Rise-Ascend and Direction – Journal Entry #2
What’s Up Everyone!
We’ve had an amazing last few weeks! I recently had the opportunity to participate in a cool interview with the ArtistFrist Radio Network, fly down to the Miami to record a new EP and come right back for a show at the Whole Foods Market in Vienna, Va. Yes, a show at the Whole Foods Market in Vienna, Virginia. As a bonus, I have a few pics to share in the journal!
Last month, “The Corey King Show,” on the ArtistFirst Radio Network, had me on for an in-depth interview. Corey is a really cool and down-to-earth radio host. We shared Rise-Ascend & Direction music with the people and chopped it up in between about everything ranging from me balancing my career as a corporate attorney with my passion for music and reaching the world to our production and recording style. We also discussed the serious topic of human rights atrocities currently taking place in the world. The entire interview is approximately an hour long (including 5 of our songs) and it was truly a great experience. You can check out the interview here: http://www.musictostopthepersecution.org/media-coverage.html
A little while ago, a good friend of ours, who owns and operates Heiga Audio Visual – the home studio for Ingenious Records in Miami – offered to clear some time off their hectic schedule so that I could come down to record our new project. Even though we didn’t have any new songs ready at the time, with an opportunity to fly down to the sunshine state to work in one of the finest recording studios in the area – of course I booked the flight and we started cooking up some fresh new music right away. I made the journey to the studio to record a couple weeks ago. In addition to the beautiful sunshine and the beach right down the street, the entire environment was really cool, positive and conducive to making classic material. Everything went better than smooth. We actually managed to record a 5 song EP, shoot video and conduct an ad hoc photo shoot in less than 48 hours. I can’t wait for you all to hear and see the finished product. You can check out “The Sunshine Blog” on my Facebook page to see a few snap shots of the entire process: www.facebook.com/rise.ascend.
Last night, I returned to the Vienna Whole Foods Market to perform at their once a month Sunday night showcase. The first time I was their (last month), the vibe was awesome and everyone was really receptive and open-minded. Last night was no exception. In fact, this time around, my wife and two young children had the opportunity to see me perform. It’s rare that I encounter an environment that is suitable for the kids to come out, but that’s what so great about this showcase. The other artists contributed music from a wide variety of genres and I found them all inspiring. After my set, a middle-aged brother came up to me and expressed his sincere gratitude and appreciation for our music and encouraged us to keep making hip-hop music of substance. Events like the Vienna Whole Foods showcase really help to strengthen your confidence as a performer and it’s also A LOT OF FUN! Highly recommended.
We are also working hard on our “Smile” campaign. As some of you may know, we recently released two new singles, “Smile” and “Mission To Accomplish.” “Smile” is an upbeat and motivational dedication to all the magnificent women of the world. In the wake of the recent controversy over excessively explicit lyrics regarding women, we have noticed radio program directors and music directors are now even more likely to check out our new song and some very notable stations have even agreed to add the single to their rotation. I will not say which station added “Smile” just yet, but let’s just say that this station recently received a lot of attention for taking a firm stance against excessively violent lyrics about women and girls. Stay tuned!
Last but not least, I would like to introduce a new segment of our journal, “Cool Stuff In The ET.” From now on, we will end by highlighting a cool article from our favorite news publication – The Epoch Times. The Epoch Times provides exquisite and insightful news and editorials about both local and global issues. The paper covers 35 countries and 21 languages and is constantly expanding. Today, I came across this cool article about the Soho International Film Festival in New York and some of this year’s film entries that inform and raise awareness about human rights abuses. Take a moment to check out this article: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/10107-soho-film-festival-shines-light-on-human-rights/
Until next time.
“Keep Rising!”
Rise-Ascend & Direction
www.musictostopthepersecution.org