Members of the multi-NAMMY award winning blues rock band Blue Mount Tribe is graciously stepping in to assist us as beta testers. The four members of this rockin band will take a look at our Phase II North American Indigenous Music Project’s online content, learning and collaboration experience and give us their thoughts on what is working and where there might be opportunities for improvement.
Please check out their recent song, ‘Children On the Rez,‘ which was written to bring attention to the tragic suicide rate of Native American youth who live on Reservations.
Impact On Our Phase II North American Indigenous Music Project
Greetings and good wishes, friends. First and foremost, I hope you and your loved ones are staying well! I have been on this planet for a few decades, and have never seen anything like the psychological upheaval we as human beings are faced with as a result of COVID-19.
I do find it interesting. The virus knows no boundaries. It doesn’t matter what religion you practice, what your political leanings are, your gender affiliation, or what your cultural heritage is. The virus is not prejudice. It is a reminder that we are all inter-connected and dependent on being mindful, respectful, and kind to each other.
It is kind of nuts, but Global Z is uniquely qualified to conduct business as usual. To a degree. We are designed to do practically everything virtually, so the need to work from home has limited impact on our ability to progress with our mission. However, as discussed in a recent episode of From A To Global Z, we are dependent on the contributions of others.
There are three main things we need to wrap up this Spring. First, we are working with the fine folks at the University of New Mexico’ Organization, Information and Learning Sciences to conduct a couple of focus groups for us. We were hoping to conduct two focus groups with the assistance of Indigenous student musicians. With many schools across the country under precautionary orders to close, this is having an impact on our ability to progress with the focus groups. Certainly this is no fault of the wonderful team at UNM OILS, and we truly appreciate their contributions.
Next, the George Mason University School of Law’s Arts and Entertainment Clinic has had a team of student attorneys working diligently to provide us with music industry-related contracts for use in our Phase II project. I have spoken with their program Director, and they are on schedule to deliver the agreements by end of the semester.
Lastly, I have been busy applying for foundation grants to fund Phase II. We have yet to meet our budget, and I am unsure how COVID will impact the ability of foundations to conduct business as usual, but I will continue to crank out the applications to try and get us funded, up and running by Fall 2020.
In the meantime, in the words of Bill and Ted, be excellent to each other. I wish you the best of health, peace and happiness.
Be Excellent To Each Other
I can’t help myself. Whenever I find myself in times that strain the character of human kind, I default to one profound statement – “Be excellent to each other.” Under stress, it can be a challenge. Now, for those of you who aren’t familiar with this phrase, it was one of the take-away lessons teed up by the comedy classic, “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.” I know the movie is a bit hokey. It’s a totally goofy comedy, but man, they nailed it. Please honor our first responders, healthcare providers, and others who put themselves on the front-line as we cope with COVID-19. Stay home as much as possible. Let’s do our best to be respectful and kind. In a nutshell, please be excellent to each other.
Episode 11 – How To Host Music Lessons Virtually
There are times – such as these- when it might be extremely beneficial to be able to effectively host music lessons virtually. Having this capability expands opportunities to stay connected with current students, and extends your reach for your ability to work with other student musicians on a global scale. This episode explains the design processes involved and defines the technical stuff you need to have in place to do just that. For ‘Mic Talk Time,’ the CAD 2600GXL USB mic is taken for a spin.
From A To Global Z Episode 10 – It Takes a Village
It takes a village to make Global Z work. We can’t do what we do without the generous contribution of time, expertise, and resources – both human resources and financial. This Episode reviews several key partnerships established over the years and how vital they are to our mission. For Mic Talk Time, take a listen to the crazy cheap but respectable Monoprice 600020 dynamic microphone!