¡Listen Up!
¡Listen Up! FAQ
What is ¡Listen Up!?
!Listen Up! is a music outreach program intended to amplify the voices of underserved youth around the globe. Our primary focus is on migrant, immigrant, indigenous and LGBTQ+ youth. Through mixed media workshops that focus on storytelling, songwriting, performance, recording, and video production, we seek to equip young people with the skills and tools to create art that reflects their experiences, world views, and hopes and aspirations for the future.
Organized by the Undocumented Migration Project, !Listen Up! works with community partners in regions around the globe impacted by migration, climate change, and economic and social inequality. The goal is to create free workshops that connect local and international musicians, artists, writers, and social scientists with young people to teach them various elements of storytelling, music performance, and video and audio production while also helping to create local infrastructure that will continue to support youth enrichment into the future.
Why ¡Listen Up!?
Undocumented Migration Project founder Jason De León has this to say about !Listen Up!
“I was given a guitar at a young age and it quickly became an important tool to express both how I was feeling inside and my perspective about the world around me. Soon after picking up an instrument I started playing in punk bands, making records, and going on tour. I was taught early on that if I had the DIY spirit anything was possible. The experience of making music was transformative and life saving. I know firsthand how much a young person can be positively impacted by having access to music and the arts. !Listen Up! reflects my commitment to putting guitars in the hands of underserved kids who need it now more than ever.”
What are the ¡Listen Up! goals?
Our goals are simple.
To provide underserved youth around the world with free music enrichment (and instruments).
To teach young people the skills and tools needed to tell their stories.
To teach youth how to write, perform, record, and produce music and music videos.
To make an album (or many albums) worth of songs written, performed, and produced by young people.
What is the structure of ¡Listen Up!?
Our free workshops are typically two weeks in duration and happen during the summer. We partner with community organizations who assist us in finding youth participants and local artists who act as co-instructors. The UMP provides free instruments for participants and salaries for instructors. The end of each workshop culminates in a free public concert.
Who does ¡Listen Up! Serve?
Our focus is on young people between the ages of 12 and 18 from underserved communities around the globe. We are especially interested in helping young people from communities impacted by climate change, migration, and economic and social inequality.
How can I get involved?
¡Listen Up! Is funded by grants and donations. Your tax deductible donation goes directly to support our music programs. In addition, we are always looking for new community partners so please reach out to us via our website if you are interested in getting involved.
What does it cost?
¡Listen Up! is a free program.
When and where is ¡Listen Up! happening next?
Our first workshop will take place in Los Angeles in partnership with LA-based cultural critic, curator, and historian Josh Kun. Our first international workshop will take place in Slovenia in the summer of 2027. We are currently developing workshops in Germany, Mexico, and the Philippines. .