“Ugandan Festival”, a composition for band written to benefit the Acholi refugee children of Northern Uganda, is now available. Listen and download a full-length recording here: http://soundcloud.com/kevin-mixon/ugandan-festival. Inspired by the Oscar-nominated documentary War Dance, composer Kevin Mixon is donating all royalties to the Patongo Fund (www.thepatongofund.org), which provides music therapy and music education to Acholi refugee children.
The War Dance documentary chronicles a group of students from a school located in a Northern Uganda refugee camp as they prepare for the immensely popular national school music competition in Kampala, Uganda. Given the unspeakable atrocities the Acholi children suffered because of ongoing civil war, as well as the disadvantage presented by much more privileged students from better-funded schools, the story is both tragic and wondrously uplifting. Mixon’s composition was written to be performed by middle and high school instrumental music students. In addition to advancing musical skills in a multicultural context, performing the piece also teaches students that their artistry can be used to help others in need. Creativity, empathy, and diversity skills are all part of 21st century learning standards that will adeqately prepare young musicians for future success.
In addition to royalties generated from sales of “Ugandan Festival”, ensembles are raising funds for The Patongo Fund. Mixon is available to rehearse and conduct the piece free of charge for groups who raise funds in some way (kmixon1@verizon.net). “Ugandan Festival” is published by Carl Fischer Music and is available through any music dealer.
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