Music on the Move: Border Stories
The second event in the series Music on the Move features a presentation by the project Drummers Without Borders and Francisco Morales, sound artist and curator of the Front Gallery. Showcasing artists whose work and practice are informed by border dynamics, we present important perspectives on how music and performance play a role in reshaping the border narrative.
Drummers Without Borders (DWB) was formed in San Diego, CA, in 2004 by Felix Diaz, Silvio Diaz, and Abril Diaz, a family of musicians, educators, and artists. It began as a program introducing music to students with special needs in one underserved elementary school. Felix, Silvio, and Abril taught the students how to drum to help establish feelings of accomplishment. Through the years, DWB gained experience, evolved, and grew to incorporate students and the public of all ages in the therapeutic practice of drumming. Drummers Without Borders’ mission is to develop music projects to address gaps in education, community building, health, and the environment stretching beyond San Diego. DWB’s welcomes collaboration with individuals and organizations of similar interests. They hope their expertise can create a better world for future generations.
About Francisco Morales Eme
Francisco Eme, originally from Mexico City, now lives and works in San Diego, CA. Francisco is a composer, producer, and multimedia artist. He mainly works with sound but integrates various disciplines into his practice. He has released solo albums, collaborations, and musical projects in electroacoustic, experimental, and electronic pop music, and other genres. His work has been featured in museums, galleries, and concert halls in Mexico, the United States, Europe, and South America. Francisco is the current Gallery Director at The FRONT Arte & Cultura, a bi-national art gallery in the San Diego-Tijuana border region, where he curates art exhibitions, workshops, concerts, and performances focused on the transnational artistic life of the area, but also attentive to the international art scene.
Francisco Morales Eme’s Artist Statement: "My work is driven by a deep observation of the culture in which I live, social interactions, and everyday situations. Art, society, technology, and science merge in my practice. I strive to start a conversation with the audience about relevant issues of our time."
