Seattle *Awake Music Exchange
*(pronounced Ah  wah  kay)
 

In 2014, a dear friend - Maureen, invited me on an exploratory trip to Uganda to help with a music exchange vision that she had dreamt about in the village of Awake. It was my first trip to Africa and to say I was inspired is an understatement. I raised funds for reusable menstrual pads to help keep young girls in school. The project, dubbed Operation Menstruation, was carried out by the Kristina Health Clinic and had a tremendous impact on the clinic as well as the girls. In 2016, I returned with a few other musicians in tow (Mikey Gervais and Brent Cowles) to share music with the African Villagers of Awake and surrounding areas. We visited schools, villages, and orphanages. We sang songs together and for each other -using song as the foundation of expression, connection and communication. All in all over $10,000 was raised, and the menstrual pad outreach was the most successful outreach that the Kristina Health Clinic has had.  
Something shifted within' myself having had this experience. Soul Work. Having the opportunity to use music as a connection point to others in this fashion has expanded my desires to do more of this work. As music really is the universal language that can only be felt and experienced.