Interesting Canadian: James Hill

Text by David Griffith / Photography by Eu Lee

“What do you think about going to see a one-man ukulele concert next Tuesday?”I think that’s how my wife posed the question, to which I gave the obvious response. She followed with, “C’mon, he’s Canadian. Maybe you can write about it in the MLT”.  And that’s how I came to find myself sitting in the DBS Auditorium on August 17th awaiting the start of James Hill’s “ukulele...seriously” concert.

Now, I have a confession to make, I am a former ukulele player myself. The memories are almost completely purged, but the occasional flashback does occur and during these times I see myself sweating through unlearned chords while mumbling the words to “Skip to My Lou” in front of what appears to be a strangely enthusiastic audience of seniors (although back then I think we just called them “old folks”). Yes indeed, I am a product of Canada’s ukulele program, which, when it comes to the uke, is the only thing that I have in common with James Hill.

Back to Mr. James Hill, who I would soon find out is one of, if not the most talented ukulele player on the planet. I can’t begin to explain just how amazing the concert was.  Who would have imagined that after two hours of non-stop solo uke playing the entire audience, myself included, would be left wanting more?  But that’s exactly what happened as James Hill warmed the crowd with his easy-going engaging style and then left everyone in awe with his creativity and absurdly awesome technique and playing skills.

The crowd, which included a number of people involved with Singapore’s Ukulele Movement (see below), tapped their toes to an amazing variety of numbers that included original compositions, some Maritime and Bluegrass standards, and even some modern R&B and Techno.  You really have to see and hear James Hill’s music to believe the variety of sounds and styles he’s able to originate from that single little instrument.  Once you’re finished reading this feature, I highly recommend you Google “James Hill Billie Jean YouTube”,
I guarantee you will not be disappointed.  There certainly wasn’t any disappointment in the crowd that Tuesday night, which makes me think…perhaps I ought to listen to my wife a little more.

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Harmonizing the “C” Scale with James Hill 10 Minutes With The World’s Foremost Master Of The Ukulele 

Interview conducted by Janey Schueller


Q: We loved hearing and seeing the many “Canadiana” references during your concert, everything from the song you wrote to remember skating on the Rideau Canal to the saying about “frozen boots” in Nova Scotia.  My personal favourite was the hockey tape you used during your techno piece.  Is hockey tape essential or would regular duct tape do the job?
A: Only hockey tape will do!  Duct tape would have a completely different sound for sure. 

Q: You are holding 3 learning workshops in Singapore during your visit and I understand that you teach quite a bit.  Have you ever told anyone that maybe the uke is not the right instrument for them?
A: Never.  Music is for everyone and the best thing about the ukulele is that it requires exploration and encourages creativity.  I often tell my students that there are more songs in a uke than in an iPod.  You just need to discover them.

Q: Why reside in Nova Scotia?  Why not a more famously uke-friendly place like Hawaii?
A: The ukulele program started in Nova Scotia and many of the subject workbooks were written there.  It is also the home of Chalmers Doane who founded the Canadian school ukulele program in 1967.  I am a product of his program and love it there.

Q: You have performed around the world.  What’s your favourite place that you have played?
A: Definitely my front porch.  It is quiet and private. 

Q: Why a ukulele player?  Why not a doctor, lawyer, or CEO of Canadian Tire?
A: Ha ha.  All I can say is I loved it and my parents saw I loved it and they encouraged me to play every step of the way.  I couldn’t have done it without their support.

Q: A brand new uke, fresh out of the box or an all-inclusive Bali vacation?  What would you pick?
A: Definitely Bali.  I have a lot of ukuleles and luckily I don’t have to pay for them. 

Q: How many do you own, and what’s the most expensive one in your collection?
A: About 12, between $3-4k.

Q: What’s next for James Hill?  Is there a movie in the works?
A: We actually released a documentary earlier this year, “The Mighty UKE” and I am also working on a new experimental album.

Q: Will you be doing this when you are 90?
A: Gee, I hope so!

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Transforming a Gummy Smile

By Dr. Helena Lee, Periodontist, Specialist Dental Group

Some people smile with a little bit of their gums showing but for some others, a significant amount of gums can be seen when they smile. Their teeth appear short in proportion to the rest of the gums, giving rise to the term “gummy smile.”

Gummy smiles may arise due to a number of factors including:

• abnormal eruption of the teeth resulting in excessive display of the gums;
• hyperactive lip muscles causing the upper lip to rise higher than normal when smiling;
• prominent upper jaw and position of the upper front teeth; or
• severely worn teeth, resulting in the teeth looking shorter relative to the gums.

Although people with gummy smiles may have healthy teeth and gums, they may be self-conscious about smiling. The good news is that there are options available to correct gummy smiles, depending on the cause of the gummy smile.

It may take between one week to a few months, depending on the patients’ dental condition, to complete treatment for gummy smiles. The most important aspect of treatment for gummy smiles is to have a clear communication between the dentist (in this case is the periodontist or gum specialist) and the patient. Sometimes, gummy smile treatment may also involve prosthodontists (for crowns and veneers), orthodontists (for braces) or oral surgeons when jaw surgery is required.

Proper maintenance and professional follow-up will be essential for a successful long term treatment outcome.



Specialist Dental Group is a corporate sponsor of the Canadian Association of Singapore (CAS). CAS members enjoy a special rate for dental services. For details, send an enquiry via www.specialistdentalgroup.com or call 6733 7883.

Can Carbon Offsetting Improve your Reputation? Part 2 of 2

By Tejas Ewing, Carbon Markets Coordinator, the New Economics Foundation, London

Last month we explored how Voluntary Carbon Offsetting is being used by some organisations as a way of dealing with their carbon emissions.  We left off with saying that there were significant risks associated with any offsetting strategy, and they primarily involved the decision over what offsets to purchase. The key paradigm for judging quality is known as VALIDS, and is based on the following criteria:

Verifiability: In any offset project it is important that the baseline emissions levels were measured accurately, and that the subsequent emissions reductions were also accurately measured.


Additionality: Additionality is a key issue in carbon offsetting, and refers to whether the emissions reduction would have been generated regardless of your purchase. It is important that the emissions reductions would not have happened anyway, and are additional to business as usual. For example, a wind farm that would have been built anyway, due to government subsidies, does not count as additional. A local scale clean energy project in a small village, where your money makes the difference between success and failure would be additional.

Leakage: Offset projects must be careful not to cause additional emissions outside the project boundaries, caused by the emissions reductions activities of the project and its design. For example, protecting forests in one area can simply increase deforestation in another.


Impermanence: Offset projects should ensure that the emissions reductions are permanent, and that emissions do not immediately increase once the project ends. For example, tree planting projects must ensure the trees stay alive for over 50 years, and do not die due to lack of care and maintenance.


Double-Counting: An emissions reduction is only valid if it is generated once, sold once, and permanently retired. As a voluntary offsetter, it is important that your offset is only sold to you and used by you. You should ask for guarantees and certificates, or a registry of the project to ensure it is not double-sold.

Sustainable Development Benefits: Many consumers want to increase the benefit of their purchase by choosing offsets that specifically provide additional positive outcomes beyond the emissions reductions. These benefits are usually environmental, economic and social, and are often known as sustainable development benefits, because they increase the holistic benefits to the local community and the local environment. For example, a solar power project that also restored local habitats and provided jobs for local villagers would have overall sustainable development benefits.



Conclusion
The above requirements for effective offsets are challenging, and as a result very few offsets actually meet them. Offsetting is often controversial because of the lack of quality and regulation in the market, rather than the concept itself. For example, less than 1% of all the money spent on offsetting actually goes to communities most affected by climate change, and very few projects have any
additional sustainable development benefits. Many projects fail, or are poorly designed, and often profit is the main motive.

It is for those reasons that I am currently managing a project to provide a credible alternative to the poor quality offsets that often flood the market. The New Economics Foundation, in conjunction with partners including IIED and Comic Relief, is pioneering a new approach whereby organisations will be able to take responsibility for the impacts of their emissions by investing in climate change adaptation projects that will help the most vulnerable communities in the world adapt to the realities of a changing climate.

Rather than investing in projects that increase the profitability of factories in China, for example, organisations will be able to help communities in Africa and India become more resilient to the increased drought, flooding and changing agricultural patterns that they are already facing. This provides a solution that goes ‘beyond offsetting’ and closes the circle of emissions responsibility. A strategy of measuring emissions, reducing avoidable emissions, offsetting (in a credible way) unavoidable and irreducible emissions and
contributing to climate change adaptation to deal with the impacts of unavoidable emissions provides a comprehensive and holistic response to the reality of greenhouse gas emissions and their effect on the planet.

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Tejas Ewing is a leading expert on carbon offsetting and both the compliance and voluntary carbon markets, having published key analysis and critiques of voluntary carbon offset providers and the voluntary carbon market as a whole. His publications have been read by over 50,000 environmental leaders worldwide. He is also a well-known consultant on environmental issues from a business perspective having worked with many leading multinational companies on a freelance basis and also as part of his father’s company, Ewing Communications. Tejas would be happy to discuss how to make your organisation more environmentally friendly, while also increasing your brand value and reputation. 


He can be reached at tejasewing@yahoo.ca

What I Did On My Summer Vacation

By Laura Day, CAS Member

It wouldn’t be a REAL Canadian story if it wasn’t just a little bit larger than life.  In our annual effort to inundate our three kids with as much Canadiana as possible, we embarked on a few truly Canadian memory-making excursions this past summer. I won’t bore you with the fishing stories from Port Alberni and the twenty-one 10lb sockeye salmon hooked in only 2 hours, or snorkeling down Campbell River with the salmon (all true!), but I will share a good bear story!  

I should have known that we were going to be in for an adventure when, sitting in our car before hockey camp (on real Canadian ice!), we were going through the standard cautionary bear warnings when one of the kids commented, in a very nonchalant manner, “you mean like that one right there?” “YES! YES! Just like that one!”, I shouted, while the rest of the family scrambled for cell-phones to photograph what had just occurred.

A few days later, as we were enjoying a quiet lunch on a patio in the village with friends, I realised the car sighting was just the appetizer and the main course was about to be served.  I heard some yelling, then saw an RCMP running towards us and just behind him another RCMP and one panicked looking black bear.  It all happened so quickly that most of the way-relaxed Whistler tourists failed to even notice.  Bryan, my husband, and daughter Jaimie stood up to get a better look and a photo, and 

inadvertently got in the bear’s path as he attempted to get away from the yelling police officers.  Bryan, the intrepid amateur photo journalist, threw Jaimie out of the bear’s way and managed to snap a couple of great photos!

Much to the dismay of several Canadian friends, my pictures on Facebook of the kids snow tubing only helped to perpetuate the myth of Canada’s frozen tundra and wintery temperatures…. even in July!  For our kids though it was heaven - REAL SNOW.  Our improvised winter wardrobes of jeans, sweatshirts and tevas with socks, didn’t cut it for long though, no matter how ‘cool’ the snow was.  

The older the kids get the bigger the adventures and of course, the bigger the stories.  Now we just have to figure out how to top this summer adventure next year.