Following a preview from the Swoosh a few days earlier, UNDEFEATED delivers the Nike Zoom Kobe 1 "Protro" in a pack featuring three colorways matching its signature colorways. The Camo version gets a white midsole and Five Strikes branding while the white rendition sees classic black logos similar to the brand's Nike Dunk High released back in 2013. A third Olive/Orange suede model was teased by UNDEFEATED CEO Eric Peng Cheng and will most likely be a friends and family version similar to the UNDFTD x Air Max 97 collaboration from last November.
Take a first look above, and expect the White/Gum and Camo Nike Zoom Kobe 1 Protros to hit shelves on February 15 and February 16, respectively. Currently there is no information on the release date for the Olive Green pair, but keep your eyes peeled for updates.


text:
Cadbury owner Mondelez Ireland appoints new managing director
The owner of chocolate maker Cadbury, Mondelez Ireland, has appointed a new managing director.
The company also controls brands such as Oreo, Philadelphia and Maynards Bassetts.
Eoin Kellett will take over the role from Louise Stigant, who is moving to a new role as commercial director for northern Europe.
Mr Kellett joined Mondelez Ireland in 2010 and most recently held the position of commercial director.
He previously worked for Premier Foods and RHM.
He is also a Trustee of the Cadbury Foundation and a member of the executive committee of the Irish Grocers Benevolent Fund.
The Cadbury Foundation dates back to 1935 and was set up in recognition of company founders, George and Richard Cadbury, and their investment in the welfare of their employees and wider communities.
Mr Kellett is a marketing graduate of the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) and has an MBA from Dublin City University (DCU).

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


We don't know what the universe is, but we know it can be altered... hacked. It can be programmed.
THEY HAVE WAITED As an alien ships approaches and make landfall on earth - prophets are interpreting a signal from the ship as "I am Messiah". Linking the ship to the Second Coming of the Messiah. Proclaiming salvation to be at hand in a time when the earths resources are running scarce and the earth most need it.


text:
Four on the Floor *Live* on Instagram IGTV featuring Jason Marsalis!
Please join me for the next episode of Four on the Floor *Live* happening next Tuesday, March 2nd at 7pm MST (9pm EST), appearing on Instagram IGTV @fouronthfloorblog featuring the great Jason Marsalis!
From a tender young age it was clear that Jason Marsalis had what it took to be great. Jason is the son of pianist and music educator Ellis Marsalis and his wife Dolores, and the youngest sibling of Wynton, Branford and Delfeayo. Together, the four brothers and their patriarch Ellis, comprise New Orleans venerable first family of jazz.
Ellis and Dolores began to cultivate Jason's interest in music at age three, with the purchase of a toy set of drums. Jason is fond of telling the story of a game he and his parents would play with the drums. "When I was three, my parents bought me a toy drum set and the used to introduce me to an imaginary audience. They would say, 'Ladies and gentlemen introducing the fabulous Jason!' and I would come out and start banging away much to my parents delight. I too enjoyed it to the point that I started to go up to my parents unsolicited and say, 'Dad, introduce me again!'
By age six, not only had Jason gotten his first real drum set, but he was also taking lessons from the legendary New Orleans drummer James Black. At age seven he was sitting in with his father's jazz group, as well as playing with his trombonist brother Delfeayo. Jason was progressing so rapidly as a drummer that in 1984 his father started using him consistently on engagements. Jason was starting to become a seasoned road veteran before the age of nine, even traveling to the prestigious Berklee School of Music in Boston for older brother Delfeayo's recital.
Though Jason had also taken up violin at age five, drums remained his primary focus throughout his grade school years. However, in his last year living in Richmond, VA,it was as a member of a junior youth orchestra that he first discovered the percussion section. The following year, Jason gave up the violin and focused exclusively on percussion. In 1991, he auditioned and was accepted to the acclaimed New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts High School (NOCCA). Throughout his high school years he continued to hone his skills by playing gigs with his father and brothers, as well as studying orchestral percussion techniques at the venerable Eastern Music Festival. Shortly after graduation from NOCCA in 1995, Marsalis ascended to the drum throne of a new group led by virtuoso pianist and former sideman for Wynton Marsalis, Marcus Roberts. Despite a demanding touring schedule with Roberts, Marsalis furthered his educational goals by attending Loyola University in New Orleans, as well as studying composition with notable classical composer, Roger Dickerson.
While Marsalis made appearances with such international jazz luminaries as Joe Henderson and Lionel Hampton, he was visible on the New Orleans scene working with a diverse cross section of bands from Casa Samba (Brazilian), Neslort (jazz fusion) Summer Stages (children's theater), Dr. Michael White (traditional jazz) and many others. It was in 1998 that he co-founded the Latin-jazz group Los Hombres Calientes. While recording two albums with the group, Marsalis also produced two albums under his own name, Year of the Drummer (1998) and Music in Motion (2000), as well as producing reissues and current recordings of his father on their self-owned label, ELM Records.
In 2000, Jason left the Los Hombres group to attain more focus with the Marcus Roberts trio. It was around that time the Marsalis started to play the vibraphone on gigs in New Orleans. This evolved in yet another chapter in Marsalis' career as he recorded on the vibes with clarinetist Tim Laughlin and drummer Shannon Powell while starting to lead his own band on vibes. In 2005, Marsalis made a recording of George Gershwin's "Concerto in F" with the Marcus Roberts Trio and the Saito Kinen orchestra. It was a project that involved fusing jazz and classical music and it was an important moment for the Trio. While this exciting event was taking place in Tokyo, Japan, it was marred by the events happening in his hometown, Hurricane Katrina. Even though his career took a slight hit after that event and living in Brooklyn for a year, Jason returned to New Orleans in 2007 to put the pieces back together. After returning to New Orleans in 2007, his reach with the types of bands widened considerably. Early that year he recorded with John Ellis and Doublewide on a well received album entitled "Dance Like There's No Tomorrow".
He also recorded and produced an album of Thelonious Monk's music with his father entitled "An Open Letter to Thelonious". In January of 2008, the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) called for him to start teaching the students. He also started working on the traditional jazz scene with musicians such as Lars Edegran and Tommy Sancton at Preservation Hall and Palm Court Jazz Cafe. It was in April of 2008 that Marsalis was asked to play the vibraphone with the legendary Lionel Hampton Orchestra at the Ogden Museum in New Orleans. In fall of that year, he was on a double-bill tour with Double-wide and a jazz-fusion group from Denton, Texas, Snarky Puppy. After that tour, Marsalis would make guest appearances with the group and has developed a following amongst the group's fans.
In 2009, the Marsalis Family would receive the NEA Jazz Masters award. In June of that year, the family would appear at the White House and the Kennedy Center to do a tribute show to their father. The concert was made into an album entitled, "Music Redeems". Later that year, Marsalis would release his first new album in 9 years and his debut album on vibes, "Music Update". In 2010, the bassist from the Lionel Hampton Orchestra, Christian Fabien, called him to participate in a recording session with drummer Ed Littlefield and pianist Reuel Lubag. They made two records, Christian's "West Coast Session" and Ed's "Walking Between Worlds". The latter would include folk songs from the leader's native Alaskan Tlingit tribe from his hometown of Sitka, Alaska. That project inspired the group to be named the Native Jazz Quartet, a group that would arrange folk songs into jazz tunes. Their first recording of that concept was "NJQ Stories", recorded in 2012. Marsalis was involved in another genre breaking collaboration as the Marcus Roberts Trio released an album with banjoist Bela Fleck. The combination of jazz and bluegrass was entitled "Across the Imaginary Divide" and the unit toured successfully that year.
2013 was a monumental year in which Marsalis released his next recording as a leader on vibes entitled "In a World of Mallets". The album went to number 1 on the CMJ Radio Charts and also won an Offbeat Magazine award, a New Orleans music magazine, for best Contemporary Jazz Album. Marsalis also participated in a session produced by Bill Cosby by playing vibes for music used in Cosby's Comedy Central special, "Far From Finished". There was even recordings from the drum kit as Marcus Roberts released three recordings that year. Two with Wynton Marsalis, "Together Again – In the Studio" and "Together Again – Live in Concert", and the ambitious original trio suite from Roberts, "From Rags to Rhythm".
With each passing year Jason Marsalis continues to grow and develop as both a composer and performer. With a fire in his heart and a passion for the music, his will to swing has never been more resolute. The maturity and the command he possesses over his music is clearly evident to those who have heard or seen him.
Posted by Jon McCaslin at Thursday, February 25, 2021 No comments:
The Monday Morning Paradiddle - February 2021
Well here we are, a year later, and the world is still turned upside down due to the global pandemic. However, artists are still out there doing great things, persevering throughout all of this and doing their best despite the circumstances. The point of this monthly column (and my whole blog, I suppose...) is to recognize, celebrate and draw attention to many of the great things I come across in the wide world of jazz drumming. Hopefully you'll gain as much inspiration and motivation from these artists as I have.
If you have anything you'd like to share with me, please drop me a line at fouronthefloorblog@gmail.com. I'd love to hear from you.
*Just a quick advertisement before we get started with this month's column. Please consider entering your e.mail address on the right side of the page to subscribe to my mailing list. Don't miss out, subscribe today and receive Four on the Floor directly to your inbox!*
(click on a link that looks like this, located on the right hand side of the page!)
Anyhow, and now on with the show...
1. I've been having fun with my weekly series Four on the Floor *Live* which happens every Tuesday evening on my Instagram page @fouronthefloorblog at 7pm MST (9pm EST).
So far I've really learned a lot and come away inspired by the many amazing guests who've appeared so far including the likes of Adam Nussbaum, Francisco Mela, Ted Warren, Patrick Boyle, Geoff Clapp, Quincy Davis, Tim Mah, Dave Laing, Christopher Smith and Chad Anderson.
Thanks to everyone who has been watching. Tune in this week for my interview with the great Joe LaBarbera!
And here's Joe's interview from a couple of months ago with Neil LaFortune for the Gretsch Afternoon Drum Break:
2. I've also been enjoying a recent collaboration between myself, Ted Warren of Trap'd and Todd Bishop of Cruiseship Drummer in a series we are calling The Three Bloggers. We've each chosen a topic and will be blogging on each other's subjects, offering a collective perspective of each others ideas.
We just finished Round #1 and I asked everyone to contribute their thoughts about "The Hi-Hat".
Here's the links to our individual pieces:
The Three Bloggers - Part 1: The Hi-Hat by Jonathan McCaslin
The three bloggers: the left foot, the hihat by Todd Bishop
The 3 Bloggers: A Ted's eye view of the Hi-Hat! by Ted Warren
Between the three of us, I think we covered a lot of ground!
Look for Round #2 coming soon where we'll be offering our collective thoughts on the seminal Miles Davis album "Milestones".
3. CBC Radio has featured interviews with a number of important artists lately that I'd recommend listening to. These include compelling radio segments with the likes of:
Larnell Lewis
Jack DeJohnette (on the legacy of the late Chick Corea)
Jason Moran
4. Thanks to Kevin Turcotte for sharing this insightful 1989 magazine article by Gerry Hemingway entitled Percussion Discussion featuring Milford Graves, Han Bennink and Joey Baron
5. Pittsburgh's Thomas Wendt discusses the life and music of Kenny Clarke and Max Roach
6. Vinnie Colaiuta on the legacy of Chick Corea from his podcast Breakfast with Vinnie
7. A pair of pieces featuring Terri Lyne Carrington including this one from ABC News and a feature from BBC Radio 3
8. Check out Keith Hall's awesome podcast Real Music Talk and recent interviews with Allison Miller and Billy Hart Part 1 Part 2
9. Joe Chambers has a new record out on Blue Note records. Read about his latest release Samba De Maracatu in this Downbeat Magazine feature
10. The great Milford Graves recently passed away at the age of 79.
John Zorn referred to the Master percussionist as "a 20th-century Shaman."
"In the cosmos, everything - planets - they're all in motion. We've got so much cosmic energy going through us, and the drumming is all related to the intake of this cosmic energy. That's the loop that we have with the cosmos." - Milford Graves (from the 2018 documentary "Full Mantis")
- Here are pieces on Graves from The New York Times, Rolling Stone magazine and Ethan Primason's The Drummer, The Healer: A Tribute to Milford Graves
-Thanks to fellow blogger Ted Warren and frequent Four on the Floor correspondent Tim Mah (host of CJSW's weekly radio program Jazz Today) for offering these compelling pieces:
Milford Graves' solo performance from the Hopscotch Music Festival circa. 2019:
Milford Graves and Andrew Cyrille - Dialogue of the Drums:
Jason Moran's conversation with Milford Graves in conjunction with the exhibition Milford Graves: A Mind-Body Deal presented by ICA Philadelphia:
11. Joe Farnsworth pays tribute to his friend and mentor, the late Jimmy Lovelace:
And don't forget, "It's Time to Swing" (always!)
12. Leo Sidran interviews Billy Martin for the Third Story podcast:
13. UNT's Ten Questions Plus interview series with Peter Erskine:
14. Quincy Davis continues to knock it out of the park with his regular Q-Tip series on YouTube, offering invaluable and practical jazz drumming concepts and concise lessons.
Here are his most recent offerings (these are really great!):
And make sure to check out Quincy's on-going Drummer 2 Drummer live interview series on Instagram IGTV too at @qdjazz
15. Edu Ribeiro continues with his awesome on-going Drum Conversations + Q&A series through Open Studio with Jorge Rossy:
...and Jeff Ballard!
I really admire Edu's enthusiasm and appreciate that he asks all the right artists, all the right questions.
As always, "When the Masters speak, we listen!"
16. The always creative Ferenc Nemeth offers his Morning Walk Drum Solo:
17. Belfast's Stephen Davis offers this solo Piece by Piece #11 in a series produced by the Improvised Music Company (IMC):
18. Lately I've really been enjoying Mareike Wiening's album Metropolis Paradise (Greenleaf Music). Here's a wonderfully clever feature from a series entitled Through Jazz:
Mareike Wiening - Through Jazz from KUBA Film on Vimeo.
I am looking forward to hearing more from this talented and creative artist.
19. Check out this awesome piece from Ra Kalam Bob Moses entitled Caravan to the Stars featuring tap dancer Jimmy Slyde:
20. What am I listening to these days?
Red Garland Trio "Live at the Prelude" - Specs Wright (drums)
Red Garland "It's a Blue World" - Art Taylor (drums)
Mareike Wiening "Metropolis Paradise" - Mareika Wiening (drums)
Milford Graves "Percussion Ensemble" - Milford Graves, Sunny Morgan (drums)
Milford Graves & Bill Laswell "The Stone" - Milford Graves (drums, percussion and heartbeat)
Adam Nussbaum "Leadbelly Reimagined" - Adam Nussbaum (drums)
Dave Restivo "Arancina" - Alyssa Falk (drums)
Miles Davis "Milestones" - Philly Joe Jones (drums)
And today's Final Word goes to Albert Einstein...
I've always enjoyed this poem and these lines of inspiration from Einstein (obviously not known for his poetry!) It's a short and eloquent read, but consider replacing the word dance with the word drum and I think it still rings true.
We dance for laughter
We dance for tears
We dance for madness
We dance for fears
We dance for hopes
We dance for screams
We are the dancers
We create the dreams.
Posted by Jon McCaslin at Monday, February 22, 2021 No comments:
Four on the Floor *Live* on Instagram IGTV featuring Joe LaBarbera!
Please join me for the next action packed episode of Four on the Floor *Live* happening next Tuesday, February 23rd at 7pm MST (9pm EST/6pm PST), appearing on Instagram IGTV @fouronthfloorblog featuring the great Joe LaBarbera!
Joe LaBarbera has performed all over the world with some of the finest names in jazz since his arrival on the scene. From his first professional appearance at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas with Frankie Randall and the Buddy Rich band in 1968 to his work with jazz great Bill Evans and up to the present, he has always been in demand by world class artists and has always been regarded by his peers as a tasteful, musical drummer and a supportive accompanist. Bill Evans summed it up best when he said: "Joe is very dedicated to playing quality music and he's willing to make the concessions of dues toward that end. He's a top soloist and he does the right thing at the right time".
Born in Mt. Morris, New York, on February 22, 1948, his first musical experiences began at home as part of the family band with his parents and two older brothers, saxophonist Pat and trumpeter and arranger/composer John La Barbera. He received a solid foundation in drumming as well as lessons on clarinet and saxophone from his father starting at 5 years of age. After high school, his education continued at the Berklee College of Music in Boston where his teachers included John LaPorta, Charlie Mariano, Herb Pomeroy and the great Alan Dawson.
Joe has been on the faculty at California Institute for the Arts since 1993 and is busy as a clinician and guest artist at many major universities. His residencies have included Centrum Jazz Camp in Port Townsend Washington, Roma Jazz Cool, Capbreton, France, McGill University in Montreal and Cornish College in Seattle.
Posted by Jon McCaslin at Friday, February 19, 2021 No comments:
Joe Chambers with Bobby Hutcherson & Harold Land - Norway 1969
Thanks to Christopher Smith from The Jazz Drum Hang who shared this amazing footage awhile back of the Bobby Hutcherson/Harold Land Quintet from Norway circa. 1969 featuring the great Joe Chambers on drums:
Four on the Floor *Live* on Instagram IGTV featuring Adam Nussbaum!
Please join me for the next action packed episode of Four on the Floor *Live* happening next Tuesday, February 16th at 7pm MST (9pm EST), appearing on Instagram IGTV @fouronthfloorblog featuring my dear friend Adam Nussbaum!
Adam Nussbaum is considered one of the finest drummers working today. He's played with a virtual "Who's Who" in the jazz world. Longtime associates have included: John Abercrombie, Michael & Randy Brecker, Eliane Elias, Gil Evans, Stan Getz, Vic Juris, James Moody, John Scofield, Joe Sample, Ohad Talmor, 'Toots' Thielemans, Kenny Wheeler & NHØP, as well as freelancing with prominent artists of every generation, being a major asset no matter where he appears. Nussbaum has recently formed the Lead Belly Project. He has also joined forces with other musicians to form such groups as "BANN" w/Seamus Blake, Jay Anderson & Oz Noy, "We3" w/Dave Liebman & Steve Swallow, "The Impossible Gentlemen" w/Gwilym Simcock, Steve Rodby & Mike Walker, "The Nuttree Quartet" w/John Abercrombie, Jerry Bergonzi & Gary Versace and "The ZZ Quartet w/Ratko Zjaca, Simone Zanchini & Martin Gjakanovski. He's been on hundreds of recordings, including the Grammy winning "Don't Try This At Home" recorded with Michael Brecker.
In addition, Nussbaum reaches out to the next generation. He is an in-demand educator doing Clinics and Master Classes, teaching at such institutions as Berklee, NYU, State University of New York, the New School, and at numerous Conservatories around the world.
His abilities have brought opportunities for him to work with the finest makers of all things drum-related. Working with Sonor drums, he helped design a line in the "HiLite" series. In conjunction with Zildjian cymbals, Nussbaum helped developed the "Renaissance" & "Pre-Aged" K. Zildjian cymbals. He also coproduced with Hudson Music, "The Art of Playing Brushes."
He was born in New York City and grew up in Norwalk, Connecticut and started to play drums at age 12 after studying piano for five years; he also playing bass and saxophone as a teenager. He moved to New York City in 1975 to attend The Davis Center for Performing Arts at City College. He eventually focused on drums…
The Three Bloggers - Part 1: The Hi-Hat
This is the first of a series of blog posts, a collaborative initiative between myself and Ted Warren, author of the blog Trap'd, and Todd Bishop of Cruiseship Drummer.
Awhile ago I proposed to these two accomplished and prolific bloggers that we each choose a subject and then each offer our own respective blog posts on each others topics. Hopefully between the three of us we'll have a collection of diverse ideas, concepts and perspectives to consider coming out of this. I am really looking forward to seeing what both Ted and Todd have to say and come up with!
For the inaugural post and topic I personally suggested exploring ideas about playing The Hi-Hat.
*I realize that this is a pretty vague and wide open topic but I actually did that on purpose!*
Anyways, here's a few ideas to get started, beginning with a collection of personal anecdotes and lessons I've learned from several amazing teachers over the years:
The Hi-Hat: A Series of Wake-Up Calls
by Jonathan McCaslin
Art Blakey is one of my all-time favourite drummers and always has been. One thing that appealed to me, even early on, was his driving sense of swing that really propelled the music forward. I was also really drawn to his approach and emphasis on the hi-hat when playing 2&4 with his left foot, which I think, along with a rock solid cymbal beat, greatly contributes to that propulsion that I mentioned (in fact, I read somewhere that Max Roach claimed that before Art came on the scene drummers didn't really play the hi-hat like he did, in terms of volume and emphasis). I also really enjoyed listening to Art and others play incredibly sophisticated and swinging drum solos, all while keeping a steady 2&4 on the hi-hat (and I think that when done right it's a great skill to have). Suffice it to say, this overall approach to playing the hi-hat with my left foot has served me well and something that I diligently worked on. I think it's an important skill and option to have, especially if you want to play straight-ahead jazz.
But, as I was soon to find out, there's also much more to it than that...
1) Hi-Hat Wake-Up Call #1
Rewind to the Summer of 1997 when I was attending the Banff Centre's annual jazz workshop and I found myself on stage with Kenny Wheeler during one of his composition workshops. I was playing the drums and about to read down his 3-horn sextet arrangement of a reharmonization he had written on the standard "What is This Thing Called Love?"
His arrangement started with a 16-measure drum solo and he counted it off only to stop the band and cut me off after my brief introduction. This happened about 3-4 times in a row (!)
"Don't play the hi-hat on 2&4" he said (politely of course) and remarked "...it's like you are trying to take a nap and there's this little cricket chirping, making all this noise, keeping you wide awake but you have no idea where's it coming from. And it's annoying."
Well, I tried (several times in fact) but I couldn't really do it! Up to that point my entire concept had relied on playing 2&4 on the hi-hat with my left foot and hadn't really considered otherwise.
I brought this up with Joe LaBarbera who would join the faculty later that month. His conceptual approach to using the hi-hat (both in terms of how and what to play, as well as his left foot technique) was a real eye-opener for me. "Keep it light and focus the time on the ride cymbal, otherwise the time can feel heavy, lop-sided" he remarked.
Fast-forward a couple years later and I found myself playing with Dave Liebman during a workshop at McGill University, where I was a student. I guess I hadn't completely figured it by then either (!) as he stopped us half way through the first tune, shook his head then proceed to take my hi-hat stand away and put it on the far side of the room (!) He counted off the tune again, we played and after a couple of choruses he turned around and remarked "That's much better!"
I heard Leon Parker play duo with guitarist Charlie Hunter at the Saskatchewan Jazz Festival around 1999-2000 (?) The collective grooves and interplay between these two were absolutely incredible and there wasn't even a hi-hat stand or a pair of sock cymbals in sight! (as I soon learned, Leon never plays with hi-hats)
I've also heard the great Roy Haynes play live on numerous occasions over the years. Not only was it common to see Roy not play his hi-hat, but often he would rest his left foot on the mid-part of the hi-hat stand for the better duration of a solo or the tune itself!
So, what does this all mean? Is the hi-hat an overrated timekeeping tool?
Maybe?
Well, not so fast now...
Around 2003 I found myself on stage playing with the great trombonist Curtis Fuller, performing as part of Betty Carter's Jazz Ahead program at the Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. The interesting thing about this is that, for him, I couldn't play the hi-hats on 2&4 loud enough! ("Give me that Blakey thing!" he constantly reminded me).
Similarly, when I had the opportunity to play with pianist Oliver Jones years later, his only comment to me was: "always give me lots of 2&4 on the hi-hat."
So what's the point of all these biographical musings you may ask?
Well, as I've learned, when it comes to using the hi-hat I think it's about all context and being able to access different musical options.
Playing a steady 2&4 is great and something we should all practice and use (to a certain extent anyway) but, as I learned the hard way (!) if you are playing music that requires more openness, rhythmic looseness and space, it's not really going to work (definitely not if you are playing it loud, anyways). The last thing you want to do is box anyone in rhythmically but if they are looking for that hard swinging, finger-popping groove, then give it to them!
"Let the punishment fit the crime" - Art Blakey
It's good to have options and the more you know, the more you know and can draw from.
Listening extensively to Roy Haynes, Elvin Jones, Tony Williams, Paul Motian, and Jack DeJohnette should all offer tangible examples to learn from (and don't forget Bill Stewart!) For me, these are the drummers that really expanded and explored how the hi-hat could be used in different ways. But don't dismiss 2&4 either. Listening carefully to drummers like Art Blakey and other great straight-ahead jazz drummers will inform your appreciation for how it can contribute to the groove and overall feeling in a positive way.
"You've got to listen to the music from the inside out!" - Kenny Washington
I think there is a lot that could be discussed here in terms of actual hi-hat vocabulary, coordination exercises, patterns, etc. but there is already a lot of great examples out there to practice (perhaps Ted and Todd might have some to offer). Overall I think having a fundamentally broad and flexible concept will always steer you in the right musical direction.
However, I will offer this idea, which has served me well over the years (I'm still working on it, in fact...) In addition to developing a conceptual approach and a vocabulary that allows for a broad use of the hi-hat in different musical situations, a significant thing for me has been...to learn how to play with a strong sense of groove, swing, rhythmic feel and flow without using the hi-hat at all!
That's right, you heard me correctly.
In my humble opinion, I think that if you can develop a strong sense time without having to rely on your left foot, then you'll build a strong foundation and set yourself up for all sorts of options, no matter if you want to play with the Kenny Wheeler's and Curtis Fuller's of the world or take a cue from Leon Parker.
Anyways, lots to think about and in the meantime, here's the great Peter Erskine with some great open/splash hi-hat techniques of his own:
Okay, over to you Ted and Todd...
Posted by Jon McCaslin at Monday, February 08, 2021 3 comments:
Four on the Floor *Live* on Instagram IGTV featuring Francisco Mela!
Please join me for the next action packed episode of Four on the Floor *Live* happening next Tuesday, February 9th at 7pm MST (9pm EST), appearing on Instagram IGTV @fouronthfloorblog featuring Francisco Mela!
I am looking forward to my conversation with Francisco and finding out more about his recent album release MPT Trio Volume 1 as well as his upcoming on-line solo performance on February 13th at the Soapbox Gallery.
For tickets and more information click here.
Francisco Mela is a favorite amongst jazz's elite instrumentalists, among them, Joe Lovano, McCoy Tyner, John Scofield, Cooper Moore, Willian Parker, Ingrid Laubrock, Esperanza Spalding, George Garzone, Kris Davis, Frank Kimbrough, Kenny Werner, Chucho Valdes, Hery Paz, Kenny Barron, Gary Bartz, Anthony Coleman and Juanma Trujillo, all of whom cite his charisma, sophistication, and life-affirming spirit as an extension of his incredible talents as a composer and drummer. Born in 1968 in Bayamo, Cuba. He moved to Boston in 2000 and, quickly thereafter made a name for himself on the Boston scene, becoming the house drummer at the legendary Wally's Café Jazz Club. It was at Wally's that Mela began developing a concept for his own band, one that would feature the sounds of modern jazz with the traditional music he grew up with in Cuba. World- renown saxophonist, Joe Lovano, heard Mela and was immediately impressed, hiring him shortly after to play in his quartet. Since 2005, Mela has been an integral part of Joe Lovano's quartet and his new group, "Us Five," a two-drummer quintet. Their 2009 Blue Note Records recording, titled Folk Art, was considered by many critics to be Lovano's most adventurous to date. In 2009, he was tapped by jazz legend McCoy Tyner to join his trio. Said Tyner of his new young drummer, "Mela is just a fantastic player. He has his own style and his own sound, which is what I look for in a drummer."
Peter Erskine - "Always Compose When You Play!"
A few pieces today from the ever musical Peter Erskine. I always learn something new whenever I hear Peter play or talk about music (incidentally, don't forget to check out Peter's excellent lesson series on ArtistWorks)
In his highly recommended autobiography No Beethoven Erskine recounts how Joe Zawinul encouraged him to "always compose when you play" and I think this is great advice for anyone. Rather than spewing sticking patterns and rudiments around the drums just for the sake of it, it's always better to attach musical meaning and purpose to whatever you are playing when you are improvising. And I think Erskine's musical drumming is a great example of this as well.
Furthermore, here's another similar piece of musical advice in the same spirit to consider as well:
One thing that I've been working on and practicing lately is exploring the idea of ostinatos, specifically using different bass drum and hi-hat patterns while improvising with my hands around the drums and cymbals.
This is something that is:
a) a unique aspect to drum set playing and a possibility that we should all consider and take advantage of in some form or another
b) something that I find incredibly difficult!
Anyhow, keeping in mind the mantra from above, here is a great example of Erskine "composing" while he is playing and improvising over a foot ostinato:
Personally, I find this a great exercise and hopefully I will eventually be able to incorporate this concept and vocabulary into my playing in a musical way. One thing is for sure: playing this way sure forces you out of your comfort zone and requires you play things you don't know (and that's always a good thing!)
Quincy Davis also offers this great interview with Peter from his wonderful ongoing Q-Tip series, full of engaging pieces of wisdom to learn from:
And finally, take some time to enjoy this feature from the Sam First Solo Series. The production quality is excellent and, combined with his information and presentation, Erskine sets the bar pretty high in this day and age of on-line live streams and webinars.
Four on the Floor *Live* on Instagram IGTV featuri...
Joe Chambers with Bobby Hutcherson & Harold Land -...


At the end of the last session, we left our heroes—led by the heroic Vilimzair Aralivar—battling for control of the Man's Promise.
Skull & Shackles #21: Heroic, Brave Vilimzair!
At the end of the last session, we left our heroes plotting to take back the Man's Promise from Scourge and Plugg after they discovered that one of their number—Kanbrar—had decided to stay on the island.
Skulls & Shackles #20: The Battle Rages On!
At the end of the last session, we left our heroes in deep peril as the party battled against the sinister grindylow queen and her minions.


text:
Could Paracatu Lead to a Downside to Kinross's Americas Production?
Kinross Gold's (KGC) gold production at Round Mountain increased by 30% year-over-year (or YoY) in 3Q15. This increase was due to an increase in mill recoveries, which rose from 61% to 81%, and improved solutions management.
Round Mountain saw its highest production in six years and its lowest cost of sales in three years. A new margin-focused solutions management approach is driving margins at Round Mountain. The company expects to continue this strategy across all of its operations.
Fort Knox also depicted very strong performance in 3Q15 with its lowest cost of sales in two years. A 25% YoY decrease was mainly due to lower diesel and power costs. Its production was also strong due to higher mill grades and timing of ounces processed through the mill.
The production at Paracatu increased due to higher mill grades and increased recovery, which improved the cost of sales. Kinross has temporarily suspended Plant 1 and reduced operations at Plant 2 due to a lack of rainfall. As a result, Kinross's production for the full year should be impacted by at least 22,000 ounces. However, the company maintained that it is not expected to impact its 2015 regional or company-wide guidance.
Newmont Mining (NEM) maintained its production guidance for 2015 but reduced its cost guidance. Goldcorp (GG) maintained its guidance for 2015.
Newmont and Goldcorp form 11% of the VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF's (GDX) holdings. Gold-backed ETFs like the SPDR Gold Trust ETF (GLD) and the iShares Gold Trust ETF (IAU) are another way for investors to get diversified exposure to gold prices.
Lithium Producer Albemarle Sees Higher Stock Price Early in 2021
Isoray Might Become an Acquisition Target in 2021


Custom Packaging Options to Simplify Your Processes.
When you need something beyond 80/20's standard packing for your order, we offer a custom packaging service. From bubble wrapping each profile, using unmarked boxes or labeling parts per your special instructions, we will work with you to fulfill your packing needs.
80/20 offers a range of custom packing options. Part-tagging is one of the more popular services. This is ideal for orders with several bars of varying lengths or different machining services, and for large quantities that you need labeled alphanumerically to match the bill of materials. The parts will be separated and packaged together by type and the labels will be clear and easy to read.
As with all 80/20 orders, our packing is to the highest of standards. No matter the unique details of your requirements, your shipment will be properly hand-packaged to ensure a damage-free delivery.
For more details on how we can Custom Package your order, contact us here.
Get All Your Custom Packaging Needs!


Officials from Tops Friendly Markets, Campbell's and the Food Bank of Western New York gathered in Buffalo Tuesday to announce the donation of 20,000 cans of soup to four New York food banks.
The "Soup-er Bowl" event marked the culmination of "Family Meals Month," when Tops and Campbell's pledged to donate a can of soup for every can purchased at a Tops store. The cans were divided evenly among the Food Bank of Western New York, Foodlink, the Food Bank of Central New York, and the Food Bank of the Southern Tier.


High-resolution infrared maps of the emission from warm molecular gas in the L1448 outflow region are presented. Comparison of images from H2 lines produced from the first and second vibrational levels demonstrates the presence of two distinct parallel outflows. The main outflow (from the L1148-mm source) is of high excitation and shows remarkably little spatial variation in the 1-0 S(1)/2-1 S(1) intensity ratio, which remains near 10 across the whole ridge. Two explanations are offered: (a) the ridge consists of numerous fine-scale C-type bow shocks and/or (b) supersonic turbulence in a shear layer generates a C-type self-similar shock velocity distribution. The second outflow (from the 1RS 3 source) is of low excitation, suggesting a combination of lower density and temperature.


The 10am-12pm event is an autism-friendly show.
Join our mad scientists to make your own Flubber and magnetic slime at this slimetastic event before watching everyone's favourite slime, Flubber (U).
All participants will receive a Slime School Certificate and get to take their crazy creations home! If you're brave enough to come dressed as a mad professor yourself, we'll give a prize for the craziest hair style of the day!


text:
/ Live news
Cycling: Key stages on the 2020 Giro d'Italia
Milan (AFP)
Seven uphill finishes and three individual time-trials, the 2020 Giro d'Italia will get underway in Budapest on May 9 with the riders finishing in front of Milan's iconic Duomo on May 31.
After three stages in Hungary, the 3,579km race heads for Sicily, before crossing to the mainland and moving across the foot of Italy, up along the Adriatic coast, before hitting the Dolomites and the Alps in the gruelling final week.
Here AFP sport looks at five key stages out of 21 that could decide the pink jersey winner of the 103rd edition of the three-week race.
Stage 5: Enna - Mount Etna (Piano Provenzana) (150 km) ****
The final day of three in Sicily sees the riders head from inland Enna east to the foot of the Mount Etna volcano, with a first-ever climb from Linguaglossa to Piano Provenzana over 18km with average gradients of seven percent, peaking at 10 percent in the finale.
Stage 15: Rivolto Air Base - Piancavallo (183km) ****
This mountain stage in the north-east gets underway in an Italian military Air Base near Udine which is home to the 'Frecce Tricolori' aerobatic team. It starts gently with 40km of flat before a succession of climbs and descents to the foot of the final climb of Piancavallo in the Dolomites, with peaks of 14 percent.
Stage 17: Bassano Del Grappa - Madonna Di Campiglio (202km) *****
The pink jersey contenders will start to flex their muscles with three summit finishes in the final five days. This unrelenting mountain stage has a succession of four climbs, including Forcella Valbona and Monte Bondone with gradients over 10 percent in the second part of the ascent. After clearing the Passo Durone, the peloton will eventually tackle the closing climb to the Alpine resort of Madonna di Campiglio.
Stage 18: Pinzolo - Laghi Di Cancano (Stelvio) (209 km) *****
A colossal Alpine stage with 5,400 m vertical altitude in total over four climbs. The route starts uphill on Passo Campo Carlo Magno. The highest point of this year's Giro is reached on the Stelvio in the Alps with riders facing a gruelling 2,758m climb.
Stage 20: Alba - Sestriere (200km) *****
The last chance for the title contenders comes on the penultimate day in an Alpine stage crossing over to France. Riders will pass Colle dell'Agnello, Col d'Izoard and Monginevro, before the final climb up to Sestriere.
Note: * represents degree of difficulty.


Because it is able to provide money for a lot of people, business is considered a way of life by many. The standards of living that they have is maintained using the money that they get. At the office we spend long hours and also we have long schedules and those are the result that we have for all of these. However, some of the tasks that we have may be overwhelming because they require a lot of input where we might not have the time or the skill for. Trends are coming up in the market and that is because of the people having the need to outsource some skill.
That is why the services of the virtual assistant have gained a lot of demand in the recent past. They are able to work for the business to solve some of the duties even when they do not work from the business premises. Confusion is the main challenge that the client is bound to face when choosing the virtual assistant from the market because of the many numbers that are there. A sound choice can be made by the client if they can be able to consider a number of factors when deciding.
Consideration should be given to the skill that the assistant has as the first factor. The skill is also referred to as the area of expertise. The client has to ensure that the assistant has training in the area that they are being hired for. The training for the assistant should be adequate and that client should be shown proof in case they demand for it from them.
The level of experience is the other factor to consider. Experience is gained while on the job and that is why the client can be able to gauge it if they have a look at the jobs that have been carried out in the past. The client should choose the assistant with a high level of experience because it is only then that they can be assured of the results that they desire. The knowledge and the skill that they have accumulated when dealing with the challenges that arise in the performance of the duties.
The cost is the other factor that the client should consider. The client has to endure a loss of resources if they want to get the services of the assistant and that is what the cost is all about. The budget should be made by the client if they have consideration to the resources that are available to them. The client has to make sure that the services are affordable before they can take them up.


text:
Fed discount window borrowing is edging up, but is it a problem?
The Federal Reserve building is seen before the Federal Reserve board is expected to signal plans to raise interest rates in March as it focuses on fighting inflation in Washington, U.S., January 26, 2022. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo
Borrowing at a key Federal Reserve facility long associated with providing emergency loans to banks has been edging higher, recently climbing to over $10 billion for the first time in more than two years, a development market participants are eyeing for signs it could herald trouble in the financial system.
For now, worries are low. Some even believe rising usage of what the Fed calls the Discount Window could show the waning of persistent stigmas that have long kept banks away from an easily accessible source of short-term loans.
That said, if borrowing continues to rise, it could signal trouble at a time when many are already worried very aggressive Fed rate rises might break something in the financial system. Rising usage could also mean financial sector liquidity is running short, which could cause the Fed to slow or bring an early stop to efforts to shrink the size of its balance sheet.
While it hasn't been a straight line up, deposit-taking banks have collectively increased borrowing at the Discount Window since the start of the year, when it was at negligible levels. Since early November, borrowing has perked up and for the week ended Wednesday stood at $7.2 billion, down just under $3 billion from the prior Wednesday when it had topped $10 billion for the first time since early June 2020, Fed data released Thursday showed.
Current activity remains a shadow of where it was in recent periods of stress. In March 2020 at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic discount window borrowing surged to a peak of around $50 billion. Even that was less than half the $112 billion record in October 2008, during the most acute phase of the financial crisis.
Discount window borrowing is opaque by design, and firm conclusions are difficult to reach, analysts say. Total usage data is reported weekly, but banks taking the loans are only revealed with a two-year lag. The facility is open to deposit-taking banks and includes many small banks.
"There really shouldn't be a reason discount window borrowing is increasing at all," said Thomas Simons, an economist with investment bank Jefferies. He noted that banks as a whole are very flush with cash, which ought to obviate the need to seeks short-term loans from the Fed, he said.
Simons said it's possible borrowing could rise to $25 billion to $30 billion into the end of year with no implications for the health of the financial system. But if borrowing jumped up to $50 billion it "would really start to open my eyes and think that we're entering a period of stress."
Joseph Abate, an analyst at Barclays, in a note to clients on Nov. 30, said the rise in borrowing is strange because it is "uneconomical" relative to other short-term funding options. The primary credit rate now stands at 4% against a federal funds target rate range of between 3.75% and 4%, and it costs more to borrow cash from the discount window than it would in some private markets.
"The increase in discount window borrowing may be a sign that funding pressures are building at the fringes of the market," Abate wrote.
Some see rising discount window usage in a more benign light, though, showing potentially that long-standing Fed efforts to encourage usage – and end the stigma associated with it – are bearing fruit.
"I would generally say it's not a bad thing. It's a good thing" because it means the Fed may be having success in reducing those stigma issues, said Bill Nelson, chief economist with industry group the Bank Policy Institute. A former top Fed staffer, Nelson worked on efforts to overhaul the facility nearly 20 years ago into its current form.
The Fed has for some time sought to tell banks it's fine to use the discount window given that it calms markets and helps monetary policy function. With this liquidity tool largely shunned, the Fed has been forced to come up with other lending facilities and has worried that they too might be avoided out of fears that tapping them could signal trouble for a bank and invite the attention of regulators.
Rising discount window borrowing might also have implications for the Fed's ongoing efforts to shrink the size of its balance sheet. The Fed is taking liquidity out of the financial system but will stop when it gets near a level that would cause short-term interest rates to become volatile.
If banks are starting to face liquidity constraints now it might signal reserve scarcity is arriving sooner than thought. That could force the Fed to slow or stop reducing what is now a $8.6 trillion balance sheet.
获取更多RSS:
https://feedx.net
https://feedx.best
← England out to stop World Cup's 'irresistible force' Mbappé → The War in Ukraine Is Emboldening Germany's Far Right
Home » Audio Sources - Full Text Articles » Fed discount window borrowing is edging up, but is it a problem?


text:
Introducing Motherhacker
11.15.2019 - By Homecoming
Listen to the first episode of Gimlet's new scripted fiction podcast, Motherhacker. The series stars Carrie Coon, Pedro Pascal, Alan Cumming, Lucas Hedges, Tavi Gevinson, Rupert Friend, Alex Goldman, and more.
Bridget's life is a series of dropped calls. With a gift for gab, an ex-husband in rehab, and down to her last dollar, Bridget's life takes a desperate turn when she starts vishing over the phone for a shady identity theft ring in order to support her family.
Want to hear the rest of the story? Follow Motherhacker for free on Spotify to listen to the whole season for free: http://gimlet.media/motherhacker
More episodes from Homecoming


"Looking for Mr. Right" - A term first coined in British poet John Crane's 1796 "Address to the Bachelors," although it really didn't start being used until about 1860.
"Peeping Tom" – Comes from the story of Lady Godiva, whose husband promised he'd lower taxes on his tenants if she would ride through the town naked. She did as he pleased, but asked the town not to look, and all agreed, except for a tailor named Thomas.
Speaking of thunder being stolen. Classic Friends.


TWIN MISSION TUTORING & CHILD CARE SERVICES LLC (DOS ID 5218611) is a corporation registered with New York State Department of State (NYSDOS). The initial filling date is October 17, 2017.
Please comment or provide details below to improve the information on TWIN MISSION TUTORING & CHILD CARE SERVICES LLC.


text:
Q: Retrieving an array of objects from localstorage in angularjs I am new to Ionic and AngularJS. I am trying to store an array of objects to local storage. The code below works fine if I only store one object (I am able to retrieve the data). The problem arises when I try to store and access data from an array of objects (prints blank).
Here is my index.html

        {{alarm.hour}}: {{alarm.min}} {{alarm.pos}}

                <input type="checkbox" ng-model="alarm.on" ng-click="completeTask($index)">

  </ion-content>

controller.js
    $scope.createalarm = function (alarm) {
 $scope.alarms.push({
   hour : alarm.hour , min : alarm.min , pos : alarm.pos , on : true
 });
 window.localStorage['alarms'] = JSON.stringify($scope.alarms);
 $scope.setalarm.hide();
 };

  $scope.getalarms = function (){
      $scope.alarms = JSON.parse(window.localStorage['alarms'] || '[]');
  };

I validate data stored in local storage using Storage Inspector in Mozilla. This is the result:

Can anyone Help me?

A: You can use this code to store an array object to local storage:
 localStorage.setItem('alarms', JSON.stringify($scope.alarms));

to retrieve the stored values use this:
 $scope.alarms = (localStorage.getItem('alarms')!==null) ? JSON.parse(localStorage.getItem('alarms')) : [];

A: localStorage.getItem('itemName') it's what you are looking for, you need to modify your getalarms function:
$scope.getalarms = function (){
     $scope.alarms = JSON.parse(localStorage.getItem('alarms'));
};

A: The previously set alarms must first retrieved and stored in a variable. Then push the new alarm in this variable and put them back in storage. With this way you can store an array of objects in the storage. If you dont retrieve the currently saved alarms then you will not be able to save more than one alarm in the storage because every new one will overwrite the previous
    $scope.createalarm = function (alarm) {

    //retrive all alarms that are currently in our localStorage
    //if we dont do that every new alarm will overwrite the old one
    $scope.alarms = JSON.parse(window.localStorage.getItem('alarms')) || [];
    //push the new created alarm
    $scope.alarms.push({
        hour : alarm.hour , min : alarm.min , pos : alarm.pos , on : true
    });
    //save the newly created alarm back in the storage
    window.localStorage.setItem('alarms', JSON.stringify($scope.alarms));
    $scope.setalarm.hide();

    $scope.getalarms = function (){
        $scope.alarms = JSON.parse(window.localStorage.getItem('alarms'));
    };
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Teaching Authors--6 Children's Authors Who Also Teach Writing: Book Giveaway and Guest Teaching Author Interview with Ann Angel!
Book Giveaway and Guest Teaching Author Interview with Ann Angel!
The Teaching Authors are happy to present an interview with our good friend and Guest Teaching Author Ann Angel. To celebrate Ann's appearance on our blog, we're giving away an autographed copy of her new book Janis Joplin: Rise Up Singing. Booklist and School Library Journal both gave it starred reviews, and the Cooperative Children's Book Center named it a Book of the Week. To enter the drawing, see the instructions at the end of this post.
Ann Angel believes it was amazing fortune that brought Janis Joplin's music and style into her life. As a teen, Ann preferred writing bad poetry and drawing to Janis's songs over following along with the popular girls. That same influence encouraged Ann to live her own life without compromise.
Since then, Ann has written many young adult biographies, including her most recent, Janis Joplin: Rise Up Singing. She served as contributing editor for the highly acclaimed Such a Pretty Face: Short Stories About Beauty and is working on more young adult fiction. A graduate of Vermont College's MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults, Ann lives in Wisconsin with her family and teaches creative writing at Mount Mary College in Milwaukee.
Welcome, Ann! How did you become a Teaching Author?
I was a journalism teacher at a local two year college when I first started to publish articles and then books. Teaching gave me the security of an income and so I always did this part time. But my writing wasn't getting where I wanted it to go, so I returned to school for an MFA in creative writing at Vermont College and graduated in 1999. After that, I became a full-time professor at Mount Mary College, where I've taught since shortly before 1990 (so long ago that I don't recall the year I actually began) when the college created a graduate program in writing. I teach creative fiction and nonfiction there, along with Teaching Author JoAnn Macken.
What's a common problem or question your students have, and how do you address it?
Students tend to stop story to explain or describe. I give them the same sage advice I received from renowned author Norma Fox Mazer at Vermont College. Use the details you've already placed in the setting as props, filter them through your primary character, and you'll create a story that moves forward while also creating voice and tone in the story.
My books are probably great resources for teachers who wish to use literature while dealing with issues of self-esteem, self-image and bullying. Such A Pretty Face: Short Stories About Beauty offers teens a variety of perspectives on how teens view real beauty vs. the image of beauty that advertising offers. It surprised me when I finished Janis Joplin: Rise Up Singing and stepped back from it a bit to realize that this book, while nonfiction, also deals with issues of beauty, fitting in, and self-esteem. Through both books, I've come to realize that perceptions of beauty play a huge role in bullying. Bullies pick on people because of their differences, and so some get bullied because we don't have the sort of looks the rest of the culture admires or because we have too much of the looks admired in a culture. Stories in Such A Pretty Face certainly deal with coping in these instances. And Janis's story is so clearly one of a woman who rose above bullying with her voice.
Another book I wrote, Robert Cormier: Author of the Chocolate War, offers some tremendous insights into book challenges, censorship, and one author's efforts to fight censorship. Ironically, although he died in 2000, Cormier remains one of the most censored authors of the previous decade and continues to be listed as one of the top ten most censored authors of the year.
Can you share a funny or interesting story about how you got interested in writing?
I don't recall ever not writing. It's as if I was born to tell stories. I even have the first story--illustrated--that I ever wrote. It's a pencil drawing from about first or second grade where I drew my whole family and then wrote characteristics above each person. For my oldest sister, I wrote, "Katie yells a lot." For a little sister, I wrote, "Lulu cries a lot." Over my own head I wrote "I help the most." I look at that and think I was a fiction writer in the beginning.
When I go to schools to talk about writing, I often talk about how I choose my writing topics to focus on issues kids face. I can be talking about censorship and bullying or self-image issues, and inevitably a student will raise his or her hand and ask me, "Do you have any pets?"
For the record, I have a wicked little cat named Sparkie who fits her name perfectly.
Why do you write biographies for teens?
There is so much we can learn from entering the space of another person's life. It allows us to see how others think and behave, and it gives us a glimpse into the human condition in a way that is so real. We can learn from the lives of others. For instance, Janis Joplin was my role model. She gave me the courage to stop following along with the crowd and to do my own thing. Her death became my cautionary tale.
The title of this exercise is "Who Is Listening?" Turn on the radio or turn on your iPod or click on music you've never heard before. As you listen to the song, freewrite and create a character listening to this song at the same time. As the song plays, describe the character and setting. Now listen to the song again and describe how this character is responding to the music and why. Would this character feel differently about this song if s/he weren't also dealing with ________?
Thank you for joining us, Ann! We wish you and your books continued success!
Readers, before entering our contest, please read our Book Giveaway Guidelines. Then, for a chance to win an autographed copy of Ann Angel's new book Janis Joplin: Rise Up Singing, post a comment to today's blog post telling us some sage advice you received about writing and who gave it to you. To qualify, your entry must be posted by 11 p.m. Friday, November 26, 2010 (Central Standard Time). The winner will be chosen in a random drawing and announced by 11 p.m., Saturday, November 27, 2010.
"Take another piece of my heart now, baby"
Thanks so much for joining us. I can't wait to read your Janis Joplin book.
You're such an inspiring woman Ann! I'm heading back to work after Thanksgiving & I'm anxious to try out your writing exercise in my classroom.
Wow! Picking out one piece of advice is really tough, because there's so much great stuff out there from so many excellent authors, but I'd say that I really like what Les Edgerton said in his book, 'Finding Your Voice.' He encourages writers to not try to be "writerly," but just to be themselves on the paper. That's especially good advice for children's writers because kids can see right through you anyway, so you might as well be yourself!
Wow, great blog entry. I love Janis Joplin. I'm going to read this book. Thanks for the chance for an autographed copy!
Cool writing exercise - I'll try it! My "sage advice" (which I didn't listen to yesterday & lived to regret it) came from screenwriter/director Don Roos. He said - only take notes on your work from people who love your work. What he means is - if there's someone who just doesn't like what you've written, doesn't get it, isn't able to connect to it on any level - that is NOT someone from whom you will get valuable feedback. Get notes from people who love and understand what you're trying to do - and are invested in helping you make it shine!
The best advice I received was from my 7th grade teacher. She told me to "write about what I know"
Thanks for your post. The best advice I ever received was NEVER GIVE UP. After writing seriously since 2002, my first children's book, How to Make Spectacular Halloween Costumes is due to be released in January 2011! Hip, hip, hurrah!
I really enjoyed this interview. Seems perseverance must be a global theme today. A great blog about it is at http://bit.ly/d1WwUX.
The best recent advice I had was from a critique group member who reminded us that plowing through the submission process is unavoidable, even though it isn't as satisfying as the writing itself.
Here's hoping I win the copy of your book, Ann!
Best advice I ever heard was from Linda Sue Park: Read 1000 books in your genre before you try to write one!
Great advice, all! Thanks for the tips!
Advice I learned from Jane Resh Thomas, author-teacher-mentor: write from your heart, write what you know, write two pages a day, and do your work.
Janis has always been one of my favorite singers. What a life and what a lesson for kids about the price of fame and addiction.
My friends Sarah and Molly (both professional writers) told me that when they're stuck, they take down a favorite book and just start typing it out, to remind them what good writing feels like coming out of your fingers.
It's fun and it works!
Thanks to all who submitted helpful writing advice! Keep watching for more Guest Teaching Author interviews and book giveaways!


text:
Home Mobile Phones Samsung Galaxy Core price in India and release date out
Samsung Galaxy Core price in India and release date out
Sohil Nikam
The Samsung Galaxy Core, the launch of which we had witnessed back in May, has finally hit Indian shores with a retail value and release date in tow. Equipped with a 4.3-inch screen, this Android smartphone from Samsung is all set to start shipping on July 1, tagged officially on the company's eStore priced at Rs 15,350. However, shopping outlets within the country are offering it at lower rates right now.
Those wishing to buy the Samsung Galaxy Core have a few other options that they can explore in terms of online stores. Infibeam is offering it at Rs 15,199 in its blue shade, while strangely enough, Flipkart has slapped different values for the white and blue models. The former is available with a shipping promise of 8 to 10 days at Rs 15,200 and the latter can be pre-ordered at Rs 15,350, but with a special offer of zero processing fees on three- and six-month EMIs. It's valid only till June 30.
Specifications of the Samsung Galaxy Core include a 4.3-inch TFT display possessing a WVGA resolution of 480 x 800 pixels. It runs the 4.1 version of Android Jelly Bean, and of course, relies on TouchWiz for its user experience. This dual SIM device also features a 5MP primary camera and a 0.3MP secondary one. Inside it lays a 1.2GHz dual core processor that is assisted in its operations by a 1GB RAM.
8GB worth of internal memory makes its way into the smartphone, apart from a microSD card slot. Its 1,800mAh Li-Ion battery claims to grant it a talktime of up to 9 hours and standby time of up to 300 hours. Unofficially a successor the S Duos, this phone has its size set at 129.3mm x 67.6mm x 8.95mm, whereas it tips the scales at 124 grams.
As mentioned above, the Galaxy Core is up for grabs right now, with its price hovering around the Rs 15,350 mark. Its official date of arrival is July 1.
Previous article7 Best Reminder App For iPhone
Next articleNokia Asha 501 price in India disclosed by official store
OnePlus 10 Pro Featuring Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC, 120Hz AMOLED Display Unveiled
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE With 32-Megapixel Selfie Camera, 120Hz Display Unveiled In India
Upcoming OnePlus 10 Pro May Sport Dual-Curved Screen
OnePlus 10 Pro Featuring Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC, 120Hz AMOLED...
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE With 32-Megapixel Selfie Camera, 120Hz Display Unveiled...


Find Better Ideas, Faster ® with a custom TV trend report, our PRO Dashboard and 80+ categories of premium trend reports.
The TV Trend Report assesses the latest trends in the television industry. Trends discussed in this report are direct consequences of the cord-cutting revolution, where consumers abandon traditional cable companies for less expensive and more versatile streaming services. In addition, the online world, network websites and YouTube have become common destinations as television alternatives. With this in mind, Smart TVs were released to further integrate these platforms and services and cater to the new age of television consumers.
This report targets television studio professionals, television executives, app developers and streaming service professionals. A growing consumer preference for personalized and tailored entertainment options has began to pervade, forcing the television to quickly adapt to this change. Use our report to better understand the ever-evolving television consumer. The TV Trend Report is a collection of the latest trends in the ever-changing television landscape. Our research can be used to stay ahead of the curve, and better predict the direction of this volatile industry.


text:
Premier League Clubs Agree To Introduce VAR From 2019/2020 Season
Premier League clubs have agreed in principle to introduce the Video Assistant Referees (VAR) in the league starting from the 2019/2020 season.
Key learnings and protocol for the use and implementation of VAR was communicated to clubs at a shareholders' meeting on Thursday. The Premier League is is also trying to develop a clear protocol for communicating VAR decisions to fans.
The Premier League has said that its non-live testing programme will remain in place for the rest of the current season.
VAR has been used in the FA. Cup and Carabao cup.
The league will now formally make a request to the International Football Association Board and FIFA for the use of VAR next season.
VAR was used at the last World Cup in Russia.
TagsPREMIER LEAGUE
Seven facts about the Prince of Wales.
Uber Losses $1bn In Third Quarter
Diego Costa Landed In Hospital After Hectic 3-3 Thriller With ...
Exclusive: Chelsea sporting director Michael Emenalo Reveals Why Josè Mourinho ...
Ibrahim Suleiman Celebrates His Wife On her Birthday


text:
GPlus Facebook Twitter LinkedIn RSS YouTube
All, News, Franchising
Building Happy & Profitable Franchise Systems with Ascend Franchise Solutions
Focusing on Health, Wellness & Beauty Franchising
Unlocking The Inner Genuis With Code Wiz - Child Education Franchise
Stop Dreaming About Your Own Neighborhood Bakery Cafe. Get One!
Consider Owning a Rewarding Business That is Changing Lives
It's All About Freelancing
Lee Kantor: Lee Kantor here. Another episode of Coach the Coach Radio. And this is going to be a fun one. Today, we have with us Julie Cortes, Freelance Rockstar. Welcome, Julie.
Julie Cortes: Thanks so much for having me.
Lee Kantor: Well, I'm excited to learn what you're up to. Tell us about life as a freelance rockstar.
Julie Cortes: My career path has had all sorts of twists and turns that I had to rebrand a few years ago. I started off as an advertising copywriter, and I'm still doing that to this day, but 20 some odd years later, I found myself also teaching, speaking and coaching all things freelancing. So, hence, the rebrand as the Freelance Rockstar.
Lee Kantor: Well, I also started my career as an advertising copywriter, and I also have pivoted quite a few times in my career. But those are good skills to have - copywriting skills.
Julie Cortes: Yeah, that's fun. I didn't know you did that.
Lee Kantor: Yes, fun fact.
Julie Cortes: Yes.
Lee Kantor: Now, tell us about your life. So, by day, you're a copywriter. And then, in the evening you're helping entrepreneurs kind of live a freelance lifestyle?
Julie Cortes: Well, yes and no. So, that's my shtick. That's what I tell people, copywriter by day, Freelance Rockstar by night just because it sounds good. But honestly, I weave it all really during normal business hours. And yeah, I still have my copywriting business going because I like to have my toes still dipped into the water of freelancing because those are the people that I'm helping through coaching, and teaching, and speaking.
Julie Cortes: So just a few years ago, I started the pivot when I noticed -- I guess I should back up. I noticed early in my career that there was this void for freelancers, for those who are self-employed in advertising and marketing. It was a void in education, a void in community, and avoid even and respect for the self-employed. And looking back, apparently, I made it my life's personal mission to rectify that, and I opened up a professional organization called the Freelance Exchange, which is here in Kansas City. And from that, all of these opportunities just came my way for speaking gigs and whatnot.
Julie Cortes: And it finally dawned on me as I'm going around from classroom to classroom, giving a one-hour presentation to the different colleges and universities here in Kansas City, I was like, "There's a huge gap here." So many of us went to school to learn our craft, whether it was writing or design or photography, and we didn't take business classes because they either weren't required or we didn't think we would ever need them. And lo and behold, we get out on our own, whether by choice or by default, and we may know our craft really well, but we don't know how to run a business. And while there are scores of resources out there to educate yourself, there's not much that you can find that caters specifically to the creative mind. And I understand that. I am one of those people.
Julie Cortes: And so, that's kind of where I started. I created my own class just teaching Freelancing 101 at the Kansas City Art Institute, started coaching my professional peers when they were interested in taking my class. And now, speaking on stages from anywhere locally to internationally now, just kind of preaching my message far and wide as much as I can.
Lee Kantor: Now, so, you're freelance exchanges primarily for the advertising marketing/media world, right? Like it's for the creatives in advertising and marketing primarily?
Julie Cortes: Yes. So, we wanted to be super niche-specific because people come to our website looking for talent. And so, we wanted to have that be niche-specific. And then, as well as our programming. And that's the way that we found to do that. So, that includes creative types such as the writers, designers, photographers, but also just anyone in the industry, media buyers and sellers, account reps, new business development people, web developers, they're all part of the organization.
Lee Kantor: Now, when you kind of made that pivot and saw that there was a lack of community for the freelancers specifically, and in advertising even more specifically, is that because you're kind of a people person? Like kind of you were the person that organized people prior to that or was this kind of out of your comfort zone?
Julie Cortes: That's an excellent question. Nobody's asked me that before. I am definitely a people person. When I was in school, I had an Elements of Advertising professor who actually said to the entire class, he said something that really stuck with me. He said, "If you want to get ahead in advertising, you've got to get involved." And I took that to heart. And immediately, I jumped on some boards and committees there in school. And then, once I got out of school, I immediately jumped on the board for the Advertising Club of Kansas City. They have a younger chapter called AD2. And worked my way up, served as president for that.
Julie Cortes: And that's when I started looking around once my term was over. I was looking at the Ad Club. I was looking at AIG and any of the other industry-specific organizations. And I noticed that not only were there no organizations, at least locally, specifically for freelancers, but there was no programming for freelancers. There were no discounted rates for freelancers. And we all know we could use those. And so, I just kind of set out to do something about it, quite honestly. And that's where that came from.
Julie Cortes: I was kind of a networking queen at the time. And so, I opened up my Rolodex. Yes, the old physical Rolodex. And and I emailed probably 50 people in January of 2003. And I had 20 show up for lunch and we just all started brainstorming. What can we do about this? And we came up with, you know, education and social opportunities, promotional opportunities, networking, et cetera, et cetera. And the idea just kind of grew organically. And I was like, "Okay, this is great. I can't do it all on my own. We've got to do something about this."
Julie Cortes: And within six months, we had a board. We were officially set up as a 501(c)(6), and we were starting to collect membership just within six months. And we had a hundred members. Like the very first month we were in - I don't want to say in business because we're not-for=profit, but the very first month we were up and running, and the organization has grown into just this beautiful community, this collective of likeminded individuals who have the same struggles yet come together for support and mentorship. And today, we have over 175 members, and we continue to grow as more and more people, especially now after COVID, are looking to live the freelance lifestyle.
Lee Kantor: Now, do you find that the attitude has changed towards the freelancer? Because I remember when I started my career, freelance and unemployed were kind of synonyms. That just meant that you were laid off or that you were between jobs. So, you were like, "I'm freelance." And then, it pivoted to, "I'm a consultant." So, like, it's changed. The reality might be the same, but the words might have changed over the years. Do you think that freelance and like kind of freelance as a career is more and more of an option and a path that people are feeling comfortable pursuing?
Julie Cortes: I do. And I'm in the same boat. When I started freelancing, I heard the same things. And there is some truth to that for some people, but not for all. Many people, maybe after looking for a job for so long, just kind of throw up their hands, and they are like, "Screw it, I'm going to go do my own thing." And then, they take off on this beautiful career path and end up making more money and being happier than they would have working at a traditional advertising job.
Julie Cortes: I think there's still some stigma to the term or to the lifestyle, particularly if you ask somebody who's never done it before, somebody who works full-time on the ad agency side, for example. A lot of those people tend to still have their noses in the air about the term. And there are even some in my own community. They may even be members of the Freelance Exchange, "But, oh, I don't call myself a freelancer. I'm a consultant. I'm an agency." And I'm like, "Whatever it is, it's still. It is what it is."
Lee Kantor: Right? It quacks like a duck, you know.
Julie Cortes: Yeah. Call it whatever you want, but we're all in the same boat here. So, yes and no. I feel like there's still some stigma to it, depending on who you ask. But I also feel like in and of itself, it's just kind of grown into this workforce that many people are like, "Yes, I want to go do that. I want to see if I can make it on my own. And if I can figure out things like health insurance, then why not? Why not go do that, and be my own boss and have all the freedoms that come with the territory."
Lee Kantor: Right. And I counsel some folks, young people especially about this lifestyle. And a lot of them, it's like, "I'm going to be my own boss, and make the rules, and have my own flexibility, my own kind of ways that I want to go about doing this." And then I like to let them know that you're trading one boss for lots of bosses. Now, every client is your boss.
Julie Cortes: True.
Lee Kantor: It might be your agency or might be your practice but, ultimately, now, every client is your boss; whereas before you had a boss at the agency that you were serving multiple clients, but you only had one boss at the agency.
Julie Cortes: But you know what? The great thing about that is, is if you have a pain-in-the-butt client, there's nothing that says that you can't fire them.
Lee Kantor: That's right, you can fire them. And that's another lesson that I tell people. And that's, to me, the most important one at my age is that you get to curate your client list. This is on you. You're picking them as much as they're picking you,
Julie Cortes: 100 percent, agree.
Lee Kantor: And that level of freedom is priceless to me.
Julie Cortes: Yeah. There's so much freedom that comes with the territory. You get to set your own hours. You get to work from wherever you want on whatever you want, with whomever you want. You get to choose what you wear. There's so many benefits to it. Now, of course, there are cons as well. Like I mentioned, the health insurance or no retirement, no guaranteed paycheck. And I think just for the individual, and you just kind of have to weigh the pros and cons, and see what works best for you.
Lee Kantor: Right. I mean, there's always tradeoffs in life. I mean, that is in any job. It doesn't matter. Now, in your work with the freelancers, as part of the benefits of being part of the Exchange, the opportunity to get business, or is this more of a support, mentoring, teaching, education kind of organization, or is it a place where some of either companies in town or the agencies like find talent and hire them?
Julie Cortes: So, it's both. So, when I started the organization, the idea was primarily for education and support, yadda, yadda, but we have grown into being like the destination to find talent in Kansas City. So, area ad agencies, design shops, corporations, small businesses, they all come to us looking for talent. Now, we are not like a paid headhunter. We are not a paid platform like Fiverr or Upwork. We tend to keep our hands out of it and keep the costs down. It's free. You can go to our website. You can say, "I need a graphic designer," and you can do that search and find the talent in our organization. You can go on our website, look at their portfolios, you can read their resumes or their bios.
Julie Cortes: And then, once a year, in non-pandemic times, there's an event that we call the Portfolio Showcase. And that's where we invite the local businesses and community to come out and meet us because there's so much to be said for meeting the personality behind the talent. You may be referred to somebody by your best friend. Your best friend swears by this person. But even if you look at their portfolio, and they've got a strong portfolio, if you go meet the person, and you guys just don't jive, it's not going to be a good working relationship.
Julie Cortes: So, we try and encourage that as much as possible, meet the individual behind the work, make sure you look at the portfolio ahead of time to ensure it's a win-win situation. But to answer your question, yes, we are both quite honestly. We cater both to the freelancers with continuing education, networking and support. And then, also, the local community by providing this free and easy to use resource for them to find talent that they need.
Lee Kantor: Now, at this stage in your career, does the writing kind of light you up as much as serving with this community, and helping support and grow this community? Because you seem pretty fired up about the Freelance Exchange.
Julie Cortes: You hit the nail on the head, yes. I do enjoy copywriting. And like I said, I have been doing it for quite some time. But quite honestly, I take a step back, and I look, and there are so many talented copywriters out there. Like when I'm doing that, I'm not doing anything unique, or novel, or helpful really to anybody besides selling widgets. And then, I go and I look at the impact that myself and the organization has had, and being able to help others, and helping them succeed, and that's really what lights a fire underneath me. That's really where my passion lies. And I'm very fortunate that I have been able to figure out a way to monetize that in my business, so I can bring more joy to my work, and then also help spread my message, and help other people succeed in freelancing as well.
Lee Kantor: So, now, let's give some advice for young folks out there. You were able to build a community. You were able to kind of -- it started out organically in your own career. You volunteered places, and you took leadership positions with, I would imagine, those other nonprofits, but they were in the community and they were in the niche that was your business. So, then, it wasn't totally altruistic but it was self-serving, and it was getting back to what was serving you. So, there's no shame in that at all.
Lee Kantor: But how important is that for a young person to really kind of embrace kind of leaning into these volunteer opportunities, not just joining organizations, because it looks good, and that's what I should be doing, but to really kind of lean in and take a leadership position, volunteer for positions, and work, and build a community, be part of a community in order to help themselves, but more importantly, to have an impact in their community?
Julie Cortes: Well, I'm a little biased when it comes to this. I feel like it's extremely important. And I understand not everybody is cut out for volunteering. Not everybody is extroverted. And that's okay. There are some things that you can do behind the scenes to help your community. Like I said, I took the professor's advice to heart about getting involved. And it was, for me, when I started looking around, and I started noticing this gap or this void in my industry, in this particular workforce, I'm just the kind of person where I don't sit back and watch things happen. I go and make things happen. And figuring things out along the way, say yes and figure it out later, right? And and it's worked beautifully.
Julie Cortes: And I'm a firm believer that if you put good energy out into the universe, you're going to get good energy in return. And that has come back to me tenfold. It wasn't that I started volunteering to get work. It was truly to give back. And as a result, it's been this beautiful bonus. It's like people know who I am, people know my name, and I've become an expert in something that I didn't set out to become an expert in, but I have been the go-to resource or the go-to authority in town on all things freelancing.
Julie Cortes: And it's done wonders for my business, not just for the Rockstar part of things, but for the copywriting side of things too. Like people will refer me just because they know of my volunteer work, and my leadership roles, and giving back to the community, quite honestly. So, if I had any advice for a young person, I would say absolutely make it a mission to get involved, don't just join organizations, become an active member, serve on committees. And if you feel so inclined, then definitely yes, volunteer and serve on a board, hone your leadership skills and do what you can to help us out as a whole.
Lee Kantor: So, what do you need more of? How can we help you?
Julie Cortes: I guess just help me spreading the message. Freelancing is not a bad word. You can do it. You can be successful. And if anybody needs help, I am happy to be of assistance here.
Lee Kantor: And what is the website to get a hold of you, whether it's you and your copywriting or you as part of the Freelance Exchange?
Julie Cortes: Well, my business is Julie Cortes, Freelance Rockstar. You can go to my website at juliecortes.com, and that's Cortes with an S at the end, as in Sam. And if you are interested in the Freelance Exchange, let me give you the shorter moniker, it's fxofkc.com, and that will redirect to kcfreelanceexchange.com. We are toying with the idea of taking this concept national. So, if you are listening in from another city, by all means, please let me know. I would love to talk with you.
Lee Kantor: Good stuff. Well, congratulations on all the success, Julie. You're doing such important work, and we appreciate you.
Julie Cortes: Thank you so much. I appreciate you having me on.
Lee Kantor: All right. This is Lee Kantor. we'll see you all next time on Coach the Coach Radio.
podcasts News Business Coaching Franchising Leaders
All, News, Business Coaching
It's All About Freelancing Jul 10, 2021
Working Smarter, Not Harder to Avoid Burnout Jul 05, 2021
All, News, Business Coaching, Leaders
If Wisdom Were at the Table, What Would We Learn? Jul 02, 2021
Blog facebook feed
Tweets by Blog
Sign up to get the latest on the best business leaders in your mailbox
We use SeoSamba as our marketing platform. By clicking 'subscribe', you acknowledge that your information will be transfered to SeoSamba for processing. Learn more about SeoSamba's privacy practices here
We help local business leaders get the word out about the important work they're doing to serve their market, their community, and their profession.
We support and celebrate business by sharing positive business stories that traditional media ignores. Some media leans left. Some media leans right. The Business RadioX® Mag leans business.
© 2022 The Mag Business RadioX ®
Facebook Twitter Google+ LinkedIn Email
Click to receive notifications and news from our site!