Global Z is a Client of GMU’s Arts and Entertainment Advocacy Clinic

This fall has been highly productive for Global Z. We are truly excited to announce our organization has been selected as a client of the Arts and Entertainment Advocacy Clinic of George Mason University School of Law. As an organization who produces original music, it is imperative to have contracts in place that define the music ownership rights of Global Z, our musicians, producer and audio engineer. GMU’s clinic will assist us in generating contracts that address these crucial needs. This is a very big deal for us. We are grateful to the law students of the clinic, their Director, Sandra Aistars, and the faculty for the support they provide!


Graduate Intern From American University SIS Working With Global Z

We are incredibly fortunate to continue building on the new partnership developed this summer with American University’s top-ranked School of International Service (SIS).

https://www.american.edu/sis/

Last week, I met with our talented and knowledgeable graduate student intern from SIS. She is working with us to formulate a strategy on how we can most effectively move our mission forward.

She brings impressive experience and skills to our organization. I am excited about some of the observations and preliminary ideas she has already presented and look forward to developing an action plan with which we position Global Z for future success!

University of New Mexico OILS Program and Global Z

Once again, we have the honor of working with a talented team of graduate students from the University of New Mexico Organization, Information and Learning Sciences (OILS) Program.

https://oils.unm.edu/

Under the guidance of Dr. Damien Sanchez, the student team will be collaborating with Distinguished Professor Emeritus from Louisiana State University and current adjunct professor with the University of Texas at Dallas, Dr. James Honeycutt, to create content for our Phase II Project Learning Management System.

In a nutshell, during our Phase II North America Native Music Project, our exceptional student musicians from different locales across the US and Canada will not only be creating commercial quality original music virtually, they will also build inter-cultural/inter-tribal friendships. The content developed by the OILS student team with Dr. Honeycutt will go a long way with meeting this cultural sharing and personal bonding experience!

Be sure to check back in about ten days – I have more exciting news to share!

Student Internship Underway: Academy for the Fine Arts

Fall Semester 2019 is underway, and this means partnerships and student interns! We have an amazing group of schools we are working with this Fall.

We have begun working with a student intern from the Academy for the Fine Arts, Frederick County Public Schools:

https://education.fcps.org/aca/home

Our student is working on a couple of cool tasks for us. First, as our Phase II Project is geared toward recording Native American students across the US and Canada, we are seeking to anticipate what microphones might be well suited to ship to our Phase II musicians who play a specific instrument. Our intern is recording a bunch of instruments with our mics to help us discover what the mics’ characteristics are and how they might best be utilized during Phase II.

Next, he will be recording in a public school environment, and tasked with finding ways to sound treat common school spaces for recording with readily available materials. Think of it as a way to create a mobile recording studio on the cheap.

We look forward to discovering what he uncovers!

A Community Thrives Fundraiser Complete

We were thrilled to be selected to participate in USA Today’s ‘A Community Thrives’ fundraising campaign. The campaign has come to a close, and we wish to express our gratitude to those who contributed $375.00 to this fundraiser.

While we did not reach our fundraising goal, our participation in such an event was a tremendous opportunity for us to get our name and mission out to the greater public. In addition, we gained experience with what is required to participate in a crowd-fundraising campaign.

Certainly, the $375 is greatly appreciated and will be put to good use as we move forward with new ideas and strategies to generate the necessary funds to launch and maintain our global projects! With thanks.

Global Z Accepted in USA Today’s ‘A Community Thrives Challenge’

The Global Z Recording Project has been accepted to participate in USA Today’s ‘A Community Thrives’ Fundraising Challenge! Through the challenge, our goal is to raise $60,000 with which we will run our Phase II Project.

https://www.crowdrise.com/o/en/campaign/global-z-recording-project-maryland

Our North America Native Music Project is quite humbling.

One out of three Native youth live in poverty and suffer from a wide range of personal, socio-cultural challenges including single motherhood, teen pregnancy, sexual abuse, and substance abuse, joblessness, failing educational systems, inadequate healthcare, violence against women and children, and an epidemic of youth suicide in Native communities.

Music plays a spiritual and healing role in the Native cultures. You can see the potential impact we might have by taking this Project to youth who are truly in need.

Help us purchase and provide audio production and video equipment to the Native musicians via donation. This Project will shine a spotlight on incredibly talented Native student musicians across the US and Canada. With your help. we can provide them with a chance to create cross-Tribal friendships, create an extended support network, provide a source of healing, and give them a way to have a public voice and be acknowledged for their musical expertise. You can help instill a sense of pride and value.

Please spread the word about our challenge and the good work we are doing so that others may learn about Global Z, and, so we might expand our range of potential donors.

Announcing Our Phase II North America Native Music Project

Our 2019 Phase II North America Native Music Project takes the power of virtual audio production to Tribal reservations and Native American Tribal communities across North America! Pivoting off of lessons learned from our Phase I Proof of Concept Project, we are opening up participation to all Native student musicians enrolled in a school that focuses or has a history of serving Native American communities.

There is much more to announce, so stay tuned!

Our First Virtual, Synchronous, Student-Based Audio Production Project is an Unequivocal Success!

What happens when you recruit 34 student musicians who vary in age from middle school to graduate school, live across Maryland and Colorado at various locales, and you decide to record them virtually in real-time to produce a commercial-quality original song? You get The Global Z Recording Project’s Phase I Proof of Concept Project.

Global Z is designed to do two primary things. We bring together student musicians from intentionally different backgrounds and – through the music production process – they make new friends while exploring differences in cultures. We promote civility & democratic processes, celebrate diversity, and teach peace-mindedness. We also create exceptional original music.

Phase I tested our technical models. This was not an easy project with numerous steep learning curves. But, everyone involved believed in what we are doing and was excited to be participating. And, everyone was patient while the production team worked out the bugs. We are thrilled with the end result and hope you enjoy, ‘Come Home.’

Many thanks to all who contributed to this incredible success.

Please get in touch if you would like to sponsor or help fund Phase II.

Exciting New Partnership – Todd Rundgren’s Spirit of Harmony Foundation!

The Global Z Recording Project is honored to be working with Todd Rundgren’s Spirit of Harmony Foundation (SOHF)! Todd is an incredible visionary, musician, talent, and a positive force in the field of music. My personal thanks to Jean and Ed at SOHF for the kindness and interest they have extended in working with Global Z. SOHF is doing some incredible work. We are excited to explore how our shared love of music and collaborative energies contribute to benefits we will be able to provide to our future exceptional student artists!