Rhythmix Cultural Works

Staff

Janet Koike, Artistic Director
In the early 80's Koike Textile, hand printed women's fashions, taught Janet how to run an artist owned business. At 30, Janet changed careers, to teaching dance and movement through Oakland Park and Recreation and became been an Artist in Resident for the Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning through the Arts, in Head Start Programs. This led to a position as Arts School Program Coordinator for the Oakland Museum. Then, following the call of the drums she joined the artistic staff of San Jose Taiko as Outreach Coordinator, creating, performing and booking approximately 150 school shows through out the Bay Area. In 1998 Rhythmix world percussion ensemble was formed. In 1999 RCW became a 501 (c) (3) organization, with then intention of someday creating a community arts space. That day has come.

Jennifer Holmes, Managing Director
Jennifer has been involved in the arts since childhood, falling asleep at many theater, music and dance productions. Professionally, Jennifer has been event staff, fundraising coach and recruitment manager for the AIDS Ride and 3-Day Breast Cancer Walks, a project manager for live internet events, and web mistress for the Institute of Noetic Sciences. She worked at Wired Magazine during the dot-com boom, and ran the clothing program for St. Anthony Foundation’s homeless services during the economic downturn. Jennifer has been a stage manager for Collapsing Silence Butoh Troupe, Naughty Santa’s Black Market, fashion shows for Dark Garden and Runway, and a host of other local artists and events. With extensive experience in theater and management, Jennifer is thrilled to put all her talents to good use for RCW.

Board of DIrectors

Born in New Jersey, but bred in Brazil, Bob Gonsalves demonstrated his skills with technology at an early age by 'improving' his parents' stereo system. Mr. Gonsalves has previously served as a consultant to Panasonic, Atari, Xerox and numerous startup firms and museums (Exploratorium, Randall Museum). In addition to computer hardware design, he has won several awards for a series of interactive computer games. He holds two patents based on his work on The Lingraphica System for speech-language rehabilitation. He holds a BA in Comparative Religion from Swarthmore College and an MFA in Multimedia from Mills College/Center for Contemporary Music.

Whether in the broadcast booth, on the stage, or in the background, music has been part of the soundtrack of Carolyn West’s life since she started playing the xylophone at the age of two. She studied classical music throughout her youth, but the visceral experience of taiko drumming changed her life! Just days after seeing her first taiko concert in 1998, she joined Emeryville Taiko, and studied and performed extensively with the group for seven years. Carolyn has held a progression of positions in small businesses including radio, manufacturing, entertainment, construction and law firm management. In 1996 she earned her law degree, and she now practices trusts and estates law in Oakland. An Alameda resident since 1994, Carolyn eagerly anticipates the grand opening of Rhythmix Cultural Works, and the opportunities for Alamedans to participate in arts events, enjoy performances, and study music, theater, dance and more all in a uniquely renovated warehouse space in their Island hometown.

Since moving to the Bay Area 10 Years ago, Don Bruce has participated in, and made props for groups such as The Cacophony Society, The Odeon Bar, Cyclecide Bike Rodeo, and the Life Sized Mousetrap. In 2005, Don with his wife Tracy, headed the production of a twenty three foot tall kinetic sculpture for the Burning Man Arts Festival. Some of Don's other accomplishments include, a five foot tall spinning dreydle, a Victorian "Arc of the covanant" picnic trunk, an eighteen foot whale, and a twenty eight foot long pirate ship/stage.

Making things happen is what Jan Mason is all about. Owner of OMM, Inc., an established Alameda real estate and property management company, Jan is known for her unique and artistic approach to the business of real estate. With her strong art background, her commitment to transformation – whether it is a building or a new idea, she is enthusiastic about “selling” Rhythmix Cultural Works to the Alameda community. She loves the TAIKO classes! Jan was awarded Business Woman of the Year 2007 by the Alameda Chamber of Commerce, and Professional Business of the Year, by the Park Street Business Association. With great joy, Jan Mason brings her business moxie plus her exuberant energy to Rhythmix Cultural Works.

While still in high school, Laura Wilt produced public affair programming for KALX radio in Berkeley, CA. She has a degree in theatre from the University of Oregon, Eugene and also studied theatre at the University of Warwick, Coventry, UK. She worked as a stage manager for Oregon Repertory Theatre. She cooked professionally for 10 years and provided backstage catering for Bill Graham Presents for two years. The past eight years she turned her eyes towards conference and event planning, working mostly with youth camps and non-profit organizations. She has also been a docent for the UC Botanical Garden and is currently the Marketing and Promotion Officer for the San Francisco Scootergirls.

Leigh Marz is currently a consultant/coach supporting nonprofit organizations in becoming more ethical, loving, effective and sustainable. She has14 years of nonprofit experience including direct services (crisis work), program development, fundraising, and Board and staff management. Leigh is a visual artist, writer and dancer, a new mom and a new wife. She is a Buddhist, a (new) Jew, a Cherokee and a proud daughter. Leigh is delighted to join the Rhythmix Cultural Works Board of Directors and to lend her enthusiasm and expertise to its success.

Michael Racela is a senior IT analyst at UCSF Medical Center. He was once active as a performer in the Bay Area, working at many venues including the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, the Z Collective, Berkeley Rep, TheatreWorks, and others. Michael feels the artistic pull most while lying awake at night and in the late afternoon at work. He feels that encouragement and nurturing of the non-digital arts is vital.

After graduating from The University of Massachusetts, Tracy Feldstein began her career in Los Angeles with the independent and "B" movie industry. Quickly disillusioned, she had the good fortune to join up with a group called the Cacophony Society... an underground wellspring of poets, artists, performers and free thinkers. Since that time, she has done her best to create, participate in, promote, and fund the arts in California and will probably be doing so in some capacity or another for the rest of her life.

Advisory Board

Amy Critchett began her career as Director of Special Projects for Wired Magazine during its launch years. She was Supervising Producer for ZDTV.com, and Executive Producer for the launch of Oxygen.com, the online portion of Oxygen Media. Most recently, Amy was Director of Media and Marketing for One Economy. Currently, Amy is the Director of Marketing for UthTV. Amy is a former California State artistic roller skating champion, and her first moment on TV was on her mother's shoulders at an Anti Vietnam War rally in 1969.

Audrey Lord-Hausman has served for the past six years as the Administrative Coordinator of the Alameda Collaborative for Children, Youth & Families, City of Alameda, www.alamedayouth.org. Some of the projects include children's health, after school programming, safety, and the teen program produces the Youth Yellow Pages and a teen magazine, "Out Loud - Thoughts of a Teenage Mind." An October 21 conference is being planned entitled "In the Mix - issues and challenges of mixed race youth & families".

Elaine N. Fong is the founder and artistic director of Odaiko New England, one of the few taiko (Japanese drum) groups in Massachusetts. She has over twenty five years of taiko performance, teaching and administrative experience. In addition to taiko, Ms. Fong has over ten years of dance training. Ms. Fong is also a certified TaKeTiNa rhythm instructor at the basic level. Ms. Fong received her undergraduate degree from Princeton University, and a Masters in Public and Private Management from the Yale School of Organization and Management. In addition to her experience in the arts, Ms. Fong has over sixteen years of not-for-profit administrative experience. She has also worked in the public and private sectors. She is currently a board member of the YWCA Boston, and a United Way allocations committee volunteer.

Ellen Sebastian Chang is a director, creative consultant and writer. She has created and directed a broad range of work: hip-hop youth performances, opera, site specific and radio. And worked with some of the most interesting artists in the country. Past collaborations include KITKA, YOUTH SPEAKS, OAKLAND OPERA THEATER, AYA DE LEON, WHOOPI GOLDBERG, JON JANG AND JAMES NEWTON. Ms. Sebastian Chang was a cofounder and artistic director of LIFE ON THE WATER, a national and internationally known presenting and producing organization at San Francisco’s Fort Mason Center from 1986 through 1995.

Frank Mataresse, Alameda City Council

	Staff Janet Koike, Artistic Director In the early 80's Koike Textile, hand printed women's fashions, taught Janet how to run an artist owned business. At 30, Janet changed careers, to teaching dance and movement through Oakland Park and Recreation and became been an Artist in Resident for the Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning through the Arts, in Head Start Programs. This led to a position as Arts School Program Coordinator for the Oakland Museum. Then, following the call of the drums she joined the artistic staff of San Jose Taiko as Outreach Coordinator, creating, performing and booking approximately 150 school shows through out the Bay Area. In 1998 Rhythmix world percussion ensemble was formed. In 1999 RCW became a 501 (c) (3) organization, with then intention of someday creating a community arts space. That day has come. Jennifer Holmes, Managing Director Jennifer has been involved in the arts since childhood, falling asleep at many theater, music and dance productions. Professionally, Jennifer has been event staff, fundraising coach and recruitment manager for the AIDS Ride and 3-Day Breast Cancer Walks, a project manager for live internet events, and web mistress for the Institute of Noetic Sciences. She worked at Wired Magazine during the dot-com boom, and ran the clothing program for St. Anthony Foundation’s homeless services during the economic downturn. Jennifer has been a stage manager for Collapsing Silence Butoh Troupe, Naughty Santa’s Black Market, fashion shows for Dark Garden and Runway, and a host of other local artists and events. With extensive experience in theater and management, Jennifer is thrilled to put all her talents to good use for RCW. Board of DIrectors Born in New Jersey, but bred in Brazil, Bob Gonsalves demonstrated his skills with technology at an early age by 'improving' his parents' stereo system. Mr. Gonsalves has previously served as a consultant to Panasonic, Atari, Xerox and numerous startup firms and museums (Exploratorium, Randall Museum). In addition to computer hardware design, he has won several awards for a series of interactive computer games. He holds two patents based on his work on The Lingraphica System for speech-language rehabilitation. He holds a BA in Comparative Religion from Swarthmore College and an MFA in Multimedia from Mills College/Center for Contemporary Music. Whether in the broadcast booth, on the stage, or in the background, music has been part of the soundtrack of Carolyn West’s life since she started playing the xylophone at the age of two. She studied classical music throughout her youth, but the visceral experience of taiko drumming changed her life! Just days after seeing her first taiko concert in 1998, she joined Emeryville Taiko, and studied and performed extensively with the group for seven years. Carolyn has held a progression of positions in small businesses including radio, manufacturing, entertainment, construction and law firm management. In 1996 she earned her law degree, and she now practices trusts and estates law in Oakland. An Alameda resident since 1994, Carolyn eagerly anticipates the grand opening of Rhythmix Cultural Works, and the opportunities for Alamedans to participate in arts events, enjoy performances, and study music, theater, dance and more all in a uniquely renovated warehouse space in their Island hometown. Since moving to the Bay Area 10 Years ago, Don Bruce has participated in, and made props for groups such as The Cacophony Society, The Odeon Bar, Cyclecide Bike Rodeo, and the Life Sized Mousetrap. In 2005, Don with his wife Tracy, headed the production of a twenty three foot tall kinetic sculpture for the Burning Man Arts Festival. Some of Don's other accomplishments include, a five foot tall spinning dreydle, a Victorian "Arc of the covanant" picnic trunk, an eighteen foot whale, and a twenty eight foot long pirate ship/stage. Making things happen is what Jan Mason is all about. Owner of OMM, Inc., an established Alameda real estate and property management company, Jan is known for her unique and artistic approach to the business of real estate. With her strong art background, her commitment to transformation – whether it is a building or a new idea, she is enthusiastic about “selling” Rhythmix Cultural Works to the Alameda community. She loves the TAIKO classes! Jan was awarded Business Woman of the Year 2007 by the Alameda Chamber of Commerce, and Professional Business of the Year, by the Park Street Business Association. With great joy, Jan Mason brings her business moxie plus her exuberant energy to Rhythmix Cultural Works. While still in high school, Laura Wilt produced public affair programming for KALX radio in Berkeley, CA. She has a degree in theatre from the University of Oregon, Eugene and also studied theatre at the University of Warwick, Coventry, UK. She worked as a stage manager for Oregon Repertory Theatre. She cooked professionally for 10 years and provided backstage catering for Bill Graham Presents for two years. The past eight years she turned her eyes towards conference and event planning, working mostly with youth camps and non-profit organizations. She has also been a docent for the UC Botanical Garden and is currently the Marketing and Promotion Officer for the San Francisco Scootergirls. Leigh Marz is currently a consultant/coach supporting nonprofit organizations in becoming more ethical, loving, effective and sustainable. She has14 years of nonprofit experience including direct services (crisis work), program development, fundraising, and Board and staff management. Leigh is a visual artist, writer and dancer, a new mom and a new wife. She is a Buddhist, a (new) Jew, a Cherokee and a proud daughter. Leigh is delighted to join the Rhythmix Cultural Works Board of Directors and to lend her enthusiasm and expertise to its success. Michael Racela is a senior IT analyst at UCSF Medical Center. He was once active as a performer in the Bay Area, working at many venues including the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, the Z Collective, Berkeley Rep, TheatreWorks, and others. Michael feels the artistic pull most while lying awake at night and in the late afternoon at work. He feels that encouragement and nurturing of the non-digital arts is vital. After graduating from The University of Massachusetts, Tracy Feldstein began her career in Los Angeles with the independent and "B" movie industry. Quickly disillusioned, she had the good fortune to join up with a group called the Cacophony Society... an underground wellspring of poets, artists, performers and free thinkers. Since that time, she has done her best to create, participate in, promote, and fund the arts in California and will probably be doing so in some capacity or another for the rest of her life. Advisory Board Amy Critchett began her career as Director of Special Projects for Wired Magazine during its launch years. She was Supervising Producer for ZDTV.com, and Executive Producer for the launch of Oxygen.com, the online portion of Oxygen Media. Most recently, Amy was Director of Media and Marketing for One Economy. Currently, Amy is the Director of Marketing for UthTV. Amy is a former California State artistic roller skating champion, and her first moment on TV was on her mother's shoulders at an Anti Vietnam War rally in 1969. Audrey Lord-Hausman has served for the past six years as the Administrative Coordinator of the Alameda Collaborative for Children, Youth & Families, City of Alameda, www.alamedayouth.org. Some of the projects include children's health, after school programming, safety, and the teen program produces the Youth Yellow Pages and a teen magazine, "Out Loud - Thoughts of a Teenage Mind." An October 21 conference is being planned entitled "In the Mix - issues and challenges of mixed race youth & families". Elaine N. Fong is the founder and artistic director of Odaiko New England, one of the few taiko (Japanese drum) groups in Massachusetts. She has over twenty five years of taiko performance, teaching and administrative experience. In addition to taiko, Ms. Fong has over ten years of dance training. Ms. Fong is also a certified TaKeTiNa rhythm instructor at the basic level. Ms. Fong received her undergraduate degree from Princeton University, and a Masters in Public and Private Management from the Yale School of Organization and Management. In addition to her experience in the arts, Ms. Fong has over sixteen years of not-for-profit administrative experience. She has also worked in the public and private sectors. She is currently a board member of the YWCA Boston, and a United Way allocations committee volunteer. Ellen Sebastian Chang is a director, creative consultant and writer. She has created and directed a broad range of work: hip-hop youth performances, opera, site specific and radio. And worked with some of the most interesting artists in the country. Past collaborations include KITKA, YOUTH SPEAKS, OAKLAND OPERA THEATER, AYA DE LEON, WHOOPI GOLDBERG, JON JANG AND JAMES NEWTON. Ms. Sebastian Chang was a cofounder and artistic director of LIFE ON THE WATER, a national and internationally known presenting and producing organization at San Francisco’s Fort Mason Center from 1986 through 1995. Frank Mataresse, Alameda City Council