DPA MICROPHONES HELPS PRESERVE INDIGENOUS MUSIC WITH NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, MUSICXCHANGE™ GHANA

MUSICXCHANGE™ GHANA, is an international nonprofit organization which provides a platform for local musicians in Ghana to showcase their talents while giving them the chance to positively impact their local communities. With the help of DPA microphones, Federico Masetti, CEO of MUSICXCHANGE, INC., is able to provide professional microphones to those who may never have the opportunity to use them.

“During my last year at the Berklee College of Music, I took a three-week trip to Ghana as part of a study abroad program, but also to follow my father’s work in the country,” says Masetti. “My father is a doctor and was working on a humanitarian project to help build a nonprofit hospital in Kumasi, Ghana. I wanted to find a way to further his efforts and utilize my passion for music to help the people of Ghana.  That’s where the idea of MUSICXCHANGE first came about. MUSICXCHANGE aims to provide free high-quality recording opportunities to local artists in economically disadvantaged communities, and support different kinds of music therapy and music education programs in their local communities. In Ghana, the people really believe in the power of music.” 

While in Ghana, he relied on the d:screet™ 4080 Miniature Cardioid Microphone, Lavalier, d:dicate™ 4017B Shotgun Microphone, d:dicate™ 4011F Cardioid Microphone Boom and d:facto™ Vocal Microphone for various applications, like recording interviews for a documentary about his work, providing free recording sessions to local artists and hosting local concert events in various cities in the region. Usually traditional music is played in a common setting like a summer hut or regular outdoor space, so MUSICXCHANGE didn’t record any music in a studio. Instead, Masetti brought the recording studio to the people. 

“For the outdoor recording, I used the d:dicate™ 4011F in an ORTF configuration along with the d:screet™ 4080 Lavalier,” he explains. “The music was often accompanied by dancing, but we only had to worry about making minor adjustments in the placement of the musicians so that it would result in better sound. It was very interactive recording work to create the exact setting that represents the music and the DPA mics always did a great job in capturing the audio.”