KUCHING, May 7: A new artist residency programme called Fab Lab will be held in Miri for 30 musicians starting May 9 until June 18, 2022.
The six-week interactive workshop’s purpose is to celebrate jazz music and empower the local community in the State.
Fab Lab aims to enliven musicians before the Borneo Jazz Festival through four workshops: ‘Music Appreciation – Listen and Make It Your Own’, ‘Methodology – How to FEEL Free Playing Music’, ‘Sound Engineering – Make It Sound Good!’, and Performance Module – Let’s Play.
Two international musicians will lead Fab Lab; Chris Stalk, a saxophonist, composer and arranger from France; and Jules Vulzor, a bassist, DJ and performer from Switzerland.
Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) chief executive officer Sharzede Datu Salleh Askor said the Fab Lab programme aligns with STB’s goal to promote music tourism through the State’s iconic music festivals.
“This includes the upcoming Borneo Jazz Festival, which promises to keep building the music tourism ecosystem in Miri to elevate the city as a cultural and music centre.
“By embedding a knowledge-sharing environment, we hope to create a sustainable jazz culture for our Sarawakian musicians and provide an international platform to increase their musical growth.”
Meanwhile, No Black Tie founder and Borneo Jazz Festival artistic director Evelyn Hii said she believed in holding programmes to advocate cultural diplomacy and promote sustainable growth in the arts within the local community.
“The artist residency programme will cultivate the connection between the international artists and the musicians’ community in Miri, Sarawak,” she added.
The music workshops and masterclasses offered by the Fab Lab hope to inculcate confidence in expression and serve to bridge the gap between the age-old indigenous oral tradition with the contemporary and evolutionary sounds of jazz and hip-hop.
The Fab Lab Open Day will be held on May 8 at Tegas Digital Innovation Hub Miri from 4pm to 5.30pm to allow music enthusiasts to meet the two musicians and have a taste of what’s to come during the six weeks. — DayakDaily
