Music Communities Make a Difference
This Meeting's Highlights
Speaker: Nathan Gildart
Program: Music Communities Make a Difference
Meeting for the week of July 20th to 26th, 2015
Greetings
Welcome
from President Rushton Hurley
Perhaps you're not, at the moment, trying to keep up with the Greek debt crisis, or the ramifications of Iranian nuclear negotiations, or tracking the dozens of entrants into the U.S. presidential candidate field - sixteen months ahead of the election.Perhaps, instead, you're looking to take about forty-five minutes and hear about the good people are choosing to do for others through Rotary and our eclub.If so, you're in the right place. Welcome!This week we'll look at music, the cosmos, and more, as well as celebrate our collection of exceedingly hip and cool members at a potluck. How much better could life be?Guests, we welcome your comments, and ask that you consider contributing the cost of a regular Rotary meal to the efforts of our club. Feel free to use an option below, or you can mail a check made out to the Rotary eClub of Silicon Valley to our treasurer:
℅ Allen Thompson, 13500 Cascade Ct., Bakersfield CA 93314.
Send via our secure Happy Dollars form.
Send via Google Wallet to: ecsv.rotary@gmail.com
Send via PayPal to: ecsv.rotary@gmail.comTo pay via Google Wallet or PayPal, you'll need to log in to your account with those companies.
Dues Reminder
If you haven't paid your dues, make sure to do so! You can contact Treasurer Allen with questions (treasurer@siliconvalleyrotary.com), or go to the dues page and get that handled.
Star Party
Last week, we were all treated to the most detailed pictures of Pluto anyone has ever seen. In this video, an astronomer decides he can share the beauty of the universe with others using a video conferencing tool (in this case, Google+ Hangouts, the same tool we use to record the programs for our meetings). I don't remember who first showed this to me, but it may well have been member Lisa Highfill, who regularly inspires teachers near and far.So, for all of our members and guests generally, and for Lisa specifically, and let's toss in anyone who wants to find ways to make technology do something that builds goodwill and better friendships, here's Fraser Cain's Virtual Star Party:
Keep imagining what can be!
The Power of Images
from Camera Czar Keith Marsh
"This photo of Mt McKinley (Denali National Park & Preserve in Alaska) was taken on a trip last summer. It is rare to see the mountain top because of the cloud cover. We were there for three days and this view lasted for about 30 minutes. It was worth the trip."
Happenings
Happy Birthday!
And in the Hath Hell Frozen Over? department, I'm happy to send out a happy birthday - ahead of the actual day! Score. One of our two newest members, Paul Mosso, has his birthday this Saturday, the 25th. Hopefully he'll celebrate part of it by joining in on the potluck (see below)! Paul, since it's your birthday, there's no need to bring anything. The rest of us will provide.
Male pub vocals » Cheering and Whistle
by RoivasUGO from FreeSound.orgCreative Commons Attribution license
What We Do
Potluck Time
This Saturday from 1:00 to 4:00, we'll gather at President Rushton's home in Santa Clara for a potluck. If you haven't RSVP'd to his email, send him a note (president@siliconvalleyrotary.com) to let him know if you're in. We hope to see you there!
C'est Bon!
Treasurer Allen continues his tour through the Land of Working Health Care. In the picture below, Allen is on the left, PR Chair Chris in the hat is behind him, one of our newest members François Tessier is forward right, and they are joined by Claude LaLiberté (Rotary District 7040 Governor) in the upper right. Claude, we hope that in meeting these seriously fun guys, you're sharing our site as a makeup opportunity with everyone in 7040!
The World of Rotary
How do Rotary clubs on different sides of the world find ways to work together? In this post on the Rotary blog, a Rotarian in India talks about how his club and a partner club in California have together supported a school for the poor, another for the deaf and mute, and a series of water projects that truly is beneficial to all concerned and has built better friendships.A Beautiful Partnership of Service through Rotary
Service Time
You made someone's life better this week, didn't you? If so, tell us about it in our Service Survey, and inspire the group with info about how they can help others!
Happy Dollars
Each week, we ask our members to tell us about the good things happening to them and those they know, or what they have heard that they're excited about, or something going on that inspires them. For you, perhaps it is that last week (on July 13th) was the 30th anniversary of the Live Aid concerts. If that or anything else rocks your world in a happy way, toss in a dollar or two and let us know about it!
from member Linda Tangren ($15) Happy Anniversary to Rushton and Tabitha! Also, a belated Happy Birthday, Rushton!
from member Chris Cochrane ($20)Our pleasure hosting Allen Thompson and his wife in The 1000 Islands, Ontario and upstate NY.
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Sharings
The Tidbit
from member Lisa Highfill – Search Using Google Maps
Next in Lisa’s Travel Tips Tidbits, we’ll take a look at some of the cool ways of doing searches within Google Maps. Very cool!
A Little Humor
submitted by taocpa to reddit.com
A man was terribly overweight, so his doctor put him on a diet.
“I want you to eat regularly for 2 days, then skip a day, and repeat this procedure for 2 weeks. The next time I see you, you’ll have lost at least 5 pounds.”
When the man returned, he shocked the doctor by losing nearly 20 pounds.
“Why, that’s amazing!” the doctor said, “Did you follow my instructions?”
The man nodded. “I’ll tell you, though, I thought I was going to drop dead that 3rd day.”
“From hunger, you mean?”
“No, from skipping.”
Selected Comments from Last Week
Each week we ask our members and guests to share their thoughts on the program, and even respond to each other’s comments. Using the Disqus system at the bottom of the page to share your thoughts. You can log in using a Disqus account you create, you can also use your Facebook, Twitter, or Google accounts – just click the drop-down arrow next to “Login” on the right side of that section.
Last week’s meeting with the program from Richard Knaggs in Cape Town about his school, Parklands, yielded all sorts of cool thoughts. Here’s a sampling:
member Linda Tangren (California, USA)
Richard, I loved how you incorporate learning, fundraising and community service into education. I look forward to viewing the completed project with Habitat for Humanity.
member François Tessier (Québec, Canada)
So much to say about this week’s program! 1- Happy belated birthday, Rushton!! 2- Richard: your presentation is very inspiring: Project-based learning / experiential learning is really the future of education: congratulations for this fantastic project. 3- I was a-m-a-z-e-d to view the video of president Ravi Ravindran of Sri Lanka. Thank you for this week’s rich program!
member Rushton Hurley (California, USA)
Richard, it’s great to see what your students are making happen. Inspiring stuff! Keith, that picture is wonderful – I love that it was essentially an accident. That speaks to a beauty in the random nature of our lives and interests. The important part, of course, is that you were prepared for the moment. Lisa, this is a great tidbit. I hope we’ll have the opportunity to get someone involved in technology-infused geography efforts to speak to the club at some point!
member Chris Cochrane (Ontario, Canada)
Keith I love the photo. Richard, looking forward to interacting with your learners and helping them move to the next level in video creation. Great basic video skills demonstrated with the music video in the link. I believe it’ll be a pleasure to assist your learners! Plus my wife and I are honoured to host Allen Thompson and his wife in paradise,The 1000 Islands in Ontario, Canada and upstate NY.
member Keith Marsh (California, USA)
Richard, Thanks for sharing your program. Another good Tidbit from Lisa. Glad to see Allen and Chris making contact in Canada. We are an international group.
guest Tom Baxter (Alabama, USA)
Enjoyed the presentation. I am excited for your club. I will visit back.
This Week’s Program
This week’s speaker is Nate Gildart, a teacher and musician based in Tokyo, Japan. Following the 2011 earthquake in Tohoku Japan, along with volunteering in several affected communities, Gildart wanted to find other methods to help. Upon receiving support from What The Dickens pub in Tokyo, Gildart recruited eight local indie bands and artists to put on a music fundraiser called ‘Musicians for Earthquake and Tsunami Relief’. Three similar shows followed, and a close friend, Wouter Laleman, suggested bringing international school faculty bands together for a fundraising series called ‘Teachers for Tohoku’, resulting in more fundraising shows.
Gildart was already a volunteer for TELL, a Japan-based suicide prevention lifeline and counseling non-profit organization, and was approached to produce a similar music-based awareness- and fund-raising event. The aim was to reach a new demographic, in addition to attracting new financial help. This evolved into a regular series and has included more than 50 indie artists in the Kanto area of Japan. Local artists have raised funds for another of Gildart’s projects, collaborating with Shelley Bearse of Technokids Japan, to bring technology and music for community healing in Tohoku communities still recovering from the 2011 tsunami disaster. Many of these bands have their own service projects in addition to supporting TELL, emphasizing the caring and genuine nature of Tokyo’s indie music community.
Gildart is a social studies/history teacher and technology coach at an international school in Tokyo. Professionally, his passions include encouraging young people to explore the connections between the past and present, bringing technology into the classroom (and wider school community) to enhance learning, and coaching soccer. Following his M.Ed. studies and hanging up his own soccer boots, Gildart shifted his focus to his other passion: music. In 2009 he started an alternative band called The Complaints Department, performing and playing live around the Tokyo area. Members have changed over time, but the relationship with other artists in Tokyo has continued to grow, and through this giving community Gildart has either led or participated in a wide range of music-based fundraisers.
Learn more:
Band Night for TELL
Technokids Japan in Tohoku
Walking Hand in Hand
I Attended!
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Mahmood Khan Nate, Thank you for sharing the Tokyo music scene and the way to help the community – suicide and English speaking Japanese Life Line. Awesome.
Nathan Gildart Cheers Mahmood! TELL has opened an office in Kobe so we’ve been trying to make music connections in central Japan to get the word out in the Kansai region.
Manju Ramachandran Thank you for sharing. I didn’t realize that 65% of the calls were Japanese. That’s surprising! Thank you for spearheading music as a way for healing bringing the community together.
Nathan Gildart Hi Manju. It’s a statistic that surprises most people – you can see it on the faces of the audience. The faster pace of globalization has increased the number of English speakers in Japan. (including non-native speakers from around the world) There was a lot going on before I came onto the scene, no doubt, but it’s nice to put more meaning into what we do. Thank you for the comment!
Rushton Hurley I’m a great believer in the power of music, and love having Nate’s message about what musicians are making happen in Tokyo. Lisa, great tidbit, again!
Nathan Gildart Thank you again Rushton for the opportunity and time! I did have a chance to chat with my Rotarian uncle and will get in touch with you soon via private message.
Jeffrey Allen I just wanted to comment on what a great idea this club is.
Nathan Gildart I agree.
François Tessier Dear Nate, to an allegory, I would say: “You rock”! Wow: the power of music in illimited! Congratulation for this great work and for the inspiration.
Hello Francois. Cheers for the support. There’s a lot of good going on in Tokyo!
François Tessier
Enjoy the good vibes!!!
Nathan Gildart
Cheers! You’re in Montreal! Our band web site is run through Montreal’s Bandzoogle. I’ll flip through your site!
François Tessier
Oh yes! I live in Montreal!! I am a digital media producer and a Energy Healing Therapist!
Nathan Gildart
Excellent! I’ll look you up when my wife and I eventually get to Montreal.
Keith Marsh Love the Star Party and Google Maps idea by Lisa. Nate, thanks for your program and look forward to hearing the music.
Nathan Gildart Thank you so much for taking the time Keith!
Chris Cochrane Looking foward to hearing the music !
Nathan Gildart Cheers Chris! We hope you like it!
Andrew Taw Happy Birthday Paul! And cool Tidbit Lisa! And thank you for a great presentation Nate!
Nathan Gildart Thank you Andrew!
ShagsCA Enjoyed it all!
Nathan Gildart Cheers Shags. Pleasure meeting you earlier today.
Martin Fox Star party opened my eyes on multiple levels of what’s possible. Keith, your Denali shot of the summit was indeed rare and awesome. Go Allen for getting to play with Team Canada. Great tidbit Lisa – love that! I was excited to see the program, but the video didn’t display. New computer fun…
Martin Fox A little refresh allowed me to watch Nate’s program – great stuff…
Nathan Gildart Thanks Martin! It’s a good community we have in Tokyo.
Heather Shaw Great talk! I love hearing about what an impact can be achieved with grass roots ideas
Nathan Gildart Hi Heather. After witnessing the earthquake in 2011 I became convinced of the value of grass roots initiatives. (if planned and executed properly) Major NGOs do wonderful work, but I like the community that is built at the ground level, and working with the benefactors when possible, not to mention maximizing the donated buck! Thank you for watching.
Lisa Highfill Thank you for sharing- love hearing the music connections. I am always thinking of ways we can use technology to connect the mission, friendships, and message of our goals. Each week, I get more ideas. I’d love to collaborate with others on this sometime.
Nathan Gildart Hi Lisa. After meeting a few other Rotarians I’m quickly seeing a big idea tree. With people from different fields / professions you can see the different angles in which a problem or need can be tackled.
Yvonne Kwan
Music and service — two things that I love and even better when put together. Nate, it was such a pleasure to hear about how you’re using music to make the world a better place. Keep up the rockin’ work!
Lisa, love that tidbit! One of the awesome things about Google Maps that I love
Happy birthday, Paul! Hope you enjoyed your day and that video!
Nathan Gildart Cheers Yvonne. It was a pleasure to meet you and chat. I’m looking forward to hearing more about the school music initiative you are involved with. http://www.tiltshifted.net
Mark Dohn A fantastic program! I’m starting to see a pattern with many of our guests and how their service programs have evolved. I love how Nate has incorporated music and service into his life, and how he brings this focus on service to his classroom. Thanks for a great presentation!
Nathan Gildart Thank you for watching Mark. I kind of fell into it after the earthquake, but over the last several years I’ve been inspired by seeing others in Tokyo doing the same for projects that are meaningful to them, to the benefit of others. As for school, the kids are great! Some of them are truly inspiring in spite of their youth.
Richard Knaggs Your program is well developed Nathan and I love the concept. I love the IB values and subjects you introduced. We were looking at it but the cost is a bit out of reach at the moment. Well Done on your amazing work. This Tidbit is going to be very useful for my trip to Europe in Aug-Sep. Thanks Lisa.
Rory Olsen Thank you for a very interesting program.
Paul Mosso Great meeting all around! I enjoyed all of it; always very thought provoking. Thank you for the birthday wishes
Mitty Nate, thanks so much for sharing your story. It’s amazing the work you’re doing, and the lives you are impacting.
john lozano Nate, Thanks for the presentation. Enjoying to hear about the work to raise money and connecting it to he community. Also, as a teacher, great to hear your work with connecting projects to student learning. Keep up the great work.
About us
Rotary eClub of Silicon Valley is a non-profit 501(c)4 organization dedicated towards bettering humanity through service and fellowship.
Established December 2014
