Make a Joyful Noize (MAJN) is a multimedia experience that blends music, film and movement to capture the visceral and contagious energy of Black joy. Joy gives us a reason to live, even when it seems life has forsaken us. Black joy is entertainment, therapy, self-love, and salvation. It is the thing that allows us to still laugh and love.
Commissioned by Carnegie Hall as part of its 125 Commission Project, MAJN presents the majesty of Black joy through spirit, pain, resistance, and love as a healing force for transformation. This creative curation of unfiltered and unapologetic Black joy is a dynamic mixture of musical and visual magic. It is meant to inspire people to celebrate and re-imagine life through a lens of joy.
The MAJN Live experience includes three components: live performance, a film screening and access to our songwriting and music production curriculum. Partners can choose which components and what level of engagement best fits their needs.
Performance | DJ Version | School Time | Curriculum
"Soul Science Lab is a force."
Sita Frederick, Director, Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State
About Soul Science Lab
Soul Science Lab (SSL) is a music and multimedia duo powered by Chen Lo and Asante Amin. The two are storytellers who inspire the future with hip hop, jazz, soul and stunning visuals installations. The duo’s current projects include Soundtrack ’63, Make a Joyful Noize (commissioned by Carnegie Hall), and The Renaissance Mixtape (commissioned by the Apollo Theater). SSL has released three studio albums: Footprints, The Visitor: Alter Destiny, and Plan for Paradise. SSL has also developed a culturally responsive education platform for music creatives and educators at Soul Science University—just call them innovative Afro-futuristic griots.
Chen Lo is a seasoned emcee, songwriter, educator and creative director. He has toured the globe as a musician and worked with premier cultural arts institutions, including Jazz at Lincoln Center, the August Wilson African American Cultural Center, and 651 ARTS. Lo has also shared the stage with the likes of Common, Erykah Badu, Rapsody, Sunni Patterson, and The Last Poets. He has recorded notable collaborations with international artists Stogie T and Cheikh Lô. His life is a tapestry of art and impact.
Asante Amin is a gifted multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer and educator.. He has shared the stage with several globally renowned artists, including Rhiannon Giddens, Jessica Care Moore, Blitz the Ambassador, Ismael Kouyaté, Mos Def, GZA, Wynton Marsalis, and others. Amin is also a MetLife Meet the Composer award winner.
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Gallery
Acclaim
“We remain overjoyed to have been a part of the development of ‘Make a Joyful Noize.’ Chen and Asante truly understand the need for art and experiences that tap into the potentials our shared community and celebrate the spirit of learners, music makers and imaginations of all ages. It will be a long time before Carnegie Hall again buzzes with the energy, spirit, and yes, Joy, that Soul Science Lab brings with them when they walk out on stage.”
- Aaron Siegel, Director of Special Projects for the Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall
"Soul Science Lab is a force. They use music, media, creative youth development, and cultural organizing to create profoundly meaningful arts experiences that center Black people, history and cultures. I have been honored to support their artistic journey and connections with various audiences and institutions. The way they connect, organize and collaborate is purposeful and joyful. Highly recommend their work!"
- Sita Frederick, Director, Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State
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