TEKJAMM

Interview With Kim Cameron

2009-12-21T13:33:00.000-08:00

After working in the corporate world for many years, Kim Cameron decided to give her dream of becoming a musician a shot. Cameron said, “I didn’t want to be laying on my death bed wondering, ‘ I wonder what would have happened if I actually pursued music?’” Cameron went on to form a band called Side FX using the Bon Jovi model. Now with the success of their first CD and a new CD, “Turning Point”, on the way, Cameron has many exiting things in store for the future. Below is a selection of questions and answers from a recent interview with Kim Cameron.

Ashley: How did you get started in the music industry?

Kim: I have always been in music one way or another. I was in cover bands, but before cover bands I did marching band and choir. When I jumped out of cover bands I started getting involved in production and developing an entire music product. I also learned how to sell and market the product. So now I guess I am officially in the music business but I was always on the outskirts of it for as long as I can remember.

Ashley: How did you get your start with the band you are in now, Side FX?

Kim: I formed the band a couple years ago. The members came together by word of mouth - I said I was looking for top-notch drummers, etc. I knew I wanted to be the band leader and create something close to the Bon Jovi model. That model is basically where he, Jon Bon Jovi did all the hiring of the musicians himself. The end result was a band that was hand-picked and have stuck together for many years. So as I started hiring I said look here is the deal, I take all the risks and I’m happy to pay you guys and your welcome to be part of the band but this is the model I would like to follow. Getting people to agree under the best circumstances is challenging but this is the model I chose and I think the band likes it better too because there is only one person to get irritated with (laughs).

Ashley: I read in a magazine interview that your brother-in-law had cancer and that pushed you to pull away from the corporate world and pursue music. What exactly clicked to make you want to pursue music?

Kim: Well it was a touch and go weekend. It was liver cancer and if they didn’t get it in time he was going to die within weeks and the survival rate of that cancer is only like 30 percent. He is lucky enough to be part of that 30 percent which is what is so great about it. So the reflection I had wasn’t that he was going to die because I knew he would live. The experience made me think ‘ why am I doing something I hate.’ Hate is a strong word but when you come home everyday and you feel like crap because you are doing something you don’t want to do I realized I needed to make a change. I didn’t want to be laying on my death bed wondering, ‘ I wonder what would have happened if I actually pursued music?” I didn’t want to be in that place and have regrets. So, I just figured life is too short and I needed to graduate from the dredge I was in of waking up every morning and working for someone who doesn’t care if I work for them.

Ashley: Did your experience in the corporate world prepare you for the music industry in any way?

Kim: Absolutely! The music industry is insane and its filled with a lot of business and non-business people. I think my experience with the business side has allowed me to accelerate what I'm creating in the music industry. What I have been able to accomplish in two short years, if you compare me to other artists, just isn’t done. There are a lot of talented people and I don’t think my talent is any better then anyone else’s but it’s the business background that has allowed me to 180 miles per hour when everyone is trying to get up to 30 miles per hour because they don’t know how to take the next step and do the next thing. The music industry is like a traditional business model, you know, you have to develop a product, market the product, reach out to consumers, change your tactic if something doesn’t work and that’s my background. I understood all the parts it takes to do what you want to do and sell products.

Ashley: Why is performing music live more challenging than in a studio?

Kim: You have all the factors going against you at every show. Sound always works a different way depending on the venue and we are usually setting it up for the first time. Everyone has their own way of hearing the sound when they are up on stage. The mix that the sound guys put in my monitor has to be a certain way to give me the confidence to perform how I want to. Its all about working through the mistakes and covering them up when performing live. There are just too many factors that you have to accommodate every time you perform live, including the audience. In a studio things are controlled and if they don’t work out well one day then you come back (laughs) and do it differently the next day. It’s a lot easier in the studio because I have never gotten nervous going into a studio and I cant say that for a live performance.

Ashley: What other artists inspire you?

Kim: Oh my gosh there are so many. The first one is probably Dave Matthews. If I could be him in a live performance with his big fat lovable sound on stage I would love that! I love his big bold sound and he is just a great performer. The artists that I have seen live inspire me much more than on a CD because performing live is much more challenging then being in a studio. I saw Alicia Keys and I loved how she worked her vocal magic on stage. As a performer, Cher is great. She knows how to make a performance look good and she sings and lights up the stage. You always feel very connected to her regardless of how big the auditorium is and that’s really magical. The most enjoyable show I have been to and influenced by is Bare Naked Ladies because they are so funny. You laugh and enjoy the music. So those are probably the biggest influences all for different reasons.

Ashley: How would you describe your music to someone who may not have heard you before?

Kim: Probably like a female doors or a Carly Simon with some edge combined with a little bit ofcowboy junkies, those are probably what I can compare SideFX to. I do have some big sounds that people say reminded them of Fleetwood Mac, but that would be more on the first album than the second.

Ashley: What has been your most memorable experience that has come along with your music?

Kim: The one that is probably the most humorous to me was last March I was performing at the Cherry Blossom Festival and I was trying to look “springy”. I was wearing spring colors and the clothes were on the lighter side and it just happened to be super cold that day. I had my gloves on but I was extremely cold and the wind was so bad and you could see your breath. By the middle of my performance, my legs started shaking and then my teeth started shaking. When you are on stage you usually walk around and look comfortable, but my legs were shaking so bad I was walking just to keep them warmed up. I was trying to figure out if people could see just how uncomfortable I was. So that was my most memorable experience and it taught me that if I am going to performing outside I need to dress appropriately.

Ashley: Have you heard your songs on the radio and if so what was the first time hearing a song on the radio like?

Kim: I have and it was weird, really weird! It was like oh that’s me. It was weird in a good way but shocking.

Ashley: What is the best part about the industry

Kim: You get to do what you want to do.

Ashley: What is the hardest part?

Kim: Getting people to decide that you are worth listening to.

Ashley: How do you overcome that obstacle?

Kim: I’m still overcoming it (laughs). There are so many people out there trying to get people to listen to their music that just getting in front of that pure volume is challenging. Someone on Sony gets on average 200 CDs a day. So picture walking into these rooms with CDs piled up and you have to try and get him to listen to you. Even if he does listen to you, how will he remember what you sounded like compared to all the others. It’s the volume that you are competing against and trying to get people attention. I feel like I’m in a family of 100 and I am number 19 or something. Its like “mom please pay attention to me” and its really hard to get that.

Ashley: What is your biggest piece of advice for upcoming artists?

Kim: Be very very patient and keep working it. It’s very easy to get frustrated and its really easy to just say “you know what, I will just do something else.” With every two steps you take you will take at least one step backward and I am still getting that and I have had a lot of success. People who write music or play music, they are very touchy -feely people and it’s very easy to hurt their feelings. You just have to push your feelings aside and trudge forward.

Ashley: Do you have any major goals or future plans?

Kim: Well, major goal is to sell this second album like it’s nobody’s business. Major plans include a world tour that starts right after the Grammys.

Check out the Side FX at: http://www.sidefxband.net/about.asp

Check out Kim Cameron at: http://www.kimcameronmusic.com/

Joe Theismann Interview

2009-12-07T18:24:00.000-08:00

If you are a long time Redskin’s fan, have seen the recent movie Blindside or have been to the restaurant in Alexandria, Virginia bearing the name “Theismann's”, then you most likely know of whom I was privileged to speak with the other day. Known for having the NFL’s “Most Shocking Moment in History”, Joe Theismann has accomplished and conquered many goals and obstacles in his life. From an amazing football career which included a single tackle that ended it, to owning a restaurant and working for NFL.TV and hosting his own Sunday morning sports show in the DC area, Joe Theismann is definitely someone to be admired and respected. Below is a selection of questions from my phone interview with Joe Theismann.

Ashley: What was your favorite sport to play in high school?

Theismann: My Favorite sport was actually baseball. I grew up doing it before I played football. I started playing organized baseball before I was 7 years old and I aspired to become a professional Baseball player.

Ashley: What were your top choices for colleges to play football?

Theismann: I had 5 that I narrowed it down to. Penn State, UNC, NC State, Wakeforest. I originally signed at University of North Carolina. It has always been a great mystery to me as to why I chose that school. But then I took a trip to Notre Dame and I can't really give you a specific reason other then I felt like that’s where I belonged. It was a gloomy Indiana day when I went to visit to the school but it just felt right...so that’s where I decided to go.

Ashley: Why did you decide to turn down a major league baseball offer to pursue a career in the Canadian Football League?

Theismann: In baseball you have A, AA, AAA ball and all the different graduating grades of being able to play at the professional level. Where as, in football you are either in or you are out. I felt that if things didn’t work out in a year or so, I could fall back on baseball but you cant go the other way around. But it turned out football was ok and worked for me.

Ashley: How did the CFL prepare you to play for the Redskins?

Theismann: It allowed me to continue to work on my physical skills. The games are a little different; In Canada you only have 3 downs and the field's bigger. Yet, I was still able to run and throw and think my way through football games and I think that helped me.

Ashley: Can you describe what it is like to play in a Superbowl game.

Theismann: It's indescribable. If anyone could just dream a dream, whatever it is, and all of the sudden the imagine that you dream is coming true, that’s what it feels like. I have wonderful memories from playing in the Superbowl.

Ashley: What do you feel is your greatest football accomplishment?

Theismann: Oh I would say winning the world championship. Its something you dream about as a kid. To be part of a world championship football team is very special. To be apart of any organization that is the best at what it does is very special. So that is my favorite football memory.

Ashley: Do you have a record you are most proud of?

Theismann: Yeah I played in 163 consecutive football games as a professional. I am a big believer in showing up for work no matter what. I say this to young people - if you go to school everyday, you will learn something. So, if you show up for work your going to learn something. If you are an athlete and you show up at practice, you will learn something new everyday.

Ashley: I’m sure you get asked this question all the time, but can you still remember and describe what happened the day that Lawrence Taylor sacked you and broke your leg.

Theismann: I remember it like it was yesterday. As a matter of fact, if you see the Blindside you can see it in the first few seconds of the movie.

Ashley: Have you seen the Blindside?

Theismann: Yes, it’s a great movie. They called me and told me they were going to use that clip and I had no problem with it. I have to tell you I couldn’t watch it, but I closed my eyes and listened to the audience reactions.

Ashley: Did you know at that point that your career would be over?

Theismann: No, not at all. I had broken a number of bones in my body. As a matter of fact, I had broken my right leg in 1972 when I was playing in the CFL. So for me, I thought it would be overcoming another injury.

Ashley: What is your relationship like with Lawrence Taylor now? Did you guys keep in touch after the injury?

Theismann: We are friends and we play golf together. We laugh about it. He always gives me a lot of grief saying, oh I wasn’t very good anyway and because of the insurance policy I owe him 10% because he made me a lot of money.

Ashley: How did you bounce back from the Injury that ended your football career?

Theismann: I just went back to my training as an athlete and dealt with the situation with perseverance. It was like when I went to the University of Notre Dame, I was 152 pounds and they told me I was too small. So when you get hurt you have people telling you that your career is over and you can't accomplish anything. I have always been a person who is very prideful. If you tell me I can’t do something, you are motivating me to do it.

Ashley: What made you want to open up a restaurant while you were playing in the NFL?

Theismann: Some guys came to me about putting my name on a restaurant. I thought about it and it seemed like a fun thing to do. I didn’t have an economic commitment to it. It was sort of neat having your name up on a sign. I would have my teammates come in and they could eat for free the first time but then had to pay for it. I used to go a lot but not so much anymore. Being involved in the restaurant business, really for me, was a great opportunity to learn about people and the world of business. It was a great lesson for me.

Ashley: What did you learn about the Restaurant industry?

Theismann: You learn how to buy, learn how to order food, about people showing up and not showing up to work, keeping a place clean. My whole motto with the restaurant is basically what we want to do is have a home for people. The cleanliness, quality of food, and the way people should be treated are all very important to the restaurant. Those are just some of the things you learn.

Ashley: What is your favorite item on the menu?

Theismann: I do, it’s the Spiral chicken. It’s a Spiral cream-based pasta with chunks of chicken in it. For the 27 odd years I have had the restaurant, the food consistency has been the same. That is actually what I am most proud of for my restaurant; the quality of the food has never changed.

Ashley: How did you get involved working at NFL TV? What is your job like there?

Theismann: They came to me and offered me an opportunity to be on the play book show. I had been out of professional football for three years and so it gave me a chance to get back into the game I loved. We talk about all the football games and the NFL. We break down the games and talk about the concepts and players. You know, football is a very complex game and you can take it a lot deeper then people just doing television.

Ashley: Do you have advice for future football players trying to go to the NFL?

Theismann: Yeah, get your education because it’s a game that requires a lot of intellect. Also, understand your responsibility to society. You’re going to be a role model and treat people like you want to be treated. Respect the game and respect the people that play the game and respect the people that are involved in the game. And finally, there is absolutely no substitute for hard work.

Ashley: Do you have advice for people trying to break into media, especially sports?

Theismann: If you want to get involved in broadcasting, the important thing to do is really find a job with a local television channel. Learn what it's like behind the camera and in front of the camera. Truthfully, if your school offers courses in broadcast journalism, I would advise that. Also, take speaking courses because even though we are in a world of texting and emails, if your going into broadcasting, you still have to open your mouth and something has to come out.

Ashley: Do you have any future plans or goals?

Theismann: Oh yeah, I think life is all about goals. I would like to help more people enjoy their life. I would like to be able to spend time with my grandchildren and I would like to be able to put a smile on someone’s face at least everyday.

Feature on James Johnston

2009-11-16T19:39:00.000-08:00

Although this is another new and unusual format to the blog, we thought it might be a good story to share with all the readers. James Johnston came to Virginia Tech and spoke about his experiences as an Independent Film Producer and Director. Here is my article I wrote for our online newspaper on his experiences and advise for future filmmakers.

From a rap artist to a chef to a maker of music videos, James M. Johnston has traveled a different path to becoming an established independent and feature filmmaker. The Department of Theatre and Cinema hosted Johnston on Wednesday afternoon in the performance arts building. He spoke about how he got into the film industry, experiences as an independent film artist and gave advice for upcoming filmmakers.

Johnston’s overall theme of the presentation was that he is more interested in being a creative artist than a Hollywood film icon.

“ I want to make films as an artist not as a paycheck,” said Johnston. “I feel like I have something to say and [I want to produce] what matters to me as an artist and not what is hot at the time.”

Professors Paul Harrill and Ashley Maynor chose to have Johnston come speak at Virginia Tech. Both say they know him personally because of their travels to various film festivals and respect for his work.

“The short-films he's made as a writer-director, as well as the feature films he's produced, have been made in Texas with small crews and small budgets. Yet, they have more humanity than most movies made with 10-times the resources,” said Harrill. “We place an emphasis on self-reliant filmmaking at Tech, so he's a filmmaker that we want our students to learn from.”

About 15-20 cinema students showed up to the presentation eager to hear what Johnston had to say, as well as, a couple of Associated Movie Producers (AMP) students.

There was no sign of Johnston five minutes before the presentation until all of the sudden a tall man with gold shoes and a long beard stepped into the room. The mysterious man was then introduced as James Johnston.

Johnston began the presentation by explaining how he got into the film industry. Johnston started out his career as a want-to-be hip-hop rap artist at 18. It was not until a friend brought home a video of independent short films that he even began to consider work in the film industry.

“The thought never even crossed my mind that people could make films outside of Hollywood,” said Johnston. “Seeing [these films] really changed my life and I started getting into film and dove in head first.”

Johnston then advised the audience that volunteering for low-budget films was his next step in learning about the film industry. He worked every job imaginable from catering to lighting, personal assisting and eventually directing and producing.

Johnston explained that, in order to start out as a filmmaker, you often have to have additional jobs to make money and pay the mortgage. In fact, most paid filmmakers who are known in the industry still have other jobs on the side.

In Johnston’s presentation, he proceeded to show two of his short films called "Merrily, Merrily" and "Receive Bacon". He used the films to broadcast promote some of his work and also to explain the importance of editing and peer sharing.

When asked about peer feedback on films Johnston said, “Some of my friends' films are not the type of films I make but [when they review my film] they know what I am going for as a creative filmmaker. You will know your group when you find it and [that group relationship] becomes like creative soul mates.”

Johnston’s final points in the presentation had to do with his thoughts of what it is like to be a producer. He explained that in the independent film world the role of the producer is very different than in Hollywood.

In Hollywood, the producers are the bosses and own everything, but with independent films it is a partnership with the director and is overall more artist-driven.

As far as current projects go, Johnston said he produced with director David Lowery for his recent film, "St. Nick".

“When David brought 'St. Nick' to me it was just an outline, but I knew exactly what he wanted to do with it,” said Johnston. “I told David, ‘Hey look there is a certain way we are going to do this with a budget we can afford.’”

Now that St. Nick has played at many film festivals and has won many awards, it has become known all over the world. Virginia Tech was the first Virginia and academic premier of the film. The film premiered in Pamplin Hall in the evening after his presentation.

Only time will tell what new projects and films Johnston will work on in the future. But one thing is for sure and that is Johnston loves “working on anything creative and getting [his work] out in the world.”

Notes from Ashley:

Websites for St. Nick:

http://www.stnickfilm.com/stnick_presskit.pdf

http://www.stnickfilm.com

Meeting Maroon 5

2009-11-11T14:07:00.000-08:00

As most of you know I have been working for a month now to try and get a phone or face-to-face interview with Maroon 5. The sad news is that there are many complications that happen to prevent interviews from taking place, and unfortunately I was unable to obtain that interview. The good news is, instead of an interview I am excited to say I met the band one-on-one before their concert last night and was able to watch the whole show on the side of the stage. Even though there is no interview, I want to share my amazing experience with our audience.

The story began when Rachel, one of Maroon 5’s public relations representatives, who tried for a month to set up the interview. She worked so hard and I am so thankful to have someone put in that much effort on my behalf. It certainly gave me the perspective of what someone in her role goes through when it comes to the challenges of scheduling. The day of the interview, the drummer had an emergency before their show in Rochester, NY, so they had to cancel all interviews for that day (eight total!). We tried to reschedule but with the band's tour and other scheduled appointments, it became impossible. While I was taking a test, right before the concert, I received a “missed call” on my cell from Rachel. What a great voice mail – her message said that while she couldn't get me an interview, she in fact had pulled some strings and got me a quick meet and greet before the show! I was bummed that I wouldn't have a chance to ask the questions we prepared, but I immediately became both excited and nervous to meet MAROON 5! Arrangements were made for me to meet the band's tour manager.

Of course when you’re waiting for something so exciting to happen time passes as slow as it possibly can. I walked (a.k.a. ran with excitement) over to the loading gate to make my appointed meet time with Shawn, the band's tour manager. I called Shawn, as instructed, and since the band was meeting with those affected by the April 16^th shootings, there was a bit of a delay. He said he would call me or meet me when they were done. More waiting...but there was a guy smoking a cigarette outside. Since you never know whom you are going to meet – we began to chat and it turned out that his name was Teal and he was a crew member for the band. We talked all about what it was like to be on tour and how he got the job. One of the most interesting facts he told me was about the entourage that travels with the band, which includes a yoga instructor. Teal had to get back to work and other crew members came and went and I took an opportunity to speak to each one. Everyone was so friendly and it was a real bonus to speak with them. Finally, a woman came out and asked if I was looking for someone. I told her I was waiting for Shawn and she took me back stage with her.

I was waiting at the doorway to the stage when all the sudden 6 men slammed opened the door and ran in all pumped up and messing around with each other. I did a double-take and was like, wait wasn’t that Adam Levine (not believing what I was seeing)? The tour manager said, “Well there they go, you want to go say hi?” He introduced each band member to me individually and then some of the band went out to watch the opening act and the others went to get ready. I walked over to the side of the stage and was able to hang out with James and Jesse. We talked about what I was studying and what they thought of Virginia Tech. It was great they were so down to earth, and in the end, it wasn’t nerve-racking at all to speak with them. They all thought it was so funny that people think our school looks like Hogwarts, from Harry Potter. When it was time to go out on stage they were all right next to me and I watched as they walked out in the dark then you could just hear everyone going nuts.

The show itself was amazing! They played every song you would want and expect to hear, including an acoustic version of “She Will Be Loved”, which was my personal favorite. They also brought all of their own light sets, which was amazing with the music. I got to see everything going on back stage from the testing of guitars, to making sure band members didn’t trip over their wires. It was an incredible experience. Shawn was also personable and friendly and he kept telling me I could stay as long as I wanted and asked how I was doing. Of course, I stayed the whole show! At the end of the show, they ran off and had people waiting to give them towels and anything else needed. Then they went on for an amazing encore and it was over. My phone died before the show so I was unable to take any pictures with the band or during the show on stage, but I still have the memories and a guitar pick to remember the concert by.

It’s almost impossible to describe how amazing the show was and how amazing the band is, not to mention the opportunity to have this experience. They really are normal people with amazing talent and I have to say meeting them in person and being so close to the behind the scenes activities, sure beats a telephone interview any day!

Interview with Andy Levine

2009-11-09T12:16:00.001-08:00

I had the opportunity to speak with Founder and C.E.O of Sixthman, Andy Levine. This has been my most inspirational interview to date because not only was I able to learn about his life and career path, but he also got to know me and gave advice on ways to learn about myself. For those of you not familiar with SIxthman, it is a company that designs cruise trips with various bands and their fans. Though I have never been on one of the cruises, I have heard nothing but amazing stories, which inspired to me to want to speak with Andy. From managing the band Sister Hazel to jamming on a cruise with John Mayer, Andy is definitely an inspiration to anyone looking to go into the media industry. What follows is a selection of questions from that interview.

Ashley: For those who would not familiar with Sixthman or Rockboat, can you describe what Sixthman is?

Andy: Sixthman is a company that harvests the energy of communities to bring them together to celebrate their passions and for the experience of a lifetime. Whether it’s a cruise ship or on an island, just wherever. In simpler terms, we build experiences and vacations for bands and their fans. We charter cruise ships and we invite 15-20 bands to come perform and we invite 2,000-3,000 people to come sail on the cruise ship ranging from 4-7 days. People who get on the cruise have an opportunity to meet a lot of people they soon realize they have a lot in common with. Many are repeat cruisers, which allows them to come back together every year to celebrate.

Ashley: What is your role with Sixthman?

Andy: I am the founder and CEO.

Ashley: Why the name Sixthman?

Andy: When I was in high school I played basketball but I was not good enough to start. So that’s what I was ... the sixth man. Then when I was in a band, I wasn’t very good but I acted as the manager and booked all the gigs. Then when I officially managed Sister Hazel I was kind of the in-between person of how the band could connect with their fans. When we were coming up with a name for company I felt like that’s what we were doing. We were taking bands and their fans and blending it as a medium for them to connect with each other and many times that takes a “sixth man” to get it done.

Ashley: How did Sixthman get started?

Andy: In 2001, I was managing Sister Hazel; we had worked with the band to build a really healthy street team. The fans were out there putting up flyers, calling into radio stations requesting songs, going to record stores and requesting their CDs and even letting us sleep on their couches. So in 2001, once the band achieved a pretty decent level of success, a group of fans got together on a message board and said, “ hey we have done everything you have asked of us we want a convention with the band, we want to hang out.” We said, "Yeah they're right!” and decided to do something out of the ordinary.

We invited 400 people to go on a cruise on Labor Day weekend. We were scared to death and I thought I was going to get fired. But we had so much fun and we realized the people that came on the cruise really appreciated the band. They were so respectful and understanding and knew a lot about the band. Of course we did the autographs and bonding. We played blackjack with everybody and we ate dinner with everybody, it was just very very cool. So we got off the ship, and we said we are on to something and we need to continue this. So to get a whole ship we had to get 2,000 people. We started calling other bands we were friends with like Pat McGee, Edwin McCain, and we said, “ Hey if we get your fans and our fans together we can get a whole ship.” They responded and said, “ Hey you get the ship, and we’ll come.” Sure enough, we were able to get enough money to rent out a whole ship the following year and had about 2,000 people there for our first year.

Ashley: How did you get the job of managing Sister Hazel?

Andy: I was in college and I played in a band with some of the guys that are now in Sister Hazel. When we broke up they formed a new band and asked me to manage them. I said, “Yeah that sounds fun” ... I did, and enjoyed that experience.

Ashley: It appears that you hire a lot of young people at Sixthman and then train them in the Sixthman way as opposed to more experienced people in the hospitality industry. Is that on purpose and why?

Andy: You know, I've found that the people that succeed at Sixthman have not been pre-programmed. We consider ourselves a very nontraditional business and nontraditional culture. We have the most success because we look at things creatively and do them differently. We have found here that when people come in with too much experience it becomes a challenge to them to break the “same old way” of doing work. But, on the other side, a lot of people that come in with a lot of experience are really extensive in their work. For myself, it goes back to Sister Hazel. There are all these expensive managers out there that have made a lot of people big. For myself, the only way I was able to have success was because I was young and hungry and willing to try new things and learn and hustle a lot of times. So when I have to choose between “the young and hungry and willing to try new things, make mistakes and fix them” or “ the trained” I’m going to pick the young and hungry. When bands asked me what kind of manager they should get, either the manager that has been around forever and has this big company or someone who is able to hustle and focus on them, I always say “ go with the hustle, go with the hustle.”

Ashley: In what way are you non-traditional?

Andy: Well for one, no one here has offices. We are a culture where we don’t count vacation days; we don’t count when you come into work. We basically give you a set of responsibilities and we ask you to get them done. Wherever or however you want to do them is up to you. We hold you accountable for them and if you try to take advantage of that freedom you pay the price. We believe that work is something you build around life, not the other way around. We know everyone has different situation whether it be families or other obligations. I challenge everyone to try and come up with his or her perfect day and then we try to build responsibilities around that “perfect day”. It’s up to you whether you want to come in early or stay here late. The other thing is, we are really open. We don’t have many secret thoughts. We share with each other and with our customers our ideas. We do the best that we can to know as many of our customers by name. Our biggest problems our solved by our customers because they have the ideas not us. We are just here to listen and we try to do that the most. When we do that well, good things happen and when we forget about it for a moment, bad things happen.

Ashley: You recently posted to your blog your favorite 5 books on leadership. What is the role of leadership within Sixthman and how do you teach Leadership?

Andy: One of the books on that list was Next Generation Leader. I do a lot of reading and one thing that always comes up is, “ You can command action but you have to inspire greatness.” I think the old model is one where people command to do certain things to do a certain way. If you really want people to go way beyond their own capabilities, you have to inspire them. You have to get them to really see what the future is. For me, my challenge as a leader is I have to embody all the values of our company. I think that’s one thing people like around here. They feel like, “ Oh Andy is a good guy, he cares about us and puts himself last, he loves our customers.” I get out there; I get on the phone and do my best to deal with tough problems. I always ask the artists to go the extra mile to share with their fans. I am not near where I want to be, I have a long way to go but I’m constantly reading and learning. I fall down and make mistakes. I think people see that I am trying really hard and I really care. I think it’s important for everyone to see the passion for why I am here and all the amazing things that have happened. I can only contribute to the people that are caring as much as I do, and I think thats one thing that separates good companies from great ones.

Ashley: Do you ever get star struck with all of the Stars you deal with?

Andy: You know that’s a great question (laughs)! I have been so fortunate; I have been with Elton John and John Mayer. To put things in perspective, they are just normal people. They like to be treated like normal people. I never ask for a photo or autograph. The person I have been in awe of, however,was the author of Next Generation Leader, a normal guy and a pastor. He is the one person I went up to immediately to shake his hand and found that I could not speak. Being out with an artist like John Mayer, for example, is just different. We will be out all night drinking scotch and I’m totally comfortable giving him a hard time for what he is wearing. I don’t know what it is. I do respect these individuals for what they've accomplished, but I still feel like they are normal people. So no, I don’t get star stuck.

Ashley: Who do you like the most/ do you have a favorite artist?

Andy: One of the questions people ask me all the time, “ who are the hardest people to work with?” The reason I can’t answer that is because to even consider doing a cruise like this and risking a million dollars with an artist we don’t know anything about wouldn't happen. We do considerable research on all our talent invited to cruise with us, so we won't go near someone who has one bad comment from a fan or a bad reputation. We try to stay far, far away from that. In being prepared and doing our homework, thankfully we have not really had a situation like that.

The artists are all so different. On board, John [Mayer] is great. He is always asking what he can do. I have found that the artists are competitive because they are always saying, “ Tell me about your other cruises compared to ours. Is ours the best? Is ours the most expensive? How does this one rank? Are we the coolest?” So Johns always like what can I do to make this the best cruise ever? John is a great host. When he is on board, he is out meeting people, being the DJ in the club, or doing stand-up comedy. The one thing we ask John and other bands to do is when we announce the event, they need to own it. I need them to make videos, invite fans, and give them an idea of what they expect. When people see how invested they are and that they own it, they are not as surprised when they get here to see him all over the place. John agrees," Yeah you got it.” So far these talented people “walk the walk” and get out there with their fans.

Ashley: How do you pick the mix of bands for each cruise?

Andy: We end up picking about 15-20 bands per cruise. We try to make it so you have half the bands you have heard of before and half undiscovered. Then with any one of those we look at the different “ flavors” you will get. We don’t want too much of the same thing. We will have a blue grass band walking around on the John Mayer cruise because people who love music, love music and its great. We will try to have surprising bands, bands that make you cry, upbeat bands, bands that make you want to drink a beer. We try to think of the different moods you will be in on the cruise and try to get you to experience that livelihood.

Ashley: Of all the cruises to date, what was the one moment when you knew this venture was a success?

Andy: All along this experience there have been so many moments that reminds me everyday how “I cant imagine doing anything else.” When you see people walk away with new friends, connecting with old friends, or just completely ready to burst with satisfaction, I know that I've made a great career choice.

Some examples I will share...

It was on the first John Mayer cruise. It was a 3-day cruise and on the last day John was going to play a show on the deck. I didn’t know how he felt about the cruise. For me, this business is all about (1) will these fans and the bands have a good time and (2) will they want to come back. He was performing and I had not even said anything to the manager yet about coming back again next year. We were all sitting around having a beer and all of a sudden John says, “ Who is having a good time? Who wants to do this again next year with me?” Everyone went nuts and I was so proud and excited! When an artist tells his fans he is coming back, it validates the concept as a success....and no one wants to let their fans down at that point. I put my arm around his agent and said, “ Boy that puts you in a terrible negotiation position.” John Mayer is not that kind of artist to offer something to his fans but expect “more money.” I let his management know that “ it's my job to sell it out and your job to produce it.” (The second John Mayer cruise sailed off successfully March, 2009)

The Bare Naked Ladies on their cruise decided to surprise every guest by standing there when people got on the ship and take a picture with everyone. Then as the ship was sailing away they decided they wanted to do an unannounced acoustic show. A guy comes up to me as the ship is pulling out as he just got his picture taken and is listening to the band play, and he turns to me and says, “ If we turn around and go back right now, I would have already gotten my money's worth.” THAT’s what I am going for.

Randomly on one cruise I went up to a girl and I was like, “ How's your trip?” She leaned toward me and said,” I started to keep a diary and I stopped on day 2 because I was like, no one is going to believe me.” These are the moments that get you so fired up.

Ashley: Did college help prepare you for the industry now?

Andy: I dropped out of college to manage Sister Hazel the end of my junior year. It wasn’t until 3 years ago that I went back to college to finish my degree...at 35. I didn’t think much about it, but it was exciting for me to finish something I already started. In reality, I had 2 college experiences. The first one, I didn’t know what I wanted to do and I didn’t understand the importance of people telling me what I need to know. When I went back, I was able to get into it and see what I was going to apply an education towards. I was able to appreciate the courses and see where it worked in the job I am in now. It was so helpful for me and it helps me everyday. I wish that people in college today could have that understanding.

Notes from Ashley:

-For more information on Sixthman, check out the website: http://www.sixthman.net/

- Here are some videos from Sixthman: http://sixthman.tv/mediamanager/

- Like I said in the introduction, Andy Levine talked to me after the interview about myself and gave me advice. One interesting aspect of the conversation was he talked about a website called primary color assessment. It’s a free online self-evaluation. It helps identify your strengths and passions. If interested in this you can check it out at: http://www.primarycolorassessment.com/

Pictures from the MayerCraft II :

Interview with Brittany Emma Beam

2009-10-30T05:51:00.000-07:00

Between running around the greatest cities in the world in high heels and doing photo shoots for designers such as Georgio Armani, fashion model Brittany Emma Beam lives a unique lifestyle. She started out as an aspiring model from northern Virginia who moved to the big city after high school, signed with Elite, and has now been on the cover of GQ and in Victoria's Secret. Her biggest piece of advice is to "keep true to yourself, and push through all those days where you are so tired, you can do anything you put your mind to." Read the rest of my interview below to get an inside scoop of the modeling industry!

Perrin: How did you get started in the modeling industry? Is this something that you have always wanted to do?

Brittany (Emma): Yes, and no. I mean I had the idea in my head and I knew I was tall enough but my confidence didn't grow until I was actually scouted and signed!

Perrin: What was your hometown/high school like?

Brittany (Emma): I grew up in Loudoun County. It is beautiful, part city and part country, and I went to Loudoun Valley High. It was a very large school, but I kept myself busy with athletics such as basketball, volleyball, and softball.

Perrin: Describe an average day for you when you have a photo shoot.

Brittany (Emma): I wake around 6 a.m., depending on the call-time. I take a cab or train to the location. I usually have an hour in hair and make-up, then I start shooting. The photographer tells me what he wants and the stylist is always touching your the hair and make-up -- always poking at you (laughs). This could last from 8-6, 9-5, 6-6, 8-8...I had a shoot in Paris from 6 a.m. - 9 p.m. and it was a jumping shoot! In heels! Sometimes fashion teams are crazy.

Perrin: Who has been your inspiration for modeling?

Brittany (Emma): Coco Rocha, Natasha Poly, Daria Werbowy, Alessandra Ambrosio. They are all GREAT hardworking models that have been in the business for a long time and they know and understand what it takes to be the best.

Perrin: Who is you favorite model?

Brittany (Emma): Gemma Ward

Perrin: What is your favorite spread that you have modeled for?

Brittany (Emma): Victoria's Secret and Visionaire

Perrin: What are some opportunities that have happened because of your career?

Brittany (Emma): I meet celebrities all the time, popular actresses and actors, singers. I get to travel the world.

Perrin: Who are some celebrities that you have been able to meet?

Brittany (Emma): Jude Law, Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Sienna Miller, Jeremy Piven, Dr Dre, Roberto Cavalli, Georgio Armani, Karl Lagerfield, Gerard Butler, MCLOVIN! (Jonah Hill), and many more!

Perrin: Where is your favorite destination to model?

Brittany (Emma): Australia, New York or Paris. I can't decide.

Perrin: Is it hard to manage a normal life and a modeling career?

Brittany (Emma): By far, this career is very critical, and you live a lifestyle based around the fact you may leave for a different country tomorrow or you may have a castings call in five minutes half way across manhattan. You have to be ready! And always look your best, which can be difficult at times.

Perrin: What is a common misconception that you think people have about working in the modeling industry?

Brittany (Emma): Simplicity. You must be this and that and do this and this now. You have to act like this, wear this, fix that, eat this, don't eat that. Drink this but no alcohol because puffy mornings call for lost jobs. If you cant fit into sample sizes...ciao! You are moving all day long at shoots, running around new cities by yourself with a map, book and high heels.

Perrin: What are some tough obstacles that you have to face in the modeling industry?

Brittany (Emma): Well, my first time I travelled to Europe it was for fashion week. I just flew into the Bahamas for a job, then the day I got back I flew into Paris for the hectic schedule of fashion week. I had to learn to run around Paris to specific addresses, in French mind you (laughs). My bookers were French. I went to the agency straight from the plane and walked out into castings. I had around 15-20 places I had to be in one day and prioritize through different times that I had to be at these castings before they ended. I'm exhausted thinking about it. This happened in London, Milan and New York. But hey, I got to walk for Georgio Armani! So in the end I can say everything was worth it. He was nice by the way.

Perrin: At what moment did you realize that you were a major name in the modeling industry?

Brittany (Emma): (Laughs) I wouldn't consider myself a huge name in modeling. But the key word here is YET!

Perrin: Do you want to model for as long as you can or are you using this as a gateway to another career (acting, singing, etc.)?

Brittany (Emma): I did plan on having a career in college softball. But I got ill and tore my ACL. So I walked down the streets of New York finding myself signed with a top agency! Basically life will change for me down the road, I just don't know where yet.

Perrin: What advice would you give an aspiring model?

Brittany (Emma): Mentally prepare yourself because it's all about your frame of mind. People are constantly judging you, pushing you to be a person you aren't on the outside. But if you keep true to yourself, and push through all those days where you are so tired, you can do anything you put your mind to. Although there are requirements, and exercise is one of them (laughs).

Perrin: Who do you consider the standouts in the modeling industry?

Brittany (Emma): Coco rocha, Freja Beha, Adriana Lima, Anja Rubik, Natasha Poly, Natalia V. There are so many amazing girls that are smart and very business oriented.

Perrin: If you could be on the cover of one magazine, what would it be?

Brittany (Emma): Italian, Us Vogue and V mag.

Perrin: What is your favorite part of your job?

Brittany (Emma): Meeting new and interesting people and seeing the pictures after waiting months for publishment.

Perrin: How do you decide what to wear for each show? Who does your makeup? How long does the preparation usually take for a shoot?

Brittany (Emma): (laughs) No way do I decide anything. They decide what make-up I wear. There are many different teams that come together for hair and make-up and nails. For instance, they have MAC groups and different hair company groups that get paid to put a group together for the shows. Preperation can be around two hours at most.

Perrin: Do you prefer the runway or a photo shoot and why?

Brittany (Emma): I cant choose!

Perrin: What is the toughest part about both?

Brittany (Emma): Running around to casting calls for fashion week, and keeping in top shape. Photoshoots are long and work is all day. You stay standing posing for that perfect picture- modeling is just acting in still life. They give you a story and you try and show a different vibe for each spread.

Perrin: Are you able to spend a decent amount of time with your family?

Brittany (Emma): During the holidays!

Perrin: Where do you like to vacation?

Brittany (Emma): I dont really vacation, but my favorite work place that I stayed was the Bahamas, Coastal Mexico. When I get home from the job, if the sun is still out, relaxation time!

Perrin: What do you like to do in your free time?

Brittany (Emma): DJ Hero! It is the best game in the world (laughs). But I also LOVE to do crosswords and watch entourage (best show ever). Oh and I exercise when I need to -- like every day for an hour or more.

See more of Brittany Emma Beam at: http://nymag.com/fashion/models/ebeam/emmabeam/

Interview with Lindsey Ward

2009-10-26T18:15:00.001-07:00

Both working and going to school helped prepare Lindsey Ward for the tough media industry. Now Ward is a reputable reporter and anchor for WSLS 10 thanks to her hard work and determination.

Wards biggest piece of advice for aspiring anchors is to become a one-man band because it is “ the future of this industry.”

Below is a selection of question and answers from my recent interview with Lindsey Ward.

Ashley: What inspired you to want to go into the media industry?

Ward: Around my junior year, it all of a sudden hit me that I wanted to be a TV reporter, and until that point I didn’t give any thought to it. I went to journalism school after senior year to pursue that route and wanted to find a school that had a great journalism and communication program. One of the big things that drew me to this industry was that you are “in the know” within the community, etc.

Ashley: What activities do you like to do outside of working at WSLS?

Ward: I love shopping. Whenever I leave work I go home and sit on the couch and watch mindless TV. All day long you just work, work, work and it’s such a stressful job. You are always on your toes, so when I go home I watch a ton of reality TV.

Ashley: How did college prepare you for the media industry?

Ward: I was a little different. I worked a full time job while I was in college so I used both of those (college and a job) to bounce off each other which really helped me. Something I was doing at school I would be doing at work so it really helped me to have both of those. For me, it just worked out because it was a better situation that just going to school.

Ashley: What job you have during school?

Ward: Started at channel 12 in Richmond as a teleprompter. By the time I left, I moved up to working assignment desk on weekends. It gave me much more a hand in assignments and stories and being apart of a newsroom. I started editing for shows and that helped me because I had to read every single script so that helped me learn how to write. Then I asked if I could help write scripts and they said yes.

Ashley: What did college not prepare you for in industry?

Ward: The biggest thing it didn’t prepare me for was delivery and appearance. I didn’t have a class where they went over your voice, what you wear, how to look, and your hair/makeup. That was one thing that I gathered from my job. I see so many times where students coming out of college who don’t look professional. Just stuff like the appropriateness for the job. And that’s the news director’s first impression so it’s something to be aware of.

Ashley: What was your first job right out of college?

Ward: My first reporting job in Charlottesville at WCAV, which worked for four stations in one. I was a one-man band and it was tough, really really tough, because you don’t always get the training you need, and you get thrown into the pond. I remember sitting there on Saturday morning and I only had one weekend of training and I had no direction of how to get around Charlottesville. I had a package due at six and I had no idea where I was going. It's sink or swim and so many people get out of the business in their first job because they can’t do it. If you can make it to your second job, I consider it an accomplishment.

Ashley: While you worked in Charlottesville you had many roles such as producer, anchor, photographer, and reporter. What was it like doing so many things for one company and which role did you enjoy the most?

Anchor. I really like reporting but there you do reporting and photography and I was the worst at photography. I would come back with blue, green and orange video (laughs). I could hear my news director in his office saying, “ WHO DID THIS!?”

Ashley: Why you like anchoring the most?

Ward: I think because you connect with the viewers either they love you or they don’t. You really have an opportunity to show them your personality. Whenever you are on the desk you can really connect with your viewers.

Ashley: What was it like being arena host for women’s basketball at UVA? How did you get this job?

Ward: I LOVED that job. It was awesome. In Charlottesville my station was a station for UVA. We had a contract to do certain things like shows on their sports for spring and fall. We basically had certain obligations to them. When they needed a host they asked me and it was great. I REALLY enjoyed it and it was a lot of fun. It was nice because you get to see your viewers outside, and get to meet them and be one-on-one with them. It really shows your personality.

Ashley: What do you believe is a common misconception that people have about working in the media industry?

That you make a lot of money, hands down. They think you make so much money and are wealthy. They look at you like you are ridiculous if you don’t donate to charities, but you don’t have a lot to give.

Ashley: What is the hardest part about the industry in your opinion?

Ward: Just keeping up. It takes a lot out of you… so much out of you. It’s really easy to get burnt out quickly. A lot of people don’t make it past the first job. It takes so much out of you. You realize that you are making very little money and you are working holidays, weekends, giving up a lot of things that may be important to some people. A lot of women don’t make it because if you are anchoring, you are going in at 2:30 p.m and get off at 11:30 p.m. And if you work a morning show, you are going to bed super early. It is just not family friendly.

Ashley: What’s your favorite part about your job?

Ward: I really enjoy anchoring and reporting. Being able to do both. On Friday nights, I have to do sports feature pieces and I really enjoy that because it’s not all serious like sitting in a city council meeting. You're going out and putting together a creative piece. What I enjoy the most is being creative with the job, like writing the video. At our station, we have great photographers who really help you put together some really good stories.

Ashley: Do you have any major goals or future plans?

Ward: Honestly, I have been somebody who has been so goal orientated. Literally there hasn’t been a moment in my life where I haven’t had a goal. Since I have been anchoring here, I haven’t had a goal yet. I have no idea what I want to do beyond this. I just want to get better at anchoring and hopefully our viewers will like it.

Ashley: What advise do you have for aspiring anchors/ reporters?

Ward: One-man band. It makes you better and we made bigger jumps than a lot of the other people at other stations. You are doing so many jobs at one time and if you can still put together a decent tape, they will know you can do multiple tasks. It is the future of this business and it would be silly for graduates who leave college and find a job where they already have photographers because this media is so big into mutli-media journalism.

Interview With Barry Drake

2009-10-15T06:40:00.000-07:00

Want to hear what it was like to work with Rock and Roll legends in the 70's? Singer/Songwriter Barry Drake played alongside Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix, Emmylou Harris, Loudon Wainwright III, Richie Havens, James Taylor and many more legends of that historic rock time period. He will be presenting his multimedia lecture of the 70's at Virginia Tech on November 3 at 7:30 p.m. in Squires Colonial Hall. His goal is to keep music alive and have students "vicariously live through the decade with me". Below is an interivew that I conducted with him to learn more about his credibility and rock & roll career!

Perrin: Which lecture do you enjoy presenting the most?
Barry: Actually, I love doing them all. They're like my children. I'm always doing all four decades when I'm on tour, so as long as I don't do too many of the same ones in a row, I'm happy. It may sound funny but as I'm doing each show, I'm reliving how I felt during those decades and enjoying the ups and downs all over again. I guess it's like therapy for me.

Perrin: How do you get your presentations to emotionally connect with the audience?
Barry: I try to do them from the perspective of a college age person when I'm doing a show on a campus. This way they can vicariously live through the decade with me. I'm also very emotionally connected to the music which I think they can feel. I try to make my enthusiasm contageous.

Perrin: Do you enjoy presenting at Virginia Tech?
Barry: Yes, of course. I've been coming to Tech for many years and I have a great relationship with the staff and students. I also have met students and community people at my shows at Virginia Tech who keep in touch with me throughout the year and show up on other campuses when I'm in the area. What more could a performer want?

Perrin: What type of multimedia presentation do you put on? Powerpoint?
Barry: It's funny, but all 4 of my shows were originally put together before there was Powerpoint, or home computers for that matter!!! As I upgraded my technology over the years, I kept the video editing capabilities of a computer combined with the visual strength of good old photographic slides. It's combination that works for me.

Perrin: How do you keep up the intensity for each lecture? Does it get repetitive?
Barry: I always manage to amuse myself every night. Maybe I'm a simple person, but I love watching my images and videos on the screen. Also, doing a show like mine is like a trapeze act, you never exactly know what's going to happen. I also perform my shows like a jazz musician. I know the song well but I put different little twist on it every night and in the process learn something new with each show.

Perrin: Who was your favorite artist that you performed with as a performer/songwriter?

Barry: There were so many. Van Morrison for his intensity. James Taylor for his great guitar playing. Emmylou Harris for her harmonies. Loudon Wainwright for his zanyness. Bruce Springsteen for his clear vision and focus. Ritchie Havens for his heart.........I could go on!

Perrin: What is advice that you would give to an aspiring singer/songwriter?
Barry: Good luck! LOL! I always ask them what they want. Believe it or not, every performer wants a little something different. Do they want to be famous? Do they want to get work and make a living? Do they want a Major Record deal? Do they want radio play? Do they want to stay home and write and record in their basement? Do they want to be a musician for their whole lives?

Back in 1972, I gave Bruce Springsteen some advice which fortunately he didnt take.

Perrin: Why did you choose to use multimedia in your presentation?
Barry: I always tried to make my presentations look like a Ken Burns, PBS documentary. It makes the subject much easier to absorb. For example, most students know the song "Born To Be Wild" but how many have actually seen a picture or video of Steppenwolf who created it. With my shows you get to do that.

Perrin: Why did you add rock and roll lectures to your already busy schedule?
Barry: I was always a closet Rock & Roll Historian and when I finally settled into a successful career as a singer / songwriter, it gave me the opportunity to express myself with something else I always loved. For many years I was doing both concerts and lectures, until it just became too overwhelming and I let nature take it's course. But I still play my guitar and sing every day. I love it more than ever.

Perrin: What is your favorite award that you have won?
Barry: I guess the 5 NACA Campus Lecturer Of The Year Awards! I was ecstatic with the first one. The next 4 just pushed me over the top.

Perrin: What made you want to perform on just college campuses?
Barry: Performing on College Campuses has always been a perfect fit for me. I started playing in the Coffeehouses of Greenwich Village in New York and students from colleges in the NY / NJ / PA / CT area used to come into The City and book me to play on their campuses. It felt so good to me, I just kept doing it. I still do Corporate or Community Shows also.

Perrin: If you could describe your lecture in a simple phrase, what would it be?
Barry: A multimedia trip through the 60s. The sights, the sounds and the smells of 10 incredible years all wrapped up in a fun, fast paced hour and 20 minutes.

Read more about Barry Drake's career at: www.barrydrake.com

Interview with Brendan James

2009-10-12T13:14:00.000-07:00

Starting out as being “ broke as a joke” in NYC, Brendan James is now an inspiring singer-songwriter. With the help of becoming a self-taught piano master,, his gifted voice and various song inspirations in his life, James is truly an artist to watch out for.

James said,” I want to be a musician and be someone who people can depend on to make good music and perform live.”

James has signed with Decca Records and is hoping to release a second album in March of 2010.

In a recent interview, I talked with Brendan James who discussed his struggles, triumphs and advice in the music industry. What follows is a selection of question and answers from that recent interview.

Ashley: How did you get started in the music industry?

Brendan: I had always been a singer. I always loved singing but it wasn’t until my sophomore year of college that I started to get interested in the piano and song writing. It really was because of a mentor who discovered me early on when I was in New Hampshire at home on college break. He was very encouraging. He told me I should be more than a singer, and that I should try to learn an instrument and write my own songs. He was a pretty pivotal person in my early development. So he was my initial inspiration and then it took some years of song writing and honing in on my own stills. I moved to NYC after college and had to do my best to get noticed on my own.

Ashley: How did you get noticed?

Brendan: Well there were several things that led to where I am now, but I guess it started out the old fashioned way. I was living in NYC in a five-bedroom apartment with four girls, which was …interesting. I was broke as a joke living on canned tuna and Kraft macaroni and cheese. I would just go to all open mics in NYC (had nine plotted out). I cycled through them awaiting to be “discovered”.. Open mics can sometimes lead to gigs at those places and it helped me out that way. I started to play live shows but it was not until years later that I got my first record deal and I met my first manager, then it was a matter of meeting a producer.

Ashley: How did you learn to play the piano?

Brendan: Hours of sitting by myself and trying to figure it out. When I was around 20, I was focused on trying to figure that piano out. I always enjoyed it and taught myself.

Ashley: What was your experience like touring on the John Mayercraft. How did that differ from playing in a venue on the road? Would you do it again?

Brendan: The Mayercraft, and I have to laugh and say this with a smile, it was a crazy five days. It was really great. It brought out a different performer in me. It was a lot of outdoor shows and all about playing to the crowd and having a fun time. On a tour like that, people want to escape normal lives and jobs and want to have a drink in hand and listen to great music. The tour brought out the fun performer in myself and others…. I would definitely do it again!

Ashley: Now that you are married, how does going on tour and being a musician impact your family life? Does your wife travel on the road with you?

Brendan: My wife does not travel with me. We met a few years ago, she met a musician (myself) and I was someone she knew was going to travel a lot. I think that’s the only way a relationship like this can work… when you both understand each other’s dreams and aspirations. She is amazing for that. She is very supportive and I also find time to fly out and see her and she flies out to see me when I am on tour or recording albums.

Ashley: You mention your mother in most of your songs, what influence does she have on you and your music?

Brendan: My mother has always been the most solid person that I have had in my life. I feel she has just been the ideal mother and I think in a lot of my early songs when I wanted to describe that source of strength, she was the first person that always came to mind.

Ashley: Many of your songs seem to come from personal experiences growing up. Is that where you get most of your inspiration? What else inspires you today?

Brendan: A lot of traveling that I have recently been doing has inspired me for this second album. I always draw on what I know and who I know. For a lot of my songs I am trying to tell stories that are close to me and then I tell stories that are close to other people. Most lyrics come from really searching for the truth in people’s lives around you.

Ashley: You are under contract with Decca Records, correct? How did that come about and what was it like to sign with a major record label?

Brendan: Yes, though I first signed with Capitol records 4 years ago and didn’t release my album with them. I made my own album when I left Capitol, with a producer, and then it was up to us to get me signed. Decca Records was interested in signing me, so I had to showcase for them by doing some gigs. They also had to like the album I just made and, once that was finished, we decided to work together.

Ashley: Your songs are so personal, is it hard to get on stage and sing them to a large audience?

Brendan: Funny, I have never thought of that. I don’t think so, it’s hand- in- hand for me, when I write a song I know I am going to share it with people throughthe lyrics I write. Sometimes I make lyrical choices that aren’t too personal. I make them just personal enough where I feel comfortable sharing that with the fans. It's kind of a fine balance because you don’t want to alienate the people closest to you but you want to tell others the honest story of your life.

Ashley: Which is more important to your success, getting on the radio or being seen live?

Brendan: Good question… They are two very different things, but, for someone like me, I want to get my songs on the radio to help facilitate getting my message out. I’m ready to get my music out there to as many people as possible. If you can get on the radio, it helps your recognition across the nation and across the world.. I can’t wait to tour as many places as I can and I love playing live.

Ashley: Did you ever consider playing piano in someone else’s band or did you always want to be a lead singer and sing your own songs?

Brendan: I always wanted to play my own songs. I am one of those guys who never really learned cover songs. I always wanted to sing and play my own stuff because, for some reason, they go hand- in- hand for me; the performing aspect of music and the playing part of it.

Ashley: Do you have any long-term goals for your career or do you pretty much play it one day at a time?

Brendan: I have a long-term goal of making a lifelong career in music and story-telling. It took a few years in the industry to realize that it's tough and you will have hard days but it’s what I want to do with my life. I want to be a musician and be someone who people can depend on to make good music and perform live.

Ashley: What is your favorite part of being a singer-songwriter?

Brendan: Having an outlet that allows me to vent what is going on in my life. Sometimes, even live shows can be very cathartic. When you finish a show, you feel better that whole month because something got out of you.

Ashley: What is the hardest part about the industry?

Brendan: The only consistency is inconsistency. And my parents raised me to plan things out and to always kind of have an idea of your life. So if you really want this, you have to know that it's impossible in this career. It is hard to adjust to; if you really want to do this full-time you have to be at mercy of your music. That’s the biggest challenge for me. You have to stay flexible.

Ashley: What other activities do you like to do outside of music?

Brendan: I love sports. I am a very active person. And I like outdoor activities so you can always find me on some basketball court or out hiking somewhere. It's a big deal to me to stay active.

Ashley: What are you working on right now?

Brendan: I am almost finished writing all of album two. In a couple weeks, official recording begins. I hope to release the new album in March 2010.

Ashley: What is your biggest piece of advice for upcoming artists?

Brendan: Be ready for anything and practice as much as you can by yourself. That way, you come to learn exactly who you are as an artist and a performer before other people try to tell you who you are.

Check out Brendan James online at : http://www.myspace.com/brendanjames

Interview with Travis Wells

2009-10-05T06:27:00.000-07:00

I recently had the opportunity to interview and talk with WDBJ sports anchor and director, Travis Wells. He opened up to me about the media industry and the opportunities and obstacles that he has to face everyday along with some great stories! Travis gets to do it all… write, anchor, produce a sports show, report at sporting events in the community and much, much more! Read my interview below to find out what it is like to work in the sports/media industry!

Perrin: You originally attended JMU and then transferred to Radford in 1986, why did you transfer?

Travis: The biggest reason was for basketball. I was playing basketball at JMU and I was having a blast and enjoying it, but I just wasn’t playing as much as I would have liked. It was just an opportunity to go somewhere and play a little more.

Perrin: Who inspired you to play basketball when you were a kid?

Travis: My dad was and still is a high school basketball coach. I grew up in the gym and was a gym rat – I always had the keys to the gym. We would go in there, I am one of four boys, and we all played for my dad. He was the assistant coach when I was there but by the time I graduated he was the head coach and coached my three younger brothers.

Perrin: Did you like having your dad as a coach?

Travis: Yes and no. It had its advantages and disadvantages. One thing we always tried to do was if there were something going on, if we were going at it a little, we would always try to leave it at the gym. When we went home, it was dinner and family stuff.

Perrin:What life lessons did you learn from playing a college level sport?

Travis: I think just being apart of a team was the biggest thing. I see this a lot everyday, especially in a work place like this. So many people have never been apart of a team. They don’t know what it’s like for everyone to do their part and pull for each other and care for each other to work towards a common goal. I think that was probably the biggest thing, just being apart of a team and rallying around guys who were working just as hard as you for the same goal.

I wrote something on my blog the other day about college football and just how the fans are so passionate. Like at the Alabama/Tech game in Atlanta a few weeks ago, oh my gosh! And to see the Tech people last week in the pouring rain and they stayed until the end. And the Nebraska game a few weeks ago, all the people that they brought 2,000 miles from Nebraska. Just passion that people have. I’ve always said if you are passionate about something in your life, no matter what it is, just be passionate about it.

Perrin: And how hard was it to manage academics and play ball?

Travis: It wasn’t that tough, I was always pretty conscience about schoolwork and the books. They go out of their way to help you as far as having academic advisors. Some guys needed them and some guys didn’t. We would have study halls on the road and things like that. To me, it wasn’t that difficult.

Perrin: What was your motivation to become a sports anchor? And when did you realize it?

Travis: I always knew I wanted to do something sports related. In high school, I wrote for the school paper doing sports articles and things like that. I played college sports but I wasn’t under any grand allusions about playing professional sports because I knew I didn’t have that kind of talent. So I sort of knew after college was the end of the road and I had to find a real job. This was a way for me to stay close to the game and stay close to sports and that was appealing to me.

Perrin: What was your first media job/internship out of college?

Travis: The summers between my junior and senior years at Radford I did an internship here (WDBJ) for about three months. I started in the middle of June and was done by the end of August when school started. That was good to get my feet wet and see if this was something I wanted to do and was cut out for. The guys that I worked with here were great, none of them are here anymore but they are all still in town and I call them from time to time. But we’ve got a great group of guys in here now.

My first TV job after college was here. There was a part-time photographer position open and that really wasn’t what I wanted to do. I wanted to obviously do sports but these guys back here convinced me that this was a way for me to get my foot in the door. To be honest, it wasn’t a lot of fun just covering news, but for some people, that is their thing. I mean I had to cover a fatal car wreck, school board meetings, city council meetings and fires and I was like, where is the fun stuff? So I was part-time for a year and then there was an opening in our Lynchburg office for a full-time photographer with benefits, so I went down and worked there for a year. That was even tougher because it was just you and that one other person working in that office. My first on-air job was in Charlottesville at WVIR and I went there as the third sports person, reporter/photographer. I went there for three years and then left and went to Bristol to work for WCYB. Then I came back here (WDBJ) when Roy passed away.

Perrin: Describe how you felt when you heard you were getting promoted to Sports Director at WDBJ.

Travis: It was pretty overwhelming at first because, I think the biggest thing was, I didn’t think Mike would ever leave. Mike had been here for so long and having worked with him for almost seven years, I knew what kind of responsibility came with the job. I knew all the work that went into it, especially in the fall when you are trying to produce stuff for your daily news cast and get ready for a half-hour show every Friday night. The TV stuff I’m fine with but it’s all the extra stuff like scheduling these guys (other employees in the studio) and figuring out who gets off when and stuff like that. It’s been just over a year and I’m finally getting the hang of it and starting to feel more comfortable.

Perrin: What is a common misconception that you think people have about working in the media industry?

Travis: That you make a lot of money (laughs). Like I said, I was a naïve kid in college and thought TV people made a lot of money. I mean there are some anchors that have been here for 20-30 years and they do make a lot of money but it doesn’t really start out like that. I think another misconception is that when people see us on the news at six and eleven, they think that is the only time we are at work.

Perrin: What are some tough obstacles that you have to face in the media industry?

Travis: I think one thing, and I found out this in the last year, you are not going to please everyone 100 percent of the time. We catch a lot of flack around here for covering Tech and not UVA, just things like that. Even with the high school stuff. Everyone wants more coverage for their team. Sometimes I will come in here on Mondays and I will have 30 emails from unhappy people. So just trying to manage that. Also, I think the economy has been a tough obstacle. We used to be able to travel as much as we wanted but everything is sort of looked at a little closer now. We ask if this is something that we really need to do, is it in a ratings period and what do we get out of it. So that’s been sort of a challenge the past three to four years.

Perrin: What else do you do in the studio besides anchor? Write stories/recaps?

Travis: We do everything which is one thing that is unique about the sports office and not always true about the newsroom. All three of us can shoot, report, anchor, write and produce the show. And I like that because if I screw up, I don’t have anyone to blame but myself.

Perrin: Describe what an average day is like for you.

Travis: I’ll get in the studio around two in the afternoon and start producing the show for five and six o’clock, which is about three to four hours before we actually air. I mean these guys are great, who ever is anchoring, we kind of take care of each other. We will edit and write stuff for each other so it is not such a burden on one person. I’ll get out of here around 6:30 for a couple hours for dinner and to see my kids before they go to bed and then come back in here around 8:30. After the show ends around 11:30, I’d love to go home right then but there is stuff to do after the show ends. We tape two segments for the morning show every night so by the time I’m finished that it’s about midnight. Then I’ll come back here and update the Internet and stuff like that so the earliest I am ever out of here is 12:30.

Perrin: What is advice that you would give to someone looking to become a sports anchor?

Travis: That’s a tough one. I think just network as much as you can and make as many connections as you can. Be yourself and be passionate about it. If you really want to do it, it’s not going to be easy, but just stick with it.

Perrin: Do you think it is more challenging for a female to become a sports anchor/director? Why/Why not?

Travis: Not now, no. Twenty years ago I would have said yes but not anymore. There are more and more female sportscasters and I think the main reason for that is people want to target that demographic. They want women to watch sports. I don’t want to say it’s easier or women don’t have to work as hard as guys but there are more opportunities now.

Perrin: Who do you consider are the standouts in the industry and why?

Travis: Wow, that’s a tough question. Mike Tirico is really good. You can tell the guys and girls that are really prepared because they just know their stuff. I was watching something on ESPN the other day and John Clayton was talking about the NFL and I was thinking that guy knew his stuff backwards and forwards. I had a guy tell me one time, “sell it don’t tell it”. You can tell when people have done their research just by their delivery and confidence.

Perrin: What is your favorite part of your job?

Travis: I think probably the people and just the relationships that are you able to build and maintain. That’s one thing I learned from Mike because he was really big on relationships. In this small community people don’t want to hear about the Yankees who play over 100 games. They want to hear what’s going on in their community so I think just building relationships and credibility with people. It’s cool to go up to Tech on a Saturday and your interviewing guys after the game, you see the mob around Tyrod Taylor. But it’s cool to sit back and let it fade out a little bit and get in there and talk to him. All the guys get used to seeing us and it’s hard when they leave! Like last year when Macho graduated it was like man, we were buddies! But I guarantee if I went to go shoot an Eagles game and walked into the locker room, Macho would say, “Hey what’s up man?”

Perrin: Is it harder to get a job doing sports rather than just the regular news?

Travis: It’s all pretty competitive. Sports are probably tougher now in this day and age because of the de-emphasis in the economy. People are cutting back and sports are usually the first thing to go because a lot of people don’t see it as a necessity.

Perrin: What would make me stand out from the thousands of other aspiring sports anchors?

Travis: Just be yourself and be conversational. Go in and have fun and let it all hang out. That’s one thing I have been trying to work on too. When I’m out in the field doing live shots, I’m pretty relaxed but it was not always like that. I mean you better know what you are going to say because there is no teleprompter. I try to have more fun with my anchoring because it is hard when you are just sitting there to show personality, which is something that I need to work on.

Perrin: What are some cool opportunities that you have had because of your job?

Travis: I’ve had a lot of opportunities. One was covering the national championship that Tech played in – the Sugar Bowl in 1999-2000. I get to go to the bowl games and races and stuff like that. They usually set tickets aside for the media’s family, which is nice, but they are not free.

Perrin: How do you decide what to wear for each show / event?

Travis: They expect you to wear a suit and tie when you are on the set anchoring but it is much more laid back when you are out.

Perrin: What do you like about your profession and what don't you like about your profession?

Travis: I think the biggest thing I like is developing the relationships and meeting the people and telling their stories. Even if they don’t know you, I want them to come away saying, wow he is a nice guy. As far as the things I don’t like, I’ve worked with a lot of people who have been in the business for the wrong reasons. So many people in this business have their egos get in the way and they just want to be on TV. So that’s probably what I dislike the most.

Perrin: Are you able to spend a decent amount of time with your family?

Travis: Yeah, I think so. You do what you have to. There are sacrifices obviously. I worked weekends for 8 years and that was tough because my wife was off weekends. Now, I have more weekends off but I usually don’t get to be at home at night so there are tradeoffs. You do what you have to.

Perrin: What do you enjoy to do in your free time?

Travis: I like to read, play golf, and work out.

Perrin: Where do you like to vacation?

Travis: We have gone to Myrtle Beach since I was knee high. But twice in the last four years we have been able to go to Hawaii because my wife won these incentive based sales trips. So this last year was the third time we went because we went to Hawaii on our honeymoon and we stayed three doors down from the place we stayed during our honeymoon, so that was kind of neat. Hawaii is my dream vacation and it will never get old.

Interview with Reporter Candice Nelson

2009-10-03T12:15:00.000-07:00

Although I never even thought about going into reporting before this interview, after talking with WSLS 10 Reporter Candice Nelson I am truly thinking of another career path. Her inspiring interview helped me understand all the aspects of the news-reporting field. Read on to find out about Candice’s life and some tips she gave on the news broadcasting industry.

Ashley: What inspired you to want to go into reporting?

Candice: I think it probably started when I was in fourth grade when I participated in 4H public speaking competitions, which ultimately led to my interest in reporting. In high school I took a TV production class, where they would have us go out and do packages. I expanded my experience in college by working for the Colligate Times newspaper and then became interested in VTTV. It was my Electronic News Gathering class, where we did newscasts weekly, that kept me going toward reporting as a career.

Ashley: Did you have any reporters/anchors you looked up to as a kid?

Candice: I really just looked up to the local anchors that were in my area because you could watch them every night and see them reporting on things relative to my community. People like John Carlin and Karen McNew were two in particular that I looked up to, and now I am working with them. Even though John has since retired, I had the privilege to learn from him prior to his leaving the air.

Nationally I have always looked up to Katie Couric. I was aware she went to UVA, where I also wanted to attend...but they didn't have a Communications program, which prompted me to apply to VT in my senior year of high school. Accepted at both UVA and VT – I decided that I just loved the campus at VT and the fact that they had a program in place that interested me that I chose to attend VT.

-What about them did you admire?

I think their integrity is what I admire most about all the reporters looked up to over the years.

Ashley: I read on your website you like baton twirling. What made you get into that and are you still doing that today?

Candice: I started out as a dancer when I was three years old. It just happened that they had baton twirling so I tried it and liked it. I competed starting when I was 12 and did it up until my freshman year of high school. I also twirled for the Marching Virginians here at Tech. But no I don’t do it anymore; there really is no other place to do it even though I wish I could. I still have the baton in my living room and will walk around and twirl in the privacy of my own home.

-What other activities do you like to do?

I love to read. I am one of those people that can go into Barnes and Noble and stay there for hours just reading. I also love movies. I will admit I am not much of an exerciser and, in fact, I hate exercising. However, I am trying to get intro running and I just started it last week, so we will see how that goes.

Ashley: So you were in VTTV and Colligate Times, how involved were you in them and what did you do?

Candice: I worked with Colligate Times either my sophomore or junior year and I believe I wrote about five or six stories. I was trying to get an internship at a local newspaper in Martinsville, Virginia so I used that experience to get my foot in the door and happily I got that internship. I was involved with VTTV from freshman to junior year. During that time I did Tech Tonight, the newscast, and I did some anchoring and reporting. Senior year I stopped doing VTTV and did the ENG class at Virginia Tech, which was very time consuming.

Ashley: What did college not prepare you for in your industry?

Candice: The number one thing that college did not prepare me for was how to make contacts in the industry. Being connected is a huge deal and probably the hardest thing I had to face when I got into the business. You really rely on your contacts, like maybe your one contact in the police department or fire department to let you know what is going on. That’s something I wished they pushed more in classes.

-How did you overcome that obstacle?

It’s a business where every single day you have to turn a story in and you have to make a deadline. It’s a challenge every single day and some days are better than others but when things go bad, you have to keep making those calls and forget what happened the day before. It’s completely different from any other business.

Ashley: While you were an intern for WSLS did you have any memorable or exciting stories to cover?

Candice: Oh yes! When I was an intern I got to go to on this really big forest fire down in Patrick County located on Bull Mountain. That was one of the biggest experiences I had as an intern. Typically when you’re an intern you just follow someone out to an interview but on weekends, when I worked, there was only one reporter to follow so wherever they went I went too. The fire ended up burning thousands of acres and was a really big story to cover especially since it happened on Easter Sunday. The most exciting part was that we got to put all the firefighting gear on and see them fighting the fires first hand.

Ashley: You were here for the April 16, 2007 tragedy. What was that experience like being a reporter at the time and did you cover any part of it?

Candice: I was a senior intern at the time. I covered a little bit of it. It was the same time of year as all these bomb threats were going on, so someone called into the studio and said there had been a shooting and at first we were like ehh we will put in a few calls and see what happens, but no one was taking it seriously because nothing was confirmed. The biggest story that day, if April 16^th had not happened, was the wind because the wind was really really bad that day. So I was sent on wind patrol and I had to go find down trees and go to the schools because school was being let out since there was no power they could not make lunches and such. So that was my morning, and while I was doing that, I called my boyfriend who was here as an engineering student in the building connected to Norris Hall to see what was going on. He was talking about how they heard gunshots but maybe it was just constructed and said that everyone was just staying low that day because they were unsure. After I finished my story about the wind, I called my assignment director to let him know and he was like, “ Candice I don’t care just get back to the station right now.” And I was like, “ Oh so it has been confirmed.” And he said, “ Yeah just get here now.” So I went back to the station, and they just had me making phone calls to people I knew to see if they would talk to us. We tried to get them to call in, because we were on the whole time, we did not do just a 6 o’clock news, we just stayed live all day, and wanted to see if they would talk about what happened.

Ashley: Do you come up with your own story ideas to report on or do you have someone to help you?

Candice: Yeah, that’s another hard part about it because they expect you to come in every morning and you have to have a story to pitch. Some days you will come in and they will be like,” Candice I want you to go cover this.” Its probably 50/50 as far as them wanting you to go on your own or giving you stories.

-How do you find the stories to do?

It’s a mixture of contacts. Sometimes when we go out on assigned stories someone will come up us and say “hey, you're with channel 10 - I have another story idea for you.” So sometimes it’s about being in the public eye, but mainly the stories we do require a follow up. Its different every single day and you have to come up with something concrete every single day.

Ashley: Describe an average day working at WSLS 10.

Candice: I have a really weird schedule. I work nights on Mondays and Tuesdays, which are 2:30 pm to 11:30 pm; Friday, Saturday, Sunday 9 a.m to 6 p.m. If I work days I come in at 9:00 am attend a 9:30 am meeting for story pitch. You have to pitch your story hard because you want to do that story for the day. So when they give you the go ahead, you get moving. What’s so great about this business is you do your story and you don’t have someone looking over your shoulder the entire time. It’s pretty nice having free reign.

If I am on the 5 o’clock show, we want to get back in time so I can log through the sound bites, and what they means is looking through the tape and finding the quotes I want and choosing the time is on the tape. Editors usually have a about an hour to fix it up and get it ready to air. It can be hectic, but fun to see your story aired.

Ashley: How time consuming is your job?

Candice: Really time consuming. I work 9:00 am to 6:00 pm on days and 2:30 pm to 11:30 pm when I work nights. I don’t really get a time set aside for lunch or dinner since we have competition of channel 7 there is always that pressure of them getting the story we didn’t. I’m lucky I am not a teacher, because I don’t have homework each night when I get home, but I’m really busy during the day and it goes by really fast.

Ashley: What is the hardest part about the industry?

Candice: Right now, the challenge is that the industry is currently changing. It used to be that people would sit down to watch their 6 o’clock news, but right now because of the Internet, people want access to news all the time instead. Can you blame them? The hardest part about that is we have the deadline for the newscast we are in but we also have to get it to the web asap. You’re trying to get all the information to the web guy and he is posting everything but it’s a tug-a-war because its like what do the viewers want? Do you want to get it to the newscast first or to the web and tip of the competition so they can get it to the 6 o’clock. So I think that is defiantly the hardest part right now.

Ashley: What if your favorite part about your job?

Candice: Meeting people. I am one of those people that can’t just sit in an office all day. I love getting out of the office. The bad part about it is if it’s snowing outside and they want you out there at 5 a.m, but its still about being out and about and meeting the public.

Ashley: What is your most memorable moment you have had since you have been working at WSLS 10.

Candice: I have several. I have been here 2 years and the favorite story happened a little over a year ago. It happened in February 2008, and while it was a beautiful Sunday the wind was really bad. People were riding on 4-wheelers whose engines were sparking as they rode the trails, which ignited some forest fires, but really there everything was contributing because the wind was so bad. Our crew went out to the forest and the wind was so bad that it blew a limb out in front of us and it gave us a flat tire. We were stuck because we didn’t have a spare. So we had to call another photographer to come get us, but when he came to us the forest fire jumped the road and he got held back. He eventually got to us and on our way back the fire jumped the road again and we had to find other ways home. When we got back to the station that night, it was almost like a weekday because everyone was called in to cover all the stories related to the fires. It was just one of those days you were just so excited that so much was going on.

My most memorable was the homestead shootings that happened back in March (WHAT YEAR?) A man named Beacher Hackney, whom they still have not found, shot and killed two of his co-workers at the Hot Springs Resort. We went around and followed the police looking for this guy through the woods with their weapons drawn. This type of experience sticks in your mind a little bit because you don’t know where he is and are exposing yourself to danger.

- Early we talked about the shootings of David Lee Letzler and Heidi Lynn Child, here is what Candice had to say in relation to this story…

I think with what happened with the two Virginia tech students, David and Heidi, touched me more then any other story I have done. Mainly because they were a Virginia tech couple innocently out at Caldwell Field, and I have been there myself with my boyfriend, since he is a hunter. And they still have not found who did it.

- Did you cover any part of this story?

I was not at the crime scene part but I covered the funerals. I also went out to the little ice cream shop they both used to work at and I talked to the manager there. She talked about how good they were and gave us a glimpse into their lives. Ultimately, it was one of the hardest stories I ever had to cover. I remember coming in that weekend and I just sat at my desk and cried – so very emotional.

-Is it hard, the stories where you have to cover deaths?

Yes. When you have to talk to the family because its expected as part of your job its one of the hardest responsibilities of the job. You never get used to covering these stories because you hate to be the one to go up and knock on the family's door. Sometimes you go to the door and the family wants to talk because they want you to know about the real person the deceased was, but other times they yell at you and ask you to leave.

Ashley:Do you have any major goals or future plans?

Candice: A lot of people ask me if I ever want to be an anchor and it is one of those questions that I am not really sure. There is something about going out and getting a story, meeting the people involved and putting the story together into a finished project, rather than just reporting the news.

Long-term plans, I would really like to teach journalism one day.

Ashley: What advice do you have for aspiring reporters?

Candice: Because the competition to get into this industry is so hard, especially with the way the economy is right now, you have more competition for jobs. I don't think I can stress enough to get as much experience as you can. Intern with a company for the field that interests you the most - because newspaper and broadcasting for example are so different. Also I would say, a lot of students try to intern at ABC, NBC and the big places and you don’t really get that much experience. So I would suggest go to a medium size market and they give you a whole lot more that you can do and add to resume tape and show off.

Interview with Ari Hest

2009-09-28T14:40:00.001-07:00

Earlier this afternoon, we talked with solo artist, Ari Hest. He provided us with an incredible amount of insight about the music industry, and what it means to be TRULY independent …we’re talking no record label. He is an incredibly talented artist who has learned everything by going out and trying it first hand. From songwriting, to singing, and recording, Ari wants aspiring artists to know that they shouldn’t let anything hold them back. You can see more of him on his website http://www.arihest.com Check out the interview below to see what he had to say!

Ashley: How did you get started in the music industry?

Ari: I started when I was a late teenager, and my music found the ear of a booking agent and he said he could get me some gigs. He said he could get me on college campuses in the Midwest. I went to school and worked (on music) at the same.

Ashley: What other music artists inspire you?

Ari: The Beatles as a kid. I know everyone says that but I listened to my parent’s albums such as Abby Road. They taught me songs, song writing, forms of song writing and guitar features, just listening to them. Today, friends of mine that play in New York inspire me. There are a lot of talented people. We have become friendly and listening to them, I’m like wow; I want to sound like them.

Ashley: What other activities do you like to do outside of music?

Ari: I’m a sports fanatic. I play baseball in the summer, in the city. Aside from that, I like to eat food. I just started to cook, and just bought a juicer so I am learning how to use that right now. Just taking it one day at a time. But other then that, um, same as anyone else does. The first thing I turned to when I am not playing music is something sports related.

Ashley: You were with a national label and left them to be on your own, what were the challenges of promoting yourself as an independent artist versus having a national record label helping you?

Ari: The biggest challenge is finances. Not having a label doesn’t let you get a whole lot done at a national, macro level, but I can get a lot done at a smaller level. I can be in charge of everything and do what I want to do. That includes recording. I have to make choices that were not always up to me. I’m the kind of person that likes to take care of my own things and be the boss. If a label came along that was really interested in me, a small label, I would consider it, but for now I am happy taking care of myself.

Ashley: How do you handle the financial part on your own?

Ari: It’s very difficult. Through touring, CDs and past CDs. Records budgets don’t have to be as big as they used to be, the industry is in kind of a strange phase right now so you can do a lot. I don’t need a whole lot to put out an album. But if I want to get on the radio or get on stores like Wal-Mart, its difficult with out a label.

Ashley: Your music has been on programs like Army Wives how did you make that happen? Did you get to go to the set of the show?

Ari: I was chosen to be put on this one episode. It was great. I know the show is popular so it’s always cool when that thing happens. It’s funny because sometimes the song doesn’t fit the episode. I remember when that song was in the episode and it actually fit. I just had another one of my songs put in a Brazilian soap opera, in a wedding scene, and it had nothing to do with song. But then again, I don’t know Portuguese.

Ashley: You went to the Democratic National Convention since your song "Reason to Believe" became an Obama Youtube video. Who invited you to play there and how was that experience?

Ari: I was invited by people working at the convention. It was great to be apart of it; the whole city was very energetic about what was going on. There were so many shows going on the weekend I was there. You got to see so many people regarding change, and people were so excited for their country, which is something I have not experienced my whole life.

Ashley: What is life on the road and how does it affect your personal life?

Ari: Life on the road is very difficult on your personal life. For me, I’m not married and I think that if I was, it would be much more difficult. But since I’m not, it allows me to do whatever I want. I enjoy it; I enjoy the people I tour with. It’s nice to get away from home when you want to be.

Ashley: Since you are independent, what is touring like?

Ari: I tour when I want to. I know my limits on how long I want to be gone at one time and I make sure I wont overdue it.

Ashley: What is your biggest piece of advice for aspiring artists?

Ari: We are in a stage where you can do it better yourself. I would say, don’t hold back so that someone will come along and make your career for you. Learn about as much you can and all different sides of what you do, not just the singing or song writing but also learn how to record, learn the business side of it and even if your not good at it, like me, you will be get better at it. The more you can do, the better. The reason I am where I am with my career is because I learned about it.

Ashley: Did college prepare you for the music industry?

Ari: No, not at all. Glad I finished and maybe one day I will put the knowledge to use but maybe by then I won’t be able to recall what I learned. So we will see what happens.

Ashley: Do you write all your songs? What inspires you to write songs?

Ari: I write about 90 % by myself and the rest are with few other people. I enjoy doing both. Writing can be tough. I also have written for other people.

What inspires me? It Can be anything. It depends on the day. Sometimes you’re not really inspired to write lyrics if nothing’s happening, so you wait for the next day. You wait for something bad or good to happen to write about. It’s based on how you’re feeling that moment, that day.

Ashley: What is the hardest part about the industry?

Ari: At this point, it’s not knowing how it will be in the next year, let alone the next month. It’s changing all the time and you have to stay ahead of the game. The project I did last year, 52, helped me get ahead of the game. But I don’t know what’s going to happen with me now, and I don’t know what form I will release it in. You have to stay with the times, which is the hardest part.

Ashley: How do you describe your music?

Ari: That’s a difficult question; I guess I’m a singer/songwriter. It’s just kind of like straight forward and about my voice more than all that’s going on around my voice. The song is more important than the company and my record.

Ashley: Do you have any major goals or future plans right now?

Ari: I’m trying to do some things outside of America, get going in different countries and learning from different parts of counties. I want to be in parts of Europe by the end of the year and go back to Ireland and hopefully south America, which is something I haven’t been able to do up until now. I’m trying to learn cultures, which is one of the benefits of touring. I’m just trying to do as much touring as I can.

Extras Notes from Ashley:

Song of Ari’s from Army Wives (Season 1 episode 3): Bird Never Flies

Ari’s Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/arihest

Ari’s “Reason to Believe” used in Democratic Convention: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-o_vsJIKaOs

Our Goal

2009-09-21T12:07:00.000-07:00

Our goal for Tekjamm is to give readers an inside look at various artists, bands, television producers, anchors, and upcoming talents. We want to provide a quick, easy read of our Q&A interviews done with a variety of media icons.

Upcoming Interviews:

Maroon 5

Brendan James

Ari Hest

Emma Beam

Reporters and Anchors