The Big Why: An Introduction

It is my opinion that the realm of the arts and its domain of classical music are, and always will be, a global and cosmopolitan affair. To access it fully, an artist must travel.

It is my experience, and I am not alone in this, that this is sometimes hard to do. The international arts community can often seem distant, elusive, and daunting to anyone who lacks the privileges of social/familial prestige, financial prosperity, professional networks, or a wealth of time. It can be intimidating.

However, a lot of this unease is psychological. It's unfamiliar, unknown. Even if money and connections were no object, there are still questions:

• Will I be accepted by the people there?

• Will I fit in?

• Will I be good enough?

• Will I mess up the travel details and end up on a distant continent? What happens if I get trapped there? I don't speak that language.

• I don't have any money, how can I give up a whole summer to a long training program, even if I could afford it? I need to have a summer job.

• This list could go on forever.
  

These questions can feel huge and overwhelming, and the questions turn into barriers. Lack of privilege and an abundance of barrier questions effectively pin a person right to where they stand. Growth stops, right there.

The psychological barriers can be significantly reduced through exposure, experience, and education. With those barriers lowered, all that remains are the issues of privilege: connections, opportunities, time, and money.

This is why I created The Artslantic Exchange.

My aim in creating this organization is to support young musicians by providing them with the concrete privileges of opportunity and money; enabling them, in a concentrated time frame, to access the exposure, experience, and education needed to overcome the less-concrete psychological barriers. I want them to learn to confidently and gracefully interact with various cultures and social classes in the global arts scene, no matter their own background or financial status and without co-opting the time they need to work and keep their bills paid.

My secondary aim in creating this organization is also to support seasoned musicians, too, who may have a vision for sharing their expertise and world knowledge that circumstances haven't allowed them to realize.

Our focus is not to claim "we will create world-famous artists", although talent can and does come from any and everywhere and we will do everything in our power to help talent along on its journey. Rather, the focus is on helping young artists work with seasoned artists in beautiful and unfamiliar locations; and along the way, to become world-fluent. World-comfortable. World-curious. World-embracing.

The vehicle we will use for this endeavor is the act of singing alone with an orchestra. Our primary model is a short working period that culminates in this performance. To get to that point, participants will have encountered diverse languages; new colleagues and means of collaboration; different ways of learning and being taught; new foods, cultures, and skills of travel; and most importantly, expanded boundaries within themselves of where intimidation and fear end and exploration and growth begins.

The Artslantic Exchange is committed to empowering young musicians to evolve into global citizen-musicians, because we believe pursuing and participating in this evolution improves us all, in every way.  It doesn't matter if the musicians we help end up in music or any other career--they will be made better, greater, more expansive and skilled humans for having done this work and having had these experiences.  The door to that work and experience should be closed to no one. Having had such an experience, having done such work, having accomplished a thing most only dream of, to let your voice soar over an orchestra in a foreign land...

What on earth could intimidate you now?

In 28 days, we commence our inaugural project in Venice, Italy: Sull'Aqva 2024.

​I am asking for your support in this venture, and I thank you for your time. 

                                                                                  Twyla Robinson

                                                                                  Founder

                                                                                  The Artslantic Exchange