The story of Miamians on film set to music by New World Symphony

Life in Miami can be a unique experience and for 107 days, the New World Symphony gathered stories via video and audio from 1,000 Miamians as part of their Project 305 initiative. Those stories come to life in the film Miami in Movements, set to music by New World Symphony and screening at the New World Center’s Wallcast Saturday, Oct. 21.

The project was inspired by the City Symphony Projects, devised by Tod Machover, inventor and composer at the MIT Media Lab. The project was launched in cities outside the United States including Toronto, Edinburgh, Perth and Lucerne, where residents of those cities were asked to send in audio clips that they felt best represented their community.

Once The Knight Foundation discovered Machover’s project, it decided to bring the project to Detroit, one of the key cities foundation works with. Then, it was the New World Symphony’s turn; by partnering with the Knight Foundation and MIT Media Lab, it developed the project for Miami. It was the ideal project for an organization like the New World Symphony.

“Because the New World Symphony is a laboratory for the way classical music is taught, presented and experienced, and we often think about how to incorporate new and emerging technologies into the classical music experience, it made sense for us to partner with Knight Foundation and the MIT Media Lab,” said Craig Hall, New World Symphony’s vice president of communications.

Scene at a Wallcast concert at New World Center.

Aside from just asking for audio though, New World Symphony took the project a step further and also crowdsourced video submissions. They felt visual was an additional essential component to showcasing the project in Miami.

“We believe this was an important progression for this project and this city, in order to fully understand, appreciate and showcase the diversity of Miami. The result will be the first symphony with accompanying film to be crowdsourced by the community,” Hall said.

Aside from the film presentation by filmmaker Jonathan David Kane with music composed by Ted Hearne, the evening will also include performances by local artists Picadillo, The Barry Bucaneiros and a gospel choir featuring vocalists from three local choirs directed by Dr. Nelson Hall. Prior to the show attendees can tour the New World Center, partake in chats with the Project 305 artistic team and enjoy live performances by local artists Miami Music Project and Young Musicians Unite at SoundScape Park.

The event is expected to attract an audience of 2,000 at the park to view the concert on the Wallcast, in addition to those inside the concert hall and others who will be watching online via a Facebook Live Stream.

The ultimate goal for the evening is for people to come away from the event experiencing a wide range of emotions, in addition to learning a little more about a Miami that may be unfamiliar to them. “We’d love for them to see some of their own life and experiences in the work, and to ultimately feel a sense of pride of community,” Hall said.

Project 305, SoundScape Park, 500 17 St., Miami Beach, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21. Free. 305-650-5866. https://www.nws.edu/events-tickets/concerts/project-305/