By Emily Golembiewski
Anybody who has worked with DEGW knows that we are very passionate about what we do – we get unnaturally excited about diagrams, we love talking to people about their work and workspaces, and frankly, we like the diversity of what we do and how we do it.
Which is why it should probably come as no surprise that several of us have extended this enthusiasm and found a few extra hours in the day to take on volunteer work. Volunteer work can be a great way to expand skills, contribute to the community, and provide team members with a sense of purpose. It’s no coincidence that many of the companies on the Fortune ‘Top Places to Work’ list have volunteer programs.
Now to the fun part: what we’re working on.
I am planning the ODC Downtown Dance Gala on March 15th. The previews look great – just check out this rehearsal piece. It is beautiful and athletic, and features a custom built piece by ‘bicycle artist’ Max Chen from the Crucible.
The after party is going to be amazing and will include a live performance by grammy nominated Magik*Magik Orchestra. Magik*Magik recently toured with Death Cab for Cutie and are a ‘modular orchestra’ with a focus on collaboration – which means they add and subtract musicians and instruments as appropriate.
This focus on collaboration makes them a perfect fit for ODC. ODC started in the 70s as an arts collective at Oberlin College and has now performed for more than a million people in 32 states and 11 countries! Throughout this rapid growth, they have kept intact their highly collaborative and OPEN approach to their work and their organization, making me feel immediately welcome as part of their extended team. Tickets are on sale now for their San Francisco season and for the after party, which includes preferred season at the opening night performance.
And Danny Tran also from San Francisco, is volunteering with KALX, the UC Berkeley radio station. Danny helps with sound engineering for live bands playing in studio, and he also helps out with publicity and the music collection. He is THE GUY to go to if you’re interested in music. He has an amazing knowledge that spans genres and decades and is very patient with those of us who are not quite so informed!
And if anybody reading this is interested in setting up a volunteer program, try these great resources:
I’ve worked on a project with both of them and can give you more information if you’re interested. Leave questions in the comments, and I’ll get you the info you’re looking for.
DEGW 