PROJECT SUMMARY
Diabetes vs Discipline is a song that uses the power of music and storytelling to assist families dealing with diabetes by sharing ways to live well despite challenges and genetic risks. We are seeking $60,000 to produce a music video for Diabetes vs Discipline along with accompanying promotional materials that can reach a wide audience, potentially via public television.

Fact: Diabetes is a killer, claiming the lives of over 100,000 Americans and 1.5 million people worldwide each year, but it doesn’t have to! [1-5]

Less-Known Fact: Several scientific studies report that highly motivated individuals have completely reversed their prediabetic or type 2 diabetes conditions or substantially improved their health and longevity as type 1 diabetics, through healthy lifestyle choices. [6-11]

Project Mission: Diabetes vs Discipline is an informative and inspiring anthem created to get (and keep) diabetes-impacted communities highly motivated to live well and live long. 

Project Goals:  

With the proper reach, we believe Diabetes vs Discipline can help:

(1) eradicate pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes (which account for 90% of diabetic cases and deaths) [12]

(2) improve the health and longevity of people with type 1 diabetes

(3) encourage diabetes-impacted families to adopt healthy lifestyle choices together, rather than leave the diabetic family member to bear it alone.

Listen to the full Diabetes vs Discipline song here.

We are requesting $60K in donation(s) to complete this project. Please consider supporting Diabetes vs Discipline and amplifying the reach of this impactful song, which has the potential to save lives and alleviate unnecessary suffering. Your contributions will go towards music video production, project coordination, and placement and promotion of the music video.

Other ways to support:

Project Role: Lead Artist/ Project Director 

Duties: Planning, Project Vision, Project Oversight, Performance

Bio: Keith Cross is a Lyricist and Learning Scientist who combines music and science to promote healthy living practices. His artistic achievements include being a Peace Studio Fellow (2022), a Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts "Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards" finalist (2021), a performing artist in the Shangrila Museum of Islamic Art, Culture and Design "#8x8 Exhibit" (2021), and an artist-in-residence with the Department of Cultural Affairs, Los Angeles (2006-2009). His musical works (performed as Doctabarz) are informed by a neurocognitive perspective, a teaching and learning perspective, and from the perspective of a performer engaged in the work of Moving Crowds both physically and politically. Keith has a PhD in Education from Stanford University, and a B.A. in Religion from University of Southern California.

Project Role: Music Video Director/Producer; 

Duties: Music Video Planning, Direction, Production and Post Production. 

Bio: Gerard Elmore is an Emmy® Award nominated writer/editor/producer/director who has a range of experience varying from television production, film and TV commercials. Gerard is a Hawaii-based producer/director, winning multiple local Peles (ADDYs) & a national Gold ADDY award.  Music videos he directed have gained national attention and have aired on CMT, FUSE TV, and other outlets on the mainland. Gerard is the Lead Producer at NMG Network, lecturer at the Academy for Creative Media, Manoa and West Oahu.  He also serves as the Executive Director for the `Ohina Short Film Showcase, ohina.org, that is designed to help local filmmakers promote and screen their films in Hawaii.

Charmaine Mangram, PhD 

Project Role: Project Coordinator

Duties: Planning, Coordinating, Logistical and Budget Oversight

Bio: Charmaine Mangram is a former mathematics educator and researcher who has served as coordinator for education research programs at both state and national levels, coordinating faculty and teachers across multiple states in efforts to improve children’s math education experiences. Currently, Charmaine is a financial services provider and community advocate who leverages her expertise in education, mathematics, and research to improve the financial and general wellbeing of historically underserved communities. Charmaine has a PhD in Math Education from Stanford University, is the former Associate Professor of Math Education for University of Hawaii, and she is the Founder/CEO of Mangram Financial Services. 

March 1 - May 31, 2024: Fundraising

June 1 - September 1, 2024: Video Pre-Production, Production & Post Production

November (Diabetes Awareness Month) 2024: Music Video Release & Promotion

Theoretical Framework

The Diabetes vs Discipline project combines the power of storytelling and music with “nudge theory,” which suggests that you can “nudge” people toward healthier outcomes by altering their environment such that choices leading to healthy outcomes are easier to make. Research has shown that storytelling has the power to nudge people’s behaviors in areas such as environmental sustainability, cultural bias, and health. Similarly, storytelling in music has been theorized to influence unity and affinity in groups of people, a phenomenon that can potentially be applied to mobilizing people who share a “health” identity. [13-17]. Diabetes vs Discipline thus aims to “nudge” diabetes-impacted communities towards healthy lifestyle choices, and ultimately, shift the prevailing discourse regarding diabetes into a narrative of empowerment. 

Project Development & Progress

This music video constitutes the second phase of production for the Diabetes vs Discipline project. Phase one, funded in part by a 2022 fellowship from The Peace Studio, included the writing, recording and production of the Diabetes vs Discipline song. 

[1] Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023, November 14)  National Diabetes Statistics Report. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/data/statistics-report/index.html

[2] World Health Organization. (2023, April 5) Diabetes. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/diabetes

[3] Agarwal, S., Wade, A. N., Mbanya, J. C., Yajnik, C., Thomas, N., Egede, L. E., Campbell, J. A., Walker, R. J., Maple-Brown, L., & Graham, S. (2023). The role of structural racism and geographical inequity in diabetes outcomes. Lancet (London, England), 402(10397), 235–249. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(23)00909-1

[4] Lieberman L. S. (2003). Dietary, evolutionary, and modernizing influences on the prevalence of type 2 diabetes. Annual review of nutrition, 23, 345–377. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.nutr.23.011702.073212

[5] Grantham, J. P., Staub, K., Rühli, F. J., & Henneberg, M. (2014). Modern diet and metabolic variance--a recipe for disaster?. Nutrition journal, 13, 15. https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2891-13-15

[6] Blonde, L., Umpierrez, G. E., Reddy, S. S., McGill, J. B., Berga, S. L., Bush, M., Chandrasekaran, S., DeFronzo, R. A., Einhorn, D., Galindo, R. J., Gardner, T. W., Garg, R., Garvey, W. T., Hirsch, I. B., Hurley, D. L., Izuora, K., Kosiborod, M., Olson, D., Patel, S. B., Pop-Busui, R., Sadhu, A. R., Samson, S. L., Stec, C., Tamborlane Jr, W. V., Tuttle, K. R., Twining, C., Vella, A., Vellanki, P., Weber, S. L. (2022). American Association of Clinical Endocrinology Clinical Practice Guideline: Developing a Diabetes Mellitus Comprehensive Care Plan-2022 Update. Endocrine practice: official journal of the American College of Endocrinology and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, 28(10), 923–1049. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eprac.2022.08.002

[7] Brown, A., McArdle, P., Taplin, J., Unwin, D., Unwin, J., Deakin, T., Wheatley, S., Murdoch, C., Malhotra, A., & Mellor, D. (2022). Dietary strategies for remission of type 2 diabetes: A narrative review. Journal of human nutrition and dietetics : the official journal of the British Dietetic Association, 35(1), 165–178. https://doi.org/10.1111/jhn.12938

[8] Crandall, J. P., Knowler, W. C., Kahn, S. E., Marrero, D., Florez, J. C., Bray, G. A., Haffner, S. M., Hoskin, M., Nathan, D. M., & Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group (2008). The prevention of type 2 diabetes. Nature clinical practice. Endocrinology & metabolism, 4(7), 382–393. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncpendmet0843

[9] Taylor, R., Ramachandran, A., Yancy, W. S., Jr, & Forouhi, N. G. (2021). Nutritional basis of type 2 diabetes remission. BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 374, n1449. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n1449

[10] Dotzert, M. S., McDonald, M. W., Olver, T. D., Sammut, M. J., & Melling, C. W. J. (2023). The influence of exercise training versus intensive insulin therapy on insulin resistance development in type 1 diabetes. Journal of diabetes and its complications, 37(1), 108365. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdiacomp.2022.108365

[11] Leroux, C., Brazeau, A. S., Gingras, V., Desjardins, K., Strychar, I., & Rabasa-Lhoret, R. (2014). Lifestyle and cardiometabolic risk in adults with type 1 diabetes: a review. Canadian journal of diabetes, 38(1), 62–69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcjd.2013.08.268

[12] Bullard, K. M., Cowie, C. C., Lessem, S. E., Saydah, S. H., Menke, A., Geiss, L. S., Orchard, T. J., Rolka, D. B., & Imperatore, G. (2018). Prevalence of Diagnosed Diabetes in Adults by Diabetes Type - United States, 2016. MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report, 67(12), 359–361. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6712a2

[13] Fischer, D., Fücker, S., Selm, H., & Sundermann, A. (2022). Storytelling for sustainability: A preliminary conclusion. In Narrating Sustainability through Storytelling (pp. 127-136). Routledge.

[14] Schiappa, E., Gregg, P. B., & Hewes, D. E. (2005). The parasocial contact hypothesis. Communication Monographs, 72(1), 92–115. https://doi.org/10.1080/0363775052000342544

[15] Gucciardi, E., Jean-Pierre, N., Karam, G., & Sidani, S. (2016). Designing and delivering facilitated storytelling interventions for chronic disease self-management: a scoping review. BMC Health Services Research, 16(1), 1-13.

Music and Behavior/Socialisation 

[16] Kallio, A. A., & Partti, H. (2013). Music education for a nation: Teaching patriotic ideas and ideals in global societies. Action, Criticism, and Theory for Music Education, 12(3), 5-30.

[17] Rabinowitch, T. C. (2020). The potential of music to effect social change. Music & Science, 3, 2059204320939772.