Archive for the ‘Photography’ Category

What Are Your Influences?

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

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.

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Start a Master Mind Group.comWhen 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.

There’s nothing cool about holding back.

Hip Hop Violin – Paul Dateh and inka one Live in Long Beach

Saturday, August 14th, 2010

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:

Sheri and Erin on Location at Long Beach Funk Fest 2010

Monday, August 9th, 2010

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.

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Start a Master Mind Group.comWant 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.

Saito Sings at Shoreline Village in Long Beach June 19, 2010

Wednesday, June 9th, 2010

Long Beach resident and vocalist Linda Saito will be performing in concert in Shoreline Village on June 19th from 6 to 9pm on the Boardwalk Stage Area. Admission is free.

Saito (also known as Linderella) be featured with West Coast Blues, a five piece band including Kurt Szul, and the great Michael Daigeau (trombone) who played with the Tonight Show Band.

Linda Saito began her professional singing career in 1973 in Honolulu and was quite successful during her 15 year run. Saito was in numerous movies and TV shows including many Hawaii 5-0 episodes, Diamond Head, Charlie’s Angels, Sanford and Son and Magnum, P.I. She has appeared on stage with the inimitable Miles Davis and Ernie Washington (pianist for Billie Holiday). When Saito married, she stopped singing for 20 years. In recent years she began to feel a call to return to her singing career.

“A friend and piano player, Taura Smith, said I should go to Long Beach City College where they have a fabulous music department and sing with Tom Dustman, the vocal teacher. I went there and started singing with a few groups strengthening my vocal chords. Then a sax player, Dave Stanton, heard me singing with a big band and asked me to sing with his small group, Karmology. I decided to go into the recording studio and record some songs with that group.”

You can hear Linda Saito’s songs on her Myspace page.

Musical Road Trip to the California Poppy Reserve

Friday, May 7th, 2010


(If you don’t see the video above, click here to go to YouTube)

On Tuesday morning my husband came into the bedroom, where I was comfortably sleeping and proclaimed “road trip”. We got in the car and drove to a destination that was a surprise to me. We ended up at the California Poppy Reserve in Antelope Valley.

Along the way, we listened to music non-stop and documented the day with photos and video. In a sense, this is a mix-tape of our trip. All the car shots have music in the background.

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See Michael Zampelli’s photo gallery on Flickr.
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We listened to Q-tip, Gary Numan, drum and bass and The Fall. We traveled from the 710 in Long Beach to the 5 freeway at Castaic Lake. Then, we took mountain roads all the way to the poppy fields. I hope this video inspires you to get out on the road or out in nature. I think we all truly need this type of rejuvenation for our sanity.

Get your Spring garden checks

Spring Garden Checks

Song of the Week – 5-4-10 – I Am Not a Robot by Marina and the Diamonds

Tuesday, May 4th, 2010

I Am Not a Robot by Marina and the Diamonds Lyrics

You’ve been acting awful tough lately
Smoking a lot of cigarettes lately
But inside, you’re just a little baby
It’s okay to say you’ve got a weak spot
You don’t always have to be on top
Better to be hated than love, love, loved for what you’re not

You’re vulnerable, you’re vulnerable
You are not a robot
You’re loveable, so loveable
But you’re just troubled

Guess what? I’m not a robot, a robot
Guess what? I’m not a robot, a robot

You’ve been hanging with the unloved kids
Who you never really liked and you never trusted
But you are so magnetic, you pick up all the pins
Never committing to anything
You don’t pick up the phone when it ring, ring, rings
Don’t be so pathetic, just open up and sing

I’m vulnerable, I’m vulnerable
I am not a robot
You’re loveable, so loveable
But you’re just troubled

Guess what? I’m not a robot, a robot
Guess what? I’m not a robot, a robot

Can you teach me how to feel real?
Can you turn my power on?
Well, let the drum beat drop

Guess what? I’m not a robot
Guess what? I’m not a robot

Guess what? I’m not a robot, a robot
Guess what? I’m not a robot, a robot
Guess what? I’m not a robot, a robot
Guess what? I’m not a robot, a robot

itunes_icon

Watch the video on YouTube

Get I Am Not a Robot by Marina and the Diamonds on iTunes

Check out more on their MySpace page.

The song of the week is brought to you by Michael Zampelli, former owner of Southern California punk rock icon, Zed Records. For almost 30 years, this mecca of punk and alternative music kept Southern California enthusiasts adequately supplied with unique, original and innovative music.

Currently, Zampelli manages a hockey fan message boards at www.letsgokings.com with thousands of subscribers. He takes photos for the LAist and the LA Derby Dolls. Each week he will contribute a song with a theme, a message and a beat. Enjoy and stay tuned.

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‘Big Youth’ at Ragga Muffins Festival Saturday in Long Beach

Sunday, February 21st, 2010

Big Youth at Ragga Muffins Festival, Long Beach 2010

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.

Gal Vanized with Funnel cake at the Ragga Muffins Festival

Happy Child

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.

the audience at the Ragga Muffins Festival in Long Beach, 2010

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Get your free download:
Songs to Galvanize Your Mind

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Here is Michael Zampelli’s photo gallery of the event:

Galvanize Your Mind Now – Pilot on You Tube

Sunday, January 3rd, 2010

First there was a Flip Video camera, given to someone like me who loves gadgets, has an idea a minute and some time off for the holidays. Second there is the resulting video. In less than two minutes I will list seven things that Galvanize My Mind. (Maybe they’ll galvanize your mind too):

1. Strolling the streets of Bluff Park with my iPod
2. Going to the farmer’s market
3. Snuggling with my cat
4. Working out on the bluff with Your Next Victory
5. Visualizing my ideal 2010 and beyond
6. Reading good Tweets
7. Watching Hello Ross on YouTube

This and more captured in my “not quite 2 minute” video. If you can’t see the video here, watch it on You Tube.

You’ll see me doing push-ups at the beach with a pink wig on and you’ll meet Fenix, my persian tabby cat. One of my favorite clips is “Boys on Bikes.” I was out strolling the sidewalks of Bluff Park in Long Beach with my Flip Video in hand and a group of about 10 young men on skateboards and bicycles rode by, it was pretty exciting. Some of us screamed in joy. Including me. It’s on video.

itunes_iconI practiced with using audio clips in the video. I sampled Galvanize by the Chemical Brothers, and Express Yourself By The Watts 103rd St. Rhythm Band. Songs like these and more can be found on the latest “Songs to Galvanize Your Mind” PDF. Free to all new blog subscribers today. Get it here.

At the end of this video I mention a Create the Life You Want free hypnosis MP3 download. You can get it at icreathabits.com

Dare to Galvanize Your Mind Today.

Songs to Galvanize Your Mind Released Today

Saturday, December 26th, 2009

groovinwipod

Songs to Galvanize Your Mind – A List for Strong Minds with a Purpose by Sheri Zampelli is available for immediate download today. This list includes songs by artists such as:

James Brown
Stevie Wonder
The Ramones
Naked Raygun and
Ugly Duckling

The list is designed more as a mood enhancer and character strengthener than anything. I pull from genres as wide-ranged as gospel, hip-hop, punk rock and soul. The list includes 4-subcategories:

• Dare to be Authentic and Have Fun
• Get Pumped Up
• Get to Feelin’ Groovy
• Blow Off Steam

Songs include:
Boom by P.O.D.
Viva La Revolution by the Adicts
Can I Kick It by A Tribe Called Quest and
Think by James Brown

Get your list free today by subscribing to Get Galvanized below.

On Hosting the Agape TM Live Show

Sunday, December 20th, 2009

sheri-is-mcLast Saturday, December 12 was a fun and exciting day for me. I already wrote about how I won Toastmaster of the Year last week, and it’s taken me this long to re-group and reflect on another aspect of the morning which was being the host of the Agape TM Live Show.

While planning for our year-end party, we had brainstorming meetings and came up with the idea of a Red Carpet theme so we could dress up like stars and have some fun. I recommended an awards-style twist on Table Topics.

Table Topics is the impromptu portion of a Toastmaster’s meeting where you call up a speaker and ask him or her to talk about a topic for 1-2 minutes.

How I set it up is that prior to the meeting, I contacted all the members and asked them to tell me two interesting bits of information about themselves that most of us probably wouldn’t know.

I took those bits of information and used them in two ways, one as the basis of a treasure hunt game. We passed out a sheet with some these bits of information written on it then people had to guess which bit of information went with which person. Some of the match-ups were pretty hard to guess.

The second way I used the information was to generate a Table Topics intro. I would introduce each guest by telling a little bit about what they were going to talk about, then they would come on stage and tell the story in their own words. Below are some pictures of the Table Topics speakers and what they spoke about.

joanramirez

Joan Ramirez tells us about the time when Jim Morrison of The Doors pulled her up on stage and planted a huge kiss on her lips! She had the crowd on the edge of their seats.

susanlowe

Susan Lowe tells the audience at Agape Toastmasters Red Carpet Awards celebration about the days when her children were regulars on Sesame Street.

brucegordon

Bruce Gordon entertains the audience at Agape Toastmasters Red Carpet Awards celebration as he showcases his live comedy act.

dianemosberry

Diane Moseberry tells the audience at Agape Toastmasters Red Carpet Awards celebration how she used her speeches to educate her child regarding practical life skills.

After the interview-style Table Topics we handed out awards.

johnmclaughlin

John McLaughlin shows off his “Best Film Editing” award at Agape Toastmasters Red Carpet Awards celebration. Club President Cynthia Lamb shows her enthusiasm and support.

shirelynasonmitchell

Shirley Nason Mitchell is awarded “Best Original Screenplay” at Agape Toastmasters Red Carpet Awards celebration.

food

Before, during and after the Red Carpet awards, we had good food to eat thanks to Linda Lloyd.

For a complete photo gallery of this event, click here.

All photos in this blog are courtesy of Michael Zampelli.com