By: Fernanda Morales
With great happiness we welcome you to the last interview of 2024 of Local Soundtrack, a space to open the conversation with artists who give life and sound to the streets of San Miguel de AllendeOn this occasion, we had a beautiful conversation with Christine Lauck, director of Routes to Roots, a cross-cultural musical collaboration project that connects communities.
Christine, originally from Germany, is an expert in the promotion and communication of intercultural musical projects. She came to Mexico at the age of 19 to study and since then she fell in love with the country's culture.
By chance, she began working with numerous artists and agencies, which led her to tour with the National Symphony Orchestra of Mexico in Germany and then with the Symphony Orchestra of the Americas in Mexico. It was at that moment that she realized she could merge her two great passions: music and travel, which motivated her to move permanently to Mexico just over a year ago.
For Christine, music is a haven of peace where one can disconnect, a meeting place between languages, cultures, stories and much more, in a profound way.
Routes to Roots was born from a chance meeting between Christine and the violinist Catriona Price, who shared her passion for travel and collaborative music creation. Both agreed on the idea of creating a project that reflected the meeting of musicians from different cultures and their respective sounds.
This is how it is born Routes to Roots, an initiative that hosts artist-led intercultural projects, emphasizing the transformative potential of cultural wealth and fostering empathy and tolerance through music.
Following an intense phase of research and development collaborating with musicians in various countries, Routes to Roots officially launches in 2023 and 2024 with the support of Creative Scotland in Mexico and Chile.
The project also includes improvisation workshops for youth orchestras, which allow young musicians to explore the musical uses, sounds, traditions and cultures of the place where they collaborate. The result is unique and incredible compositions that reflect cultural diversity.
«We are always influenced by where we are», says Christine. «The contributions of local artists, folklore, everything is integrated in a natural and spontaneous way.»
As the musicians create their compositions, they integrate their respective folk traditions, diverse contexts, and academic musical backgrounds. This synthesis not only results in genuine intercultural compositions, but also fosters an environment of open-mindedness, learning, and artistic innovation.
San Miguel de Allende was chosen as the ideal location to start the project due to its vibrant cultural scene. The first step was to conduct improvisation workshops with the local youth orchestra.During a workshop led by Catriona Price, fifteen young musicians explored improvisation and self-expression, culminating in a concert at the El Nigromante Cultural Center. explains Christine.
Since then, the project has reached Mexico City, Veracruz, Chile and will soon visit Oaxaca and Scotland. The goal is to connect with more musicians and create a network of collaborations that transcends borders.
«We want to immerse ourselves more in each place and that can be achieved through artistic residencies, more workshops, more projects… In this way, the impact of the project can grow and reach more people, including those who are not professional musicians», says Christine.
If you are interested in collaborating with Routes to Roots, please feel free to contact Christine and Catriona through their social media channels.
Follow the project and join their “Fan Racing” to support their trips and collaborations. (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/routestorootsmusic/routes-to-roots-oaxaca-and-glasgow-residency-in-january-2025?ref=808xff&token=e057f5f7) Together we can make music connect people and cultures!
Thank you for reading this wonderful space once again, where we get to know the artists who are part of the San Miguel de Allende music scene on a monthly basis. See you next time!
