Kaleidoscope sessions: a way of connecting to music
13 of January 2022 by Beatriz Gomes
Being a music student during the pandemic can be hard. To thrive in music, you need to make connections and collaborate with people but that is hard to do when we're all stuck at home. Fortunately, “Kaleidoscope Sessions” is a great place to meet other students and music lovers. Happening every two weeks at Chandos Harms, Colindale, until the 24th of March.
Music students performing at Chandos Harms | Photographed by Rita Pereira
Kaleidoscope Sessions is a project from university students to university students. "I started working as an SLA for Middlesex, which meant that one of my responsibilities was getting the jams back on track. After the pandemic, Greyhound was closed, which is where the sessions would usually take place. Because I had already had to look for a venue, I took it further. I started a new deal with Chandos Harms." says creator of the sessions Rodrigo Vargas.
Rodrigo Vargas | Photographed by Beatriz Gomes
The sessions last for around four hours, from 8pm to midnight. The house band plays first, for an hour, and after a 15-minute interval, the stage opens to everyone who might want to perform. "It's about sharing what we have and what we create on the spot" adds Rodrigo.
The sessions are open to everyone who might want to attend. "It's a university project so the point was always to involve the students. It's mostly ours than anyone else's." explains Vargas "But we managed to include people who aren't university students into the crowd. It's still a place for everyone, music student or not.". The Jam sessions attract students, from different courses, allowing them to share their love for music with their friends and the people who study and make it. "I found out about the sessions through a friend and thought the concept was interesting." says Lin, animation student "I loved meeting people from other courses, it opened a door for future collabs."
"It's very tricky to find where you belong. But sometimes you already belong somewhere. And when you realize it you can attract more people. I had this realization and decided I wanted to start a community. I wanted to nurture the creativity, all that energy from the talented people around me and make music." says Rodrigo
The sessions are a way for university students to connect with each other and gain some inspiration, a way to help them do more while enjoying some time off university. "It’s a casual setting, there’s no teachers around so there’s no pressure to be great.” Says Regina da Cunha, music student “You get to hang out with people and see what type of music everyone is into, see how they sound and how it might fit into the music you’re doing. So, it’s a great way to create connections without the pressure of being at uni and having things to do.”
Vargas wants Kaleidoscope Sessions to be an escape for everyone “Everyone’s lives have ups and downs, so this is a space to forget that. I want people to feel safe, and just vibe doing whatever they want while listening to good music." Rodrigo says with a smile on his face.
House band preparing to perform | Photographed by Beatriz Gomes
Kaleidoscope sessions started has a university project, but it became so much more. Vargas got a taste for creating this space and now he wants more “Right now I’m working on putting a team together so that we have someone to take care of each specific thing that needs to be done. We're just wating to finish our assignments to start this project we firmly believe in. It's our baby and we want to take it to other places and work with any musicians who are whiling. We want to take it has far as people can hear us.” Rodrigo laughs.
