Ten years ago I came to LA with half a band, 3 cats, a bird, a truckload of dreams, full of excitement and ambition. We rented a house in Van Nuys and converted the garage into a recording/rehearsal studio. It was badass, there was a lot of magic in that studio, The Becoming and ANKOH were written there, we had a Blast throwing several parties at the house....riding our bicycles all over the valley, up and down the hills at 2am....I rebuild the band a bunch of times, rocked sunset strip, packed the places, sold tickets, released 2 EP's and a full length, than core members changed, my long time partner left and I had to learn to do it all on my own...with Jim's support; we kept it going....got several film/tv placements, toured the US twice...got signed to an indie label that folded.....it's been a roller coaster for sure. It's been a lot of tears and frustration but also a ton of fun, laughter, adventure and something everyone should experience. In the process of all that, I've met some amazing people here in LA as well as all over the states.
Fast forward...
Private life....different guy, different place, two of my lovely cats and the bird have left this earth...R.I.P. Freeway and Zoe & Snow....I found my black cat Johnny the first year we were here, my little princes Heidi is still here and a dog named BOLT found us! ;)
Music!!! Nothing is what I thought it would be. The band is on hiatus until the new album is out, I now compose music for film/tv, get to collaborate with some amazingly talented people who are also my friends and I'm finally working on my own project....a solo project that I've been wanting to do for years..... Ten years is a long time and when I look back and ask myself what I would do differently...hmmm.....lot's of things. But I don't want to waste my time feeling regret. It's time to focus on what I have control over. I have failed miserably at many things I've pursued over the years. But all those things have led to better, bigger things. In the big picture, I have to admit that I miss the shit out of NYC, I left a comfortable life to follow my dreams. I gave up many things for my true love. And many times the thought of leaving it all behind, the thought of quitting has crossed my mind. But I've learned that things don't always turn out exactly as you expected, however, if you keep your eye on the road and enjoy the little detours...you will create your own luck. While I'm still miles from where I want to be, I'm trusting that I am on the right path....another thing I recently learned is that quitting is not a bad thing, quite the opposite. More on that later ;)
Cheers to ten years in Holywoodz!
xoxo
JVBeast
Showing posts with label bands musicians. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bands musicians. Show all posts
Friday, March 29, 2013
Thursday, January 20, 2011
NO! Thank You!
I'd like to share a little story that changed my life! When I first moved to NYC I felt like I was living in a dream. I grew up in a small town; living in a big city had always been just a fantasy. I loved it. I felt like I'm home. I started exploring the big city life, going clubbing and partying. It was a ton of fun.
I was never exposed to any drugs as a kid, so I did try a couple and found one that I liked. Although I never purchased any, I did make it a ritual, going to the Limelight every sunday night hanging with my "friends". We'd go out every night.
One of the many mornings, while hanging out an an after hour place, snoring one line of coke after another, I looked around and thought to myself "wow, it's 9am in the morning, what are all these people doing here? What a bunch of losers" Than I realized, I'm there too, I was one of them. I made up my mind right than and there to STOP. I didn't come to America to get "Fucked up" night after night, wasting my life away, cause that's all I did.
All my "friends" didn't care having me around anymore, because I said "no" when offered a line. And I'm glad they pushed me away. They were poison to me. I started to focus on my goals and began working on my music.
I'm not an angel, I enjoy having drinks when I'm out at a club. Yes, I'm in the music business and many consider it to be a cool thing, especially in LA, well, sorry, you ain't that cool in my book and I don't care if that makes me not cool in yours. I get high on music. I get high on life.
I don't judge people. You do whatever you want, as long as it doesn't affect my life and you don't push it on me.
The reason I'm writing this...
One of my best friends is going through some tough times right now because of drug and alcohol addiction. Not everyone can handle their liquor and drugs and do things in moderation. It hurts to see people close to me destroy themselves.
My message goes out to all you kids who think it's cool. Yeh, it sounds so Rock'n Roll but honestly, most people have lost a ton because of it. So next time you are tempted, think about the consequences. Think about how much you have to lose if you "lose control" (your friends, your job/career, your life!!!).
Depression seems to be a huge factor and the doctors love you for it. You keep them in business. Truth is, no drug can cure the real problem that lies deep within yourself. There's a huge difference between partying here and there, having a blast vs doing drugs consistently. It's easy to get hooked on anti-depressants. Just another addiction, a cover up. I encourage people to seek help using a holistic approach and surrounding yourself with people you love and trust and aren't tempting you. There's plenty of support!
SAY NO to DRUGS.
Self-destruction comes from hatred, from disapproval. Love yourself like you would love another person. Treat yourself like you would treat someone you truly love and care about.
Happiness can only be found from within. No one outside yourself can make you happy. You might not be able to find it on your own at first but with the right support of friends and professionals, you can win your life and power back. You can learn to love, accept and respect yourself.
Am I saying be a saint? No, be a rebel, make a difference, provoke, confront and elevate. You can do it without drugs.
What I'm saying is that IF you know you might have a problem OR you know people that do, don't wait until it's too late. Be supportive or seek support. And support sometimes means "tough love". Shutting them out until they are willing to get help.
I know this is a pretty deep subject, please spread the awareness and teach the 21st century kids to just say NO! How about that for POWER! ?
xoxo
JVB
I was never exposed to any drugs as a kid, so I did try a couple and found one that I liked. Although I never purchased any, I did make it a ritual, going to the Limelight every sunday night hanging with my "friends". We'd go out every night.
One of the many mornings, while hanging out an an after hour place, snoring one line of coke after another, I looked around and thought to myself "wow, it's 9am in the morning, what are all these people doing here? What a bunch of losers" Than I realized, I'm there too, I was one of them. I made up my mind right than and there to STOP. I didn't come to America to get "Fucked up" night after night, wasting my life away, cause that's all I did.
All my "friends" didn't care having me around anymore, because I said "no" when offered a line. And I'm glad they pushed me away. They were poison to me. I started to focus on my goals and began working on my music.
I'm not an angel, I enjoy having drinks when I'm out at a club. Yes, I'm in the music business and many consider it to be a cool thing, especially in LA, well, sorry, you ain't that cool in my book and I don't care if that makes me not cool in yours. I get high on music. I get high on life.
I don't judge people. You do whatever you want, as long as it doesn't affect my life and you don't push it on me.
The reason I'm writing this...
One of my best friends is going through some tough times right now because of drug and alcohol addiction. Not everyone can handle their liquor and drugs and do things in moderation. It hurts to see people close to me destroy themselves.
My message goes out to all you kids who think it's cool. Yeh, it sounds so Rock'n Roll but honestly, most people have lost a ton because of it. So next time you are tempted, think about the consequences. Think about how much you have to lose if you "lose control" (your friends, your job/career, your life!!!).
Depression seems to be a huge factor and the doctors love you for it. You keep them in business. Truth is, no drug can cure the real problem that lies deep within yourself. There's a huge difference between partying here and there, having a blast vs doing drugs consistently. It's easy to get hooked on anti-depressants. Just another addiction, a cover up. I encourage people to seek help using a holistic approach and surrounding yourself with people you love and trust and aren't tempting you. There's plenty of support!
SAY NO to DRUGS.
Self-destruction comes from hatred, from disapproval. Love yourself like you would love another person. Treat yourself like you would treat someone you truly love and care about.
Happiness can only be found from within. No one outside yourself can make you happy. You might not be able to find it on your own at first but with the right support of friends and professionals, you can win your life and power back. You can learn to love, accept and respect yourself.
Am I saying be a saint? No, be a rebel, make a difference, provoke, confront and elevate. You can do it without drugs.
What I'm saying is that IF you know you might have a problem OR you know people that do, don't wait until it's too late. Be supportive or seek support. And support sometimes means "tough love". Shutting them out until they are willing to get help.
I know this is a pretty deep subject, please spread the awareness and teach the 21st century kids to just say NO! How about that for POWER! ?
xoxo
JVB
Thursday, January 06, 2011
Where's the Cash Cow?
While the music business seems all glamor and colorful, behind the scenes...not so much.
The majors are becoming the minority and the indies are blooming. The industry has changed over the years and there's not much one can do other than get creative and adopt to the new times in the digital world. Even The Beatles finally released all there music on Itunes. Can you imagine all the money they missed out on???
Many musicians raised their voices a few years back, adapting to the new way of music distribution (or shall we say free downloads) by offering their music for free, like Trent Reznor for example. Well, these artists, although independent now, still have no clue what independent really means. After all, they established their fan base through a major label, so yes, they got ripped off by their label but they would've never had what they have without them, so after all it's still a win/win.
What used to sadden me is that I've heard many stories about major labels blowing money out the window, just because they have a budget to blow.
I thought, man, give me that amount and I'll show you how to properly use it. But why waste my energy on something that's irrelevant. They do what they do and usually don't even care about their artist.
I buy music. I have to admit that I prefer buying on itunes. CD's clutter up my space and I upload it to my itunes anyway. I do buy CD's once in a while. Of course people do what they want and I can't control any of that but I can educate you a little on what goes into running a band without any outside financial support.
Here's a little breakdown to let you know what it costs. Let's say, a band is about to release a new album and is planning a tour.
1. Rehearsal studio (usually monthly lockout space) average costs $300 a month if band splits the room with another band (rooms are btw $400-$1000)
2. Websites, Webstore, EPK's, Sonicbids Submissions to festivals, web hosting, usually around $20 - $100/month (sonicbids, reverbnation, bigcartel)
While not all artists need to get a pro to record and produce their album, some have the talent and the equipment to do a lot themselves, hiring a pro to get that pro-level sound...costs money.
3. Recording with a producer/engineer (Btw $500-$2500 per song)
4. Mixing (average $500 per song)
5. Mastering (average $80-$1500 per song)
6. Release a single (online) artist pays 9.99
7. Release an EP or full length album (online) artists pays between $40-$50 (depending on distributor(cdbaby or Tunecore)
8. Merchandise.
a) Shirts , btw $4-10 per shirt, depending on quality and printing, how many screens and colors. So if a band orders 48 shirts times $5 - $240
Not including other cool things like thongs, hoodies, which are usually a bit more expensive than shirts.
b) CD's It's about a $1300 to $1500 for 1000 CD's, depending on how many pages, with tax and shipping, if you get only 500 CD's, you'll still pay about $780 or so, even a short run of a 100 will cost about $275.
9. A van, it costs about $75-$95 a day to rent a van, if you own a van, you have to buy a reliable van (average $3500 -$8000 for a decent van + upkeep)
10. Trailer starts at around $1200 and up
11. Gear/Equipment (Computer, DAW's (ProTools, Sonar, Logic, Cubase, Nuendo), plug in's, drum sticks, skins, guitar strings, batteries, cables, amps, guitars, microphones) Anywhere btw $800- $25.000 easily
12. Personal bills, rent, phonebill, utilities, internet and food (the basics) Here in LA close to $1000/month min per person (yes, it's not really band related but still part of the musicians reliability)
13. Music Lessons btw, $35-$100/hour (optional)
If it's a true band, usually every member ships in, if the band is run by one or two people, they usually carry all the costs upfront. And that's not counting any lights, stage clothing, music video, radio promotion, or any pr, stage prop's or food on the road. So the next time you want music for FREE, think about this...would you work for FREE if your boss told you he won't pay for your services?
Hope this will shed a little light on what goes on behind the curtains and makes you realize, being in a band (pro band) is work and requires money. It's a business. Every business needs to make money to stay in business. This is not a complain, but an explanation to you why indies appreciate it when their fans are willing to pay $0.99 for a single or whatever for an album.
There are many ways for bands to raise money and create income from their music...and that's gonna be my next blog!!!
Enjoy and please spread this around to raise awareness!
xoxo
JVBeast
_
The majors are becoming the minority and the indies are blooming. The industry has changed over the years and there's not much one can do other than get creative and adopt to the new times in the digital world. Even The Beatles finally released all there music on Itunes. Can you imagine all the money they missed out on???
Many musicians raised their voices a few years back, adapting to the new way of music distribution (or shall we say free downloads) by offering their music for free, like Trent Reznor for example. Well, these artists, although independent now, still have no clue what independent really means. After all, they established their fan base through a major label, so yes, they got ripped off by their label but they would've never had what they have without them, so after all it's still a win/win.
What used to sadden me is that I've heard many stories about major labels blowing money out the window, just because they have a budget to blow.
I thought, man, give me that amount and I'll show you how to properly use it. But why waste my energy on something that's irrelevant. They do what they do and usually don't even care about their artist.
I buy music. I have to admit that I prefer buying on itunes. CD's clutter up my space and I upload it to my itunes anyway. I do buy CD's once in a while. Of course people do what they want and I can't control any of that but I can educate you a little on what goes into running a band without any outside financial support.
Here's a little breakdown to let you know what it costs. Let's say, a band is about to release a new album and is planning a tour.
1. Rehearsal studio (usually monthly lockout space) average costs $300 a month if band splits the room with another band (rooms are btw $400-$1000)
2. Websites, Webstore, EPK's, Sonicbids Submissions to festivals, web hosting, usually around $20 - $100/month (sonicbids, reverbnation, bigcartel)
While not all artists need to get a pro to record and produce their album, some have the talent and the equipment to do a lot themselves, hiring a pro to get that pro-level sound...costs money.
3. Recording with a producer/engineer (Btw $500-$2500 per song)
4. Mixing (average $500 per song)
5. Mastering (average $80-$1500 per song)
6. Release a single (online) artist pays 9.99
7. Release an EP or full length album (online) artists pays between $40-$50 (depending on distributor(cdbaby or Tunecore)
8. Merchandise.
a) Shirts , btw $4-10 per shirt, depending on quality and printing, how many screens and colors. So if a band orders 48 shirts times $5 - $240
Not including other cool things like thongs, hoodies, which are usually a bit more expensive than shirts.
b) CD's It's about a $1300 to $1500 for 1000 CD's, depending on how many pages, with tax and shipping, if you get only 500 CD's, you'll still pay about $780 or so, even a short run of a 100 will cost about $275.
9. A van, it costs about $75-$95 a day to rent a van, if you own a van, you have to buy a reliable van (average $3500 -$8000 for a decent van + upkeep)
10. Trailer starts at around $1200 and up
11. Gear/Equipment (Computer, DAW's (ProTools, Sonar, Logic, Cubase, Nuendo), plug in's, drum sticks, skins, guitar strings, batteries, cables, amps, guitars, microphones) Anywhere btw $800- $25.000 easily
12. Personal bills, rent, phonebill, utilities, internet and food (the basics) Here in LA close to $1000/month min per person (yes, it's not really band related but still part of the musicians reliability)
13. Music Lessons btw, $35-$100/hour (optional)
If it's a true band, usually every member ships in, if the band is run by one or two people, they usually carry all the costs upfront. And that's not counting any lights, stage clothing, music video, radio promotion, or any pr, stage prop's or food on the road. So the next time you want music for FREE, think about this...would you work for FREE if your boss told you he won't pay for your services?
Hope this will shed a little light on what goes on behind the curtains and makes you realize, being in a band (pro band) is work and requires money. It's a business. Every business needs to make money to stay in business. This is not a complain, but an explanation to you why indies appreciate it when their fans are willing to pay $0.99 for a single or whatever for an album.
There are many ways for bands to raise money and create income from their music...and that's gonna be my next blog!!!
Enjoy and please spread this around to raise awareness!
xoxo
JVBeast
_
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
Hit The Road Jack!
Otto's Daughter is back out on the road. It feels great! It's only week 3 it feels like a month. It feels good to be out there again, hitting the stages, going from town to town, making new friends, staying at peoples places, sometimes hotels. It's a different way of life for sure. While it's not always all glam, I have to admit I'm diggin it. The response is great and I'm extremely grateful to be able to do what I love! "Living The Dream"! Theme of the tour and title of our new EP.
I have so much more to report, plenty of pictures to post, so stay tuned!
xoxo
JVB
I have so much more to report, plenty of pictures to post, so stay tuned!
xoxo
JVB
Friday, April 16, 2010
The day all shades of Green turned Gray
In loving memory of Peter Steele. (1962-2010)
There are a few people I thought of as immortal; Peter was one of them. Not only that, I thought for sure he'd want to stick around for 2012. All day I've been pondering "why"; it brings me right back to when my dad passed away, he seemed another immortal being to me. When people die it just seems so sudden, unexpected and surreal. At least to me. I do understand we are all pure energy moving from one dimension into another. We all choose our experience here on earth in our physical bodies. And while we are here, we want everything to be physical. While I know he'll be forever, I will miss his physical presence.
My message to Peter: You had such a great sense of humor, a big heart and a massive amount of talent. You always made me laugh and inspired me in so many ways. I've learned so much from you. I'm extremely grateful for everything you've done, the legend you left behind, your music will live forever.
PS: You were always joking about death and I was hoping you were just faking it again.(part of me still does hope you'll come back)
Farewell my friend!
There are a few people I thought of as immortal; Peter was one of them. Not only that, I thought for sure he'd want to stick around for 2012. All day I've been pondering "why"; it brings me right back to when my dad passed away, he seemed another immortal being to me. When people die it just seems so sudden, unexpected and surreal. At least to me. I do understand we are all pure energy moving from one dimension into another. We all choose our experience here on earth in our physical bodies. And while we are here, we want everything to be physical. While I know he'll be forever, I will miss his physical presence.
My message to Peter: You had such a great sense of humor, a big heart and a massive amount of talent. You always made me laugh and inspired me in so many ways. I've learned so much from you. I'm extremely grateful for everything you've done, the legend you left behind, your music will live forever.
PS: You were always joking about death and I was hoping you were just faking it again.(part of me still does hope you'll come back)
Farewell my friend!
Thursday, February 04, 2010
What a day...
Can you say accomplished? I submitted 4 more songs to my library before 4pm. They had an assignment for a quick turn around, ( it's optional for the composers to commit, also if you miss the e-mail you might miss out on the opporunity); well I figured, why not! More placements and if nothing else; more songs they can use either way.
I went out for a few hours, gave my friend a ride; spend about 30 minutes at Starbucks before returning home.
Someone left soup infront of our door. hee hee. My neighbor cooked and thought I might like some...how sweet. I never say no to food, lol
Long story short: it took me forever to get the music done, I hit a brick wall BUT didn't give up. I finished and submitted five tracks and hopefully one of them if not two or three will be in regular rotation;)
PS: I'm gonna sleep in.
xoxo
JVB
I went out for a few hours, gave my friend a ride; spend about 30 minutes at Starbucks before returning home.
Someone left soup infront of our door. hee hee. My neighbor cooked and thought I might like some...how sweet. I never say no to food, lol
Long story short: it took me forever to get the music done, I hit a brick wall BUT didn't give up. I finished and submitted five tracks and hopefully one of them if not two or three will be in regular rotation;)
PS: I'm gonna sleep in.
xoxo
JVB
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
Digging through the pile
There's so much I want to share, the Grammy's, the news about PinkStar and Otto's Daughter.
I'm finally back in the flow.
I have to write 27 songs for my music library due February 15th, besides that I have to finish our EP and do a photo shoot. AND, I could not resist so I signed up for a challenge to write 14 songs in 28 days (which is easy for me).
At first glance it may seem like I'm putting too much on my plate but in reality, nothing comes more natural to me than writing music. Today I worked on 5 tracks, sent 3 out. Another 3 will be going out tomorrow evening.
Magic happens when you make a commitment. I'm fired up and inspired as hell. Find your passion and set yourself on fire!
xoxo
JVB
I'm finally back in the flow.
I have to write 27 songs for my music library due February 15th, besides that I have to finish our EP and do a photo shoot. AND, I could not resist so I signed up for a challenge to write 14 songs in 28 days (which is easy for me).
At first glance it may seem like I'm putting too much on my plate but in reality, nothing comes more natural to me than writing music. Today I worked on 5 tracks, sent 3 out. Another 3 will be going out tomorrow evening.
Magic happens when you make a commitment. I'm fired up and inspired as hell. Find your passion and set yourself on fire!
xoxo
JVB
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
The craft of Alexander McQueen
One of my biggest inspirations in fashion is Alexander McQueen. I discovered him a long time ago back in NYC and was immediately hooked.
Born in the East End of London, the son of a taxi driver, McQueen started making dresses for his three sisters at a young age and announced his intention of becoming a fashion designer. He has said that one of his earliest memories was from around the age of 3 when he drew a picture of a dress on a piece of bare wall which had been exposed by peeling wallpaper in the council house where his family lived. McQueen has jokingly called it his first design sketch.
McQueen left Rokeby School at 16, landing himself an apprenticeship with Savile Row tailors Anderson & Sheppard, then working for Gieves & Hawkes and the famous theatrical costumiers Angels and Bermans. Whilst on Savile Row, McQueen's clients included Mikhail Gorbachev and Charles, Prince of Wales. (There is an apocryphal story that McQueen once sewed the words "I am a cunt" into the sleeve lining of a suit he was working on for Prince Charles). At the age of 20, he spent a period of time working for Koji Tatsuno before traveling to Milan, Italy and working for Romeo Gigli.
McQueen returned to London in 1994 and applied to London's most prestigious fashion school, Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design to work as a pattern cutter tutor. Due to the strength of his portfolio he was persuaded by the Head of the Masters course to enroll on the course as a student. He received his Masters degree in Fashion design and famously, his graduation collection was bought in its entirety by influential fashion stylist Isabella Blow, who was said to have persuaded McQueen to change his name from Lee to Alexander (his middle name) when he subsequently launched his fashion career.
Icelandic singer Björk sought McQueen's work for the cover of her album Homogenic in 1997.
Some of Alexander McQueen's accomplishments include being one of the youngest designers to achieve the title "British Designer of the Year", which he won four times between 1996 and 2003.
He has also been awarded the CBE, as well as being named International Designer of the Year at the Council of Fashion Designer Awards. December 2000 saw a new partnership for McQueen with Gucci Group acquiring 51% of the company, and McQueen serving as Creative Director. Plans for expansion have included the opening of stores in London, Milan, and New York, and the launch of his perfumes Kingdom, and more recently My Queen. In 2005, McQueen collaborated with Puma to create a special line of trainers for the shoe brand.
McQueen became the first designer to participate in MAC's newest promotion: cosmetic releases created by fashion designers. The collection, McQueen, was released on 11 October 2007 and reflects the looks used on the Fall/Winter McQueen runway. The inspiration for the collection was the Elizabeth Taylor movie Cleopatra, and thus the models sported intense blue, green, and teal eyes with strong black liner extended Egyptian-style. McQueen handpicked the 3 cream shadows, coordinating eye shadows, two lip sticks, two lipglasses, three eyeliners, false lashes and Mineralized Skin Finish powder used in the collection.
Born in the East End of London, the son of a taxi driver, McQueen started making dresses for his three sisters at a young age and announced his intention of becoming a fashion designer. He has said that one of his earliest memories was from around the age of 3 when he drew a picture of a dress on a piece of bare wall which had been exposed by peeling wallpaper in the council house where his family lived. McQueen has jokingly called it his first design sketch.
McQueen left Rokeby School at 16, landing himself an apprenticeship with Savile Row tailors Anderson & Sheppard, then working for Gieves & Hawkes and the famous theatrical costumiers Angels and Bermans. Whilst on Savile Row, McQueen's clients included Mikhail Gorbachev and Charles, Prince of Wales. (There is an apocryphal story that McQueen once sewed the words "I am a cunt" into the sleeve lining of a suit he was working on for Prince Charles). At the age of 20, he spent a period of time working for Koji Tatsuno before traveling to Milan, Italy and working for Romeo Gigli.
McQueen returned to London in 1994 and applied to London's most prestigious fashion school, Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design to work as a pattern cutter tutor. Due to the strength of his portfolio he was persuaded by the Head of the Masters course to enroll on the course as a student. He received his Masters degree in Fashion design and famously, his graduation collection was bought in its entirety by influential fashion stylist Isabella Blow, who was said to have persuaded McQueen to change his name from Lee to Alexander (his middle name) when he subsequently launched his fashion career.
Icelandic singer Björk sought McQueen's work for the cover of her album Homogenic in 1997.
Some of Alexander McQueen's accomplishments include being one of the youngest designers to achieve the title "British Designer of the Year", which he won four times between 1996 and 2003.
He has also been awarded the CBE, as well as being named International Designer of the Year at the Council of Fashion Designer Awards. December 2000 saw a new partnership for McQueen with Gucci Group acquiring 51% of the company, and McQueen serving as Creative Director. Plans for expansion have included the opening of stores in London, Milan, and New York, and the launch of his perfumes Kingdom, and more recently My Queen. In 2005, McQueen collaborated with Puma to create a special line of trainers for the shoe brand.
McQueen became the first designer to participate in MAC's newest promotion: cosmetic releases created by fashion designers. The collection, McQueen, was released on 11 October 2007 and reflects the looks used on the Fall/Winter McQueen runway. The inspiration for the collection was the Elizabeth Taylor movie Cleopatra, and thus the models sported intense blue, green, and teal eyes with strong black liner extended Egyptian-style. McQueen handpicked the 3 cream shadows, coordinating eye shadows, two lip sticks, two lipglasses, three eyeliners, false lashes and Mineralized Skin Finish powder used in the collection.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Let it rain....
The rain and three cats purring on my bed make it really hard to get up early. I managed to get out of bed around 9:30am, got my workout in and even had breakfast before my 11am student.
Pretty good accomplishment before noon! I like that. Something about accomplishing little things early in the day turns my whole mood and motivation up a notch, makes me feel great and want to do more.
After all, we were meant to be productive, have a purpose and go for what we want and love. That doesn't mean going to a job you hate (that's not productive, that's actually soul-drenching)
I made some phone calls, sent some e-mails, learned a few new things about some plugin's; took care of some more important business and received a very pleasant call.
Let's just say that certain people are meant to be in your life and always will be part of your life and it's a very good thing (because it's our choice). That phone call had me even more fired up, I got extremely inspired and excited about the possibility of some future collaborations. Something I've been wanting to do for a while.
I had some computer problems which turned my creativity to null. At first I got kinda frustrated since I really wanted to finish at least one of the 30 tracks I have to have done by February15th but than I realized, I'm just not in a creative flow at the moment and it's okay.
I'm one of those who can't write anything for a week; than bursts out 5 songs at once. I learned to be okay with that and just go with the flow rather than beat myself up and try to force magic. it just doesn't work. After my 5pm student someone took me to Little Tony's for some real italian food and a glas of Merlow. How can I say no? Hahahaha
I watch it rain, wash away, the road is clear and clean and ours to take!
Raindrops & LightingSparks
JVBlossom
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
A little more truth a little less bs
Happy 2010. Better late than never. hahahaha, are you fully back in your old routine? I hope not.
It's a new Decade, let's rock it! My year started off great with a cool NYE party with some of my best friends followed by an 80's Birthday Bash Party and NAMM.
We played the Friday Schecter Party, introduced a new song and I won a plug-in that I've had on my wish list for a while UAD2 Duo; plus a set of headphones from Monster. wohooooooooooo
Not to mention I met and talked to my favorite guitar player Robyn Fink at Saturday's Party. I had so much fun during NAMM. I'm still amazed how I got through the show, I had such a hang-over. Not smart to party the day before the show, but c'mon, sometimes you gotta do whatcha gotta do and with such amazing company how could I turn down an Asbach Uralt or a glas of Merlow. hahahaha (Well, I paid the price friday morning)
So here I am, I've been meaning to blog, even wanted to blog the entire NAMM show but I tend to be an extreme person with extreme ADD.
So many books too read, songs to finish, band stuff...blah blah blah...don't get me wrong, I love what I do; well....you get the idea. While I'm really striving for consistancy in regards to my online presence I have to admit that I'm either on or off all the way; which means a ton of posts or nothing at all.
I decided not to make any New Years Resolutions for 2010 since I never quite stick with them anyway, so instead I will do my best to commit to a daily blog, even if it's just a line to check in.
In all honestly I'm selfishly making myself feel more accountable if I have to write about my day (says who?...hahahaha...I do) And maybe I'll even promote this and get more followers, hee hee
Since I've been back from NAMM I've been kinda sick and haven't been in the mood to write music or I should say, energy. Instead I've been dealing with some business stuff I have been avoiding for some time. For some reason, it's always a drag to do the business crap, filling out a ton of forms, dealing with legalities. But it has to be done, so I've actually taken some time to get control over the situation and a clear picture of what is in place and what needs to be put in place.
Today I made a show flyer (out of two kinda crappy photo's I took of myself). hahahaha. Spend some time on facebook, myspace and reverbnation. Funny, the minute I sit down and do nothing, I feel like I haven't done a damn thing all day. While when at the end of the day when I write out my main accomplishments; I'm always amazed how much I got done; (talking about being to hard on myself).
Well, enough said, my theraflu is kicking in and I've got to finish reading "Mixerman" so I can move on with my life, hahahaha. True story or all bullshit, I'm digging it. And you know what?; it's all bullshit anyway but that's for another blog;)
Truly Yours,
JVBullshitter
It's a new Decade, let's rock it! My year started off great with a cool NYE party with some of my best friends followed by an 80's Birthday Bash Party and NAMM.
We played the Friday Schecter Party, introduced a new song and I won a plug-in that I've had on my wish list for a while UAD2 Duo; plus a set of headphones from Monster. wohooooooooooo
Not to mention I met and talked to my favorite guitar player Robyn Fink at Saturday's Party. I had so much fun during NAMM. I'm still amazed how I got through the show, I had such a hang-over. Not smart to party the day before the show, but c'mon, sometimes you gotta do whatcha gotta do and with such amazing company how could I turn down an Asbach Uralt or a glas of Merlow. hahahaha (Well, I paid the price friday morning)
So here I am, I've been meaning to blog, even wanted to blog the entire NAMM show but I tend to be an extreme person with extreme ADD.
So many books too read, songs to finish, band stuff...blah blah blah...don't get me wrong, I love what I do; well....you get the idea. While I'm really striving for consistancy in regards to my online presence I have to admit that I'm either on or off all the way; which means a ton of posts or nothing at all.
I decided not to make any New Years Resolutions for 2010 since I never quite stick with them anyway, so instead I will do my best to commit to a daily blog, even if it's just a line to check in.
In all honestly I'm selfishly making myself feel more accountable if I have to write about my day (says who?...hahahaha...I do) And maybe I'll even promote this and get more followers, hee hee
Since I've been back from NAMM I've been kinda sick and haven't been in the mood to write music or I should say, energy. Instead I've been dealing with some business stuff I have been avoiding for some time. For some reason, it's always a drag to do the business crap, filling out a ton of forms, dealing with legalities. But it has to be done, so I've actually taken some time to get control over the situation and a clear picture of what is in place and what needs to be put in place.
Today I made a show flyer (out of two kinda crappy photo's I took of myself). hahahaha. Spend some time on facebook, myspace and reverbnation. Funny, the minute I sit down and do nothing, I feel like I haven't done a damn thing all day. While when at the end of the day when I write out my main accomplishments; I'm always amazed how much I got done; (talking about being to hard on myself).
Well, enough said, my theraflu is kicking in and I've got to finish reading "Mixerman" so I can move on with my life, hahahaha. True story or all bullshit, I'm digging it. And you know what?; it's all bullshit anyway but that's for another blog;)
Truly Yours,
JVBullshitter
Monday, November 09, 2009
If you can live without it, do it!
I spent the entire weekend around people who are very much like me. Musicians! I went to the annual Taxi Road Rally; learned new things about the music business, was reminded of the things I already know, networked with people in the industry and most importantly reconnected with great friends and collaborators of mine having a great time. I look forward to this event the entire year. And every year becomes more fun.
It amazes me how many musicians don't take advantage of this incredible opportunity. People from all over the world fly out to be part of this. I met people from Switzerland, Italy, Brazil, Australia and England. Incredible!
Besides learning about the changes in the industry, there's nothing more inspiring than listening to some mega successful people talk about their 15 year overnight success, their struggles, their passion for music, how they let nothing get in their way to make their dreams come true and the pay off. One of the panelists gave the greatest advice ever, he said: "my advice to you is; if you can live without it, live without it, quit! If you can't, well than you have no choice but to keep going". It hit home for me, there were several times throughout my music career where I thought about "quitting" but how can I cut off the very thing that keeps me alive? No way! Today I can proudly say that I have accomplished quite a bit and have gotten some mailbox money, which I love;)
Often, I choose staying home writing music over going out. My friends say I work so hard but what they don't understand is that this is not work to me, this is what I love to do. Plus ; I'm working for me; it's not like I'm busting my ass for someone else with no future benefits. Being social is also important, especially for live performers but when you are in a flow, you don't want to stop, you can't. Thankfully my friends respect and understand that.
With all this said, I encourage everyone out there; Do what you love! Live your dream and do whatever it takes. It's the most satisfying thing in the world and sooner or later it will pay off.
So what are you going to do today?
It amazes me how many musicians don't take advantage of this incredible opportunity. People from all over the world fly out to be part of this. I met people from Switzerland, Italy, Brazil, Australia and England. Incredible!Besides learning about the changes in the industry, there's nothing more inspiring than listening to some mega successful people talk about their 15 year overnight success, their struggles, their passion for music, how they let nothing get in their way to make their dreams come true and the pay off. One of the panelists gave the greatest advice ever, he said: "my advice to you is; if you can live without it, live without it, quit! If you can't, well than you have no choice but to keep going". It hit home for me, there were several times throughout my music career where I thought about "quitting" but how can I cut off the very thing that keeps me alive? No way! Today I can proudly say that I have accomplished quite a bit and have gotten some mailbox money, which I love;)
Often, I choose staying home writing music over going out. My friends say I work so hard but what they don't understand is that this is not work to me, this is what I love to do. Plus ; I'm working for me; it's not like I'm busting my ass for someone else with no future benefits. Being social is also important, especially for live performers but when you are in a flow, you don't want to stop, you can't. Thankfully my friends respect and understand that.
With all this said, I encourage everyone out there; Do what you love! Live your dream and do whatever it takes. It's the most satisfying thing in the world and sooner or later it will pay off.So what are you going to do today?
Monday, August 24, 2009
Another day in Paradise
I've been composing more than ever. I committed to 70tracks for my library and the game is ON. 50 more to go! While I feel slightly overwhelmed; I'm actually very confident that I can deliver. Life is all about choices and commitment.
I'm still working on finding the balance between being social online, offline and working, which is really more fun than work to me.
One thing that happens as a musician/composer; when you're in the FLOW, times flies by and you don't want to stop. You're in that ZONE where nothing else matters. Isn't that a great gift?
With that said; today I'm extremely grateful for all the opportunities and my ability to do what I truly love. I'm extremely excited about my solo dance EP, my new band PinkStar, My side project "When Planets Align"; my library deals, my collaborations and all future opportunities. I feel blessed! I'm grateful for all these amazing people in my life.
I'm writing this because oftentimes, I get overwhelmed and frustrated that things don't move as quickly as I'd like them to. I focus on all the things that I don't have. It's so easy to do and get caught up in it. I know I'm not the only one. This is a reminder that things are in fact "Happening". Just because we can't see it yet doesn't mean it's not happening.
The seeds are being planted. Trust and Faith is the only thing we need to move forward. (of course action is required however, if I just push and push, I'm not trusting the process).
Cheers to a fun and productive week!
xXx
JVB
I'm still working on finding the balance between being social online, offline and working, which is really more fun than work to me.
One thing that happens as a musician/composer; when you're in the FLOW, times flies by and you don't want to stop. You're in that ZONE where nothing else matters. Isn't that a great gift?
With that said; today I'm extremely grateful for all the opportunities and my ability to do what I truly love. I'm extremely excited about my solo dance EP, my new band PinkStar, My side project "When Planets Align"; my library deals, my collaborations and all future opportunities. I feel blessed! I'm grateful for all these amazing people in my life.
I'm writing this because oftentimes, I get overwhelmed and frustrated that things don't move as quickly as I'd like them to. I focus on all the things that I don't have. It's so easy to do and get caught up in it. I know I'm not the only one. This is a reminder that things are in fact "Happening". Just because we can't see it yet doesn't mean it's not happening.
The seeds are being planted. Trust and Faith is the only thing we need to move forward. (of course action is required however, if I just push and push, I'm not trusting the process).
Cheers to a fun and productive week!
xXx
JVB
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