Registration is now open for the Xeración Sónica project, which is aimed at young people aged 13 to 16. The initiative seeks to train and mentor teams to foster musical and audiovisual creation. Interested individuals can fill out the registration form available at apuntate.pontevedra.gal from today until October 23.
Successful applicants will be contacted and must formalize their registration at the Xuventude offices. Training sessions for selected participants will take place on Thursday afternoons starting November 2 and running until June at the Local de Música, culminating in the recording of a disc, videos, and concerts.
Demetrio Gómez, the city’s councilor for youth, presented the ninth edition of Xeración Sónica today, alongside Álex Alonso Gayoso from Estudio Bonobo. This municipal program provides mentorship and support for musical and audiovisual projects targeted at the youth of Pontevedra.
Gómez emphasized that “this program uses artistic creation as an educational element and a means of social cohesion. Xeración Sónica is designed for young people aged 13 to 16, encouraging them to develop their creativity and learn to organize their ideas in groups. While we focus on music, this is part of a much larger initiative.” He noted that this is a central stage of the musical training itinerary designed by the Concello, which begins at RockLab and concludes at the Local de Música.
The application period will remain open until October 23, and sessions will not commence until November 2. Gómez explained that “the selection of candidates is not based on a first-come, first-served basis or a lottery, but rather through an evaluation and artistic audition process, which requires time.”
Álex Alonso Gayoso, a teacher at Estudio Bonobo, praised the initiative's development, stating that “the project enters its ninth year with great maturity and solidity. It is very important to provide progressive development to the groups over several years, as seen with the Básica and Vexx groups, which are reaching their final stages with the highest standards of technical quality.”
Last year's edition of Xeración Sónica reaffirmed its role as a talent incubator and a bridge to professionalizing emerging music, with milestones such as the hiring of the band Vexx by the Postgrowth-lab at the University of Vigo to compose and record the theme for the scientific journal T.I.A.S. (This is also science), premiered at the Redeiras Building in Vigo, and the signing of the band Rager by the Playplan record label, which performed at major festivals like Big Sound, Armadiña Rock, and SonRías Baixas.
On an external projection level, the partnership with the Escola de Rock de Paredes de Coura was solidified through participation in the Virafest festival in Portugal and the selection of two Xeración Sónica students for their summer artistic residency program. Gayoso reiterated the importance of establishing networks and synergies, such as those with the Sinfónica de Pontevedra or the Local de Música, “where, for example, Vexx just performed at the start of the new course. We continue to support live music and concerts in the city. It is important to create a scene, to see youth perform, and to have that activity within the city.”
Among these initiatives is the aim to strengthen the presence of live performances and create community in the streets and educational centers, such as surprise concerts during school breaks under the format of Recreos al Vivo. Additionally, in conjunction with the release of an EP featuring four songs by Vexx, a special party with live music will be held, bringing together the more established band Rager with Básica and Vexx.
