La Guarimba Music Camp 2026 – 3rd Edition

The third edition of the Music Camp took place this year from 5 to 21 September in Amantea, Calabria, southern Italy. The music residency, which brought together 5 emerging musicians from 5 countries, was made possible thanks to the support of the Embassy of Ireland and the Embassy of the Netherlands, which supported the participation of two of the selected musicians.

The Music Camp takes place on the same days as Kino Guarimba, our international film residency, with which it shares some moments of the programme and with which the musicians can collaborate on the films’ soundtracks.

Everything took place at Territorio Guarimba, our association’s multifunctional space, which includes Il Terrenito, the offices, and La Piccola Biblioteca di Amantea at Via Mazzini, 26, where we have a study room, a conference and screening room, and a music studio.

The goal of the Music Camp is to promote creativity and collaboration, and to encourage musicians to focus on the process of making music in order to produce something new. Our aim is to introduce musicians to creative exploration and encourage them to step outside their comfort zone.

Our intention is to support the musicians in whatever creative process and path they choose to follow, and to nurture their creativity. Through this process, we also want to promote the culture and music of Calabria, in the hope that traditional style will be a source of inspiration for them.

THE PARTICIPANTS

The 5 selected participants come from 5 countries (the United Kingdom, the United States, the Netherlands, France, and Ireland) and from diverse and varied musical backgrounds:

Lily Smith is a British guitarist from Coventry with a folk sensibility. She works at a music studio, where she is programme manager and music leader, and is dedicated to supporting young people in the music industry through free services such as music lessons, support with releasing music, and artist development. She loves Italy and has already lived in Calabria for three months. She came to the Music Camp to dedicate time to the guitar and her artistic research, and to collaborate with musicians from around the world.

Cassidy Peterson is an American singer-songwriter and performer from Phoenix, Arizona, originally from the Midwest. She works as a songwriter and performer with the goal of building a full-time career in music, and is currently writing her first album. She studied Italian at university, thanks to a love of Italian culture passed on to her by her mother, who lived in Italy. She came to the Music Camp in search of inspiration for her album and to step outside her comfort zone.

Wouter Smeets is a Dutch musician from Tilburg. He began playing classical piano at the age of six, and over time developed a more playful and exploratory relationship with music, moving between singing, production, and forming a band. At the Music Camp, he wanted to share his music and create together with other people, returning to playing with other musicians. His participation was supported by the Embassy of the Netherlands.

Morane Bossard is a French singer-songwriter from Saint-Lô. She travels extensively and draws inspiration from her travels: in Nigeria she discovered a more spontaneous and experimental way of performing, and has since sought out projects and experiences that encourage exchange and experimentation. Her music grows out of life, emotions, and the causes she cares about, particularly those of women and the environment. She loves collaborating with dancers and uses a looper machine.

Patrick McGlynn, known as Dr. Mindflip, is an Irish artist from Kilkenny who creates musical moments at the intersection of imagination, technology, space, and storytelling. He has designed sound experiences for site-specific theatre and has presented his work at festivals such as Dublin Fringe, Kilkenny Arts, Electric Picnic, and Leeds Sonic Arts Festival. He works with a portable selection of synthesizers and sequencers. At the Music Camp, he wanted to rediscover his voice and write lyrics for material he had accumulated over recent years. His participation was supported by the Embassy of Ireland.

THE PROGRAMME

The first step of the project was to launch an open call on our website, on social media, and through word of mouth. Many of the selected participants found us through Instagram.

After reviewing the 38 applications received, we selected 5 participants with different musical styles, interests, and backgrounds, so as to have a wide range of creative possibilities.

We then built a three-week programme around the three main phases of music production: pre-production, production, and mixing/mastering. The musicians arrived in Amantea on 5 September, and on 6 September we kicked off the residency with a first working session at La Piccola Biblioteca, dedicated to each person’s goals. Together we asked: do you want to write a song? Are you working on something new or something already started? Do you want to collaborate on someone else’s project? Do you want to collaborate with the Kino? Can your project be performed live?

In the following weeks, the programme was made up of the following activities:

Jam Session: after the first working session, on 6 September we held the first jam session in the studio, a moment of improvisation and collaborative experimentation to break the ice and start getting to know each other by playing together.

Masterclass: on 7 September, tutor Fran Rousset led two masterclasses, one on recording and one on mixing and mastering, followed by a collective listening session of musical references (Collective References playback).

Naked Sessions: held in the mornings on 7, 8, and 14 September, these were moments for sharing work in progress, a genuine stripping-bare of what each person was developing, in order to receive feedback and new creative input.

Collective improvisation exercises: on 8 September, group creative exercises to experiment together and break out of individual compositional habits.

Workshop: on 12 September, a three-hour workshop on Digital Audio Experimental Processing.

Studio time: the studio at La Piccola Biblioteca was available to musicians by booking, in two- or three-hour blocks, between 10 am and 1 pm and between 3 and 6 pm. Between 15 and 20 September, the residency was entirely dedicated to rehearsals and production, with a group review of the projects on 14 September to take stock of how the work was progressing.

COLLABORATIONS WITH THE KINO GUARIMBA INTERNATIONAL FILM RESIDENCY

What makes the September edition special is that the two residencies take place on the same days, allowing the musicians to collaborate with the filmmakers on the soundtracks and sound of their films. The two residencies shared some moments of the programme: the welcome dinner on 10 September at Il Terrenito, and the opening day on 11 September, with introductions at Lido Azzurro, lunch at Cantina Amarcord, and a guided tour of Amantea.

On 12 September, we organized an open Jam Session together with the Kino Guarimba participants: we set up a range of instruments on the stage at Il Terrenito, and people stopped by to play, have fun, and spend time together. It was a moment of sharing and getting to know each other between musicians and filmmakers.

The musicians worked both on their own songs and on soundtracks for the Kino Guarimba films. In total, 21 tracks were produced, including 10 soundtracks for films made during the film residency. Wouter collaborated with the other musicians on the tracks made as duets.

The collaboration between the two residencies was one of the goals we hoped to achieve, and we’re glad it came together with so much enthusiasm.

THE SONGS PRODUCED

laguarimba · La Guarimba Music Camp 2026 Sessions

THE FINAL CONCERT

On 21 September, at Cinema Sicoli and before the screening of the Kino Guarimba films, the Music Camp’s final concert was held, with each musician presenting their work to the audience. The 6-song set alternated solo moments with moments where the musicians accompanied one another:

By The Sea, by Wouter, with Lily, Cassidy, and Morane
Rush Hour, by Cassidy, solo
We Choose Who We Want to Be, by Morane, with Lily, Cassidy, Wouter, and Patrick: Morane improvised with her loop machine before setting the track’s sequence in motion
Back to the Start, by Cassidy, with Wouter
Chances, by Lily, with Wouter, Cassidy, Morane, and Patrick
Shrug, by Patrick (Dr. Mindflip), solo with groovebox and voice

Closing out the evening was Patrick, who got everyone dancing, bringing people up out of their seats and turning the finale into a big celebration, warmly received by both the participants and the residents of Amantea.