The International Youth Music Initiative

The International Youth Music Initiative is a natural evolution of Door Dog’s Youth Arts Education programs, in an effort to promote and preserve ethnic music here in the Bay Area. Thanks to funders like the Sam Mazza Foundation, we have been able to create this Initiative and bring the youth and master musicians together from around the world.

One component of this International Youth Music Initiative is establishing a San Francisco based orchestra of international youth and master musicians from many cultural traditions. This year, Jim Santi Owen, Bay Area multi-percussionist, leads the orchestra. Their debut performance will be November 22nd, 2009 at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco.

 

 

Another component of this International Youth Music Initiative includes set-up traditional music schools in 3 countries abroad- in Kyrgyzstan, Nepal and Taiwan- and are in the process of setting up another in the Laz region of NE Turkey. In addition to the youth and the teachers established, we have developed partnerships with reputable NGOs based in the regions, already doing work groundbreaking work with children (in other fields, such as social work, tutoring, etc.). This Schools include the following:

KYRGYZSTAN
We are working with Bishkek based NGO, Taalim-Forum, to develop a school the village of Jany-Tilek, which is located in the mountains of the Ak-Tala district, Naryn region. The students will be taught by two teachers, and managed by Akylbek Serkebaev, one of the most famous musicians in the country. We have purchased enough traditional instruments for all the students from a famous elder instrument maker. They will not only learn the traditional instruments, but the national epic singing called, Manas, the oldest epic in the world. (See Photo Above)

NEPAL
Bay Area and Dharamsala based Tibetan master musician, Techung, will go to a Tibetan exile village in the mountains of Nepal in October of 2009 to hire the teacher and purchase the instruments for the children of this politically difficult region and community.

TAIWAN
We are working with the Taipei based NGO, Trees Music & Art, the producers of music festivals in the northern part of Taiwan. The teacher is Inka Mbing, a member of the Tayal ethnic group, one of Taiwan's major aboriginal tribes. She will be teaching in an aboriginal elementary school in a mountain village called, Wu Lai, where there is a large aboriginal community. In the Fall, we will be taking all of the children- about 20- to her village in the center of Taiwan, to learn how to make the traditional bamboo mouth instrument with the tribal elder. They will also learn the tribal folk songs and stories.

Eventually, within the next couple of years, several of these students will be invited to join the San Francisco based ensemble for their Home Season performances. This year, they will make their debut through video stream on-stage.