Composer And Jazz Supporter Andrea Clearfield Actively Involved In Campaigns For Nepal Earthquake Relief

Source: Victor L. Schermer
May 18, 2015
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Celebrated composer Andrea Clearfield has written important musical compositions based on the long and vital tradition of music in Nepal, where she has traveled, transcribed and documented indigenous folk music and made many friends. (In the photograph on the right, on a recent trip there, she is recording Nepalese composer, Tashi Tsering.) A long-time resident of Philadelphia, Clearfield has for several decades run a music and arts salon which has featured hundreds of jazz musicians including

Tom Lawton

piano

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Mary Ellen Desmond

vocals

" data-original-title="" title="">Mary Ellen Desmond,

Uri Caine

piano
b.1956

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Jimmy Bruno

guitar
b.1953

" data-original-title="" title="">Jimmy Bruno, John Blake, Jr.,

Gene Perla

bass
b.1940

" data-original-title="" title="">Gene Perla,

Diane Monroe

violin

" data-original-title="" title="">Diane Monroe,

Tony Miceli

vibraphone
b.1960

" data-original-title="" title="">Tony Miceli, Paul Jost, and

Jeannie Brooks

vocals

" data-original-title="" title="">Jeannie Brooks, many of whom have been featured in All About Jazz reviews and interviews.

Clearfield is deeply concerned about the fate of the survivors of the earthquakes in Nepal, especially her musical friends. She would like to get the word out on how to help the Nepalese relief effort. She has been actively involved in two campaigns to help rebuild villages in Mustang and Upper Mustang, Nepal, where she met the people and documented the music.

If you would like to make a charitable contribution to the Nepalese relief efforts, there are organizations that specifically go to the people and places that are close to the music community and to Andrea��s heart. She suggests two trustworthy initiatives:

1. Clearfield��s friend Dr. Sienna Craig, chair of anthropology at Dartmouth College, runs Drokpa, a non profit dedicated to serving Himalayan Villages. Here is what Dr. Craig wrote to Andrea::

��While these regions have not been impacted as severely as many areas, there is still significant damage. Houses are unlivable in several villages and impacts to major structures (monasteries, the palace in Lo Monthang, etc) are as yet not fully known. Such regions will likely not be the recipients of much large scale direct relief. People from Mustang and Dolpo living in Kathmandu��especially children in boarding schools and monasteries��have been directly impacted by these events. Please consider sending a donation to:

Drokpa, c/o Sienna Craig & Ken Bauer
95 Stowell Rd.
Norwich, VT 05055

We are in close contact with people from both regions and will be able to make sure that your tax deductible donation goes directly to families in need. More information and donate online here.

2. The other link is Clearfield��s friend Nawang Tsering, who is raising money for tents for his village of Ghiling, hit the hardest in Mustang. The people need shelter. You can learn more and donate here.

3. Andrea has given power point lectures on her Tibetan music fieldwork internationally. She would be happy to speak at a fundraising event for Nepal. You can contact Andrea at her website.

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