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HTM
19/02/19
Sprouting Seeds Restaurant - Kalaw, Myanmar
We have been working with the kids from Whispering Seeds since 2011. It all started in Thailand and with the help of some very special people in Myanmar and the tireless work of Jim Connor from Whispering Seeds, the kids are now back in their homeland, safe and sound in the hill station of Kalaw. Sprouting Seeds is currently the #1 rated restaurant on Trip Advisor in Kalaw. To celebrate and promote this achievement, Music Seeds International and the kids wrote a song aptly titled ‘Sprouting Seeds’.
Should you venture into Kalaw to trek or mountain bike be sure to stop in and enjoy (among other delights) some of the best homemade ice cream in the world. We are so proud to see this restaurant, yoga studio and training center thriving. A new location is opening next month. Bigger, brighter and with a mountain bike touring company in the works.
Doing the math
Boopinweh
02/07/19
‘TUNE’ - Phaung Daw Oo, Mandalay, Myanmar
We are back. Tuntunwin, ‘TUNE” is 25 years old now. We met when he was 16. He is the reason we have a Satellite Studio tab on our homepage. His library of music is growing. His talent as a songwriter, engineer and singer are as well. Almost all of the gear for his studio is still working just fine. Thanks again to all of you who made that possible. You have helped give a young man in a difficult position a much better quality of life. His English is improving and one day we hope he can attend University to become a bonafide music teacher. Want to be a part of that?
‘Home in the Past’ touches on memories of a home and parents TUNE once had.
'The Library Sessions’
‘Frank’ getting er done in the lighting dept. Locations, casting, lighting, AD, camera assist, spiritual advice…
TUNE and I would both like to thank ‘Frank’ the melodious monk who helped us and became the third member of our crew.
03/04/18
Stand Tall Education Network
Kampala, Uganda
We are so pleased to be breaking new ground with our first project in Africa. We find ourselves in Kampala Uganda, at a school created by Nicole Schouela, founder of Stand Tall Education Network . Thanks to a mutual friend at Rose Charities, Music Seeds International and Stand Tall were brought together for the first time.
We chose 17 students from various levels and ages and as usual I asked the students to choose a topic. Family was the winner. Magic Family was the title.
Music is medicine. I think that holds true for most of us. If you want to be involved, we appreciate any help you can give. All monies go directly to programs. We are a low overhead grass roots operation.
At Stand Tall Education Network they celebrate departures with dance
19/05/17
Liceo Rural Coopesilencio
El Silencio, Costa Rica
Our first program in Latin America has come to a close today with the presentation of 'Love Is' at the local school - Liceo Rural Coopesilencio.
6 km’s inland from the highway between Quepos and Dominical is the cozy hamlet of El Silencio (The Silence). Avacados and mangoes fall freely from the trees. Parrots and toucans share the trees with vultures and monkeys. The story of the Cooperative here is a short and worthwhile read:
http://coopesilencio.blogspot.com/p/about-el-silencio.html
As part of our Songlish Program, the students chose a topic, wrote the lyrics and sang in English. Not much English is spoken here so it’s a challenge for the students to retain what they have learned. 'Love Is’ was a chance to do something totally different. Straight A’s to everyone.
With humidity hovering around 85%, and the temperature around 30 C, we eventually took it outside to the multi-use area. Thank you Jonathon for your translation skills and for taking us into your English class.
Thank you Joseph Gilland for your efforts on camera, the animations from your student’s films, and of course for making this project a reality. We all wish you and yours the best of everything here in the land of Pura Vida.
02/04/2016
Phaung Daw Oo Monastic School
Mandalay, Myanmar
6 years ago we ran two programs at Phaung Daw Oo School in Mandalay.
One young man in particular caught my attention. Toon Toon Win was (and still is) in a wheel chair due to a deformity with his feet and hips from birth. Music is his life. His guitar had been played so much the wood on the fret board had worn out, leaving grooves where the wood had once been (photos further down the blog). When I left the school we gave him the new guitar. It was a good investment.
This trip we got a few surprises from him. He was quick to show me a video of one of his own songs that he had cleverly crafted by using his phone to record audio and then taking Hollywood movie clips from DVD's. He had also become the school’s guitar teacher and had just had a graduation class with 20 students.
He was writing songs, and I would find out that other kids in the school were as well. Night after night I met more students strumming away on balconies and stairwells; students that he had taught. Many of them asked me if I could record their music they had written. The seeds had truly sprouted at Phaung Daw Oo.
Teaching
Toon Toon Win has adopted a stage name for himself - ‘TUNE’.
I decided the first project would be to record the song he had made a music video for and replace the Hollywood images with real ones of him. ‘I’m Ready’ is the final product.
I realized the next step for ‘TUNE’ was to enable him to record his own songs. With the help of some donors we created a small home recording studio in his room that has been a great success. You can hear the results in our Satellite Studio section. UPDATE* As of September 2018 he has managed to send us 5 songs. Teach a man to fish - buy him a rod and hook. He is managing to do a lot with a little training.
Next on the agenda was to do another project with the kids at Golden House. I gave them the opportunity to use our 'Original’ program and asked them what they wanted to write a song about. They all agreed that the subject would be the school.
They gave themselves a name; 'Golden Music’, and wrote the lyrics. The song is called ‘Good Day’. It’s always a delight to take the kids into a real studio for vocal tracks. This was one of those rare opportunities.
Mary-Htet Yamone Aung
Dhamma out shooting a dance scene
A huge thank you to Mary for helping me in the classroom translating, as well as with everything else I needed.
Chris Aadna for Go Pros and camera work in the studio.
Monica for always finding me what I needed and Mg Thit Oo for finding us a studio and getting us there on the day.
12/02/2016
BAAN DADA CHILDREN’S HOME
SANGKHLABURI THAILAND
Back to the Border
Six years ago I visited Baan Dada Children’s Home where a young group of teens had a band called the Lazy Monkeys. They were performing around the area but had never written a song of their own. We changed all that with the song ‘We are Family’. A few of the young men are now attending university so the band has taken on a new look with two of the original members remaining. Kamal and Bomee sat down to write a song together for the first time and when I asked them to choose a topic they said “hope”. Watching them write together, they seemed like a perfect pair with one doing lyrics and the other coming up with melodies for a common chord progression I showed them. We invited some of the girls from the home to sing on the song as well.
Baan Dada is a creation by the Ananda Marga group.
Baan Dada accepts volunteers but the need is mostly for people with skill sets like permaculture, electrical, mechanical, education, volunteer coordination etc. Contact them through the website below.
21/03/15
Music Seeds International makes the Complex list of 'Ten International Music Non-Profits making a Difference Globally'.
28/02/2015
Bali, Indonesia
Back to the Valley of the Volcanoes
Recording ‘Scale Up Nutrition’ at Cegi School-East Bali
We’re back between the volcanoes. This year MSI is employing the AIM-Awareness In Music program to educate pregnant mothers and students about health and nutrition during pregnancy and early childhood.
Scale Up Nutrition
What can I add to what was written last year in regards to the work we do here but more photos and a huge hug and thank you to the amazing team that assembled for this past project with the Health Unit at East Bali Poverty Project. I have never worked in an office where people are so happy and playful. Special thanks to Ardika on camera, Meti for helping the kids perform so well, and Sinta for pulling everything together for the shoots. Of course there were many more people involved and I love you all for being so quick to learn how to become a video crew. Your writing and singing helped guide our students to their best performance ever.
It is hoped that this video will go national to health clinics all over Indonesia through partnerships with S.U.N. (Scale Up Nutrition) Indonesia. We wish the East Bali Poverty Project the best with this intention and hope they are inspried to do more of these while we focus our intentions now to South America, Canada, and wherever spirit and funding guides us.
Salamat Jalan everyone.
19/4/2014
Bali, Indonesia
Between the Volcanoes
Mt Abang, western slope from Lake Batur crater 1998
In 1998 I had no way of knowing that 16 years later I would be writing songs in Indonesian with 32 children across this volcanic crater lake on the other slope of this mountain.These two photos are taken approximately 8 km from each other.
Mt Abang eastern slope from Darmaji school 2014
'Saya Senang Bernyanyi' - (I am Happy Singing)
Making music in our 'studio'.
Sixteen years ago a British resident of Bali discovered a region of East Bali that was anything but the paradise we visualize when we think of the island of the Gods. Inbetween two volcanoes he discovered a place that would change his and many others lives for years to come.
Mount Agung
East Bali Poverty Project - (link)
The East Bali Poverty Project (EBPP) is a non-profit organisation established in 1998 by a British resident of Bali after an appeal for help by an isolated 7,200Ha mountain village, forgotten by time and progress. Participatory community surveys in 1998 with 1,056 of the 3,000 families in the 19 sub-villages revealed thousands of people living in abject poverty without water, sanitation, roads, schools, health facilities and electricity. Illiteracy was approaching 100%. Malnutrition and iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) were endemic – iodine being the essential nutrient for healthy child births, brain and body development.
Practice makes perfect
Through chance meetings, good will, and providence I found myself on an airplane headed for Bali last month. I have to say this has been one of the most interesting projects to date. There are six schools in the Karangasem region and they are quite remote. In an effort to give everyone from even the furthest schools a chance to participate, EBPP transported students daily to one (remote) central location. With roads as intense as these, this was a special effort to be sure.
The roads are sometimes sand, sometimes dirt, sometimes rock, sometimes water, and sometimes concrete.
We chose to take two groups of 16 kids each and produce two videos/songs. As usual the kids were asked to choose a topic, name their band and song and then write their own lyrics in the language of their choice. Simple acousitc guitar chord patterns along with computer generated beats and an acousitc bass were employed to create the music tracks.
Cegi school
Armed with a translator, music teacher and a guitar player/percussionist we were well equipped to help the students create. Being this remote meant no real recording studio but once again my mobile recording gear sufficed. It's quite something to have electricity up at the schools.
Recording at Cegi school
'The Volcano'
DMJ Band
Working in the Karangasem office each day was a pleasure due to the attitude of the staff and of course all the Bali copi you can drink. Special thanks to Maade, Eka and Eddy for being there with me everyday in class. I couldn't have done this without your help. Komang you are amazing and David, I stand in awe of your work. I wish everyone continued success in this massive operation to bring these forgotten people basic needs. Sixteen years - congratulations everyone on what you have done in Karangasem East Bali. I hope someday we meet again.
David Booth (founder EBPP), Ross Green (MSI), Komang (the #1 man in the field)
Why I love working in SE Asia
Pelangi School Ubud
I was on my way to an open mic at a local eatery/bar in Ubud. I stopped at a coffee shop to rev up on some of that incredibly potent bali copi for the show. I sat outside where there were two benches and pulled out my guitar to rehearse a brand new original song. Then I met Emy, a teacher at Pelangi School who had been lying on her bench across from me reading and listening. She wanted to know who I was and what I was doing so I filled her in on the project I had just finished with the EBPP.
Emy
She asked me if I would come and play for her kids at the school.
A few days later I found Pelangi school, down a long dirt road where all sorts of other buildings were being constructed. After some introductions to some of the other staff we designed a 40 minute plan. We had a great time showing MSI vids of old from all over the world and then started singing the oldies (Old MacDonald, Twinkle Twinkle etc). I brought some of them up to the front to form a mini-band where they played kazoo, strummed my guitar and shook the shakers. We changed the Row your Boat lyrics to Merrily merrily merrily merrily life is but a SCREAM and on my cue they would all scream. That was the loudest scream I have ever heard. We only got away with it once. I love the way I wound up there. That just doesn't happen in Canada. Thank you Emy for believing in me, inviting me to your school and sending me that photo of your amazing headress.
News Update
November 2013
Art of Transition Award - Durham Region Canada
Our Oshawa program, Know Your Food - Grow Your Food, has been recognized for the amazing program that it was. Thanks again Carol (The Table in Oshawa) for making this happen and for "being the change". Your restaurant is a blessing for the people of Oshawa. 'Planting Gardens' is a hit over in Durham Ontario.
This excerpt is from their website:
http://www.artoftransition.ca/recipients-of-the-2013-durham-art-of-transition-creative-awards/
Best story about Durham Region
This award is presented to an individual or group for any creative work inspired by or dedicated to Durham Region. The winner of this award is The Table for the Music Seeds International initiative, accepted by restaurant owner Carol Cavallari.
Music Seeds International works with disadvantaged youth, using music as the tool to educate, heal and empower. Through a variety of programs, children learn about language, creativity, self-expression and important social issues by writing, singing and recording songs and videos. In Durham Region, Carol Cavallari, owner of The Table in Oshawa, teamed up with Ross Green, a singer/songwriter, to share this gift of creating music with local children, while teaching them about the environment. Carol gathered youth from local schools and youth groups to engage them in growing their own food and telling their stories in song. Generous donations ensured the program could run at no cost to school boards or participating families. In total, 14 children participated for three hours every day after school. Ross Green taught them about food derived from seeds, as the children composted, planted, watered and weeded planters behind Carol’s restaurant and front yard. Half of the three-hour sessions were spent in lecture/question mode, while the remaining time was spent transforming what the youth learned into song lyrics. The children voted on and sang their best song lyrics in a video that was posted online. Through Carol’s energy and influence, the program taught the children about food production, recapturing that information in a new way (musically), team work and digital audio production. For more information, visit www.musicseedsinternational.com.
'Bring Back Peace' shines again
Bring Back Peace, (the first song ever written in the MSI program) keeps changing lives. This time at a fundraiser in London Ontario with the Amabile Choir. This is the second choir to cover the song and it gave me shivers of joy to hear these voices singing the first song that we ever wrote. Great job everyone. I hear that over $17,000 was raised on this evening.
Favourite Things - Ella Ray
White Rock B.C., Canada
July 22/2013
Hi everyone. I want you to meet Ella Ray, my heroine. I'd heard Ella Ray's story through Ellen, one of our advisory board members, and finally had a chance to meet her on Skype this spring. Hers is a heart wrenching real life story of a young girl who brings together an army of angels and stuffed animals, igniting the gratitude and compassion of hundreds of people along the way.
Ella Ray was born with Giant Congenital Nevus, a rare skin disease that can develop into skin cancer and brain complications. Shortly after she was born doctors began a series of skin grafts to remove the affected areas. To date, she has had 22 of these painful procedures. Most of the lower areas on her body have been treated and now doctors are getting ready to address a more pressing issue that is starting to affect her speech and hearing.
Listening to Ellen talk about what Ella Ray has been through is moving to say the least. A lifetime of painful surgeries pretty much sums up this girl's journey. When I heard that she had been enjoying the music videos on our website a meeting was arranged. Being overseas at the time, the best we could do was Skype. After meeting her I knew we could do something to make her life a little brighter. The idea was presented to her family and friends, and this July the project was completed.
The day we recorded her vocal track, her father Craig called to tell us how excited she was that she overcame her shyness about singing. It took a week to create the necessary bond of trust through playful interactions. Arriving home she told her dad and her friend that she just had "the best day of her life - ever". Her father recounted many similar tales from her Music Seeds experience, right through to the final day.
One of the byproducts of the project is a DVD of the music video that she can play whenever she's in pain, feeling down or just wants to enjoy the experience again. Craig tells us that the DVD is going to be very useful when they return to the hospital this fall.
The timing of the project coincided with the annual fundraising dance for Ella Ray where she was able to show her music video to everyone as well as sing the song onstage with the band. What a great way to end the greatest project we've ever done. Michelle from O'Hara Lane (seen below) did a wonderful job singing with us on the track and assisting Ella Ray onstage.
Thank you everyone who supported this project directly and to all our 2013 donors.Together your support made it possible to bring the medicine to Ella Ray. She shines the light back at you when you watch the video and for those of us who forget to be grateful for what we have, let her journey remind us. If you want to see more of this work-it needs support.
Planting Gardens-Oshawa Ontario
Know your Food-Grow your Food
May 28th/2013
Mayor John G Henry of Oshawa receives the first copy of 'The Originals' 'Planting Gardens' DVD.
I'm so pumped after performing with the kids at the Boys and Girls Club Eastview today.
Thank you Carol from The Table in Oshawa and all the volunteers that made this the largest support team ever in an MSI classroom. What a way to start at home.
Thank you Justin, Pink, Rich Fletcher, Stacey Snow, Crowded House Entertainment, the Cavallari family and a long list of others who formed a small army with Carol to bring the program home to Canada.
PLANTING GARDENS
It is my sincere hope that we can do more programs with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada. Please stay tuned for more Canadian adventures this summer and fall.
Signing the Yamaha - an MSI tradition
OH CANADA, Oshawa Ontario
Know your Food-Grow your Food
May 6th/2013
We are pleased to be running the first ever Canadian program for MSI. We are teaching the students about nutrition, where food comes from and how to grow your own among other things. 13 - 90 minute classes topped off with food served at the end of each class-compliments of Carol at The Table.
Even the police showed
up. Constable Scott Dargie (who walks the neighbourhood beat) surprised everyone by walking in and playing an amazing original (I Am Who I Am). Carol was giving the lesson 'What is Food'. A huge team effort
with 5 volunteers in the room today. Thank you Simcoe Hall Settlement House and Boys and Girls Club friends.
This is the start of something big.
Cambodia-Addendum to Cambo trip
While I was in Seam Reap I was re-united with Don and Van who own the Bliss Villa guesthouse.
Don has been supporting a school 15 minutes outside of Seam Reap and would love to hear from anyone who is interested in volunteering or helping in any other way. I took a ride out for a quick visit and can tell you it's a very uplifting experience to work with these kids. Contact me if you want to get in touch or use the Bliss Villa link above. To visit the FB page see the link below.
https://www.facebook.com/AngkorBuddhistOrganization
Cambodia
Kampongcham/Battambang/Seam Reap
March 12/2013
On invitation from Duncan Ward, the founder of 'Classroom of Hope' (COH) I was asked to come to Cambodia from India to write and produce a music video for his new charity.
Fist we went north of Phnom Penh to an area called Kampongcham to see schools that KAPE were involved in.
KAPE and COH are working together to bring schools in Cambodia up to 'Child Friendly Status' - a term coined by the UN that involves a number of components that raise the standards of the schools.
We would leave at six am for schools that were 3 hours away (on really fun roads) to visit them before classes got out for the day. Most schools in Cambodia are only able to give half a day of classes and the school day ended before noon in these locations.
From there I headed to a city called Battambang to visit more schools and meet Racky, the man who inspired Duncan to change his life.
Racky runs several schools and we used the main one (at the Child Action Development Centre-CAD) to shoot video and rehearse the lyrics for the music video with the kids there.
The video and song turned out very well and I even
managed to find the female voice I had wanted so the song could be a duet. Lisa van Woersem was sitting at a counter beside me in the Gecko Restaurant. I had a piece of pizza left that I couldn't finish so I offered it to her. After a short discussion I gave her my card and she said, "this is what I want to do with my life-work with music and children". She played me some of her original music and I knew she had to come to the school the next day. She left very inspired and sang a track on the song that you have to hear. Special thanks go out to Barry Donlevy for coming out to shoot some of the footage used in this video and the upcoming MSI promotional video.
Classroom of Hope
There are so many schools that need help in Cambodia. I would caution people to be vigilant about where you spend your time and money should you choose to do service there. Please contact me if you need help. I know of several honest and worthy organizations and schools who are doing what they say they do. The positive thing about Cambodia is that a little help goes a long way in the right hands.
We're currently expanding the Board of Directors and are seeking people with charity fundraising experience who are passionate about education, children and music. Please contact me if you are interested- [email protected]
We have been invited to Oshawa Ontario Canada to run the new AIM (Awareness in Music) program by Carol, a lovely lady I met in India who loves the work and is hosting after school classes at her restaurant. We'll be teaching kids about nutrition and growing food at The Table.
Please consider a donation to help us make this project happen.
More will be revealed.
Sri Narayani Vidyalaya School
Tirumalaikodi India
Jan.25th/2013
CLEAN INDIA
Green Sakthi is an environmental project spearheaded by Sri Sakthi Amma in the state of Tamil Nadu, southern India. It's one of the many projects here at Peedam that have been set up by Amma. For more info on Sri Narayani Peedam click the link below.
http://www.narayanipeedam.org/peedam.htm
Part of the Green Sakthi program includes raising awareness at the local school here:
http://www.narayanipeedam.org/vidyanethram.htm
MSI went into the Green Sakthi class to work with the kids in January. I heard a very catchy melody written by Jo Mall and young Shreenidi and wrote more words, music and melodies to complete what is now the second song for Green Sakthi - 'Clean India'. It was really encouraging to hear the kids sing "Plant More Trees' when I got there after an eight month absence.
Sri Narayani Hospital
Tirumalaikodi India
Nov.26/2012
MSI became a registered Canadian charity this month. 2013 should be an exciting year. Your involvement is appreciated now more than ever and finally we can reward donors with tax receipts for Canada and the USA.
The lovely and talented Renuka from Singapore is helping take the bite out of the fevers in the children's ward at the hospital here. Tirumalaikodi is experiencing a dengue fever outbreak. Lots of little ones with their Mom's enjoyed her playing every afternoon. Renuka's dream is to work with children in orphanages throughout southern India. We are blessed to have her.
Whispering Seed Children's Home
Sangkhlaburi Thailand
October 31/2012
Happy Halloween from Sangkhlaburi Thailand. Fate has me cross this path yet again. Check out the new Songlish video 'Colors'. It's always an honour to work with these kids. They have an exciting future ahead thanks to Jim Connor of Whispering Seed.
October 7/2012
Indiegogo donors-THANK YOU!
Although we did not reach our goal this year for Nepal monies raised WILL be used for a program. Stay tuned. The perks will be the same for those wanting them. The t-shirt won't read 'Nepal' though :)
Here you are in all your caring glory-
Le Ballet Théâtral de Montréal
Ellen Searle and friends
Devi Young
Thanks as well to those that wished to remain anonymous…
Canada
June 18th/2012
For the first time in my life someone has written a song for me. Not just someone but a whole bunch of someones. Terry and his students have responded to our first visit together by writing a song called 'Mr. Ross you are the Boss'. Terry took them into a studio and recorded it. Then he had it put on this cool CD that looks like an old 45 rpm vinyl record. You kids are rocking my world. I heard your lyrics and accept your invitation. I just have to work out a few details.
Click here and listen to 'Mr.Ross you are the Boss'
Holly Elementary School
Surrey Canada
May 24th/2012
This week Terry Symonds invited me to meet his grade 6 students at Holly Elementary School. The kids had watched 'The Way to Burma' on my website and wanted to know why I do my work and how it all started. My unscheduled one week stopover in Vancouver turned out to be a perfect opportunity to come visit the kids who had written me a stack of letters recently. Another door was opening. On this day, 60 minutes went by in ten and we co-wrote a verse for a song and talked about MSI and the decision point in my life that has taken me on this journey. At the end of the class the kids had me sit with my eyes closed while they came and put post-it notes on me with messages like 'selflessness, courage, love, and compassion on them. As each student stuck the note on me he or she would say what was written on it.It was my first Canadian classroom experience. I would love to go back and run a program in. The atmosphere was so charged I felt like a ray of light when I left.
Whispering Seed Children's Home
Sangklaburi-Thailand
May 17th/2012
Just before heading back to Canada I decided to bus it up to Sangklaburi from Phuket (17 hours) and squeeze in one more visit with the kids at Whispering Seed. 'Alphabet Food' was born and Songlish has one more arrow in it's quiver.
The kids here have been home schooled and all speak fluent English. All but one already knew the alphabet. The point was to teach her the alphabet, have fun making a video and produce more teaching materials for Songlish. Just as the kids in India loved learning 'Hello My Name Is', kids somewhere in the future will love learning the alphabet singing 'Alphabet Food'.
So far MSI has completed four programs and 6 new videos in 2012. That's a new high. I'm hoping there are more on the way as I head back to Canada for a new adventure I will tell you about when it begins to make sounds.
Thirumalaikodi/India
April 30th/2012
Songlish goes online
The ESL/summer camp was a huge success. Some of the other teachers, as well as Principal Ramesh visited the last class and had a great time watching the videos and ESL games. The 11 day camp was yet another totally unique experience. 'Conversation' is all about singing/learning practical English phrases.
So far this year MSI has produced five songs in two locations with 42 students from three separate groups in three months. While all this was going on ESL games and exercises were happening and the program expanded with the new syllabus being created along the way.
The students here were requesting to sing along with videos from all the past projects. New Nepal and Hello My Name Is are very popular here and it's a great cultural exchange that connects children from around the world thorough each others songs and videos.
Songlish is a unique ESL program that focuses on teaching kids English through musical activities which include games, lyric writing, sing/recording and video production. Songlish gives organizations and institutions a more creative way to get children thinking for themselves, singing and having fun.
Many new people from all over the world saw the program this year. Thanks again Derek Nyberg for sending bass tracks from Thailand via internet to add to the song "Plant More Trees'. Technology continues to amaze me.
April 23/2012
Due to transport issues the Songlish program has only 5 days left. Today we write the lyrics, tomorrow rehearse them, Wednesday record them, Thursday shoot the video and I'll try to edit it and have it ready for the kids to see/hear on the last class Friday. I''ve never had that kind of timeline before so this should be a hoot.
Here's a journal entry from Friday:
Sometimes in the early morning hours it's nice to leave your door open for some fresh morning air. The trouble is, I keep a counter full of fruit in my room.
I went into the bathroom to wash my coffee cup and when I came out there were two monkeys on my counter feasting away. Well we were all a bit startled. What to do? Asking for the bananas back didn't seem like an option. Getting my camera was the last thing on my mind. Getting the monkeys out before they started in on the mangoes was paramount so-the hissing began. We hissed some pretty hissy hisses and I thought - I wonder if they will jump on me and bite me now (all of this happening within 5 seconds).
So I got on the bed to give myself the higher position and give them an exit route as well as my meanest tooth-full hiss. They left, only to sit on the wall outside my room eating my bananas. I chased them off the wall and down the hall but soon realized how ridiculous this was as everyone knows a monkey can outrun a Rossy. What was i going to do; take back 5 bananas?
April 5th/2012
It's exam time at school so guess what? I'm taking an Ayurvedic treatment in the backwaters of Kerala for my chronic epicondylitis (tennis elbow). As well as that a 16 day 'conversational english/songwriting' summer camp has to be created. New challenges ahead. A volunteer is most welcome to co-teach at the camp with me. Lets see what the universe provides. Kamala Nivas Guesthouse is a treasure trove of talents.
For our summer camp we'll be using role playing, music/songwriting and video to make the experience positive and fun for all involved.
Principal Ramesh, the students and myself were all pleased with the experience we had in March. Two videos were born for the new ESL program. While writing 'Plant more Trees', we learned a little about ecology and some additional English vocabulary and pronunciation. 'Days of the Week' really sticks in everyones head and the kids are singing it in class so loud that we've been asked to keep it down on more than one occasion.
I want to thank the volunteers who showed up to help in the filming of 'Plant more Trees'. Cameron and David from NYC and Lea and Bettina from Germany. Good luck to you all in your future endeavours. David, I look forward to coffee in Manhattan someday.
PS. The guitar with one hundred signatures never made it. Tried the glue but no goo. Went to Chennai and bought a new Yamaha F310. Cheap good and reliable.
March 18th/2012
Never a dull moment here at Sri Narayani Vidyalaya School Thirumalaikodi.
They have an AV room here with a projector so the kids don't have to huddle around my 15" laptop. YAY!
Check out 'Days of the Week', the newest video in a program I'm developing that uses music to teach English.
The kids really did a great job stepping up to the microphone for the first time in their lives. I'm proud of their efforts and enthusiasm.
You can be a part of this too if you like by making a donation or talking to me about coming to take part in or visit a program. It's a whole different way to see the world. You might find that it's the best vacation you've ever had.
I'm sad to see the guitar that fell of the bridge with me in Nepal (see blog way below) has come undone.
Maybe with some wood glue and clamps it will play again. At least it made it through one more song and the kids got to sign it. In the meantime I went off to Chennai where a trusty Yamaha F310 was purchased to continue the program with.
Tomorrow we start work on another song and I welcome Cameron into the classroom to assist me this week. Cameron is preparing to attend La Guardia Arts School in New York City. Best wishes to her in this endeavour.
Feb 28/2012
Thirumalaikodi is a small village outside Vellore in Tamil Nadu, South India. It is surrounded by mountains and lush, scenic beauty. In Thirumalaikodi, several centuries ago, the Saints and Sages (Devas and Siddhas) performed intense penance for many years to the Universal Mother (The ParaSakthi)! They prayed for Amma to descend on the Earth to protect the entire creation from the afflictions of the Dark Age (Kaliyuga)
(from the website)
http://www.narayanipeedam.org/peedam.htm
OK now my bit...
There is an amazing temple here, a new hospital, a new school, an orphanage, recycling program, tree planting program and many other positive programs Sri Sakthi Narayani (Amma) has manifested in the last ten years with the help of worldwide donors.
More info on the school:
http://www.narayanipeedam.org/vidyanethram.htm
I'm been keeping very active in my time between the 'Burma Seeds' project and this one by preparing new class lessons and on the 23rd of this month I choose 16 students to begin a new branch of MSI. TEFL (teaching English as a Foreign Language) - music/songwriting based English teaching. Trying out the new curriculum is the main goal of this next program. Tomorrow we begin.
I'm happy to report that the South Asia Children's Fund is able to supply U.S. donors with receipts now and MSI will soon have a similar charity that can help Canadian donors while MSI awaits CRA approval.
Sangkhlaburi/Thailand
January 2012
The man who I like to call 'Father Theresa' has taken in around twenty children at his centre over the past five years. He has cared for their dying mothers when others would not. He has saved them from atrocious living and working conditions. He has connected them back to family whenever possible. He has done a remarkable job of raising them and building a space of love in the countryside farm setting with the help of volunteers/NGO's from around the world as well as local women. Most of these children are from the Burman tribe and have been sent to this project through Pattanarak, a Thai NGO that works along the border near Three Pagoda Pass. Pattanarak assists the sex workers in the area there. The kids here have been home schooled and I can say they are on or at a higher level of ability than children I have experienced in regular schools in the area. They are living happy lives with brighter futures now. Due to a current process that is underway to improve their lives further, more information on them is purposely minimal on this site and the internet right now. You are welcome to contact me if you want more information.
Each morning when I came down to the main house on the lake, the kids would hear me and bound out of bed to help me cut my fruit for breakfast and give me laugh after laugh as we wrote, recorded and videotaped over the 9 days I was there. In the evening the older girls would cook amazing meals that rivaled anything I have tasted in SE Asia. One is going to publish a cookbook I hope. I want to be her first customer.
I will leave you with an email excerpt I received a few days ago from one of the founders of the centre-a Thai woman - Nao, who is now producing a documentary piece for Thai PBS on the history of the 5 year project:
Hi Ross,
I just want to write to say thank you and say gratitude to your work music seed
I traveled home to bkk last night with smile smile and Listening to the Seed and The way to Burma songs in my head..my face
It such special things you did for the kids, it's exactly what they need at this time.
In footage your movies just sharing their beauty love .... cute warm... such so much love fun in it.
Thanks !!!!!! and thanks for shooting for me and giving me footage u did with them all. i all smile and inspire with them all now editing fun weekend.!!
nao
Sangkhlaburi/Thailand
March 2011
Before I left Asia in 2011 I went up to see the folks near the Burma border to do an interview with the founder of a project there (names to released at a later date) and get his remarkable story on record for a possible book project in the future. On the last night Maun Maun (mao mao) and I began working on a song together and he was hitting the notes in english right off the bat. If you only knew how far this young man has come. When they picked him up from the temple he had been given only a few months to live. We'll be hearing from Maun Maun on this site before 2012 is out.
My application for NPO and charitable status is moseying towards Ottawa. This reduced rate of velocity has made fundraising a little harder than usual this time so with a little help from a few friends and some personal funds-we keep going.
To everyone who has been a part of this so far I once again thank you for helping the kids make music. They really do have a blast.
I would like to welcome Suzanne Armstrong and Clayton Achen on to the Board of Directors for MSI. Thank you for your time and interest.
Mandalay/Myanmar (Burma)
Jan.30/2011
Mission accomplished. Thank you everyone who helped me honor my commitment to Phaung Daw Oo in Mandalay. Even with a 28-day visa we were able to write and record two songs with two separate groups of kids. This meant a larger than usual workload as I agreed to work with two groups simultaneously (a first for me). Being on a very strict timeline and having come so far to work here I felt it was important to make the most of the situation.
Phaung Daw Oo is an orphanage, hostel, monastery and no-fee non-government school all in one so there are a wide variety of kids here. My goal of working with kids from the Cyclone devastated area of Nargis was realized. I chose to combine Nargis kids with street kids from Mandalay for group one. An assessment on arrival indicated that the kids had been learning English but were not confident speaking it. We focused on confidence building by writing a song together called ‘Hello My Name Is’. Later on in the program the kids were given cameras to go around the school and have some fun with. They shot stills and video and some of the video was used in the making of the final project. This group lives at the school and we had classes on weekends as well by their request.
Among the kids living in the Hostel was Thu Thu Wii (Chico). Chico is in a wheelchair and is an exceptional guitar player for a fifteen year-old. He has a five-year-old guitar that he has literally worn out. The first thing we did was change the strings. After seeing what kind of shape the guitar was in, we took the guitar to a local guitar luthier. I found one that replaced four frets and put in a new nut in 24 hours for $4. WOW.
Groovy guitar
Even with the repairs, the guitar was still in pretty rough shape. Chico had actually worn grooves into the fingerboard of the guitar. The starter guitar given to him by a donor had played its part. It must have been only a few days after getting the guitar repaired that an email came in from Canada informing me that a fellow film technician back in Canada had made a donation. It was a sum that enabled me to leave Chico with something that he had truly earned and will take his playing to the next level. It was an thrill to be able to pass that along. Thank you very much Mr. M.
New guitar
In addition to this instrument, another was purchased for Atone. Atone got up and played a song in my first class that was brilliant. She had the students singing along with her and I found out later that Chico had taught her to play. They had been sharing his old guitar.
I worked with a group of grade nine students as well and after assessing that Justin Bieber was the local hero we set to work on a pop/dance number called ‘High Hopes and Class’. This was my first experience with dance choreography and though it was very basic it was a lot of fun for everyone. They laughed hard at my Jim Carry version of Michael Jackson.
I met a lot of great people at Phaung Daw Oo and would like to thank the teachers that helped me choose kids and get started there. The people of Myanmar are as warm as everyone says and I wish them a future that is brighter in all aspects.
There are photos in the Gallery and of course the videos in the video section as well.
I would like to thank those that feel the program has value and have shown so through the personal donations that made this trip possible. The paper work and legalities are now in my hands to make the program a registered charity in Canada. The biggest block to that right now seems to be my own questioning of the future of the program. To all who helped it come this far I share with you something I heard from a student from Golden House at Phaung Daw Oo as he walked me to the gate to say goodbye - "I will remember you - always".
CANADA
December 16/2010
A big thanks to everyone who is on board for the 2011 program(s). We are running on a very small budget this coming year and are committed to making the most of what we have. Please check back in the spring to see what the kids have created this time.
November 25th/2010
'Just Dance' has chosen MSI to be a fundraising recipient for 2011. I would like to say thank you to Ellen and Abheeru for taking the time to understand what is going on with MSI and for future support when it's so needed. If you like dancing just for dancing sake and are weary of the bar scene check out this scene in Vancouver. http://www.justdance.ca/
October 16/2010
The MSI Nepal DVD's are in and they look great.
I am going to be selling the new DVD's on the set of 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2' as well as any other shows I am working on this fall in Vancouver.
A very special thank you to Shane at RS Plastic Corp for the lovely display case Ian Gariepy designed and built with his help. http://rsplasticorp.com/
Calgary lawyer Allan Nielson is working on getting MSI registered in Canada now. A name search has been done and everything is a go so far. The process takes time so I don't think i will be able to issue receipts for this years fund raising.
THAILAND
March 15th/2010
Leaving Moo Baan Dek
It was sad to say goodbye at Moo Baan Dek today. I want to return for a longer stay. I met so many great people; those living there and those passing through. The best way to describe what Khun Rajani has created is, 'a space of love'. This little world in the forest deserves all the support it gets.
The kids reached me on many levels and I hope I reached them as deeply. We swam, sang, danced, took photos, shot video, and even had kittens.
The kid's song 'Cheewidt' is a hit in the children's village. Special thanks to my translator Khun Ot 2 and my co-composer Khun Ot 1 (different people, same name). Without your help this would not have been possible. Best of luck to Ot 1 as he leaves the forest for Abu Dhabi.
Thank you Khun Rajani for your gracious hospitality and for allowing me to connect here.
During my stay I met two teachers from Phuang Dow Oo school in Mandalay and have been invited to take MSI there. I hope this will be possible in the future. Phuang Dow Oo is bulging at the seams with survivors of the cyclone that hit the region to the south several years ago. Phuang Dow Oo is a non-govt. school run by a Buddhist monk. Please help me take the program to the kids there with a donation of any amount.
Last summer various fund raising efforts and unexpected resources allowed the program to run for three months this year. I am grateful for everyone who came to the assistance of the program. I currently do not take a wage while I run the program. All donations go towards covering expenses.
My application has been accepted with the Alberta Volunteers Lawyers Assoc. and I am waiting to be paired with someone in the hopes that they can help MSI get registered as a charity this year so the fund raising path can become wider and smoother.
Feb 18th/2010
Yesterday we went over the first version of their song. It's Called Cheewit (Life) and it's about taking care of each other no matter what life brings. Next week we will record the music and vocals and the following week we'll head out with the camera and a guitar and shoot some video. During this program I am giving the cameras to the kids to see what they come up with. Each class they take turns shooting video and stills and each night I review the footage and put the cream on the pile for editing later.
Kids teaching kids
English teaching seems to be best taught on the fly and not in a 'sit at your desk and memorize' fashion. I am learning as much Thai as the kids are learning English so it's a good trade off.
The river seems to be where the action is and everyday I try to make it down for one of the sessions. The water is just the right temp and the dock is fantastic for jumping and diving from. I keep forgetting to take my camera. I'm sure there will be some footage in the music video.
Thanks for reading. Stay tuned for the first ever Thai song from MSI.
If you want to keep informed please use the RSS feature on the site. If you click the orange square the rest should be self explanatory.
The music room
Feb 4th/2010
Moo Baan Dek Children's Village - Thailand
As Clown Eckies truck entered the forest at Moo Baan Dek it was obvious to me that I had reached someplace special. We were on our way to Bangkok from Sangklaburi and I had convinced Eddie http://gohappiness.org/ to stop so we could see this alternative school/orphanage that has been a haven for so many since it's formation in 1979.
37 KM's from Kanchanaburi (Bridge over River Kwai and Death Railway fame) on the river Kwae, Moo Baan Dek seemed kind of calm and serene for a place with 150 children. We followed the winding dirt road past the football field, volleyball court, houses and classrooms looking for someone named Khun Rajani (Mae Ow). Eddie stopped at what we guessed was the office and there she was standing out front with a smile that made me feel like I was home from a long journey.
Mae Ow was kind enough to offer me a quick tour and explanation of Moo Baan Dek (see link above). The children are younger than what I am used to working with and they don't speak English. Attendance to morning classes and afternoon workshops is optional. At first it seemed a bit daunting but her energy and the beauty of this place she has created is magnetic. By the time I got back to the truck I had committed myself, telling her I would return in a few weeks. Life is a river.
Khun Nak
Khun Kaihin
Writing Lyrics
December 3/09
Baan Dada - Sangklaburi Thailand
After being held up in Bangkok getting the video camera and computer fixed, we finally arrived in Sangklaburi yesterday morning and took a Songteaw (truck) to Baan Dada near the Three Pagoda Pass. The original plan of Whispering Seeds Orphanage has been changed slightly as Baan Dada is a larger facility in the same area. There are 60 kids here and for the first time in MSI history I will be working with a real band (The Lazy Monkeys). They'll be writing their first original composition and the rest of the music students here will write the lyrics for it. Stay tuned for the video that will showcase this exceptional facility. Click on the link if you want to see more. www.baandada.org
In the day the pre-schoolers are going to be learning english via sing-a-longs. At night I am with the Lazy Monkeys teaching singing, lyric writing and songwriting. They are learning to use Garage Band and should be able to start recording their own material in a few weeks. There are 15 music students all together and a dozen pre-schoolers.
The food is fantastic and the mosquitos are being kept at bay by the cool nights here in the hills. There are 8 volunteers and everyone seems really happy. If you are looking for a shot of happiness and a change of scenery consider a volunteer stint here.
Thanks again to everyone who made this trip possible this winter.
Showing off the pups
Dec 14/09
Heading for Kanchanaburi with the band...
This trip is about mentoring as well as songwriting. After traveling with the band to their gigs in Kanchanaburi this weekend to help them raise funds for their current and future music education, it became apparent that my experience being in a touring rock band back in the 80's is going to be very useful. The band has no original material at this point but their first song is almost finished and this week we will be reviewing the video I made of the live performance, fixing the issues with the current material, learning new material and finishing the first original song. Next week we will record the song and have the smaller kids singing background vocals on it. The band returns to Kanchanaburi on the 23rd for another gig with a some smaller ones doing a Traditional Karen Dance show.
Dec 27th/2009
Christmas at Baan Dada
Gift opening
The big day has come and gone. Christmas at an orphanage is like nothing I have ever experienced. We had pizza, home made mango ice cream, traditional Karen dancing, a few songs from the band and then gift opening. Lots of volunteers showed up from Bangkok and Japan with donation monies they had raised this year and gifts for the kids. Thanks GOMAD (Go make a difference) and others.
We took the band to Kanchanaburi for a Christmas Eve show complete with dancers and last night they played in Sangklaburi at a popular guesthouse there. We are getting a PA system ready for a New Years Gig next.
P Guesthouse Gig
Ann from Belgium worked really hard this month teaching Christmas carols to some of the kids. The response was lovely from the people in Huay La Mai (the closest village). She's a tireless ball of positive energy and the kids miss her already. Everyone hopes she makes it back soon.
Caroling
Tonight there is a class on 'live performance techniques/do's and don'ts to help the band become more professional sounding/looking. Later in the week (after their exams), we will review the songwriting process and get them rolling on another song before I leave.
The bands song 'We are Family' is finished and except for a lead solo from Tirat (Johnny) before I can start mixing it with the video that we are shooting bits of everyday with all the kids here. Everyone that wanted to sang tracks on the song (there will be around twenty vocalists) so it's going to be a blast to mix this week and teach the band how to do that on their computer.
Lyric writing
Songwriting
I hope to have the video uploaded in a week or so. Hope you can tune in. Merry Christmas to everyone and Happy New Year.
Jan. 9/2010
Happy New Year. This is the last post for Baan Dada. You can read about it in the projects section. India is a bust next month as the schools had to close due to cold in January and that set exams into my time frame. I am staying put in Thailand and have a few ideas for locations for February. Thanks again everyone for helping. I learned so much. Baan Dada was like no other experience I have had.
CANADA
October 17th/09
Hi everyone. I have been back in Canada raising funds for MSI.
This year I am excited to be running ESL classes that will have a music based approach to them. I hope as well to be part of a natural building project in Thailand at Whispering Seeds where we will erect an adobe house along with other permaculture projects.
I just finished working on the new soon to be blockbuster film, 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid', a film by 20th Century Fox based on the best selling series of books by Jeff Kinney. The author and actors signed a few editions to be auctioned on EBAY to help raise money for this winters programs. I posted the first one tonight. If you want to know when the others will be auctioned just ask me through the contact page. I will be holding several copies for the release of the film in April 2010.
NEPAL
Feb 8th/09
Kathmandu
Roots N Shoots founder Jane Goodall in Kathmandu at the Peace Mantra performance of 'Bring Back Peace', the very first MSI project
Much has happened since the inception of MSI back in 2007. The program has been well received and has exceeded everyone's expectations. I am grateful and determined in 2009 to see us to the next level whatever that may take. 'Bring Back Peace-kids helping kids' is a dream that will manifest itself in the coming year as I try to get sponsorship from airlines, hotels and private sources to take Peace Mantra's song to a greater level with voices from kids in Gaza, Israel, Sri Lanka, Iraq, Afghanistan and the USA. It is hoped that some exposure of the new video on the internet will create more funding for the program and help to build the things needed to help children in these war torn areas.
Meanwhile in Kathmandu we are set to go to the Bhutanese Refugee camps tomorrow. We had a great meeting with the UNHCR here and everyone is pumped to see what happens as we go to a deeper level with our programs. The camps have been going for 17 years. Working with kids in public and boarding schools has been a great experience but I want to go further now and the people at UNHCR and SACF have opened a new door that I am extremely excited about traveling through.
(Circus)Steve and I are planning on taking our 'drive by' shows to the terminally ill kids in the camps and I hope to be able to involve a group of them in a song writing program while we are there. We'll be staying in Damak in the S.E. corner of Nepal.
In other exciting news, Peace Mantra performed their hit 'Bring Back Peace' (which is getting regular airplay in KTM) for Dr. Jane Goodall while she was here meeting with her Roots and Shoots youth group at SMD school. She is gift to us all and we love her.
Feb 20th/09
Damak
With the help of CARITAS, UNHCR and SACF, we have been working in the Bhutanese refugee camp Beldangi 1 with the students at Greenvale Extension 2. If you want to know where we are geographically; Google Earth Damak, Nepal.
24 songwriters between the ages of 12 and 17 were chosen based on their academic achievements in English. A short assignment revealed that their favorite person in the world is their Mother and the reason is the love that they receive from her. When asked what the subject of their song should be, 90% wrote LOVE on their ballot and so we began writing the first song for the band that has named itself-'Mantra'.
There is no electrical power in the camps but the kids do have battery operated radios that pick up a little Avril Lavigne and Bob Marley from the Damak station. They love to sing and we start each class with the Bhutanese National Anthem.
Electricity outside the camps is in short supply (2-4 hour blocks per day) and the electrical that does come is too low a voltage to use with most of my audio/video gear. After having blown up my computers power adapter I now am using a surge protector and the generator at the IOM compound. Thanks IOM!
Aside from the usual music program we are doing shows and workshops at the DisABILITY and Youth Friendly Centers located in each camp. With some of the money that Peter Graham raised in West Vancouver we have bought some hand puppets from Kathmandu and stuffed bears from Damak to hand out to some of the less fortunate kids.
As there are no permanent structures allowed here, the classrooms are made of thin bamboo (we have one with desks!); most of the classrooms have nothing but a small chalkboard hanging in them.
Steve's circus class is outside and the biggest challenge is to keep the other kids far enough away so that they don't disturb the learning process. When we leave the schoolyard there are hundreds of kids crowding the van wanting a song, a balloon or a magic trick.
Resettlement is an option for the refugees and some western countries are taking in the refugees as quickly as they can be processed. Some of our time is spent at the IOM orientation classes, answering questions that the Bhutanese have about North America.
Feb 24th/09
Timai Camp
We drove out to the furthest camp today (Timai) and worked with the folks at the DisABLED center there. A visually impaired woman played Harmonium and sang beautifully. Jamming along with Indian/Nepali timings is tricky stuff. After we went outside the center and some of the locals stepped up and played guitar with me.
Steve wowed them with some juggling and unicycle riding...
FEB 28th/09
Beldangi camps 2 and 3
On the return flight to Bangkok last year I bit something hard during my in flight meal and broke a tooth. The replacement I lovingly refer to as, 'The Bangkok Post' fell out so yesterday I got to experience Nepali Dentistry. My new dentist in Damak at the Ohm Shanti Dental hospital rocks. He gave me a discount on what was already a fairly reasonable charge. (400 rupees to put the tooth back in-that's $5 US dollars/with a bottle of antiseptic mouthwash to boot). The best part was, he had to work by flashlight as the power was out. A beautiful Tibetan lighting/dental technician focused her flashlight dutifully as he filled my mouth with cotton balls to use in place of the usual suction device and then went to it.
The rivers are DRY here. Every river we have passed on the road is dry or down to a trickle and that means very little Hydro power for Nepal. Massive river beds reduced to rock beds. Things have never been this bad my dentist said.
We were blessed to have Len from Seattle video our shows yesterday but he has to mail me a copy of the tape from Seattle to Calgary when he gets home so below are a few pictures from what was a hilarious two days of drive by shows at Beldangi 2 and 3 youth and disabled centers.
Next week I will have my regular students back and we will continue writing 'We are Love' and rehearsing it for our March 21st performance on the football pitch at Beldangi 1. The music tracks are in production for the song and I think it's going to be the best one yet.
March 14th/09-Beldangi 1
BEFORE...
Due to the transportation strike being in its ? day and in our desperation to get to the camps to continue the programs; we took a rickshaw and a bicycle for the journey to see which would be more appropriate to use for the final two weeks. On the way out of the camp the driver took a very narrow bridge and the left wheel never quite made it. We rolled the cyclo into the ditch and onto it's side. I landed on the guitar and my driver. As I got myself up amongst the 50-100 screaming and laughing children that had been chasing us out as usual, I realized my guitar had taken a hit. On inspection the neck has split and become separated from the main body. Luckily myself nor the driver were seriously hurt. We are going to try and purchase two used bicycles tomorrow to get to the camp and complete the programs. We'll be learning how to sing acapella tomorrow. There's no guitar store here and the transport strike continues. Keep those miracles coming please.
AFTER...
Thank you whoever you are that dropped a guitar off at the UNHCR today...we will meet again soon. The bike is fun and strike proof. The kids didn't learn about acapella singing today after all.
March 31
09 Kathmandu
Much has happened since the last update. We concluded our program and the result was a lovely video and song called 'Hami Saboi Maya' (We All Love). The transport/road closures were finally stopped by the military but I kept riding the bike to school everyday. A fire destroyed 400 huts in Beldangi 2 camps and we did a show for the kids there before we left. The guitar is being repaired in Kathmandu today and I hope it is alive and well when I pick it up tomorrow morning before our flight to Bangkok.
I will miss the wonderful students and people of the Refugee Camps and hope to return one day. This summer I will be hooking up with some of them in my hometown of Calgary to do some video interviews that will help the people back in the camps make decisions about resettlement. I hope you enjoy the new song/video as much as we did making it. I think you'll be able to feel the joy that emanates from everyone as you watch it. Thank you to everyone who made this possible and to everyone who continues to support my dream of Music Seeds International.
At this time there are not enough funds to run the program again. If you can help please do. My overhead is quite low and you should know that your money is being spent 100% on the program. I am a one man team with a dream. Many small notes can make a big sound.
Addendum to the guitar situation:
I have landed back in Bangkok and after putting some new strings on and letting the neck settle I am happy to report that the guitar is playable again. Thanks to the luthier at Dolphin music for your efforts. Fast, cheap and good. I never thought it was still possible to achieve those three things all at onceBIn 1998 I had no way of knowing that 16 years later I would be writing songs in Indonesian with 32 children across this volcanic crater lake on the other slope of this mountain.Than
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1NTw7iiT3bgqE6iZItOg9UUbFjp4&usp=sharingsdfd