to share with Yo-Yo Ma, generated an incredible transformation among my students. Many of them didn’t know beforehand who Yo-Yo Ma was. However, from that day on, he became their idol, and not only for musical reasons. He arrived with a complete listening readiness. We all wanted to listen to him, his message, his sound, his music, but instead he listened. He listened to our students, he listened to the victims, he listened to the city. He rode the Metro just as we do; he felt and lived in the city. I had the privilege of playing with him; I talked to him, and he borrowed my cello and performed Pablo Casals’ ‘Song of the Birds,’ right there in the Metro Station. I felt like the happiest person in the world, because of what he represents in my life and my career – and that is my mission as an artist in the world.”
Eliana Palacio – Cello Teaching Artist at La Red
Learnings
From a Project Management Perspective:
✦ Artistic responsibility and community service: The project reinforced the belief that artists must serve their communities. It emphasized the idea that being a responsible citizen comes before being an artist, as demonstrated by Yo-Yo Ma’s message encouraging students to use their artistic talents to promote social change and support their communities.
✦ Flexibility and adaptability: Coordinating events in multiple locations and managing logistics for public performances required flexibility and adaptability. Adapting to unexpected challenges and ensuring seamless execution in diverse environments were critical to the project’s success.
✦ The power of collaboration: The collaboration with the Medellín Metro system, Parque Explora, and La Red highlighted the power of partnerships in advancing cultural initiatives. The collaborative effort amplified the impact of the project, increased community engagement, and fostered a sense of unity.
From a Educative Perspective:
✦ Student empowerment: The project empowered students to reflect on their role as cultural citizens. It encouraged them to consider how their artistic contributions can impact society and to cultivate a sense of responsibility and purpose in their work.
✦ Reflective practice: Encouraging students to reflect on their roles and responsibilities as cultural citizens fostered a deeper understanding of their impact. This reflective practice helped students connect their artistic endeavors to broader social and cultural goals, reinforcing the importance of using the arts to address community needs.
✦ Art as a tool for social change: The project demonstrated how art can be a powerful tool for social change. It provided students with a tangible example of how their work can contribute to social change, inspiring them to address community issues and promote cultural growth.
Conclusion
The Bach Project’s Day of Action in Medellín exemplifies the transformative power of music in public spaces and its potential to foster community engagement. The collaboration between The Bach Project, Medellín Metro, Parque Explora, and La Red highlights the importance of strategic partnerships to increase the impact of cultural initiatives.
The success of these events highlights the transformative potential of cultural projects to promote community engagement and participation in public spaces. Emphasizing the role of artists as agents of social change and fostering collaboration among diverse stakeholders will help arts and cultural organizations create meaningful and lasting impact. By embracing this model, arts and cultural organizations have the opportunity to bridge diverse communities, foster cultural citizenship, and reimagine public spaces through collaborative performances.