if you wanna make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and then make a change.

  1.   I’m so proud! #pgrad2012 #pnotes (Taken with instagram)

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    I’m so proud! #pgrad2012 #pnotes (Taken with instagram)

  2.  

    I love music. I love charities. Music Speaks 2010 is AJ Rafael’s inspirational concoction that combines the two into a competition.

    CPP BARKADA pNotes: Operation Smile
    Oh, pNotes! How I love you and miss you. pNotes is the choir that formed circa 2004/2005 as a group of Barkada-heads who just loved to sing. Under the direction of Albert (Bobot) Tampi and Mike Pedro, I had a blast singing chorally with homies while performing at Barkada events such as PACN, banquets and Barkada’s Got Talent. Currently, with the lovely Johanna Posadas and Christops Rodriguez at the helm, pNotes is looking to expand their reach as a contestant for Music Speaks 2010. Check out their awesome entry above. :) (pNotes tumblrs: Jay, Danielle, NJ, Lauren)

    Each contestant for Music Speaks 2010 had to choose a charity to support. The ultimate winner of the contest will not only get to perform at the concert but will win $1000!!! Half will go to the singer(s) and the other half to the charity.

    The charity pNotes chose to support is Operation Smile, an organization that travels the world healing the smiles of kids with cleft lips and cleft palates. It’s not just about making them look “normal.” It’s about saving them from lives of ridicule and rejection. Through Operation Smile’s volunteers, these kids receive surgery that most of their parents wouldn’t be able to afford. I heard about this organization a couple years ago and was just amazed. There’s a lot of talk about plastic surgery for famous folks (::cough:: Charice) but not so much about plastic surgery for kids who can’t form a “normal” smile.

    This was Realyn, a Filipina girl with a gap in her lip (cleft lip).

    Thanks to Operation Smile, she underwent a free, 45-minute surgery to construct the beautiful smile you see below. In less than an hour, her life took on a new direction.


    MUSIC SPEAKS: AUTISM
    Music Speaks started in 2008 as a concert to raise awareness (and funds) for autism. What is autism?According to the Autism Speaks website…

    Autism is a general term used to describe a group of complex developmental brain disorders known as Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD).

    There are various levels and symptoms of autism, but a few examples would be having difficulty with normal conversation, not making eye contact, or repetitive behavior. Some of my friends—Anne, Mike (the boyfriend), and Mike (Gia’s boyfriend)—work with/have worked with autistic kids in an attempt to improve their behaviors through therapy. It’s a job that requires tons of patience and I admire them for what they’ve done. :)

    WHAT TO DO NOW
    Now what?

    • Keep watching the pNotes video. (more views the better!)
    • Check out the other submissions to learn about some amazing charities and hear some good music.
    • Buy tickets to Music Speaks 2010.
    • Support these two charities!