Open Music Lab

🔮 First workshop of 2024 🔮

On February 5, we will look at advanced options of Rekordbox: analyzing tracks, making playlists, using tags and setting up cue points. Moreover, we’ll share tips and tricks on how to best organize your music library for different types of events and gigs.

We’ll be on the first floor of Refugio, Lenaustraße 4, from 18:30 - 20:30. Hosted by our own 💖

This workshop is aimed at people who are familiar with the basics of Rekordbox. Please note that we can offer limited spots. Register until Wednesday, January 25, and we’ll get back to you if we could save you a seat.

Link in bio ☂️

📸:

💿 OUR FIRST RECORD RELEASE - DIFFRACTION 💿

We're so stoked to see the third compilation from the OML Music Production & Artistic Development course participants pressed on vinyl 💜. This is a big milestone celebration moment for the OML community - nothing better than seeing hard work and dedication take physical form!

We just want to shout out our friends Sophie for the amazing cover design as always, and the Disc Archive team for pressing the vinyls. A huge round of applause for our very own Ophelié, for spearheading this vinyl and getting it through the finish line. 🌟

Also of course, we're so proud of all the course participants, mentors, and community members whose hard work and unwavering determination led to this beautiful final product 🔥

A few copies will be available for sale at Refuge Worldwide soon — stay tuned! 🐝

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🐞 INTRODUCING OUR MENTORS 🐞

#3 - Luisa Beck & Ben Osborn

The second week of the Creative Podcasting Programme is all about creating a concept for a podcast, putting together a production timeline and content framework, as well as getting an intro to audio recording, editing, and how to work with music and sound. 🎵

Luisa Beck is a Senior Producer for Audible EU, where she creates fiction and nonfiction audio dramas, audiobooks, and podcasts. Before joining Audible, she created and hosted "Dear Poetry", an audio advice podcast that turns to poems for guidance, and which The Atlantic named a "Best Podcast of 2022". Luisa has guest lecturto students in many universities in the US and Germany.

When asked what is she looking forward to most about hosting her workshop, Luisa put an emphasis in learning from the participants' experiences and supporting them in realising their story ideas. Above all, she's looking forward to experimenting together, playing around with audio, and having fun together! 💃🏻

Ben is a writer, songwriter, composer and sound designer from Oxford, UK, now based in Berlin, Germany. Coming from a poetic folk song tradition, his work draws also from electronica and classical music to create a space in which highly personal and deeply political stories can be told.

He is one of the founders of the Open Music Lab, where he organizes and teaches in a collaborative learning space for refugees, migrants and others from marginalized communities. Ben's excited to show how, using free software, you can be really creative with the sound world of your podcast and combine sound, music and skilful editing to tell a story or make the listener go through an experience.🫂

will also host a workshop on outlining roles and responsibilities within teams, and will help participants understand which role suits them best.

We can't wait to finally kick off this fantastic workshop series on Monday, and listen to the stories that our course participants will have to share with the world 💚

🐝 INTRODUCING OUR INDUSTRY EXPERTS 🐝

#2 - Sarj & MINQ

Continuing our series on our mentors for the Creative Podcasting Programme, we're so excited to announce Sarj and MINQ!

Together with this lovely duo, the course participants will dive into the history of podcasting, and will explore the most common formats for podcast shows or interview formats. In this 2-part workshop, participants will learn about the art of storytelling and creative writing for podcasts - including better practice around ethics, research methods, interview tactics and crisis-management. Participants will not only learn theory and advice around these practices, but also get the chance to practice both story-writing and interviews in the sessions. ✍️

Sarj (they/them) is a Berlin-based community organiser and facilitator focused on mutual aid, compassionate communications, collective organising and music. They are interested in exploring new realities and possible utopias with people who give a sh*t. Another world is possible! As with most workshops, the thing Sarj looks most forward to is getting to know the participants and understanding the place where their stories intersect. 💛

MINQ (they/them) is a sound artist, sound designer, DJ, radio host and performer living in Berlin known for their vast, eclectic taste and ability to move audiences in the club or the theater. They are currently working towards an MA in Sound Studies and Sonic Art at the Universität der Künste Berlin. MINQ is also exploring sound-based mindfulness practices such as Deep Listening and facilitating workshops with the aim to discover what lies at the intersection of mindfulness, movement and sound in QTBIPoc-centered spaces in their research project and workshop0 series Sonic Utopias | Research Lab. MINQ is really excited to listen to the different ideas everyone comes up with for their podcasts and also to listen to the episodes once they're finalised. 💚

📸: Rafael Medina (MINQ’s portrait)

💚 INTRODUCING OUR COMMUNITY MENTORS 💚

#1 - Oscar & Ophélie

Oscar Atanga (aka O.N.A) is a Cameroonian sound artist, curator and DJ. Born and raised in Manchester, U.K, Oscar spent several years working in London following the completion of his studies at Oxford University, and is currently based in Berlin. Working from his studio, Oscar produces primarily electronic music and also incorporates playing live instruments within various collaborative music and audio visual projects. Oscar is a Refuge Worldwide Resident and is also a core member of Black Artist Database (B.A.D). 🎵

Ophélie, a core member of OML, is a DJ, radio host, music producer, writer, and translator with a strong taste for bass-heavy music in all its forms, weird rhythms, multiple layers of sound, and melancholic tunes. Her monthly Refuge Worldwide residency, Therapy Dog, and event series at Kwia, are her ways to experiment and explore the different genres she’s into, while often sharing the decks with friends and artists she admires. 💖

Having worked in the music industry for all her adult life, she has experience in artist booking and management, event production, and label and distribution work. As part of OML, she's interested in ways to support emerging artists outside the mainstream, in the hope to build a more equitable music scene. ✊

Oscar and Ophélie will be teaming up to host the first session of the Creative Podcasting Programme and mentoring students during their studio time in June where course participants will work on producing their show. During the first session participants will share examples of podcasts, documentaries or interviews they like, and explain what draws them to it. This session is designed to give an overview about the rest of the course and act as the first point of connection between the group. 🫂

We're super grateful to have the support of our talented friends and community members during the Creative Podcasting Programme - stay tuned for more posts on who's behind the scenes 💫

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📢 VOTE NOW 📢

We're stoked to have been nominated for The Aslice Foundation yearly donation, alongside other wonderful international organizations doing fantastic community work 👏

The Aslice Foundation is on a mission to encourage a supportive, socially aware environment. Every year, the remaining 1% of the unmatched earnings from the Aslice platform gets donated to charitable community organisations selected by the Aslice community. Through this process, they uplift charities that promote inclusive music education, creative arts development, and community-based social work. 💐

Voting for this year is now open! To vote, please log in to your Aslice account and cast your vote until Friday, May 5th.

Through your support, OML is able to take further steps in our mission to bring more equity in the music scene — and as always, all profit will go towards offering additional free music production courses and workshops 🎧🎹

We want to give a big thank YOU to the team and committee members for thinking of us — and a huge shout out to the rest of nominees! 💜

💚 Throwback 💚

➡️ Scroll through to see some scenes from the Creative Studios Radio Workshop Series in 2022! Full of good vibes, a lot of learning, and the best folks ✨

It always fills our hearts to see the connections made, the creativity of our participants, the dedication of our mentors, and ALL the hugs and smiles shared during these moments.

❗Applications are open again - this year we are bringing the Creative Podcasting Programme. Apply until TUESDAY, 25 APRIL, to secure your spot now!

🔗 Link to application in bio

💙 PLAYLIST REVEAL 💙

You know we're all about the vibes around these parts — especially when it comes to music. So we're inviting YOU, our community, to come partake with us. Introducing "Love In Community Vol. 1", OML's first community playlist! 🎵

With these playlists, we're hoping to showcase the wide-reaching musical tastes of our community. Whether you're listening to something on repeat these days, want to share one of your fave underground artists from back home, or shine a light on one of the pioneers of a genre — or even if you want to share your own stuff or your friends' — we wanna hear it all! 💜

Simply add the tracks you want into our Spotify playlist — you can find the link in our bio 🔗 we'll be sharing our fave new discoveries on our stories!

Can't wait for all the new music you have in store for us. Brb, we're off to listen to the sounds of our community ✨

💫 MEET THE OPEN MUSIC LAB TEAM 💫

“It’s definitely the common feeling in the community that you’re here, you’re valid and you’re loved! There’s a lot of genuine support, care, and trust flowing in the team and the community that truly brings us so close to each other's hearts.”

That’s what Esti, our Social Media Volunteer said when we asked her what she loves about Open Music Lab. 💜

Continuing our series on introducing the dream team behind the scenes — we’re delighted to present Esti! A communications manager with a passion for storytelling, Esti’s been hard at work. Whether it’s designing striking graphics, creating cool content, vamping up our Instagram, or reaching out to the community — there’s a bit of Esti in everything we do. 🫂

Living between Berlin and Tirana, Esti’s been part of several civil society organisations, and holds a special place in her heart for equal access and building spaces where those away from home can feel like they belong. Being an immigrant in Germany herself, and having faced challenges to enter the music scene in her home country, her unwavering dedication to make the scene more wholesome doesn’t go unnoticed. Holding space for others and being kind is one of the most vital qualities of the team (and the entire community) at OML — and that’s something Esti practices on the daily 🌟

We’re grateful to have her, and so excited to see her grow musically — swipe through to read some of her thoughts about OML ➡️

🧚‍♂️Workshop announcement🧚‍♂️

We’re so happy to announce another DJ workshop with our friends from elsi, happening this Saturday, 11th March, 6pm at Aeden.

This time, elsi’s very own Henry and Luca will be running the workshop, sharing their experience - how to start DJing, playing more regularly in Berlin, starting your own party, their music selection process and more.💃

There are five spots going for this with priority given to people from marginalised communities.

Hit us up via DM to secure your spot, first come first serve! We can’t wait 💖

music .lvca