Instruments for Change: A Unique Sample Pack for a Good Cause

Music: the universal language we all speak, regardless of where we come from; the glue that makes the world one big country, despite geographical borders and cultural boundaries.

That's the bottom line behind ‘Instruments for Change’, the collaborative project by Sounds of Change, Deep House Amsterdam (DHA) and MassiveMusic, which sees musicians from all over the world coming together to share their unique sound with the world.

Inspired by Sounds of Change's mission - to encourage communities in need by providing musical training in conflict-affected areas - MassiveMusic and Deep House Amsterdam decided to join forces to help spread the message even more. That's when they decided to invite five musicians from Syria, Turkey and Senegal to join them at the MassiveMusic Amsterdam studio. The idea? To record them playing traditional instruments from their home country and give life to a sample pack for all the DJs, producers and musicians out there.

Nawras, Modar and Shaza come from Syria and respectively play the oud, the riq and the qanun. Senegal and Turkey were also represented, with Mame recording his vocals and Sinan playing the ney. All instruments with a heritag: the oud and the ney, for instance, are some of the oldest instruments of all times.

By recording the endless combinations of every single instrument, Sounds of Change, Deep House Amsterdam and MassiveMusic gave life to a virtual software instrument (VST) and a digital sample pack that DJs, producers and musicians can now purchase online to give an extra special touch to their music.

Launched during ADE, as part of the official Amsterdam Dance Event programming, ‘Instruments for Change’ is also part of ‘Music x Mind’, an initiative by MassiveMusic to empower people through music, offering insights on the benefits it has to our mind, body and soul.

Lucas Dols, Director at Sounds of Change, explains: “Music changes the world because it changes people. We’re a very small organisation with big ambitions: by giving musical training in areas of conflict, we aim to create inclusive societies and empower communities.”

“It was very special to hear Nawras, Shaza, Modar, Mame and Sinan playing traditional instruments from their home country, exploring the endless range of possibilities that each one entails. By playing their instruments and sharing their story, they gave us access to their culture and their inner world too”, adds Marijn Roozemond, Creative Strategist at international creative music agency MassiveMusic.

The digital sample pack is now available at instrumentsforchange.nl, with all proceeds going to Sounds of Change to support their mission of providing musical training in conflict areas. Find out more about their mission.

As Lex van Aken, Owner at Deep House Amsterdam (DHA), explains: “I believe music is the first building block on which these pillars are built and Sounds of Change uses their training to convey this in such a beautiful way. With Instruments for Change, we extend their message by giving people the opportunity to work on music together globally.”

From left to right: Lucas Dols (Sounds of Change), Marijn Roozemond (MassiveMusic), Lex van Aken (DHA)

Are you a DJ, producer or musician who wants to support a good cause and give a unique touch to your musical creations? Head to instrumentsforchange.nl, download the sample pack and help us spread the word by using the #instrumentsforchange hashtag.