Melodica-Festival Bonn 2024

Melodica Festival - Idea - Philosophy - History

Idea:
"An international gathering for lovers of relaxed folk and singer-songwriter music. Beyond big labels, idealists and life-hungry people, dreamers and poets meet."
- Melodica Festival Trier

The Melodica Festival celebrates local music scenes around the world with the aim of providing an open platform for emerging artists to network and build new creative relationships.

An independent festival to strengthen the folk and singer/songwriter scene in the region. The organization of various Melodica festivals in different cities and countries should also facilitate contacts nationwide and internationally.

The artists play short sets of 30-40 minutes according to the principle "a shared stage results in a multiple audience". As a guest, you should arrive on time to get a seat.

History:
The Melodica Festival was started in December 2007 by Pete Uhlenbruch, a passionate musician who simply wanted to create a truly attentive space for other artists to perform and interact, and to foster a sense of community in an increasingly challenging industry.

Originating in Australia, the festival concept has spread across the globe and has also been taking place in various German cities since 2010. For example Berlin, Cologne, Hamburg
and Trier. Other international formats were also created during this time. Further festivals were held in Vienna, Groningen, Nottingham, Arhus, Paris, Reykjavik, New York and Oslo.
A pandemic brought the network to a halt, but not to a standstill. A few festivals in Cologne, Trier and Reykjavik recovered and restarted in 2023 with the task of creating stages for a
subculture that needs more attention.

Philosophy:
A small clarification is probably necessary here. It is a network of musicians that is neither run as an association nor commercially. Committed artists start an event in their
cities and provide a fantastic festival on a voluntary basis.
This usually happens after a melodica festival has been held in another city. For example, Maik Iser, Stefan Honig (HONIG&ACCIDENTAL BIRD) and Fabio Bacchet (HELLO PIEDPIPER) organized the first Melodica Festival Cologne after the three musicians played shows at the Melodica Festival in Hamburg.
The Melodica philosophy involves making music together instead of next to each other, a close proximity to the audience and a warm atmosphere.

All Melodica festivals are free and dependent on hat donations, or the concept of "admission for a donation". Contrary to the ever worsening conditions for independent musicians and bands, the Melodica Festival relies on a voluntary and fair donation for the performances. This has proven to be a working concept since 2007.

"We would like to start with a festival that is particularly close to our hearts because so much love and passion goes into it - the Melodica Festival. The first festival of the young year impresses with its wonderful, familiar atmosphere, the great artists and a (mostly) attentive audience."

- Alexander Theyssen/JMC Magazine about the Melodica Festival Cologne