About

Founded in 2023, Liberation Sounds is a music production course and community space exclusively for QTBIPOC (queer, trans Black, Indigenous, and people of color). Led by vocalist, producer, and educator Julia Rocha, in collaboration with Mayday Space, a grassroots movement hub in Brooklyn.

Grounded in popular education, Liberation Sounds fosters a learning environment where individuals of all backgrounds and skill levels gather to explore music production. Our goal is to teach fundamental production techniques in a dynamic group setting, nurturing individual creativity and fostering a supportive community of QTBIPOC artists. Together, we harness music as a tool for personal and collective healing, expression, and radical world-building.

Developing our creative practice

Through journal prompts, group activities, and at-home assignments, participants are invited to cultivate a consistent creative routine and develop their distinctive artistic approach. Together, we explore our musical influences and lineages, envision how we wish to create and share our music, and identify the rituals and habits that nurture our creativity.

Learning music production basics

Through demonstrations and hands-on practice, the Liberation Sounds curriculum explores music production basics such as beat-making, melody/harmony, sampling and more. Thanks to our partnership with Synthia Studios, participants will also learn to record audio in a recording studio.

Building community

Liberation Sounds is committed to creating a space where QTBIPOC can build lasting creative community, and networks of support. Each cohort is capped at 20 participants to create an intimate group experience where folks can connect with each other as well as with guest teachers and folks who are supporting the program.

Popular education

Liberation Sounds is grounded in popular education methodology- meaning we want to challenge the notion that music is only for those who have had access to institutional education. Liberation Sounds affirms that music education is a right, not a privilege, and that all of us carry musical lineages and ideas that are valuable- regardless of formal musical training.

Testimonials

Being a part of Liberation Sounds was a rewarding experience in more ways than I can count. Julia did an amazing job fostering a space that was welcoming, intentional, and always responsive to feedback. Being in a space with other queer people of color also created a level of comfort that allowed me to focus more on learning new skills and having fun instead of being worried about whether I belonged in the space. In addition to learning how to make beats and use midi instruments, I was especially excited to learn sampling skills. By the end of the class, I was able to use these new skills to (re)interpret the South Asian traditional music I grew up listening to and I look forward to building on the foundation that Julia and Liberation Sounds provided me with.

• Pratik, Liberation Sounds Participant
  

Photo by Shaira Chaer

Testimonials

“I have had the privilege of being part of the first Liberation Sounds cohort. Up until Liberation Sounds, I had no prior music training. Under Ju’s guidance, I have a better grasp of music production, music theory, and how to construct an audio project from ideation to mastering. Ju’s dedication and commitment to their artistry shows in the ways they have made the class accessible, changing the pace and shifting when needed.

I believe that investing in Liberation Sounds is an investment in the betterment of creatives, not just in New York City but beyond. I truly believe that with resources, the next iteration of Liberation Sounds can shift the possibilities for music and production, for seasoned artists and enthusiasts alike.”

• Shaira Chaer, Liberation Sounds Participant