Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Sony Entertainment knows a thing or two about music. Home to a plethora of well-known record labels, such as Columbia, Epic, and RCA, Sony is one of the leading forces in the music industry. With their elite roster of music corporations, it made perfect sense for them to collaborate with the premiere performance hall in New York City, Carnegie Hall. To show their continued support for music, in 2009, Sony became the lead sponsor for Carnegie Hall’s Musical Exchange program. Any upcoming musician knows that getting your music out to the public is tough in the beginning, so Sony and Carnegie Hall wanted to make it easier. Through the power of the internet, the two music devotees have been able to provide a platform for young musicians around the world to share their work with other young performers and receive advice from professional musical mentors. Musicians as young as 13 years old are allowed to participate, posting their musical projects on blogs and forums. There are groups for songwriters, musical theater enthusiasts, music producers, and many other forums that will spark anyone’s particular interest.

Aside from sharing one’s creative process and material, musicians are also encouraged to participate in the many projects that each music group offers. For songwriters, a past project was to have a member’s song professionally recorded in a studio and performed at New York’s Rockwood Music Hall. A recent project for those interested in musical theater consisted of participants collaborating with professionals such as Leslie Stifelman, music director and coordinator for Broadway’s Chicago, and Tony Award-winner Roger Rees on an online musical depicting the steps it takes to compose a show.

Carnegie Hall’s Musical Exchange program has received positive remarks from members all over the world. Users from countries like Indonesia, Mexico, and India have been quoted saying: “If you have a thing for music then this is the place. This experience is priceless”; and “an interesting virtual exchange where you may get to know some professional musicians…” If you are aged 13 or older, join the many members from around the world in Carnegie Hall’s Musical Exchange program and let your sound be heard. Thanks to sponsors like Sony, who understand the importance of music and work to make art their social responsibility, young artists are able to improve their musical skills and help them on their pursuit of artistic professionalism.