Exclusive Interview with Acclaimed Music Producer Michael Blakey (Organica Music Group)
Extraordinarily successful music producer, Michael Blakey, shares advice
for up-and-coming artists and music producers.

Exclusive Interview with Michael Blakey, Part 1 of 2
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Exclusive Interview with Michael Blakey, Part 2 of 2
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Michael Blakey also chats about his partnership with Grammy-nominated comedian, multi-platinum recording artist and New York Times Bestselling Author Ron White to form Organica Music Group (OMG). OMG promotes both emerging and established music/comedic artists. Mr. White, a Texas native and current Atlanta resident, will release all his future DVD/CDs through OMG.

Michael Blakey is the former President of 2k/Virgin Records Music Division and a 5-time Grammy nominee, He has worked with many of the top artists around the world, including Engelbert Humperdinck, Gloria Gaynor, Tears for Fears, Brian McKnight, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and Dire Straits, to name a few. Michael Blakey as produced 60+ albums earning platinum or gold status.

OMG has three divisions. Emerging Artists are: Margo Rey (currently positioned at #4 on Perfect Beat Dance Charts), George Hodos* and Carmen Perez (both have had top 5 songs). Cross-over Artists are: “Girls Next Door’s” star Crystal Harris and “Pretty Wild’s” and Cyber Playmate of the year, Tess Taylor. Established Artists are: Gladys Knight (“The Empress of Soul”), Sammy Davis Jr. Estate.

* Also enjoy the guest appearance of George Hodos, International Pop Artist and a Michael Blakey clien, on Sidebeat Music

OMG offers a true 360-degree platform that will cross-promote artists’ content for Film, TV, Radio, Internet and Video Gaming. OMG also has a TV/Film division with many projects in development, where one TV project has been picked up for development (Hollywood Swingers).

OMG has offices in both Atlanta and Los Angeles.
For more information on OMG: http://www.organicamusicgroup.com
For more information on Michael Blakey: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Blakey and www.michaelblakey.com
 
Contact Information:
Jaison Karner l Digital Publicist
Luthier Society, Inc.
201 N. Westmoreland Avenue, Suite 109
Los Angeles, CA  90004
O:    323.825.4499 / M:    412.867.9533
AIM: Jkarner412
E:     jak@luthiersociety.com
www.luthiersociety.com

Sidebeat Music is on Actors Entertainment, a site on the Actors Podcast Network,
a Pepper Jay Production.

Singer Songwriter Kristen Price

Sidebeat Music finds Kristen Price to be talented in voice and lyrics and a breath of fresh air with a zest for life that’s contagious.

Born in the United Kingdom and based in New York City, singer songwriter Kristen Price sits down with Sidebeat Music’s Melissa Suzanne to chat about her music, her live performances, and her upcoming album.

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Watch for the upcoming release of Kirsten Prices highly anticipated new album “Brixton To Brooklyn” due out soon.

Website - http://www.KristenPrice.com
MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/kristenpricemusic
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/kristenpricemusic

Sidebeat Music is on Actors Entertainment, a site on the Actors Podcast Network, a Pepper Jay Production.

Jr. Philharmonic Orchestra of California
73rd Anniversary Tribute Concert to Dr. Ernst Katz
June 9th, 2010 - Disney Hall, Los Angeles

Gary Greene, Master Conductor
Richard Sherman, Guest Conductor

The Jr. Philharmonic Orchestra of California is one of the oldest, unique, and most prestigious young people’s symphony orchestras in the United States. Founded in Los Angeles, California in 1937 by its late conductor, Dr. Ernst Katz.

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Sidebeat Music host, Melissa Suzanne at rehearsal and at the Disney Hall performance with Concert Master Conductor Gary Greene, actor Ed Asner (who narrated “The Impossible Dream” for the event), songwriter and composer, Richard B. Sherman (“Mary Poppins,” “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” “The Jungle Book,”, “The Aristocats,” to name a few), TV game show host and radio Personality Wink Martindale (who was the master of ceremonies for the event), actor Petri Hawkins Byrd (Baliff on TV series “Judge Judy”), actress June Lockhart

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Melissa Suzanne chats with musician and producer Debra Greene, actor, comedian, musician Dick Van Dyke (who performed with his quartet called “Dick Van Dyke and The Vantastix”), actress and singer Connie Stevens, violinist Kevin Schwarzwald, French Horn player Andy Arensman, actress Stefanie Powers, actor and singer Ashley Brown (“Beauty and the Beast,” “Mary Poppins” “The Sound of Music”)

Jr. Philharmonic Orchestra of California Website

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Exclusive Interview with International Pop Artist George Hodos

George Hodos recently teamed up with Snoop Dogg for Geroge’s debut U.S. single release (May 4th, 2010); “Just A Man”. The featured single is currently #32 on Billboards Nextmusic charts and climbing.  

Russian music sensation George Hodos chats with Sidebeat Music’s Melissa Suzanne about how he gravitated towards pop music from the classical at an early age. Born in a country dominated primarily by opera music, George was exposed to different musical genres via TV and found himself enthralled by artists like Michael Jackson and Tina Turner.

Referred to as “The Voice” in his native Russia, George Hodos was an operatic singing prodigy before he could walk. By the age of 20, George had established a number of relationships with producers from around the world.

George is under the management of the Alumni Entertainment Group.
http://www.myspace.com/thealumni

George Hodos Official Website
http://www.georgehodos.com/

Exclusive Interview with Chester Gregory of Dreamgirls

Part 1 - Exclusive Interview with Chester Gregory of Dreamgirls

Part 2 - Exclusive Interview with Chester Gregory of Dreamgirls

Chester Gregory , an award-winning Broadway actor and musician, is anything but what you would expect a Broadway performer to be. When Chester is not starring in some of the biggest musicals on the Broadway stage, including the role of James Early in “Dreamgirls,” he is a songwriter and critically acclaimed recording artist. Regularly playing to sold out audiences, at the world’s most prestigious venues around the world, Chester’s energetic live shows display his 5-octave vocal range and an R&B style that is truly all his own.

Thank you Chester for taking the time to speak to our Actors Reporter host, a talented musician in her own right, Melissa Suzanne.

Traps ‘n Taps – A Brief History of American Rhythm
With Clayton Cameron and Chester Whitmore
Your Actors Reporter host, Anna Shalray

THE CALIFORNIA JAZZ FOUNDATION PRESENTED TRAPS ‘N TAPS — A BRIEF HISTORY OF AMERICAN RHYTHM — AT CATALINA’S IN HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA. THE SHOW FEATURE THE BRILLIANT BRUSHWORK OF DRUMMER CLAYTON CAMERON AND THE FLUID MOTION OF DANCER CHESTER WHITMORE. CJF IS A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT ASSISTS CALIFORNIA JAZZ MUSICIANS IN NEED.

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CHESTER WHITMORE, A WORLD-CLASS DANCER, CHOREOGRAPHER, BANDLEADER, MENTOR, AND FILM ARCHIVIST, HAS CHOREOGRAPHED DAZZLING ROUTINES FOR ARETHA FRANKLIN, SMOKEY ROBINSON, GLADYS KNIGHT, THE TEMPTATIONS, AND THE O’JAYS. MR. WHITMORE HAS GALLOPED THE GLOBE, PERFORMING AND PRESENTING CLINICS. HIS CHARISMA, AMAZING REPERTOIRE, AND FLUID MOTION HAVE ALL GARNERED CRITICAL ACCLAIM.

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DRUMMER CLAYTON CAMERON IS BEST KNOWN FOR HIS LONG ASSOCIATION WITH TONY BENNETT. HE HAS ALSO RECORDED WITH THE LIKES OF GERALD WILSON, BILLY CHILDS, HUBERT LAWS, KENNY BURRELL, ROD STEWART, AND PATTI LABELLE. HIS BRILLIANT BRUSHWORK HAS BECOME A HIGHLY SKILLED ART FORM. MR. CAMERON HAS PRODUCED SEVERAL BRUSH TECHNIQUE VIDEOS AND IS A DISTINGUISHED FACULTY MEMBER AT UCLA’S DEPARTMENT OF JAZZ STUDIES.

TRAPS ‘N TAPS EXAMINES CLASSIC CADENCES AND STANDARD RHYTHMS FROM THE CIVIL WAR TO HIP-HOP. CAMERON AND WHITMORE HIGHLIGHT THE CAREERS OF BABY DODDS, JO JONES, SONNY PAYNE, AND MAX ROACH, AS WELL AS FABLED HOOFERS LIKE WILLIE COVAN, JOHN BUBBLES, BILL ROBINSON, THE NICHOLAS BROTHERS, AND GREGORY HINES.

TRAPS ’N TAPS IS A MUST-SEE FOR AFICIONADOS, MUSICIANS, DANCERS, EDUCATIONS, SCHOLARS, CHILDREN, AND LOVERS OF JAZZ.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA JAZZ JOUNDATION, CALL (323) 669-5234 OR VISIT WWW.CALIFORNIAJAZZFOUNDATION.ORG

Photos by John Michael Ferrari
www.ImagesByFerrari.com
and
Jay Matsueda
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=141549&id=148601893507&l=19167af5a8
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=141459&id=148601893507&l=5e4be6ded2
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=141294&id=148601893507&l=0e2e3e598

SHIROCK, an earnest young band with an uplifting message

According to Shirock’s founder, frontman, and namesake Chuck Shirock. “Our hope is by doing that, we’ll be part of a shift in our generation to live for the things that matter and not get caught up in the things that don’t.” 



Actors Entertainment’s Sidebeat Music caught up with this Nashville rock band, Shirock, at the Roxy where Shirock donated its time to raise money and to collect clothing for The Midnight Mission in Los Angeles, CA, along with Twilight’s Michael Welch.

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To that end, SHIROCK make music that capitalizes on the transformative power of rock and roll and its ability to move and inspire people. Their dynamic debut album, Everything Burns, is filled with bold, anthemic songs that bristle with restless urgency and passionate optimism. You can hear it not only in the sonics — the sweeping melodies, the textured layers of gritty guitars and plaintive keyboards, and Chuck’s fervent wailing vocals — but also in the lyrics, which are rooted in the personal, the political, and the spiritual. Produced by Jay Ruston, who has also worked with The Donnas, Everclear, Matisyahu, and Cold War Kids, Everything Burns may sound grand and expansive, but underneath the soaring arrangements is a singer/songwriter album at heart, creating an interesting tension that allows the songs to feel both personal and universal. 



Though SHIROCK is a five-piece, at its core are songwriters Chuck Shirock and Pap. The two met in 1999 and discovered that they had both spent time living overseas with missionary parents. Chuck grew up in the Philippines and Scotland before his family returned to the States, while Pennsylvania-born Pap’s Greek family settled in Ohio after a year spent in Turkey. Both Vocal Performance majors, they began playing music together in college, with Pap contributing harmonies and keyboard parts to Chuck’s early demos. Eventually she joined Chuck onstage. Over the years, both the musical relationships and friendships within the band have grown and deepened, something that feels palpable upon listening to Everything Burns. 



SHIROCK don’t just sing about making a difference, they are actually making it happen. They recently launched the non-profit organization, ‘Everything Burns,’ built on the idea “Living For Things That Matter.” Its main purpose is to encourage and equip people to make a change in lifestyle, and provide practical ways to act out that change –;;; In short, to live beyond the mundane and get involved in making a difference in our communities and around the world. “People today have a hunger to do something, to act rather than sit,” Pap says, “but many times we don’t know where to start, and it’s hard to believe one person can actually make a difference. Through Everything Burns, we are working to create practical opportunities to put this idea –;; “Living For Things That Matter” into practice, and encouraging people in this lifestyle.”

SHIROCK’s other plans for 2009 include expanding their fashion line, Irock Clothing, which Chuck and Pap launched in 2008 as a creative outlet and means to develop their brand. “So much of the band merchandise we see doesn’t really have the right fit or feel,” Chuck says. “We started just wanting to make band T-shirts that you would want to wear…even if you didn’t know the music. We’ve always been interested in fashion and wearing clothing that represent a person’s individuality and uniqueness.” The line, which features shirts, jackets, bags, accessories, and more, has been carried in stores regionally, and has sold out at every boutique that carried it.

The first full-length release from SHIROCK, Everything Burns, was recorded at Nashville’s Ocean Way studios with Jay Ruston. Five songs have been available since March 2008, when the EP 5 was released digitally on iTunes. In addition, the band sold more than 3,000 copies over seven months on the road, due in no small part to the strong fanbase SHIROCK has built through grassroots touring (over 150 shows in the eastern U.S. in 2008) and marketing. Five songs from the full-length, Everything Burns have been featured on MTV’s The Hills among other placements on Television - including NBC’s ER>. 



Getting their songs heard is all part of SHIROCK’s grand plan to make a difference. “So much music these days is just noise,” Chuck says. “It might sound good, but it’s still noise. It’s not communicating something real and honest. For us it’s about so much more than entertainment… It’s about sharing our lives and connecting with people through this music.” 


Shirock’s official website:
http://shirock.net/

SHIROCK’S MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/shirock

Peter Noone of Herman’s Hermits shares advice to up and coming artists & bands

Peter takes time out of his busy schedule to chat with Sidebeat Music.

Part 1 - Peter Noone of Herman’s Hermits shares advice to up and coming artists & bands

Part 2 - Peter Noone of Herman’s Hermits shares advice to up and coming artists & bands

About Peter Noone:
Peter Blair Denis Bernard Noone is a multi-talented entertainer, who has been delighting audiences nearly all his life. He was born in Manchester, England, where he studied voice and acting at St. Bede’s College and the Manchester School of Music and Drama. As a child, he played “Stanley Fairclough” in the long-running British soap opera Coronation Street. He was also featured in the television series Knight Errant, Family Solicitor and Monro’s Saki Stories.

At the age of fifteen, Peter achieved international fame as “Herman”, lead singer of the legendary Sixties pop band Herman’s Hermits. His classic hits included: “I’m Into Something Good” “Mrs. Brown, you’ve Got A Lovely Daughter”, “I’m Henry VIII, I Am”, “Silhouettes”, “Can’t You Hear My Heartbeat”, “Just A Little Bit Better”, “Wonderful World”, “There’s A Kind of Hush”, “A Must To Avoid”, “Listen People”, “The End of the World” and “Dandy”. Ultimately, Herman’s Hermits sold over sixty million recordings. In all, fourteen singles and seven albums went gold. The Hermits were twice named Cashbox’s “Entertainer of the Year”.

As “Herman”, the photogenic Noone graced the cover of nearly every international publication, including Time Magazine. He performed on hundreds of top-rated television programs and appeared with such luminaries as Ed Sullivan, Jackie Gleason, Dean Martin and Danny Kaye. He also starred in ABC’s musical version of The Canterville Ghost, Hallmark Hall of Fame’s presentation of the classic Pinocchio (in which he played the title role) and three highly successful feature films for M-G-M: Mrs. Brown, You’ve Got A Lovely Daughter, Hold On! and When The Boys Meet The Girls.

Throughout the seventies, Noone performed, composed songs and produced recordings with such artists as David Bowie, Debby Boone and Graham Gouldman. His album with the Tremblers, “Twice Nightly” and his solo effort “One of The Glory Boys” were both critically and commercially successful. With characteristic zeal, Peter took on leading roles in full-scale theatrical productions of Dick Wittington, Aladdin, and Sinbad The Sailor. These live stage spectaculars were mounted at major theatres throughout Great Britain and Noone was highly praised for his outstanding work.

The eighties found Peter starring on Broadway in the New York Shakespeare Festival’s production of The Pirates of Penzance. He won rave reviews for his superb portrayal of the dashing, young hero, “Frederic”. His performance was so well received, that he went on to reprise the role at the world-famous Drury Lane Theatre in London. Noone charmed audiences worldwide as he continued to play “Frederic” with both the U.S. National Touring Company and the International Touring Company of “Pirates”.

Peter’s acting career flourished with guest-starring roles in prime-time television shows such as: Married With Children, My Two Dads, Quantum Leap, Dave’s World, Easy Street, Too Close For Comfort and Laverne and Shirley. He also starred in the Los Angeles stage premiere of Topokana Martyr’s Day and the U.S. National Tour of the smash Broadway hit Romance, Romance.
For four years, Noone served as the winsome host of VH1’s My Generation, the highest-ever-rated half hour retrospective of popular music. He also hosted the informative PBS Special The British Invasion Returns and recorded the title song for the Kirk Douglas film Diamonds. He created two unique websites (peternoone.com and hermanshermits.com) that have become so popular, the New York Daily News dubbed him the “King of The Sixties on the Internet.”

Accompanied by his band, Herman’s Hermits, Noone consistently plays to sold-out venues the world over. He has a legion of faithful fans (known as “Noonatics”) whose loyalty is unparalleled. Today’s teen girls scream just as passionately as their mothers did back in 1965, prompting VH1 to select Peter as their viewer’s choice for the “Sexiest Artist of the Year”. Most recently, Noone starred in the recurring role of “Paddington” on the CBS daytime drama, As The World Turns. His colorful performances instantly made him a favorite of the soap opera magazines and online message boards. There is no doubt that Peter Noone’s extraordinary talent, disarming wit, handsome features and compelling stage presence will continue to delight fans of all ages, for a long, long time to come.

Peter’s website: www.PeterNoone.com

Herman™ Fan Club
Herman’s Hermits Inc.
1482 East Valley Road, Suite 515
Montecito, CA 93108

Booking Agency
MPI Talent Agency
Michael Pick
1801 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 1420
Los Angeles, Ca 90067
Phone 310-859-7300
Fax 310-275-7437

A delightful Gisell wins the Romantic Division of the Premios Talento 2010 singing/performing contest.

Enjoy interviews Gisell (Giselle Castillo) and other great talent at Premios Talento 2010, at the Million Dollar Theatre in Los Angeles, February 2010. Premios Talento is an annual event dedicated to helping promote new talents in Los Angeles, California.

GISELL: INTERVIEW & RED CARPET
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Gisell talks about her career and thanks her family, friends, fans, and her performance coaches Pepper Jay and John Michael Ferrari.

RED CARPET: PREMIOS TALENTO 2010
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Premios Talento is a unique televised and promoted event of its type, in which the top 50 upcoming bands and artist of Los Angeles are nominated, recognized, and awarded. Dozens of
famous artist are attending this award ceremony to perform and present
the awards to the winners. Our mission is to give local and regional talent
the opportunity to shine in a mainstream media event. The show was be recorded and
broadcasted on TV on KWHY Canal 22.

The wonderful Humberto Luna was the Master of Ceremonies. Participants at the Premios Talent 2010 event, Enjoy in the Actors Reporter video the appearances of Gisell, Sergio Armando Duran, Stress, Belinda Gomez, Contagio Show, Copal, Lizzy Garza, Flechazo Norteno, Sergio, Nambo, Melinda del Toro, J Smooth, Julio Cesar, La Luz Roja de San Marcos, Mariachi Latino de Jose Cervantes, Paco del Barrio, Los Tenampaz del Norte, Tiranos del Norte, and the wrestler Viper and others.

Sergio Nambo