Although modern western society tends to view music as primarily entertainment, worldwide the roles music plays in the lives of people are much more diverse and include religious, ritualistic, storytelling and educational aspects. From traditional to newer urban forms, music is a medium of communication with a strong potential for conveying messages between composers, performers and audiences.
In the past two decades, musicians have started to embrace new technological developments such as sampling and the internet to compose and perform in new ways, to reach out to new audiences, to embed new influences and sounds into their music, and to find new ways to support their musicianship among rapid changes in the music industry. IT also plays an important role in amplifying the power of music as a tool for change, as musicians are increasingly in control of the entire production chain between recording a song and delivering it to potentially massive audiences via the web and mobile phones, without much interference from restrictive governments.
Voice4Thought has embraced music and spoken word as inspiration and sources feeding the academic debate; simultaneously academic research has a strong potential to support musical composition and production, and music can be a tool translating between these two worlds. V4T works with activist musicians who utilize their art to educate and empower their audiences and to enforce the freedom to criticize politics and society in repressive societies.
From the early days of Voice4thought, music has been an important element of several of its projects and branches, such as the pamphlets, documentaries and the V4T festivals. The innovative output of these sessions will soon become available to the public. We are in the process of setting up the V4T label to promote and distribute music recorded by associated musicians during Voice4thought festivals, workshops and collaborative studio sessions. Stay connected via the V4T newsletter and social media for news.