Coming to an End

Isn't it interesting how we seem to remember all the negative things in the past more so than the positive? I know when I reminisce about the past, I tend to remember the things that bothered me or things I simply didn't look positively on. As 2013 came around, I promised myself to view things from a more positive perspective. I know it's hard to believe there is good in even the worst situations possible, but they're just life lessons that most of us aren't aware of. For example, we all have that one person in our lives who's our enemy, and we're theirs. Even though that person may make you feel miserable, they're sure a great example of what you DON'T want to be like. 

Over looking the negative things from this school year, I've discovered new skills and artistic abilities I didn't know I had before. Yes, there was always a certain feeling I got whenever I held a camera, but I just didn't know what it meant. I now realize it was an encouragement for me to take interest in photography. Before this school year, I wasn't ready to go on shoots because I didn't have the skills and composition yet to excel in the art. Now that I've taken Traditional Photo, I can say I actually know what I'm doing, having learned everything on a manual camera. Even though I love photography with a passion, I still believe studio engineering or music producing is what I want to do for the rest of my life. Usually you want to pursue a career that incorporates work you're familiar with or naturally talented at, but I guess for me it's the opposite. Photography is something I'm educated in more than producing, but yet I just feel like there's something about music that will always have a hold on me, having played piano since age 5. I think it's also because I have connections with artists, who are getting more and more famous each day, who can teach me how to succeed on a producing level. 

Looking back at everything this school year made me realize how quickly it went by. I really can't believe I'm going to be a senior next year. It feels like just yesterday I was walking nervously down the unfamiliar halls of Westmont as a freshman. To think I have only one year left of high school is just weird and a bit scary. As a freshman, I thought the juniors and seniors were so old. I now laugh at myself for thinking that because I realize how young I still am, as a junior. I honestly don't feel any different from when I was a freshman, other than maturing a bit more. Friends I've known since middle school have changed, good and bad, and some of my tightest friendships have been broken. It just shows me who my true friends are and I am grateful for those I have. I've known my best friend since second grade and even though she doesn't go to Westmont, we still talk every day. We've been there for each other through thick and thin. Honestly, she's like a sister to me and we do basically everything together. I have not found a friend like her at Westmont and I probably won't by senior year either, but that's just perfectly OK with me. 

Change is bound to happen in our lives even when we don't want it to. Next month, my brother will be graduating from high school and I almost feel as if I don't want him to because we won't see each other that often. He's a year older than me so seeing each other around school has been a common thing all our lives. To think he's not going to be at the same school as me next year, or not even in high school anymore, is something strange and completely foreign to me. In fact, he won't even be living at home because he'll be in a dorm in college. I'll miss him a lot, and I have no problem saying that. My brother and I have our not so pretty moments as do all siblings, but I'd say we're definitely closer than others. I'll miss talking to him about music and arguing about each other's photos from shoots we went on, but I have to accept the fact that it's time for him to start moving on with his life and doing what's best for him. I'm not used to being the only child at home, so it'll be a huge change for me. I don't even want to think about how my parents are going to feel when he finally leaves the nest. I know it'll be sad for my brother too, but I know he's more excited than anything. More importantly, all of this just prepares me for the real world, where I'll be living on my own and not always being surrounded by family.

What's the next step for me? Well, I'd like to finish high school with a good GPA and go to college after. I'm still not sure where I would like to go to college, but I have a few ideas in mind. My parents said I can go out of the country for school, so I've been looking at a few located in the UK. For me, it'd be a dream to go to school in Dublin, Ireland. While I was there over the summer, I saw numerous advertisements for a music production school located in the city. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to go check it out, but I know I love Ireland enough to go to school there.

The school year is winding down and summer vacation is approaching us. I'm looking forward to this summer, after I get all the major assignments done in my classes. I just love staying up late and enjoying the sunny weather. Summer to me means concerts, pools, and relaxation. I can't wait to see One Direction (twice) and Kalin and Myles in July. I'm sure I'll also be seeing other artists throughout the summer and will hopefully be meeting them. It's been a good school year and I'll miss it, but everything has to come to an end at some point.

A Photographer Who Inspires Me...

Someone who has always inspired me in photography is Terry Richardson. As I mentioned in my last post, I'd like to photograph artists on tour. Well, Terry has been doing this for years. I first saw his work around three years ago. His photo was of Lady Gaga on the cover of Vogue Magazine.

I discovered later that the photographer was Terry Richardson, so I searched him on the internet to see some of his other work. What immediately got my attention was how many celebrities he has worked with. Almost all his photos I saw were of pop artists or actors. I thought how cool would it be to work with all these famous people even if you have completely different careers. Besides working with famous people, normal people like me would still be just as exciting....okay maybe not, but I'd still love interacting with anyone I shoot.

In 2010, Terry traveled with Lady Gaga on her Monster Ball Tour North American leg and photographed everything from her brushing her teeth, to performing onstage in arenas. He also traveled with Gaga photographing her life during her Born This Way Ball world tour in 2012-2013. This is exactly what I want to do; Photograph the simplest everyday tasks of an artist but still make it interesting. Now of course I probably wont travel with Gaga on tour and photograph her everyday life but I aim to do it with other artists I like. I've always loved traveling, especially in Europe, so this would be a great job for me. Yes it might take a while till I could achieve this job, but it would be worth it in the end.

Aside from the celebrities he shoots, his photography style also caught my attention. His classic set up for portrait shoots is a white background and a one light set up. One light set up means there's only one light on the person being shot, which draws a soft shadow from the focus point, or person in this case, onto the white background behind them. To me, the dark shadow on the white background makes the portrait unusual and the person appear to "pop out." Terry takes unique and even sometimes provocative photos that can cause controversy. I love it because it's shock art and gives people something to talk about. I want to be known by the world for having unique photos like his. Maybe someday I will be able to work with artists and capture their memories on tour.

Some of Terry Richardson's work:

Another option...

Lately I've been thinking about if I were to be a professional photographer for my career. I know it has nothing to do with music producing or sound engineering, but it's one of my other interests. Anything that involves creativity is up my alley. At the moment I have two cameras, my Nikon SLR and my Nikon DSLR 3200.

I guess you could say I've always had an interest in taking photos, whether it be of my friends, concerts I attend, or vacations. Over this past summer, I really got into photography while traveling the U.K. & surrounding countries. I saw old and historical architectural designs left and right throughout England, Scotland, Ireland, Austria, Germany, and France. The way buildings were designed and how old cities looked were so different than America in general. The architectural designs in London and it's culture made me even more interested in photography. Because it seemed like another world, I had millions of ideas for where and how to photograph their country. 

Taking traditional photography this year has given me more experience, already being familiar with digital. I personally enjoy traditional more than digital because it's more challenging. Also, I have to say seeing the image appear on the paper when placed in the developer is pretty cool. Although there's those frustrating moments like when you discover the film in the camera has torn or when none of your photos turn out after the long process of developing it, it's still worth having an interest in. After high school, I know I want to continue doing traditional photography. The only problem is I have to use a darkroom in order to actually print the photos. Chemicals and other needed supplies are expensive so most of my profit from selling photos would be spent on that.

Two photo paths I'm interested in are photographing musicians on tour or landscape photography. I know they're two very different kinds of photography but I enjoy doing both. Because I love concerts so much, why not be there and doing something you're passionate about? To me it's the best of both worlds. As for landscape photography, there's endless options of what to photograph. Depending on your composition, you can make something ordinary look interesting and completely different. I think it's pretty awesome. With my Nikon SLR and DSLR 3200, I hope to share with the public my view of the world through my lense.

"Even though fixed in time, a photograph evokes as much feeling as that which comes from music or dance. Whatever the mode – from the snapshot to the decisive moment to multi-media montage – the intent and purpose of photography is to render in visual terms feelings and experiences that often elude the ability of words to describe. In any case, the eyes have it, and the imagination will always soar farther than was expected." – Ralph Gibson

"To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting an ordinary place… I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them." - Elliott Erwitt

"Look and think before opening the shutter. The heart and mind are the true lens of the camera." 

– Yousuf Karsh

The Ginger Jesus

Some know him as "the ginger Jesus" or "that one singer with orange hair," but most know him as Ed Sheeran.  This talented lad is a singer/songwriter from the UK and has managed to work his way up in the music industry. 

Just to give you some facts about him, he was homeless before fame struck him. Ed wrote songs throughout high school and while he didn't have a home. In some songs, he talks about being homeless while making/performing music. For example, in his song "You Need Me, I Don't Need You," he says "I've done around about a thousand shows but, I haven't got a house plus I live on the couch." Also, at age 18, he wrote a song called "Little Things," which is now sung by One Direction on their new album "Take Me Home." It was a big hit worldwide and was played on the radio every hour. Some other songs he's written for One Direction are "Over Again" (also off of "Take Me Home") and "Moments," which is off of their debute album "Up All Night." Ed has recently collaborated with Taylor Swift on her song "Everything Has Changed" which you can find on her newest album "Red." I'd say Ed's biggest accomplishment so far is having a sold out tour in the United States, considering the U.S. tends to make artists known worldwide.

I've been listening to Ed's music now for about a year and have completely fallen in love with him and his style. Though his lyrics are what catches the attention of most girls, I became interested in his music a little differently. When coming across videos of his live performances on Youtube, I noticed he recorded himself during performances for backup vocals and other track parts you'd already have pre-recorded. I did some research and finally found what Ed used, and still uses for performances to this day. The recording technique is called a loop pedal. Just like loops you use in audio software to make music, it repeats whatever you record while pressing the pedal down. I had honestly never seen anyone use one before and was immediately impressed. 

Ed plays his guitar and sings during all of his gigs. He uses the loop pedal, and mic connected to it, for his guitar, beat boxing, background vocals, and much more. It really just amazes me how he's able to concentrate on singing while playing the guitar and recording parts for the song all at one time. Talk about multitasking. Below is a live performance of Ed singing "You Need Me, I Don't Need You" and using the loop pedal.

Besides his mad skills with the pedal, his voice is pure and as some people describe, angelic. Yeah I definitely agree. Last September, I saw Ed in concert (I waited 8 hours and got front row BLESS) and even got to meet him. Just as I thought he'd be, he was quiet but sweet and respectful. Out of all the celebrities I've met, Ed is one of the most sincere and nicest. Sure enough, during the concert, he used the loop pedal and his famous orange microphone that goes along with it. Even though his set isn't anything eye catching, which the public seems to need now a days, I'd say he's one of the best performers in the music industry today. His vocals are almost identical to his studio work and he can really get the crowd going. If you're interested in folk music with some pop incorporated into it, definitely have a listen to some of Ed's work. Just a fair warning, you might fall in love with him.

 

Goo Goo For Gaga

To be completely honest, I didn't really know what to write about this week.  Then I remembered the reason why I'm half asleep at the moment writing this.  Well, I went to Lady Gaga's concert last night. Yeah I only got two hours of sleep yesterday because I waited in line all day to be in a general admission pit that was surrounded by her stage.  Let me just say camping out over night in front of the HP Pavilion for 9.5 hours was totally worth it because I got second row.  

Anyways, she's my favorite artist and performer by far.  From the most skimpy outfits, to her classy and elegant dresses, I love it all.  Some people strongly dislike her, of whom I feel sorry for because she's one of the most talented women of our generation, and some are dedicated fans.  I love her for three reasons: her music, performance art, and involvement in putting together songs with her audio engineer.  Most artists go into the studio, record what is needed, then leave.  Gaga on the other hand writes her own music and helps produce it.  She can come up with a melody for a song in a heartbeat, which majority artists aren't able to do.  For example, soon after she was working on her third album, she was in the shower and casually sang some lyrics in catchy tune.  The lyrics she sang were randomly made up on the spot.  What was first sung in her shower is now one of the most well known songs out there today called Born This Way.  Personally, I'd love to work with Gaga because I know she has crazy song ideas that would instantly top the charts.  

While waiting in line yesterday at the arena, I saw Gaga's audio engineer, DJ White Shadow, walk by across the street from where I was.  Let's just say was I dying to go over and talk to him.  Unfortunately he went inside one of the tour buses so I couldn't meet him.  Yeah it was kind of depressing considering he's my favorite audio engineer and he's probably not going to come back to San Jose anytime soon.  My favorite remix of his is Lady Gaga's song Judas.  You can listen to it below:

The beat and modified synths are upbeat and give the song a strong dance vibe, which is strive to make.  Hopefully next time he comes around I'll be able to meet him and discuss his music.  Even though I didin't meet him, it was an amazing night.

I filmed the following videos:

Shows off her fashion:

Example of her performance art:

Team KAM

I'm not sure if many people know this but there are a great number of artists in the Bay Area waiting to make it big.  From what I've seen and heard, most are rappers. Since I listen to the radio a lot, I've come across a few whose songs are aired from time to time.

Myles      Kalin

Unlike how I usually discover Bay Area artists, I recently came across two talented boys named Kalin and Myles at a concert I attended in early August this year.  My friends and I were waiting in line to get inside the venue and all of a sudden we heard people screaming and fan girling.  Two young guys appeared and walked to the gate to enter the venue.  On the way there, they took pictures with fans and signed whatever was thrown in front of their faces.  Confused, I watched the crazy mob that was in front of me.  I overheard a few girls next to me mention the names Kalin and Myles.  Though I now knew their names, I still had no idea why they were here and why everyone was freaking out over them.

Later when everyone was inside the venue, the concert started and Kalin and Myles came on stage.  The music started and right away I was impressed and caught up in their catchy songs.  The girls around me seemed to enjoy their performance too.  This was the first time I ever saw them perform and was instantly a fan.  Let's face it, Kalin and Myles had me under their spell.

October is when I actually started listening to their music.  Intrigued, I did some research on them just for fun.  Myles is 20 and Kalin is 17.  It turns out they write and produce all their music themselves.  I'm highly influenced by how young they are and their success.  From what I've read, Myles has been making music since he was 15.  That's about the same age I really got into the idea of working in the music industry.  Myles' brother, Jake, DJs at their concerts.  Being a DJ has also been an interest to me.  I don't really understand why there aren't many female audio engineers or DJs that are successful.  We have the same skills and education to fulfill the job so I don't see why we're not out there producing music.  

By now I've seen and met Kalin & Myles twice.  I will be seeing them perform again on the 14th of this month and cannot wait to meet them for the third time.  They're both friendly and welcoming, unlike some other artists.  I wish them the best of luck in making it big because they're really talented and absolutely deserve it.  Who knows, maybe in the future they can give me some tips on making music.

Go To Work - Kalin and Myles

American Boy - Ebony Day ft. Kalin and Myles

La La Land?

Deciding where to settle down always seems to lie at the back of my mind. Most people I've talked to want to move out of state or to Southern California. I don't know if they want to move because they wish to be away from everyone here or if they are considering where the right place may be to pursue their career. With the thought of producing music in mind, I would like to move to Los Angeles (La La Land).
What would be better than moving to L.A. with the dream to work with the biggest artists in the industry today? Los Angeles is the best opportunity for me to make it big. Well-known artists fly from all over the world to work with producers on their next album. With a large variety of record companies and labels, I will have a greater chance of being signed to one. Among all the others to be discovered, I can team up with new artists to make demos to sell to labels. With this idea, I plan to have a home studio for recording sessions.
Some examples of ideal home studios:

Since sound equipment is expensive, I'll need a part time job. Ideally I'd like to be a mixologist at a club. Once I get signed to an official label, I'll get a studio that is larger and nicer than the home studio. Because I play piano, I would love a grand piano in my space so I may record a chord to synth or just record a classical piece.

Eventually after having a stable income, I plan on buying an apartment in New York. My main home will still be in Los Angeles but I will fly to New York to work on music if necessary. Although N.Y. is known for live music, there are still similar jobs within that field and production. For now I won't worry about moving to N.Y. yet, I'll just focus on L.A. One step at a time.