With the unprecidented changes society in general has experienced recently, the importance of music and video in everyday lives has become even more paramount. They help to build communities through shared passions and values, and during these times of fragmented contact, people are actively seeking to develop connections to enhance their lives.
At Roland - with our mix of products, services, and corporate culture - we are uniquely placed to support the development of arts, and we continue to strive for any contribution we can make, both in music and video and society at large.
Supporting the Music and Video Industry
Due to worldwide spread of COVID-19 infection, many events, such as those for music, were cancelled, which restricted activities of not only professional artists but also general musical players and performers. This, however, resulted in stimulating enthusiasm of those who love music and video to create new possibilities including live and recorded streaming of performance through the Internet. Based on these experiences, Roland is engaged in such activities as those mentioned below.
Provision of Platforms for Activities
To support artists in Japan, over the past three years we have hosted an exciting online festival called ‘Players Summit’.
Aimed at both musicians and the general public, the theme for 2022 was ‘Bringing the excitement of music to the future’. In addition to various live performances and talks by professional artists, our customers were also involved. Key highlights included; a video session in which 100 customers participated, and a wind orchestra formed by 50 Roland Aerophone users. All sessions were streamed live, and watched by many people over the three days.
We are also continuing with ‘PROJECT MyRoland’, which provides customers with opportunities and content to make the most of their Roland products.
PROJECT MyRoland consists of many events, including; social media performances, gatherings, product development discussion meetings, get-togethers of users, and performance workshops. Such engagement not only provides the opportunity for people to enjoy music togther, but also enables Roland to better understand the needs of our customers when developing future products or services.
Outside of Japan our sales units are also engaged in a series of physical events and online content.
Roland has developed a wide range of Audio/Video products for both professional-use and more casual users looking to develop and stream content using their smartphones. While the COVID-19 pandemic poses some restrictions on the activities of many artists and creators, if they do choose new ways to engage with their fans online, our line of products can strongly support them. From single camera setups to full multi-media switches, Roland truly has a solution for all content creators.
Since the pandemic, live streaming has become widely popular in the music industry. Nowadays, even as customers return to live venues, so-called ‘hybrid’ concerts, which simultaneously broadcast live streaming, have become commonplace. Roland's technology supports artists not only by ensuring the sound of instruments at the venue is heard but also by broadcasting images that convey the venue's excitement in real-time to fans across the globe.
For musical and video culture to develop, it is also necessary to have an environment where we can share and discuss values to support each other, while respecting the diversity of the people taking action. We will therefore continue to provide a platform to nurture conversations to help tackle inequalities around the world.
Supporting Educational and Artistic Activities
Support of Educational Institutions
We are providing educational institutions offering musical production courses, such as “1500 Sound Academy” in the U.S., “Point Blank Music School” in the U.K. and “JMC Academy” of Australia, with high-quality software synthesizers and music production software, via our Roland Cloud service.
In addition, we are donating products and making contributions to educational institutions in various countries. We support “Resonance Music College” in the U.K. by providing equipment and holding seminars, etc. And, in Canada, we have been supporting for many years “Music for Young Children” to develop childhood sociability and cognition through music.
We are commited to contribute to the development of next-generation artists and to the benefits of music in mind development - thereby helping to protect music culture and to build a more educated and affluent society.
Support for Disabled People's Artistic Activities
We support activities of people with disabilities to express their potential through music and participate in society.
As part of our activities to more widely support arts and culture, we are backing the “Paralym Art” project run by the general incorporated association for supporting independence of people with disabilities (Shogaisha Jiritu Suishin Kiko). At the same time, we continue to contribute to the economic independence of disabled artists and creation of ties within the society, we are making good use of their artistic works in our in-house publications, etc.
Cooperation and Support of Charitable Organizations and NPO, etc.
We are donating musical instruments to U.K.-based charity “Musica”. Roland supports their activities aimed at increasing self-esteem and happiness of underprivileged people owing to disability, poverty or isolation, etc. through creative activities.
We are also supporting “Ronald McDonald House” to help children fighting against serious diseases, and cooperate with such music therapy organizations “Nordoff-Robbins” and the “Music Therapy association of British Columbia”.
In addition to our support of these external organizations, we also partner with the leading mental health charity “Mind” in U.K., providing early intervention for positive mental health and well-being for children and young people, while promoting careers in music industries. Also, we hold events in collaboration with the British NPO “Women in CTRL”, aiming to empower women and non-binary people and encourage them to produce their own music.
We will continue contributing to the growth of society where the power of music can help improve everyone's life.
Provision of Opportunities to Work
Our Engagement for People with Disabilities
Roland place emphasis on improvement of the work environment so that people with disabilities can maximize their capabilities and opportunities, become independent, and work with a sense of security. We have established teams of skilled members that consists of those with disabilities within the company, in an attempt to make them adapt themselves to the workplace and perform their duties with a sense of security. The members are engaged in various types of office service such as the collection and delivery of in-house documents, equipment maintenance, dismantlement of waste products, document insertion and agent work for document digitization. As the management side, we are striving for reinforcing our system of their acceptance and development of individuals' potential through such means as accepting trainees at workplaces and nurturing of job coaches (company employees who support people as they prepare to enter the workforce).
In addition, we aim to eradicate or mitigate concerns about health or work, by providing an industry leading support structure. This includes regular access to psychologists, psychiatrists and counseling. We continue to build workplaces with high accessibility, including priority parking, and user-friendly facilities.
Furthermore, we also fully cooperate with Roland locations around the world, other companies, local governments, welfare organizations, and the community in general to ensure our standards set the best example to society in how to provide independence and security to disabled employees.
* “Roland Corporation” refers to the Roland Corporation that is the headquarters located in Japan on a nonconsolidated basis (same in the followings).
The percentage of employees with disabilities
Activity to Deliver Education to Students
As part of our commitment to the development of society, Roland Corporation run a comprehensive program of internships and explanatory meetings on the company for students. We feel that by providing positive opportunities and experiences to students, we will fuel development of those individuals and society in general, as well as nurturing talent for the future of Roland.
Internship course
We carry out summer student internship periods once a year for students of technical colleges or above. Through the experience of products and promotional planning, students can learn the fundamentals of business, problem-solving techniques, marketing activity, presentation skills and more. We have continuously accepted interns so that we will be able to contribute to the increase of basic social knowledge, development of the sense of professionalism and arousal of motivation for learning the young people who bear the future of the world on their shoulders.
In addition, we also run an internship course for high school students. We accepted three high school students in fiscal 2024, for whom we carried out such programs as a visit to the research institute museum, work experience, lecture on the corporate philosophy as well as the company's history and a discussion meeting with the alumnae. It is our hopes that we will be able to contribute to further improving the local high school students' views of work and occupation, by continuing to accept interns as part of our commitment to the contribution to the local communities.
Study tours of the factory for local students
To provide the students with opportunities to think about their vocational aptitude and future planning, we carry out program of visiting the factory, in cooperation with the schools in the community.
We carried out a tour of the factory at our Malaysian Factory for second-year students of high schools in Hamamatsu City as part of their school trips. By having them experience the actual site of manufacturing, we provided them with the opportunities to think about working on a global scale.
We are intended to further deepen the relationship with the local communities and continue being positive in accepting such students.
Other social contributions
Community contribution activities
Expressway Hamamatsu service area “MUSIC SPOT”
In collaboration with Central Nippon Expressway Co., Ltd. and the Hamamatsu Cultural Promotion Foundation, we are providing opportunities for drivers and tourists to come into contact with various musical instruments and music through exhibitions and events at NEOPASA Hamamatsu “MUSIC SPOT.”
Hamamatsu Science Museum
We are offering exhibits in the “sound zone” where visitors can experience the world of sound. We collaborate with local communities to nurture children's “scientific minds” and to encourage people of all generations to take an interest in learning.
Donation of Musical Instruments to Educational Institutions
We donated digital pianos, guitar amplifiers, and other products to “Seino Gakuen,” an educational corporation in Gifu Prefecture that supports the independence of children who do not attend school. We support growth through music by using it in classes and activities of the light music club.
In addition, as a community contribution activity commemorating the 50th anniversary of our founding, we donated Roland F701 digital pianos to a total of 99 schools, including all municipal elementary schools in Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, which has been an important business base since our founding. As a token of our gratitude to Hamamatsu City and its citizens for building a long-standing partnership, we support the enrichment of school life for children.
Local contribution in Malaysia
In Malaysia, where our main factory is located, employees of the Malaysian factory participate in cleanup activities sponsored by the local government. Through cleaning around factories and worker dormitories, we are committed to business activities that are rooted in the local community.