Soundcheck Jam with Ozomatli
MTC partners with Banding Together, a local San Diego nonprofit, who has many partnerships and connections throughout the San Diego area. One of these connections is SurfDog Records. SurfDog and Banding Together partner to host Soundcheck Jams, a unique experience that gives special needs individuals the opportunity to join nationally touring bands onstage during their soundchecks at a local music venue in the greater San Diego area! Some of the musicians they have worked with include Michael Franti, Shaun White, Ziggy Marley, Jason Mraz and most recently- Grammy Award Winning band, Ozomatli!
I got the amazing opportunity to participate in and assist Ozomatli’s Soundcheck Jam in August. Only one month into my internship, and I was already exposed to amazing experiences like this!
Ozomatli is an LA based rock ban formed in 1995. They have a unique and genre-bending style which incorporates aspects of salsa, jazz, funk, reggae and hip-hop in their music. Winning two Grammy Awards for Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album and a Latin Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album, Ozomatli has left imprinted upon the music industry, making this opportunity even more exciting for both myself and the Banding Together participants!
I arrived at the BellyUp Tavern in Solana Beach to the sight of excited and eager participants, ready to enter the venue and JAM! While waiting for the venue to finish setting up, I got to meet and mingle with the kindest participants. This was a great introduction to some of the folks that I’d later meet at the Fall semester of Jam sessions!
Once we entered the venue, you could see the participant’s faces light up. The venue was cool and intimate, with interesting lighting and fun decorations. We all gathered on the dance floor area to listen to pass out our instruments, listen to the band warmup and perform a few songs for us-our own private concert! After the participants went backstage and made their way on to the stage to sing, dance, and play instruments on stage with Ozomatli! There was so much love, laughter and smiling amongst the group, it was contagious. Participants were thrilled to be up on a stage, interacting with the band and playing instruments to Ozomatli’s awesome music. We stayed on stage for 2 songs, jamming, singing, laughing, and dancing before we exited, chatted with the band and took some pictures which can be seen below!
All in all, Soundcheck Jam was a great experience, one where I was able to meet both new participants and an amazing group of musicians! I feel so lucky to intern at a company that provides amazing inclusive opportunities for their clients and team members.
