(by Nicola Simonetti) The “Voltati. Look. Listen. Women with metastatic breast cancer "with the participation of Noemi as testimonial. The campaign is promoted, for the third year, by Pfizer under the patronage of Fondazione Associazione Italiana Oncologia Medica, in collaboration with Europa Donna Italia and Susan G. Komen Italia. We want to break the wall of silence that still surrounds this disease.
At the start, today 14 March, “Play! Stories that sing "the online music contest open to artists who can apply on the site www.voltatiguardaascolta.it with songs inspired by the stories of patients with metastatic breast cancer.
Original songs will compete to give voice to the emotions and feelings of women with this tumor. Words and music that will emerge from the online contest. After collecting the patients' stories and making them known through the web, the radio, social media channels, street events and the short film "La Notte Prima" presented at the Venice Film Festival, this year the campaign focuses on creativity of young artists who will face the challenge of translating the patients' stories into music and words. With the extraordinary participation of the singer Noemi, involved as a testimonial, coach, juror, protagonist of the live event that in the autumn will decide the winning song.
“I realized - Naomi told us - that music is able to tell the stories of these very brave women, and at the same time strengthen them. Seeing their experiences in music will make them proud and give them the necessary strength. I sincerely hope that the artists can grasp all the nuances that emerge from the patients' stories. We will hear them, we will understand who is more suitable, and we will bring to the final who we think wrote better ”.
Break the silence surrounding metastatic breast cancer; to reiterate the importance of guaranteeing all patients the right to the best possible quality of life; favoring access to the best innovative therapies available today, continuity or reintegration into the workplace are the main objectives of the campaign.
Starting today and until 30 June established or emerging artists can apply on the website www.voltatiguardaascolta.it with a piece of music inspired by the stories of the patients gathered during the 2017 and 2018 campaigns of “Voltati. Look. Listen. ": The announcement and the stories from which they can take inspiration are available on the site.
During two auditions (in Rome and Milan), the artists will listen to their songs live to the jury, which will include Noemi, representatives of the partner Associations and the experts of important musical productions, under the supervision of the artistic direction of Andrea Papazzoni and Jean Michel Sneider of MP Film. In this way, the same competitors will be able to verify the artistic quality of their songs and their consistency with the messages of the campaign. Once the online collection is completed and the auditions have been completed, the pieces presented will be evaluated by the jury that will select the 5 finalist tracks.
In October the Live! Event will be held: a free concert open to the public, with the participation of Noemi, dedicated to the presentation of the 5 finalist tracks and to the announcement of the winner, who will be selected by a technical jury and by the patients.
The illness:
In Italy about 37.000 women live with advanced or metastatic breast cancer, characterized by the spread of the tumor from the breast to other areas of the body, such as bones, liver, lung or brain. About the 5-10% of the over 50.000 new annual cases of breast cancer are metastatic already at the diagnosis; but about 30% of women with an initial diagnosis of early-stage breast cancer may develop metastatic breast cancer in their lives. The latest generation of targeted therapies are now able to block or slow the progression of the disease while ensuring a good quality of life.
"This year, for the campaign that gives a voice to women, we decided to explore another means of expression: the song, an artistic expression of the human voice, the form that can directly transmit high intensity emotions such as those experienced by women with metastatic breast cancer. We will call together, through an online contest, young talents able to compete with the challenge of translating the stories of patients into music and words. The involvement of Noemi - says Alberto Stanzione, oncology director of Pfizer Italy - will help us to tune in with the current trends and styles of pop music and to give a better voice to patients, to truly understand their needs and therefore be able to offer them concrete answers to need for health and quality of life to which they are entitled ".
“We must underline - says Fabrizio Nicolis, president of the Aiom Foundation - the importance of music in the life of all of us: music relaxes and heals our mind when it is full of thoughts. Relieve tension. It nourishes our soul with gentle notes that make us forget pain and anguish. Music can therefore also help women with metastatic breast cancer in everyday life and, sometimes, make them dream ".