Jazz meets Anatolia - Magic and fusion of sounds at meeting of Orient and Occident (an international student exchange project in the field of music and arts for the personal and cultural development of young people)

The project-oriented student exchange (pose) was about the fusion of Jazz music with Anatolian sounds and the confrontation with the intercultural value of the European cultural heritage. The pupils broadened their horizons during the preparations in advance of the exchanges as well as their times in the target countries during their festivals which were given in the German and Turkish consulates. During the preparation period the students dealt with the specific and intercultural aspects of the target country in adition to their regular rehearsals. The accomodation in host families instead of hotels lead to development of intensive friendships among the participants of the project and also their family members which continue to this day. The realized festivals were described and awarded by various institutions as excellent examples of sustainable social development and as educational bridges for adolescents. Since the project made a particular contribution to improve the relationship between Germany and Turkey the project received the integration award and the participants in the project were invited to the state parliament to perform their concert there as well. In addition to the contribution of the German school big band Jazzination the festival also included selected pieces of Turkish folk and classical music as well as a folkloric contribution by the partner school in Istanbul-Bahcelievler. Highlights were crossovers which expressed the potential of shared cultural heritage and the associated enrichment for our society.In terms of the sustainability and continuity of initiated projects the project was integrated into the school's internal curriculum and is to be continued annually in a manageable framework. Apart from the project content the students showed immense interest in exploring the target country. The free time and cultural offers based on the musical content of the project were perceived very positively. The reflection of the participants and their family members showed that prejudices against the other culture were drecreased. In addition it turned out that by participating in the project many students developed the wish for staying abroad after the school. Another interesting aspect was the young people's reflection on themselves and the living conditions in which they live. In the overall context we were able to ascertain that the pupils experienced a personal development which was besides the project's content one of the main goals of our pose.