R|VOICE R|VISION: Our Lead Program
We listen to the wisdom of the young generation, and amplify their voices to a level that must be taken seriously.
Despite the growing awareness of environmental and climate issues, there remains a critical need to engage and empower young people through the arts to take direct action in their communities and beyond. Throughout history music has been a powerful force for social change, turning the tides on some of the greatest issues faced by our global community and RFUTURE is committed to addressing this need by creating innovative music and media programs that inspire and mobilize young people to become agents of change.
PROCESS
The RVOICE RVISION program engages students in a creative process that encourages reflection on climate and environmental issues not through passive learning or rote lecturing, but by drawing inspiration from their firsthand experiences in their communities. In doing so, we provide the necessary space, support, mentoring, and tools for students to create and share personal stories and propose solutions to the issues that resonate with them. This inclusive dialogue forms the basis for students to create and share original songs and music videos that address these pressing questions.
STEPS
RFUTURE’s success lies in recognizing that inspiration and confidence are the essential ingredients in creativity. Students of all ability levels are invited and encouraged to use their voices as writers, singers, instrumentalists, filmmakers, or simply by collaborating with their peers. Our proven mentoring process is delivered in a multi-phase process.
Orientation: After our Programmer gathers information about the community and students, our facilitators and mentors are chosen and on-boarded in both the specifics of the individual project and our methodology.
Phase I Ideation: Students enter the “Creative Cocoon,” where the bones of a song are formed by exploring genres, themes, and key elements of the song, ultimately creating The Chorus!
Phase 2 Refinement: The song’s body is developed through deeper discussion of the song and subject, collaboration, and revision, leading to the creation of verses and the bridge.
Phase 3 Recording Session: Students experience the exhilaration of the studio recording process where they hear their own voices tell their stories. Participants also share their impressions of the issues and process in brief filmed and recorded interviews.
Phase 4 Video Production: The entire writing and recording process is filmed by students from the Multimedia CTE program at TAPCo, who edit the results into television-ready, documentary-style music videos.
Music Production: RFUTURE’s team of experienced producers brings the song to life in our recording studios. The music is then incorporated into long-form videos highlighting the songs and student interviews.
Amplifying the Message: From this wealth of content, RFUTURE’s social media team creates the elements of an online campaign. Music and media are easy to share and entertaining to consume. The content is shared by the participating youth to their friends, families, and communities.
Impact Measurement: Using a brief questionnaire, students’ engagement and awareness levels are measured before and after participating in our programs. Likewise, mentors and host partners are asked to share their experiences.
The following videos showcase the diverse approaches using the RFUTURE METHODOLGY™ to collaborate with students in creating music and producing music videos: one-on-one sessions, small group settings, and classroom environments.
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R|FUTURE PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK
“The students' songs and music videos were so moving and so well-crafted, both from a musical perspective and with regards to production!!! I'm so glad to see RFUTURE continuing to grow and flourish. THANK YOU for providing this important forum for students to activate their passion for sustainability AND music! Too many more years of R|FUTURE.” – Elizabeth M. Guglielmo Director of Music NYC DO
“Thank you all so much for the opportunity to let our voices be heard. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I will remember for the rest of my life. Without the help of all of you, we would never be able to do this. It was a very emotional experience, and I really would love to see this process grow and reach more students so that more and more people feel the way we do.” – Student Raiden Bousquet Class of 2022
“I’d like to personally thank you from the bottom of my heart for dedicating yourselves to us for the past six months. It's clear that you all have an understanding of the thoughts and feelings of people from my generation. But, without all of you, we wouldn't have been able to relay those feelings and thoughts to everyone else. People often ignore teenagers and think that we have no idea what we're talking about. Not you. You all listened. I want you to know that you've changed my life.” Student Brianna Class of 2023