MSP is a festival of sound and peace
Sound is at the origin of life in almost all cosmogonies. Modern science is now also approaching this conception, starting with the theory of the Big Bang. Sound is vibration, but in nature everything vibrates, from the weakest energy to the heaviest material, human beings included. Everyone has their own resonance frequency: if a crystal glass finds its it breaks; if we recover ours, for example by reciting a mantra or simply speaking in the right way, we enter into resonance with life, with deepest nature, with the origin of everything. The human being is a receiving antenna that, evolving and developing knowledge of itself and the world around it, has also become a transmitting antenna: the mental archetypes, images, have been transposed into sounds, into what we call language, and into music.
At a time when there is an undifferentiated overlaying of images, msp proposes recovering the sounds that are produced by and arise out of good interior images, the same that are definitively at the basis of feeling that peace is genuinely possible. Peace is an image, a consideration, an attitude, a vibration of the spirit.
What do sound and peace have in common?
The same foundation, starting from words: opening and closing are the premisses of a good musical score, of a good session of dialogue, whether between musical instruments or people. An agreement reached depends on the intrinsic harmony of each one. Only harmony allows for agreement, the consonance of ideas (musical and peaceful) and accord. In peace as in music it is necessary to come together (in Latin ‘conversatio’, a synonym of dialogue), recognising differences but in harmony. Perceiving oneself as an ensemble opens up to the idea of productively working toward the common objective (the melody or peace), each retaining her own identity.
the name
The name marvellous sound project is inspired by a chapter from the Lotus Sutra, the Buddhist text that is one of the most widely read philosophical works in the world, entitled ‘The Marvellous Sound Bodhisattva’. The bodhisattva is an evolved individual who uses sound to help others recover their inner balance.
the public
msp is intended for all. Particular attention is paid to young people, the future of the world: stimulating them to adopt a multicultural and multi-resource view of life encourages them to embrace the conception of diversity as a value. The concept of diversity is thus expressed in terms of sound: trying new ways of listening that go beyond the usual background noise can actually help open up new horizons. The young generations at msp can discover a bold idea: peace is not utopia – as is unfortunately widely thought – but a genuinely possible reality to be built. One needs only be inspired by the rules of music.
the logo
It is ‘The Wings of Freedom’, by the sculptor Maurizio D’Agostini. A man and a woman embrace, standing on an open book, symbol of knowledge, from whose pages the interwoven roots of a tree emerge, symbol of the link between the knowledge of value and the solid nature of the earth. The embrace that encloses the two lovers at the same time allows the wings of both to open: a shared life of love and peace is the only truly free and protected life.
Conversation between Maurizio D’Agostini and Diana Lorena Camerini on ‘The wings of freedom’ 
How does msp unfold?
In the two and a half days of festival, from Friday afternoon to Sunday evening, musicians, vocal performers, speakers, thinkers and scientists will discuss the theme of this year’s festival. Performance, Meetings, Workshops, Lis/Visual art, Written Voices, The Other Sense, the ‘Dialogue Master’ Prize, are the means chosen by msp to study the relationship between Sound and Peace
performance
Music, song, poetry, sounds, words, prayer, silence
meetings
Thinkers from different sciences (anthropology, philosophy, medicine, ethics etc.) will discuss the theme of the festival in conversations open to the public.
Workshops
Educational workshops on sound and on the body/voice/movement instrument
lis/it (S. Schiano di Coscia's Project)
Lis is Italian sign language. The inquiry into sound and peace brought msp into contact with the world of deafness and the deaf. We agree with them that a certain silence does not exist. Peace is an image, a consideration, an attitude; sounds are primarily interior voices, that do not involve the ears. Peace does not involve the ears either. At msp, festival of sound, performances in Lis, visual arts and silence for an audience of the deaf and the hearing. To remind us how to hear.
written voices (S. Schiano di Coscia's Project)
if even only reading produces interior sounds, we offer positive, ready made sounds in the catalogue, to take home and rediscover when needed, to continue listening after msp. Written Voices are artist’s reflections on peace, on sound, on the theme of the festival, by those who have made one or other of these their life’s purpose.
the other sense
In acknowledgement of the necessary mediation in communication, each festival hosts one of the other senses (touch, smell, taste, sight), provided it relates to the theme of the festival or is unmistakeably cross-fertilised by sound.
The dialogue master prize
Starting from the 2009 festival, a prize will be awarded during the msp to a person distinguished by his or her capacity for listening and communication; someone who, through his or her dialogues, has touched the hearts of many people, helping them rediscover faith and hope in themselves and in others. The prize is therefore dedicated to a ‘master of dialogue’.
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