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Faculty & Staff News and Milestones Pierce Yamaoka Entertains and Inspires as Activist Musician WMS Teacher Pierce Yamaoka is smashing conventions around classical music, all while raising funds for worthy causes, as an activist musician and organizer with Protestra. Founded in 2017, this cohort of mainly orchestral musicians is based in New York City but receives donations and support from all over the country. Protestra aims to “use [their] art to speak out against injustice and speak truth to power.” As part of their mission, the nonprofit organization holds benefit concerts for likeminded charities, programs their repertoire with a lens toward highlighting diverse composers, shares resources, and invites guest speakers for panel discussions on timely topics. Mr. Yamaoka is an accomplished trumpeter, and he earned two music degrees before arriving at Windward. He was invited to join the group as an organizer and trumpeter in 2020, and he participated in their first concert on September 10, 2020, for the event series Take a Stand, titled A Concert for Black Lives. The concert was fully virtual, live streamed from musicians’ homes, and included a panel discussion organized by Mr. Yamaoka about current issues related to race. Intended to raise funds for the NAACP legal fund and Black classical music educators, the concert had an impressive turnout and raised $3,000. “Our goal with these popup concerts is to create an interactive experience for the audience, inspiring activism by utilizing multimedia education and engaging in dialogue about the theme of the show,” Mr. Yamaoka explained. In May 2021, Protestra presented their first inperson concert for their Music in Action series, titled Heritage Against Hate. Timed to coincide with Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) month, the concert featured works by AAPI identifying musicians and included an accompanying art show and a discussion hosted by Asian Musical Voices of America. The majority of the proceeds were donated to Café Maddy Cab and Heart of Dinner, two local organizations supporting the AAPI community in New York City. “Our ultimate goal is to effect positive change by inspiring engagement in the community by showcasing diverse classical music selections,” said Mr. Yamaoka. “In the coming years, the organization hopes to move away from our current spontaneous, popup concert model and toward planning seasons that center around a social justice topic.”
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The Compass Spring/Summer 2022
Fifteen Represent Windward at Annual NYSAIS People of Color Dinner
On March 10, faculty and staff members representing all Windward campuses attended the yearly gathering of NYSAIS professionals of color at Horace Mann School. Attendees gathered for a networking dinner followed by a keynote presentation by Dylan Marron. Pictured are: (standing) AV Production Coordinator Harri Ramkishun, WMS Teacher Atolani Ladipo, MMS Teacher Shirley Hwang, The Windward Institute Administrative Assistant Erikka Ramkishun, MMS Teacher Ilana Sinay, WMS Teacher Katherine Kaneko, WLS Teacher Allie Amazan, Benefits Administrator Isabel Hernandez, WLS Teacher Cortney Stanley, (kneeling) WMS Teacher Michelle Gonzalez, Associate Director of Digital Communications & Publications Stephanie Huie, MMS Teacher Karen Jimenez, Outplacement Director Tanya Ehrlich, and Director of Human Resources Jada Jones. WMS Teacher Andrew Tan was in attendance but not pictured.
Read Aloud Series for AAPI Heritage Month To honor Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, the language arts department hosted a special read aloud series for students across campuses. MMS Teacher Shirley Hwang read Playing at the Border: A Story of Yo-Yo Ma by Joanna Ho to grades 6 and 7. Grade 6 also participated in a read aloud with Director of Information Technology Dr. Kwamé LaBassiere, who read Mop Rides the Waves of Life by Jaimal Yogis. WMS Teacher Katherine Kaneko read aloud Niki Nakayama: A Chef’s Tale in 13 Bites to grade 3.
