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WESTERN BALKANS

Music Connects (Rock School Program)

The Yugoslav wars of the 1990s left the Western Balkans deeply divided along ethnic lines. Nowhere more so than in Mitrovica, an ethnically divided town in northern Kosovo. At the Mitrovica Rock School, we work with local musicians to connect the city’s divided youth.

In neighboring North Macedonia, the Roma population is the region’s most discriminated and excluded ethnic group. Roma Rock School works from branches in the capital city of Skopje and the town of Kriva Palanka to offer music lessons to Roma, Macedonian and other youth.

Music Connects

Music Connects is a collaborative project that uses the power of music to connect youth from ethnically divided and marginalized communities in the Western Balkans. This long-term project includes daily lessons, workshops, and band sessions in Mitrovica, Kosovo and Skopje, North Macedonia. 

At Mitrovica Rock School, Serb, Albanian, and other youth cross ethnic, cultural, and language barriers to work together in ethnically mixed bands. 

Roma Rock School counters ethnic stereotypes through its original blend of Romani melodies and alternative rock songs. 

Both schools apply the principles of demand-driven learning, and use band coaching: a didactic methodology that stimulates creativity, communication and inclusion. Fontys Rockacademie in Tilburg provides teacher training and capacity building. Youth exchange organization Clash! hosts cultural exchanges with artists in Berlin, while genre-bending bands from the three participating schools will perform at Balkan Trafik! festival in Brussels.

Demand-driven learning and band coaching

Following the model of Fontys Rockacademie, demand-driven learning and the band coaching methodology are central to the Rock School program. Ethnically mixed bands write original songs with the support of a band coach. The coach guides the communication process, genre negotiation, and the creative development of the song, ensuring the inclusion and ownership of all band members.

Impact

Professor Dr. Angela Impey of SOAS, University of London, will evaluate the Music Connects project and research its impact on beneficiaries. In June 2021, Griffith University and the University of Melbourne completed a two-year evaluation of an earlier phase of Music Connects. The full report can be found here.

Wendy Hassler-Forest

Regional program manager Western Balkans

Eefje Wevers

Project coordinator

Milizza Kosova

Mitrovica Rock School: Director of Operations

Emir Hasani

Mitrovica Rock School: Director of Programs

Luljeta Mehmeti Osmaj

Mitrovica Rock School: Financial manager

Alvin Salimovski

Roma Rock School: Director

Alma Mustafovska Salimovska

Roma Rock School: Financial manager

Filter

Mitrovica Rock School: The Beauty of Live Music

This blog was written by Emir Hasani, Director of Programs at Mitrovica Rock School, showing…
September 26, 2023

Take the Stage: 15 Years of Live Music

From September 21, International Day of Peace, we are raising money to support our work…
September 20, 2023

Musicians Facing Borders: the Challenges of an Unjust Visa Regime

This blog was written by Wendy Hassler-Forest, regional program manager for our projects in the…
February 2, 2023

Music Connects: what we achieved in 2022

As we approach the end of 2022, we’re taking a moment to look back and…
December 22, 2022

Rethinking music and reconciliation during a global pandemic

We had a good thing going. Not to toot our own horn, but only two…
January 28, 2021

Youth from Southeast Europe’s first rock school release debut album

Southeast Europe’s first rock school, the Mitrovica Rock School, is excited to announce the release…
February 12, 2019

Mitrovica Rock School celebrates 10 years

A little over a week ago, we had the pleasure of joining the Mitrovica Rock…
October 24, 2018

Interview with Ana Petanovska of High Frequency

We talked to Ana Petanovska (15), about her first experience at the Mitrovica Rock School’s…
September 5, 2018

Interview: Feed D Fury and the power of punk

Front woman Marina (18) opens up about living out of her comfort zone, confronting the…
July 4, 2018

Music Connects: new project launched to connect ex-Yugoslavia’s sonic youth

We’re happy to announce the launch of a new project, Music Connects, that aims at…
June 15, 2018

Our first time in Mitrovica

By Tringa (18), a classical guitarist who joined the Mitrovica Rock School in 2017. She…
May 22, 2018

Mitrovica Rock School in New York City

From May 4 to 8, Mitrovica Rock School ambassador band the Artchitects visited New York…
June 6, 2016

Launching the mixed band program

2014 was a busy year for the Mitrovica Rock School: we held over a thousand…
December 16, 2014

Mitrovica Rock School launches new program for mixed bands

In August 2013, Mitrovica Rock School kicked off its new Ambassador Band Program with a…
November 4, 2013

Established in
2008

Active in
Kosovo
North Macedonia
Netherlands
Belgium
Germany

Key partners
Fontys Rockacademie
Mitrovica Rock School
Roma Rock School
Balkan Trafik Festival
Clash! Exchange & Learning

Key numbers

1700

rock school students to date

2000

music lessons, workshops and band sessions per year

70

ethnically mixed bands formed to date