Every musical act has influences. The Beastie Boys and A Tribe Called Quest influenced each other. Punk bands from the U.K. influenced garage bands in Southern California and vice versa. Reggae and dub influenced each other.
What are your influences? That’s what we talked about in Helping and Listening Skills this week. We came up with a great list and I liked it so much I took a picture of it.
I asked the students to tell me about the things that influence them. What do they value? Why do they do what they do; love what they love? This is the list they came up with:
Parents
Environment
-Friends
-Neighborhood
-Peers
-Religion
Culture
Schools
Food/Nutrition
Media
Mental Illness
Life Experience
-Observation
Socio-Economic Status ($$$)
Books
Music
Relationships
Friendships
Family
-Uncles
-Aunts
-Brothers
-Sisters
-etc.
Role Model
-Coach
-Minister
-Teacher
Law
Government
Health
Medication/Drugs
Language
Sleep
Fashion
Freedom
Travel
Pets
Sex
Arts
-Pictures
-Painting
-Dance
Entertainment
Perception
The point I want to make in this class is that you cannot know any of these things about yourself or anyone else unless you first learn how to listen.
A great Master Mind group is one that’s committed to honoring and respecting each other and that includes listening unconditionally and without judgment. It is honoring a person to trust that they know what’s best for their own life.
—————
When you think about it, every musical act you know of is using the Master Mind principle whether they realize it or not. They are joining together as a team with a combined vision. You can use the same principle and make some truly rockin’ things happen in your life.
Do you have a creative project you want to complete? Do you want to find a purpose for your life?
If so, I invite you to come over to my brand new page called Start a Master Mind Group.com. I’m offering 4 freebies to get you started so you can get a sense of what the Master Mind is all about.
Paul Dateh and inka one are famous on YouTube for Hip Hop Violin. Their video has had 4,535,195 views to date. Michael Zampelli and I went down with cameras in hand and captured some of the action live. The Kogi catering truck, an L.A. favorite amongst the crowd at LAist was also on the scene. The line was consistently an hour long and it stayed there even after most of the crowd left.
Here’s the YouTube video that has over four and a half million views on YouTube:
Visit Michael Zampelli’s photo gallery from the Summer and Music Festival, including photos of Paul Dateh, inka one, the Greenmeme art installation, “Urban Lab: Chantilly Clad” and the Kogi catering truck.
Here’s the video of Hip Hop Violin – Paul Dateh and inka one Live in Long Beach:
Erin came to Los Angeles for a photo shoot and after a day in the studio, we headed to Funk Fest to get galvanized and feel the rhythms and beats. I tried to capture some of the highlights of the day so you could get a feel for the vibe of Funk Fest. This was only the second time this event has graced the streets of Long Beach but the attendance multiplied exponentially in just one year. I think it’s because being there simply makes you feel good.
**********************************
Want to know how to use courage, tenacity and a sense of humor to get what you want? Then Start a Master Mind group. Find out how at Start a Master Mind Group.com and get a free MP3 and 3 PDF’s that will get you off to a good start.
It’s hard to believe that it’s already here, but tomorrow, August 7, from 11 AM to 10 PM, the streets of Downtown Long Beach will be packed with the performers and fans of the most legit Funk Festival this side of the Mississippi. Some of the country’s most entertaining and well-respected funk performers will be tearing it up all day long in the midst of dozens of fine dining and drinking establishments, so check out the restaurant and parking map, get there early and plan to make a day of it. The show is FREE, so that leaves plenty of dough in your pockets to grab lunch, dinner and drinks throughout the event.
Check out the full schedule below: (links go to MySpace)
11:00 AM : World-class DJ’s, including Gazoooo, Clifton, Remitch, Ervin Arana, Able, Marvski, Glen Redd, Luman, Monalisa, Endo, Thomas PM, Cocoe and Renato, start to spin
For more information about free concerts in Long Beach put on by Summer and Music, visit summerandmusic.com. Check out the King Cotton video “Funky Party” from the Roots & Blues concert on July 3 to get you in the mood.
Residents and visitors of Long Beach will converge on Pine Avenue for another evening of live music this Saturday July 3 from 5-9 p.m. This week’s concert is titled Roots and Blues and features legendary blues artists James Harman and King Cotton as well as Long Beach’s own supergroup, The DIBS. (links go to MySpace)
The show is free and family-friendly, and it’s a great way to spend a Saturday evening. Free bike valet parking provided courtesy of Long Beach Cyclists.
Future Summer and Music Concerts include:
Swing Saturday July 10,
Battle of the Tribute Bands July 11 and
Church of Rock & Roll July 17.
It was a smooth-groovin’, fun-flowing day of live music on Saturday June 12 as the Summer and Music Festival kicked off it’s 2010, 13-concert series. The first show of the summer was called Future Legends and featured local, up-and-coming acts such as Deep Sea Diver, Jay Buchanan and So Many Wizards (see video).
Saturday’s concert took place on a closed-off section of First Street between Elm and Linden in Downtown Long Beach. The sound and lighting equipment were solar-powered with help from Sustainable Waves and there was a free bike valet on site (not to mention easy access to a bar, a coffee shop and Chinese food).
As the day progressed, the street filled in with an assortment of Long Beach characters. The people-watching opportunities alone made it well worth the trip. The crowd ranged from 2 months old to 85. Toddlers ran from their moms, teenaged girls danced in a circle and I, of course, wore pink and roller skated.
DJ Lithuanian Prince made sure there would be inspiration for roller skating and dancing, as he poured out a non-stop musical selection of hard-to-find, easy-to-jive-to vinyl picks. The day had a soul-filled family picnic feel to it. One of my favorite bands of the day was So Many Wizards. Here’s a video of one of their songs from this Saturday’s live performance.
If you missed the Summer and Music kick-off, have no fear; Rockabilly on Pine is coming this Saturday, January 19 from 5-9 p.m and this year’s itinerary features 13 eclectic music events, including some favorites from last year, such as Battle of the Tribute Bands and Funk Fest. Concerts will span the genres of folk, jazz, pop, rockabilly, funk and beyond, bringing together artists and art enthusiasts of all kinds. For details, visit www.summerandmusic.com.
On Saturday, I attended the Ragga Muffins Festival in Long Beach. Michael Zampelli took some photos for The District Weekly and I snagged a few for this blog.
My favorite musical act of the day was Big Youth (pictured above). This man exudes more verve and childlike enthusiasm than most people a fraction of his age. He’s got a groovin’ rap style and smooth moves to go with it. Go to Big Youth’s MySpace page if you want to get in the groove.
I also felt childlike and care-free wearing my Gal Vanized get-up and eating funnel cake. I decided that I was going to surrender myself to the IRIE vibes and absorb as much of the experience as possible.
The crowd was very diverse and fun. Everyone was relaxed and having a good time. It was like sitting in a big huge living room. No problems whatsoever. I wasn’t the only one there with pink hair, click on the photo below to see a larger version of the audience.
This afternoon I strolled the long aisle of produce and food vendors that comprises Long Beach Farmer’s Market. I had my new Christmas present, the Flip Ultra HD Video camera, in tow. This is my first Flip production and I’m looking forward to more.
See the HD version of the video on YouTube, it gives you a sense of the quality of the Flip Video.
I’ve been wanting to shop at the Farmer’s Market more often but sometimes I forget. I’m grateful to the folks at everythinglongbeach.com who recently listed all the Long Beach Farmer’s Markets. I’m going to re-post the link here for any Long Beach residents who are interested. I find the Farmer’s Market not only health-conscious, but an enjoyable experience as I hope I’ve captured in this video.
By the way, the band in this video is TED Bluegrass Band. They play every Thursday night from 7-9 p.m. at Cafe Ambrosia, 1923 E. Broadway, Long Beach CA 90802. You can hear more of their music on MySpace.
First Lady Michelle Obama hosted a workshop and concert with classical musicians, young and old, as part of the White House Music Series on November 4, 2009.
The audience consisted of what First Lady Michelle Obama referred to as “classical music superstars of tomorrow” in her opening speech. She spoke about how “The White House is the people’s house. It’s a place that’s steeped in history but also a place where we like to start new traditions and to bring people together in different ways because nothing mixes old and new quite like classical music.”
She commended the musicians on their dedication to achieve musical excellence and said, “It’s through that struggle that you find what you truly have to offer to your instrument or to anything in life”.
“You’ll learn that if you believe in yourself and put in your best effort, that there’s nothing that you can’t achieve. And those aren’t just lessons about music. These are really lessons about life” she said.
The concert featured Sharon Isbin on guitar, Awadagin Pratt on piano, Alisa Weilerstein on cello and Joshua Bell on violin. These musicians are considered the best in the world and have been playing their instruments since childhood.
This hour-long concert featured an eclectic mix of musicians and music lovers. The attendees were young and old, male and femail and ranged a wide spectrum of ethnic diversity yet they were united by a common love: music.
Each of the musicians is clearly passionate about and connected to their music and their enthusiasm shines through during their performances. You simply don’t want to miss Alisa Weilerstein on cello at 40:55. She truly embodies what it means to be in the moment of creativity.
When you think about it, every musical act you know of is using the Master Mind principle whether they realize it or not. They are joining together as a team with a combined vision. You can use the same principle and make some truly rockin’ things happen in your life.
