CURRENT MISSION

To enrich the culture of Texas, New Mexico, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Arkansas by exposing patrons of the arts to other cultures through music.

ABOUT ME

Dart Music International (DMI) is an Austin-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to enrich the culture of Texas, New Mexico, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Arkansas by exposing patrons of the arts to other cultures through music. Our mission is important because the musicians we work with have a populist, “every man” perspective on their own society and culture that is often very different from the generally accepted view in our country. This is a message that dispels stereotypes and better informs our world-view in a manner that resonates with students, young professionals, and socially active people in the US and the rest of the world. Please check out our website at http://dartmusicinternational.org for more information.

PHILOSOPHY

Tearing down stereotypes about foreign cultures removes fear and mistrust, and enriches the human experience.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

We hope to create a network of couch surfers throughout our region, and eventually across the globe who share our goal of increasing cross-cultural awareness and understanding through music. Please contact DMI if you are in the Texas-Louisiana-Oklahoma-Arkansas-New Mexico region and would like to host traveling international musicians and join our Couch Surfing group, Dart Music International.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I worked for several years as a volunteer with the SXSW International Housing program, which has a similar mission to Couch Surfing. They place visiting international bands with local hosts in Austin during the festival. I've met so many great friends through this experience and enjoy visiting my friends around the world when I travel.

Interests

We choose to work with international artists who have not yet achieved the financial resources or professional standing to hire the various professional labels, agents, and industry professionals that provide the many services we bring together. These musicians have a more populist, “every man” perspective on their own society and culture that is often very different from that offered through other educational outlets. This is a message that dispels stereotypes and better informs the world-view of people in our country.

• arts
• culture
• concerts
• festivals
• traveling
• music
• surfing
• golf
• volunteering

Music, Movies, and Books

Our YouTube channel, http://www.youtube.com/user/Dartn8r

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

The fall of the Berlin Wall (I've still got pieces that I personal chipped off). Christmas at the Vatican. Golf in the German Alps. The first Dart Music International concert where we had 6 bands from 5 countries and 4 continents on stage together.

Teach, Learn, Share

You can also keep up with DMI activities on our various social networking sites like:

Digg, Do512, FaceBook, Flickr, Myspace, Reverb Nation, Sonic Bids, Twitter, and YouTube.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Bahamas, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany, United States

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