Neal Kassanoff

Director/Founder

I founded Groundwork Music Project on the notion that being musical is a birthright, and not simply a hobby or profession cultivated by the few.

I have written songs for many project, from my own rock recordings, to soundtracks for film, to co-writes to songs that others have recorded and made their own. It has been a pleasure to use my writing skills as a key element to the curriculum that is Groundwork Music Project.

Inonge Khabele

Board Member

I am happy to work with GroundWork Music Project because music is one of the greatest gifts to give a child. It opens their minds, nurtures their creativity, teaches them discipline and math and overall, is fun. Children who have at least one discipline (they look forward to), and opportunities to master a skill and experience joy in their accomplishments, are able to thrive in any situation. The arts are essential to human beings. I am honored to be on the board and help get it to as many children as possible, no matter their parents' or guardians' financial status.

Inonge is the Chief Visionary Officer of the Ko Team. She leads the team to maintain the integrity of the vision of the Ko ecosystem. She researches, conducts interviews, and fundraises. Inonge specializes in storytelling as a powerful tool for personal, business and societal transformation, and collaborates with the training and development and marketing teams to ensure language and vision are consistent and congruent. She also curates and maintains Ko’s history.

Inonge hopes that her writings, interviews, and art move and cause people to think, dream, or simply want to make art for themselves. She loves storytelling, especially folk-tales, fairy tales, fables, and urban legends, and considers it the original human technology that evolved with opposable thumbs. Inonge believes that through conscious examination of the narratives we are given to live by, we can reframe them to live life more purposefully and in harmony with others. Approaching others with a beginner’s mind and an open heart is the key to solving the problems in life. She loves to make things with her hands and is an avid gardener in Spring and Summer, and an equally avid painter in the Fall and Winter.

Inonge is a Co-chair of the Austin-Maseru Sister Cities Committee of Austin Sister Cities, Intl., and a member of the Austin Chapter of Jack & Jill of America, Inc.

Inonge graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Art degree from Howard University and majored in Painting and minored in Graphic Design and Art History.

Inonge’s expertise are writing, storytelling, copywriting, editing, graphic design and user experience design.

Thabo Bopape

Board Member

It's great to be able to put my skills and experience to work for such a worthwhile organization and mission.

Thabo Bopape is a South African film and live-events producer. He brings experience in managing, producing, and implementing television programs, indoor and outdoor mass public events, and small and intimate functions. Thabo's career started in television at the age of 14, working in community access television at Cable De Kalb in Atlanta, Georgia (USA) in 1982. After returning to South Africa in 1993, he formed Nu-Director Productions based in Johannesburg 1994. Later that year, he received “Best Overall Festival Film” and “Best Documentary” awards from the Weekly Mail - now Mail & Guardian - for the short documentary “Desperate Celebrations” entered in the Weekly Mail Short Film Competition. He later joined Making Music Productions based in Cape Town, as one of four company directors. Together they weaved their experience in the fields of music, artist management, event production, media, marketing, and project management and produced, managed, and/or creatively directed, numerous significant events, such as the City Hall Sessions (2011 - 2014) and Afrika-Day e-Kapa (2014 – 2016), a music series commemorating Africa-Day in Cape Town. The projects were aimed at repositioning Cape Town's City Hall as a cultural space for diverse sound experiences introducing new sounds alongside established acts. Thabo is passionate about skills-development and the transformation of society through the arts, and he has used his more recent roles and responsibilities as an opportunity to consolidate the myriad of skills and experience he has gathered over the years toward making a difference in other people’s lives.

Colin Clark

Board Member

Colin Clark is an Austin native who grew up (and remains) fascinated by the Austin music scene. Formerly employed doing environmental advocacy, Colin has volunteered with a broad range of groups and efforts in Austin, including clean energy, public education, adult literacy, mentoring, and co-operatives. Also an aspiring musician, Colin records and plays local honky tonks with his four-piece band.

Gray Parsons

Teacher

Gray Parsons is a career teacher, as well as an accomplished recording artist in his own right. He has learned to play both on stage and through his studies, and has a Master's degree in percussion. In addition to percussion, Gray is a keyboardist, a  vibraphone player, and, of course, a ukulele player. Gray plays afro-jazz with Zoumoutchi and rock and roll with the Dead Left. With the Groundwork Music Orchestra, he plays just about everything. He has also contributed to Groundwork Music Project as a song writer, with his tunes being among the most often used, and often requested.