Tonight, I had a rush hour performance at the Bin Loi Bridge. There were many motorbikes which had to eventually squeeze into single-file to go over the bridge, the keyword here being “eventually.”

At the Bin Loi Bridge, Saigon, Vietnam

A bunch of young children gathered underneath the bridge.

Children gathering underneath the Bin Loi Bridge, Saigon, Vietnam

This performance was part of a larger series of street performances taking place right in the thick of the Saigon rush hour. You can see more photos and read more about the theoretical background of this in my previous blog post. Also, it has gotten some major press, including this English article and video from TuoiTre news.

Dec. 20, 2011

Today Tina, the owner of the Faifoo Hotel where I’m staying, took me around to a couple flute shops and introduced me to the head of the traditional music department at the local conservatory. He taught me a bit about the various types of Vietnamese flutes, some of which I’m pretty hopeless at, and others I’m pretty good at. I was particularly intrigued by one that had no keys. The flutist is required to manipulate the overtone series with his breath, plus the palm is used to further influence the sound by closing and opening the hole at the bottom of the flute. (I am now realizing it would have been useful to get some photos and video of this.) In the evening, the professor invited me and Tina to play with him at a church gallery opening for Christmas.

Dec. 22, 2011

In the afternoon, I played at a little school for disabled children, in a small town a couple hours north of Saigon.

Disabled children checking out the saxophone.

In the evening I played at the Kid’s World Kindergarten where there was a big fundraiser for an orphanage. The fundraiser will go through most of January, so there’s no telling how much money will eventually be raised. Huyen the head of the school will keep me posted, and I’ll report back!

Dec. 23, 2011

Today, I went to Dau Tieng, one of two places where my father served during the war here. I am under the impression that things haven’t changed much there. My father remembers lots of rubber trees, and from what I saw, there are still lots of rubber trees. If you ask around about what to do or where to go in Dau Tieng, they will only tell you about rubber. If you ask if there is any special local cuisine, again they insist that their little town has nothing but rubber. There is a small museum dedicated to rubber, and the French exploitation of their resources during colonial times.

The museum about rubber exploitation in Dau Tieng, Vietnam

Not far from the rubber museum, adjacent to a traffic circle, are a few collected remnants of the American military presence in Dau Tieng, including a tank, a helicopter, and some unexploded missiles.

A tank from the Vietnamese-American War in Dau Tieng, Vietnam

An American helicopter, leftover in Dau Tieng from the war.

I’m disappointed to report that, even after asking around a bit, I was unable to figure out where the US base was located. I know my father is interested to know what’s there now. He told me the base was overrun by enemy troops immediately after he left. Like I said, if you ask most of the residents about their town, they will only tell you about rubber! Maybe next time, I will see if I can consult an expert on the matter.

Not far from the tank and helicopter, was a little volleyball court, where I gave a really quick performance.

Playing sax in a park in Dau Tieng, Vietnam

When I returned to Saigon from Dau Tieng, I played a little party at the Faifoo Hotel, where I accidentally raised more money for the fundraiser being held by the Kid’s World Kindergarten. I’m still not really sure how that happened…

Dec. 24, 2011

This Christmas Eve day I played at the April 30th Park in District 1, Saigon. It’s called the April 30th park, because that was the day in 1975 when Vietnam was reunified and finally independent. The park is a great hang-out for university students, and has generally been one of my favorite places to play in Vietnam, though this trip I have neglected it a little because my of my rush hour performances.

At the April 30th Park, Saigon, Vietnam

I always get a lot of photo requests at this park. My guess is that I’m on quite many young Vietnamese Facebook profiles because of this. Facebook is often blocked here in Vietnam, but that doesn’t stop the young people from loving it.

Has anyone seen this photo on Facebook yet?

In the evening, I attended a Christmas Eve party in what is probably the only suburban style “subdivision” in Saigon. It is almost surreal to see such a quiet neighborhood in the middle of this very dense city. I played a little, but mostly I partied for my last night in Saigon. There were actually people dancing in the street!

A block party in Saigon

Dancing all night for Christmas in Saigon

It was a lovely night, many thanks to the neighborhood hosts!

Tomorrow, I make the long journey back to New York, but I know I’ll be back. In the meantime, I’ll be thinking about how to take the Parade of One project to the next level. I plan to immediately start work on continuing my involvement in Rwanda. Hopefully, 2012 will bring the first Parade of One intercultural collaborative album. The plan is to bring Rwandan vocalist and inanga player, Sophie Nzayisenga, to New York for street performances and to record an album with me and my people here. You can hear some rough recordings of what I’ve already done with Sophie at this link. Surely, I’ll be keeping you posted.

The Parade of One project is grateful for the kind support of individuals like you who make it all possible. Please consider making your tax-deductible donation this holiday season by visiting the Parade of One website. At the time of this publication, we are still offering holiday gifts for donors, but only while supplies last!

Would somebody please tell the sax player this is a one way street!

Dec. 12th, 2011

This evening was the beginning of a series of street performances that will take place, literally, in the middle of the Saigon streets during the nightly rush hour. The traffic in Saigon is a truly amazing thing. More than 99 percent of the vehicles on the road are motorbikes, and when the congestion is very thick, it is every bit as intimate as the crowded New York subway. Unlike the streets in the USA,  where people mostly drive cars, there is no social separation between drivers; people are not in enclosed air-conditioned vehicles, with their ipods plugged into the charger. The roads are something that the many drivers experience together more intimately in Saigon than anywhere I’ve ever been. Sidewalks, on the other hand, are tough to come by here, and when you find them, they might be used for motorbike parking or street vendors. The late urban theorist Jane Jacobs wrote that sidewalks “bring together people who do not know each other in an intimate, private social fashion… The sum of such casual, public contact at a local level – most of it fortuitous, most of it associated with errands, all of it metered out by the persons concerned and not thrust upon him by anyone – is a feeling for the public identity of the people, a web of public respect and trust, and a resource in time of personal or neighborhood need. The absence of this trust is a disaster to a city street. Its cultivation cannot be institutionalized. And above all, it implies no private commitments.” I find that Jacob’s observations about sidewalks (based on her life in New York) are actually more true of streets in Saigon. It is on the streets here that one observes tensions and triumphs in the public trust. In effect, the traffic codes in Saigon are mostly irrelevant; the safety of the streets is upheld and maintained (or not) by the vigilance of millions of individual drivers, not by any collective respect for the rule of law. In the USA, drivers will be mostly concerned with obeying the traffic code; in Saigon, the drivers are concerned with being in tune with the other drivers whatever may happen. It’s not unusual for people to go the wrong away down one way streets, and busy intersections are quite a frenzy, with the motorbikes turning every which direction. The safe driver in Saigon will not seek to be in the correct lane (what lanes?) Instead, the safe driver will be aware of the other drivers and will seek to properly communicate his or her direction and objective, perhaps with body language and facial expressions. Generally speaking, I have great respect for the ability of the Vietnamese people to drive in an anarchic but careful fashion.

This evening I played near a traffic light on Hoang Minh Giam Street near the Gia Dinh park. I didn’t know what to expect, but it went wonderfully. Many people offered smiles, thumbs-up, laughs, and applause. One man wanted to know if I was trying to promote any particular religion (which I was not.) A journalist went out of her way to do a u-turn, so she could check it out more and interview me. If you speak Vietnamese, you can read her nice article at this link.

Jane Jacobs, if she were still alive, would call me a public character.  ”A public character is anyone who is in frequent contact with a wide circle of people and who is sufficiently interested to make himself a public character. A public character need have no special talents or wisdom to fulfill his function – although he often does.” She claims these people are integral to the vitality of sidewalk (or street) culture.

By using public space in a certain way, my street performances here are also like installation art pieces, in that they are transforming the perception of space. The Chinese artist Ai WeiWei says of public art, “The “public” in public art actually refers to a personal space. It does not contain an artistic value judgement. It does not serve the public. It was not created for the public. It could be targeted at the public, but it could completely ignore the existence of a public. Here, art has simply made effective use of a public spatial environment. It does not have an obligation to beautify or to adorn… The public’s normal state is one of numbness, but if you stimulate the public, it will reap a sense of happiness.” Generally, I agree with Ai Weiwei. The most I can tell my curious audience is that it is not about the message being conveyed, but it is about the interaction that occurs, and I do hope that my audiences are reaping “a sense of happiness.”

Dec. 13th, 2011

This evening’s rush hour I performed at Nga 5 chuong cho, a traffic circle also known as the “dog cage.” While I have already discussed that I have brought sidewalk culture into the street, this evening demonstrated how the streets encroach on the sidewalk in Saigon. The sidewalk was full of motorbikes whizzing past. If the automobile traffic is on the sidewalk, sure why not play saxophone in the street? What’s the difference?

The bus is in the street, the motorbikes are on the sidewalk. I and the little tree are in between...

Dec. 14th, 2011

In the morning, I and the crew from Dreams of a Christmas Night at Ho Chi Minh University of Industry made our first trip to a school for underprivileged children that their event benefited. Holiday gifts were distributed, games were played, and music was performed. The best part, though, was when the kids put on a fashion show, featuring clothes they made themselves out of newspapers.

The best fashion show ever!

The evening brought another rush hour performance at the Phu Nhuan intersection, in which I was joined by some journalists. You can read the article and see a nice video on TuoiTre News. Some young men stopped and asked a lot of questions. One of them said he’d never seen a street performer before. Now, I wonder if he’s under the impression that all street performers, literally use the middle of the street as their stage. Later, one lady tried to put money in my pocket, but I refused.

Their first street performer

At the Phu Nhuan Intersection, Saigon, Vietnam

From my perspective, the motorbikes went as far as the eye could see. What a view!

Dec. 17, 2011

For a change of pace, I took a quick stop in Mui Ne, a beach resort town…

Live at the "Fairy Stream," Mui Ne, Vietnam

Dec. 18th, 2011

Today was the final part of the Dreams of a Christmas Night, a fundraiser event held last week. As follow-up, I and the students from Ho Chi Minh University of Industry visited two orphanages and an HIV clinic, all within a couple hours of Saigon. Holiday gifts were distributed to the needy residents, games were played, and music was performed. It was great to be part of such an enthusiastic group of university of students. I’m so proud of them for their hard work and successful efforts.

At the HIV clinic, housing children born with HIV and many terminally ill patients.

The Parade of One project is grateful for it’s many supporters. It is contributions from individuals like you that make Parade of One possible. Please consider making your tax-deductible donation today by visiting the Parade of One website. At the time of this publication, we are still offering holiday gifts for donors, but only while supplies last.

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Last night I arrived in Ho Chi Minh City, (also known as Saigon) Vietnam, and today I took the bus, about three hours, to Vung Tau City where I met with the Blue Dreams Group, a band of disabled young people, many of whom are Agent Orange victims. Agent Orange is a chemical weapon that the USA used in the Vietnam War to make the countryside uninhabitable to guerrilla soldiers and their sympathizers. Unfortunately, the effects are still being felt by people today who are eating food that is grown in contaminated soil. Agent Orange enters the gene pool, so people who are exposed can pass birth defects to their children. US soldiers and their offspring were also exposed to Agent Orange, and the symptoms range from debilitating birth defects, skin disease, heart disease, diabetes, and more.

When I first met the Blue Dreams Group, we had a little performance right away in Vung Tau. They had set up a little stage in the street and a couple hundred villagers were there to watch. Most of the members of Blue Dreams are blind, and many have other disabilities too. Despite their disabilities, the level of musicianship is high. On a humorous note, the leader of Blue Dreams introduced me to the audience, and said my name is Economy.

Jeremy with Blue Dreams in Vung Tau

Villagers enjoying the concert

Dec. 7th. 2011

Today, I rehearsed with some members of Blue Dreams, because we were getting ready for a charity performance at the Ho Chi Minh University of Industry. Christmas fever has now spread throughout Vietnam, so we created a little rendition of Silent Night for saxophone, vocals, and piano.

Rehearsing Silent Night

Unfortunately, the plans for Blue Dreams to join me at events this weekend have fallen through since this rehearsal. It is due in part to the hardships of travel for disabled people. Nonetheless, I feel the performance we had in Vung Tau and the subsequent rehearsal was time well spent, and I will miss Blue Dreams at the Ho Chi Minh University and Cu Chi this weekend.

Dec. 8th, 2011

Back in Saigon today, I had my first street performance since arriving in Vietnam. It entailed a parade from my hotel to the market and included some small treks into the congested intersections. I’ll have to get used to that, as chaotic as it is, because as I continue street performances here, I intend to engage the motorbike traffic more. I should also add that it’s safer than it sounds, because the congestion gets so thick that no one’s moving. Hopefully, I’ll have some better photos soon.

Parading through the Saigon hustle

Dec. 9th, 2011

Today I performed at the Faifoo Hotel, where I’m living here. It’s the perfect hotel for me, as the owner, Tina, is herself a musician and holds weekly concerts in the restaurant, including Vietnamese traditional music, jazz, and opera. It was quite a blast, and I was happy to learn some Vietnamese music. It was also nice to meet some solid Vietnamese jazz musicians.

Dec, 10th, 2011

This evening was the long awaited “Dreams of a Christmas Night” charity event at the Ho Chi Minh University of Industry. It was the first charity event to take place at the university, and the hope of the student organizers is that it will become an annual tradition. It was a great success! The students were pleased, and the dean was visibly delighted. The event was even covered by the local news. $2000 were raised, which is a lot here, and over the next week the students will visit several orphanages and other desperate places, to give gifts and provide services. The evening included singers, dancers, a magician, and a panel discussion about education and charity. For my part, I marched through the audience playing saxophone, then told stories and showed slides from the Parade of One project and played some more music.

Dreams of a Christmas Night at the Ho Chi Minh University of Industry

Hello Vietnam, meet my friend Rwanda.

Of course, seeing the dean dressed up as Santa Claus is what really put a red ribbon on the evening.

Dean Nguyen Van Hoa (Oops! I mean Santa Claus.)

Dec. 11th, 2011

Today, I took a trip to Cu Chi, cosponsored by Helping Hand Saigon. First, we visited Thao’s library, where I was accompanied by a blind a guitarist to entertain neighborhood children. Thao, the founder of the library, is severely handicapped from the USA’s use of Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. (She was born after the war, but due to the lasting contamination and genetic effects, Agent Orange continues to devastate lives here.) Thao was too sick to attend school as a child, so she educated herself at home, then opened her library to help educate others. The kids at the library were delighted with the music. We also played “Name that Tune,” and if someone named a tune their reward was that they got to kiss the person of their choice, but the kids were all too shy to claim their reward. Thao also recited a poem about Agent Orange.

A Group Picture at Thao's Library

Me and Thao

In the afternoon, we visited a rice field in Cu Chi. There weren’t many farmers out, but I played for the ones who were there.

Live at the Rice Field, Cu Chi

After the rice field, we headed to the Thien Phuc orphanage. Many of the residents there are mentally challenged; oddly, they are the only ones who understand when I try to speak Vietnamese. They enjoyed the music, and requested some spiritual music, as they are a Catholic orphanage. Luckily, they had the sheet music for me!

At the Thien Phuc Orphanage, Cu Chi, Vietnam

Parade of One is made possible through the generosity of supporters like you. I hope you’ll consider making your tax-deductible contribution this holiday season. You can donate by visiting the Parade of One website. At the time of this publication, we are still offering Holiday Gifts for Donors. Thanks for your support!

Sarath and Jeremy at the Phom Penh Riverside

This evening was a wonderful time at the Phnom Penh riverside with Sarath the chapey player. We reached both tourists and locals who were surprised that saxophone and chapey were compatible, some of them speaking to us at length. Here’s a short video excerpt:

Nov. 29, 2011

Today, I went to the countryside where Arn Chorn-Pond lives to rehearse for the Our Village Concert which is on Saturday. We ended up having to plug-in using a generator, because the electricity was out. That’s life in some parts of the world. It was great to get the music happening, though. While Arn is very widely known as The Flute Player, these days he’s singing more, and we also have a female vocalist named Seyma. One of the child performers also rehearsed a song with us. Our music is a fusion of Cambodian and Western influences. I hope to get some samples up soon.

Rehearsing for the Our Village Concert

Nov. 30th, 2011

I woke up very early to visit the Phnom Penh dump today. I knew my interpreter Ny was good (and that he thinks like I do) when he suggested we go there. As expected, it’s not such a pretty scene, but the people appreciated the music Sarath and I made.

Performing for workers at the Phnom Penh dump

There’s also a school at the dump. I think the sign for the school explains exactly who the students are:

The school for child garbage workers

Sarath led the young students in a sing-along, and while I don’t know what they were singing about, I did contribute a little saxophone.

"vulnerable garbage worker children"

In the afternoon, I made the trip back to the countryside, with Sarath and my interpreter Ny, to record at Arn Chorn-Pond’s studio. It went wonderfully. Seyma, who will be singing in the Our Village Concert also contributed some vocals, and the recording quality was much better than what we achieved with my handheld digital recorder. I’ll get back to you all with more news about how I want to pursue my budding collaborations with Cambodian musicians. For now, enjoy some of the songs we just recorded. We’ve got three songs up on my soundcloud page: SatMohory, Neangbok Sreuv, and RomleukonKro,

Finally in the evening, a youth empowerment organization, called Empowering Youth in Cambodia, arranged a performance in a poor neighborhood. There were some young children with very interesting dance moves. It was nice!

Live at Bouding, Phnom Penh

Dec. 2, 2011

This evening the first Parade of One film, Rwanda 15, screened at MetaHouse in Phnom Penh. Shot by Rwandan filmmaker Kivu Ruhorahoza, this short documentary captures a few slices of Parade of One’s beginnings in Rwanda back in 2009. It has been screened on three continents, at the Zanzibar International Film Fest, the Vision Fest (New York,) and now Metahouse (Cambodia.) The reception at Metahouse was fantastic; the audience was very interested. Afterwards, I performed briefly with Sarath on chapey, and Arn Chorn Pond spoke about the upcoming Our Village Concert.

Here’s the trailer for Rwanda 15, in case you haven’t already seen it:

Dec. 3rd, 2011

The Our Village Concert was tonight, and it was a huge success! There were an estimated three thousand (or more) villagers in attendance, who had never seen anything like it.

Thousands of captivated villagers at the first Our Village Concert in Cambodia

The show included several musical acts, including the Waterek production band, which I played with, a fashion show, an ancient Cambodian opera performed by children from Cambodian Living Arts. comedians, amusement park rides, and more.

Children from Cambodian Living Arts performing an ancient opera

The large attendance and enthusiastic reception exceeded our expectations. On behalf of the Parade of One organization, I am proud to have financially sponsored and performed in the Our Village Concert. This was considered to be an experiment, and it definitely succeeded. I am sure that there will be more Our Village Concerts in the future. Many thanks to all the supporters of Parade of One and the other sponsors for making it possible.

Jeremy Danneman representing Parade of One at the Our Village Concert

Parade of One is made possible through donations from individuals like you. Please make your tax-deductible contribution by visiting the Parade of One website. Thanks so much! (As of this publication, we are still offering holiday gifts for donors, but only while supplies last!)

For a donation of fifty dollars or more, Parade of One will give you a Cambodian scarf, known here as a krama. These colorful checkered scarves are a great symbol of Cambodian culture, and they are worn a number of ways – around the neck, on the head, and even as a belt. My colleague Arn, gets these straight from the woman who hand-weaves them, and they are one-hundred percent cotton, bearing the logo of Waterek productions, one the cosponsors of the “Our Village Concert.” To get your scarf, make your tax-deductible donation of $50 or more at the Parade of One website, and be sure to write the word “scarf” and include your address in the message box.

The Cambodian Scarves, also known as Krama

You can also send a check in the mail, but if donating by check, please don’t forget to include a note or email jeremy@paradeofone.org to get your gift. Please send checks to:

Do you want two scarves for a donation of $100? No problem, just say so! Every fifty dollars you donate can get you another scarf.  This offer is only good while supplies last, so please make your contribution now by visiting the Parade of One website. Your donations support great Parade of One operations like the”Our Village Concert,” which was a huge success.

Thanks so much for your support,
Jeremy

This morning I attempted to get a decent recording of myself and Sarath, a vocalist and chapey player. A student of his also contributed some vocals. Unfortunately, my handheld digital recorder didn’t do such a great job in what was a very cavernous and echo-filled room. The problems are especially apparent in the saxophone sound. We are hoping to get a better recording at Arn’s studio while I’m still in Cambodia. Nonetheless, this is what we have for now! Feel free to have a listen at this link. Soon, Sarath will be joining me for some street performances, and with a little luck we’ll get some video!

In the afternoon, I went by the Music Arts School here in Phnom Penh. They are very kindly allowing me to use a practice room in their school, as I don’t want my travels to interfere with practicing. (Like many jazz musicians, I’m quite obsessive about practicing.) In return for the school’s kindness, I’ve been doing a bunch of sax and clarinet demonstrations for the curious students. They just walk right into the room and sit down and listen!

11/23/11

Today was quite amazing. Early in the morning, I met Ny, my interpreter, and we went to a poor housing complex called Bouding for a morning street performance. The audience was very appreciative. One of my fans was a young boy, who is half-German, but the father is out of the picture, and the son is living in poverty (an all-too-common predicament here in Cambodia.) I was a little alarmed (but also a little amused) to learn from Ny that the boy had called me “Dad.”

Mr. Danneman fully denies fathering the child to his left. (Whatever the kid chooses to call him.)

An appreciative breakfast audience at Bouding in Phnom Penh

After the street performance at Bouding, I had a truly memorable experience in the afternoon. My colleague Arn Chorn-Pond, who among other things, tirelessly seeks and promotes rare Cambodian traditional music, made a truly stunning find recently. While it was thought that there were no more Khan players in Cambodia, he located an ensemble that uses Khan near the border with the Laos, and they came to Phnom Penh for the first time this week. (It was the first time they’d ever been to a city, at all!) The khan works a lot like a harmonica. It uses multiple internal reeds and produces tones with both both inhalation and exhalation, but it sounds quite different and looks nothing like a harmonica. Check out this video I took of a khan player with singers and dancers. You don’t want to miss it!

It was my first time seeing a khan, and it was also their first time seeing a saxophone. Unfortunately, I only have a short snippet of the khan and sax collaboration, because the photographer was a little confused about the camera being in video mode. It’s still pretty nice, though!

Arn had already arranged for a khan player to come from Thailand for the upcoming Our Village Concert, but there’s a chance these guys might make it too…

11/24/11

Today, was a school visitation today. I performed and spoke at two branches of the Worldwide International School. This school mainly serves young adults, who might not afford university but are still interested in taking classes in languages, accounting, computers, and more. It was fascinating to meet them. I am very surprised by how shy some Cambodian students are. There was one young man who stood up to ask a question, but then got so nervous he couldn’t remember what it was.

At the Worldwide International School in Phnom Penh

A group picture from the Worldwide International School

11/25/11

This morning I had a wonderful time giving a masterclass at the Royal University of Fine Arts, where the Dean of Music Faculty Yos Chandara gathered a roomful of a young music students. I gave them brief history of the Parade of One project, from my birthday in 2009 to Rwanda, Vietnam, and Cambodia, then I demonstrated saxophone and clarinet for them, explaining the role of improvisation in jazz, the cultural history of klezmer music, and much more.

"You see, Einstein's Theory of Relativity has a profound significance in the overtone series, especially the third harmonic." (just kidding.)

I concluded the masterclass by inviting a special guest to the stage. I’d brought along Sarath the chapey player (long-necked guitar,) and we showed the students some of the collaborative music we’re working on. They were extremely interested in this music and quite surprised that a chapey/saxophone combination worked so well. They asked us a lot of questions about what it was like to play together and if there were any difficulties. Sarath and I were both open about these difficulties. Sarath was at first a little confused when I played, and it disturbed his ability to remember and improvise lyrics a little bit, though after a couple times playing he figured it out. As for myself, I was at first a little confused by the intonation and harmonies he plays on the chapey, but I also found my place in the music after a couple meetings. One student asked a very basic, nonetheless particularly interesting question; he wanted to know why I wanted to mix the sax and clarinet with traditional Cambodian instruments. I told him that combining music from different cultural contexts is one potential path to innovation.

Sarath and I at the Royal University of Fine Arts in Cambodia

A group photo from the Royal University of Fine Arts

11/27/11

Today, I had the pleasure of attending and performing at a group recital of beginner piano students at the Simphony School (intentionally misspelled,) a new community music school in Phnom Penh. It’s been a long time since I attended a recital of beginner musicians, and it was rather cute. There was one seven year old who had a marvelous sense of dynamics, and you could feel the excitement and anxiety of the young people being on stage for the first time. There were a lot of proud parents in the room too. At the end, I was invited to the stage as a special guest to play sax and clarinet, and explain the instruments and the types of music I play. It went well, and there was actually a request for the theme from the Pink Panther. I am rather embarrassed to say that it’s been so long since I’ve played or even heard the song, that I couldn’t even remember parts of the melody in my head (however catchy it is.) Luckily, someone appeared with a score of the tune, and it saved the day. Those kids really, really love the Pink Panther song!

The Simphony School recently acquired a saxophone, and they intend to start teaching it soon. I consulted with them briefly about instrument maintenance, what type of reeds and mouthpieces to buy, and some other basics. Not surprisingly, their new saxophone arrived in the mail with some leaks. It will certainly be a challenge to keep a saxophone program going without a local repair technician or even a place to buy reeds and other equipment. Maybe, as the sax grows there, those things will come.

The Parade of One project is very grateful to have supporters like you. Please make your tax-deductible donation today by visiting the Parade of One website. For a limited time only, we are offering holiday gifts for donors as a token of our gratitude!

November 16, 2011

After a very long journey, beginning in New York and going through Frankfurt and Singapore, I finally arrived in Phnom Penh, the Cambodian capitol, on the morning of Wednesday November 16, 2011. Sure I was tired, but there was no time for rest. I immediately had to make my way to the Cambodian Living Arts headquarters for a brief rehearsal and then a press conference for local news services and television stations to promote the upcoming “Our Village Concert.” The Our Village Concert will take place in a rural area not too far from Phnom Penh, called Chombok Meah, where the impoverished population is rarely treated to such live music events. They will hear fusions of western and traditional Cambodian music. Even the traditional Cambodian aspect might be a little unfamiliar to them, since this music was banned by the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s and is only now starting to make a come-back. I am told that the saxophone and other western aspects of the music, not to mention the fusion with Cambodian music, will be exciting and startling to the audience, as they rarely glimpse life and culture outside of their own village. There will also be several child performers involved, for whom it will be their first job, and local merchants will be invited to sell their products rent-free. The whole event should be a great benefit in many ways to many people, plus it should be a really fun time. Musicians are coming from Thailand and Vietnam too! Parade of One is just one of the cosponsors of the Our Village Concert, along with Cambodian Living Arts and Arn Chorn-Pond’s new project, Waterek Productions.

The press conference was wonderful. We featured some of the child performers, who were a little nervous and really excited to be on television. Check them out!

Jeremy with Cambodian Child Performers

And from the rehearsal, you can see some of the traditional Cambodian instruments:

Rehearsing with Cambodian traditional instruments

You may notice the beautiful scarves some people are wearing in these photos, and you can actually get your own scarf, by donating to Parade of One. Click here to learn how!

November 17, 2011

On Thursday, I had a great meeting with a Cambodian instrument maker I met last time I was here. His name is Mr. Yim Serchot. He’s teaching me about a few of the local woodwind instruments, and I’ve even bought a couple from him. Check out this video of Yim, playing one of his flutes. Each one takes a full day for him to make, and he plays them beautifully:

If you are interested in owning one of these beautiful flutes, you can do so by making a donation to Parade of One. They are great both for playing or for decorative/collector potential. Click here to learn more!

Nov. 21, 2011

Aside from meetings and press conferences, I’ve jumped right into street performances, as well. Street performance is the heart and bloodstream of the Parade of One project. All films, musical collaborations, and even my participation in the upcoming Our Village Concert have arisen from humble street performance. At first, I had to make do without an interpreter. Last time I was in Cambodia, I had the pleasure of working with two wonderful assistants. Unfortunately, Soluy is now busy traveling all over Cambodia for her work, and Somaly has a full-time job, though she’ll probably be joining me at some point when she’s free. Luckily I have been introduced to Ny, though, who has a master’s degree in English. He’ll be helping me out a lot with the street performances. Today was his orientation, and he joined me for street performances outside the National Museum and at the Riverside (on the bank of the Tonle Sap.) Unfortunately, our schedules only made this possible in the mid-afternoon, when early evening is more peak time, but it was still interesting. Outside of the National Museum, a mildly intoxicated gentleman started asking me a lot of questions, when a lady sitting next to him snapped, “What are you an interviewer or something?”

As usual, many kids were attracted to the scene. Some of them seem to like sticking their ear right into the bell of the saxophone, and then when they realize it’s painfully loud to do that, they to do it again, over and over. I’ve seen this everywhere, with children, but it seems particularly prevalent in Cambodia. I’m not sure why…

Gee that's painfully loud; let me do it again!

Parade of One is currently fundraising to keep our operations alive, and for the upcoming Our Village concert. Please donate by visiting the Parade of One website. Donors who are interested in receiving holiday gifts, can check out the Cambodian scarves and flutes.

I just arrived yesterday, and have already been busy preparing for the “Our Village Concert” with my colleague Arn Chorn-Pond. It will be a large, free and open to the public concert in the Cambodian countryside, where people rarely access such live music events. I will update you more about it shortly.

For now, I’m pleased to announce that Parade of One is offering free holiday gifts to donors who contribute fifty to one-hundred dollars by December 1, 2011, and these are not things you can easily get in the USA! Also with a little luck, you will receive them at just about holiday time.

For a donation of fifty dollars or more, Parade of One will give you a Cambodian scarf, known here as a krama. These colorful checkered scarves are a great symbol of Cambodian culture, and they are worn a number of ways – around the neck, on the head, and even as a belt. My colleague Arn, gets these straight from the woman who hand-weaves them, and they are one-hundred percent cotton, bearing the logo of Waterek productions, one the cosponsors of the “Our Village Concert.” To get your scarf, make your tax-deductible donation of $50 or more at the Parade of One website, and be sure to write the word “scarf” and include your address in the message box.

The Cambodian Scarves, also known as Krama

For a donation of one-hundred dollars or more, you will get a spectacular treat – a handmade Cambodian flute. Today, I met with the masterful instrument maker, Mr. Yim Serchot, and we sealed the deal. He’s happy to help out! You can use these flutes for their decorative/collector potential, or you can learn to play them! Each flute takes a full day to make. To get your flute, make your tax-deductible donation of $100 or more at the Parade of One website, and be sure to include the word “flute” and your address in the message box.

Here’s a video of Yim playing one of his fine flutes. Check out the circular breathing!

You can also send a check in the mail, but if donating by check, please don’t forget to include a note or email jeremy@paradeofone.org to get your gift. Please send checks to:

Do you want two scarves for a donation of $100? No problem, just say so! Every fifty dollars you donate can get you another scarf.  This offer is only good while supplies last, so please make your contribution now by visiting the Parade of One website. Your donations support great Parade of One operations like the”Our Village Concert,” which was a huge success.

Thanks so much for your support,
Jeremy

I want to briefly remind you that there is a service Parade of One provides anywhere in the world, not just Africa and Southeast Asia! Over the past couple years, I have been called upon to give presentations about Parade of One’s worldwide activities. This presentation includes brief history lessons about Rwanda, Vietnam, and Cambodia and tells the story of how and why I decided to play music on the streets in those regions, how I was received, and other lessons from the experience. The presentation includes two to three musical pieces, interspersed with a slideshow that helps illustrate the Parade of One story and can last anywhere from fifteen minutes to one hour.

I have delivered this presentation at a number of different institutions on three different continents, and for a number of purposes. In one instance, the theme was “taking risks,” in another case the purpose was to help Jewish high school students relate to Africa. In short, my presentation is flexible enough to accommodate many different types of institutions and events. Past venues have included New York University, Baltimore County Community College, the Ramaz School (Manhattan,) the Seametry School (Cambodia,) Helping Hand Saigon’s English Club, Kimisagara Youth Center (Kigali,) a Rotary Club, and more. I have done this as both a keynote speaker and as a volunteer.

If you are interested in a small sample, please click on my name (Jeremy Danneman) at this link. I am currently working to get more samples on the Parade of One website.

This presentation is mostly appropriate for people ages 10 to 120, due to the nature of some of the world events which are discussed.

Rates are flexible. For more information, please email jeremy@paradeofone.org.

To make a tax-deductible donation to Parade of One, please visit the website, www.paradeofone.org.

First, I would like to briefly remind you that the end of the year is right around the corner, and your donations to Parade of One are tax-deductible in the USA. I hope you’ll take a moment to make a contribution, large or small, because Parade of One is still “marching.” End of the year projects are happening in Cambodia and Vietnam, and we are struggling for funds. You can donate by credit card or check by visiting the Parade of One website. (Now if you wish, you may skip to the free music samples, though I’ll get to that later in this post.)

So what are the upcoming projects in Southeast Asia? I will depart for Cambodia on Nov. 14th (arriving on the 16th,) where my main project will be throwing a free, public concert with local flutist Arn Chorn-Pond. The concert will take place about 20 minutes outside of Phnom Penh, the Cambodian capitol, and we are considering it a trial run for what might become a larger series of public, free concerts, taking place in villages throughout the countryside, where people very rarely access live music.

I will also go to Vietnam where, among other things, I will be speaking and performing at a Christmas/charity event at the Ho Chi Minh University of Industry. The event is for the benefit of orphans, handicapped, and elderly. You can see more information at the Dreams of a Christmas Night Facebook page. (Yes, you can find information in English on the page, but you must click on the links and scroll past the Vietnamese.)

Those are just a couple of the projects that are happening in November and December, and others are still being planned or are pending. Of course, I will as always be giving street performances, and I am particularly excited to engage the street traffic in Saigon, where the Vietnamese use of anarchy produces startling results. Those of you who’ve been to Saigon know what I’m talking about, for others I will be posting more on that in my blog.

Lastly, I want to share with you some free samples of the music I’ve made as part of the Parade of One project. Please have a listen to these three songs from me and Sophie in Rwanda, and one from me and Sarath in Cambodia. One of my goals for 2012 is to expand on such collaborations. This music and these musicians are marginalized, and I would love to see the music reach a wider audience. You can listen by visiting my Soundcloud page.
I remind you that all of these things have been made possible by donations from individuals like you, so please make your tax-deductible contribution today. You can donate by credit card or check by visiting the Parade of One website.

And in case you missed it, please read this Rwandan perspective on the Parade of One project, written by my colleague, Apollo Ndungutse.

Best Wishes,
Jeremy