JULY 2013 Issue • 306
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Maitland
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‘BOY MEETS WORLD’ STAR MAITLAND WARD IS READY TO TAKE ON HOLLYWOOD
GLOBAL ARTISTS EXTRAVAGANZA
ARTISTS FROM AUSTRALIA, BRAZIL, JAPAN, ISRAEL & SPAIN BLEEP 1
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Spanish singer/songwriter Joel lets us in on what it’s like to speak Spanish but sing in English and the difference a culture can make in making music.
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ON THE COVER You’re probably already singing the theme song. “Boy Meets World” was event television for an entire generation and the devotion lingers today. Maitland Ward, who played Rachel in the later seasons of the show, has returned to Hollywood with a ring on her finger and an education from NYU in hand. She tells us about starting over and reuniting with her ‘World’ castmates.
BLOGGER WE LOVE
You’ll fall for our ‘Blogger We Love’ this issue. Meet Ashley. She’s got her finger on the pulse of fashion and no matter where in the world you are, you’ll love her style.
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Letter from the Editor We are in our third year here at BLEEP Magazine and over the course of the years, we have built a substantial international following. I thought it was about time we dedicate some space to some of the artists we have become familiar with all over the globe. Sure, we love artists in the States, from the actor on Broadway in New York City to the fashionista in Seattle, we love them. But this issue, we’ve got a group of international artists from five different continents. It’s easy to get stuck in the bubble of what we are doing in America. The tabloid culture that exists underscores that in a profoundly irritating way. We give more press space to a rich housewife who behaves badly than we do an internationally renowned artist that is reaching the pinnacle of their career. That sucks. What did make the press this past month was the “Boy Meets World” reunion that took place in Austin. Most of the cast joined together to celebrate the legacy the show has and the pending spin-off show, “Girl Meets World” that will expose an entirely new generation to the stories of Corey, Topanga and the gang. (and let’s face it, we who loved the original will be setting our DVRs for the first time to record a Disney channel show. Don’t lie.) Maitland Ward, who played Rachel on the show, is on our cover and after taking time away from Hollywood to get an education and get married, she’s back on the scene, with freshly written scripts in hand, determined to start her second act. As a fan of the show, I’m excited to have her included in our issue and chat with her about what it’s like to basically start over in Hollywood. Ultimately, she just wants to create and work, just like those folks who are trying to make it on Broadway, sign their first record deal or book their first dance company spot. For all our differences, there are commonalities among artists that tie us together. That’s part of why I think it’s so cool to have so many international artists included in this issue. No matter what language we speak or what creative industry we are in, art is a common language. We’re all artists. I love that.
Ryan Brinson Editor-in-Chief
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LET’S DANCE From school in Australia, kickin it at the Moulin Rouge in Paris, stepping onto the West End stage in London to his Broadway debut, Nicholas Cunningham has traveled the globe dancing. And he’s at it again.
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ANOTHER BEN HUMENIUK CARTOON!
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BLEEP CREATIVITY. UNCENSORED. RYAN BRINSON Editor-in-Chief LISA SORENSON Design/Decor Editor RACHAEL MARIBOHO Culture Editor SARAH ROTKER Business & Audience Development Manager BEN HUMENIUK Cartoonist THEO & JULIET PHOTOGRAPHY Cover Photography FEATURE EDITORS: Juan Lerma Molly Craycroft WRITERS: Caleb Bollenbacher Danielle Milam Courtney Shotwell Lisa Sorenson Laura Seitter Alex Wright FEATURE CONTRIBUTORS: Katherine Morgan Nathan Robins WEB CONTENT: Sheena Wagaman Renee Rodriguez
All articles and photos are the property of the writers and artists. All rights reserved.
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“The artistry of it is what is so mind blowing. It’s not some cheap strip show. It really is art.” - Chris from New York City 8 BLEEP
“This was my first year to attend and it was more incredible than I’d even heard it was. - Jason from Orlando
“It’s really something special.” - Jenn from Austin
broadway bares edition Photos by kevin thomas garcia
On Sunday, June 23rd at Roseland Ballroon in New York City, the best dancers on Broadway got together to put on Broadway Bares, the modern burlesque fundraiser that raised $1.4 million for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Joined by stars such as Andy Cohen, Adam Lambert, Judith Light and fresh off of his TONY Award win, Billy Porter, the cast danced and stripped their way from coast to coast in their homage to America. Last month, we talked with Jerry Mitchell, the creator of Bares and he didn’t disappoint with the show. We talked with a few attendees of Bares and asked them what keeps them coming back year after year. “Our holiday happened to be at the same time as Bares and this is the best thing we’ve done in New York. There’s nothing else like this.” - Paul from London
“It’s the sexiest show. I fly in specifically to see it and am never disappointed.” - Perry from Los Angeles BLEEP 9
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the intersection by
caleb bollenbacher
An Arresting Development
The king is dead. Long live the king! Remember Blockbuster? Yeah, me neither. As just about anyone outside of the Amish community is aware, Netflix has been the undisputed ruler of the home video distribution market for years (a very honorable mention to Redbox for its instant gratification service, but Netflix has more bang for buck at present). They took something that was a normal part of everyday life (movie rentals) and totally turned it on its head. Instead of traveling to the local video store and spending a couple bucks to rent a movie, Netflix merged convenience and affordability to create the system that you probably subscribe to now. Naturally this was an instant hit for the culture that is one donut shop delivery system away from becoming permanent couch potatoes. Now, while Netflix does still have significant competitors (the aforementioned Redbox, along with Amazon and Hulu), it remains at the top of the pile for more than just its costs and dual hard copy and streaming rentals. What is truly fascinating about Netflix is that they – the champions of innovation and envelope pushing – refuse to rest on their laurels and have moved into truly unheard of territory: original content. They’re more than just rental brokers now, they’re producers. That’s just not what this sort of company does! And yet Netflix has done it, finding a previously unthinkable intersection of rental chain and production company. In the last year they’ve released long runs of “television” shows, including House of Cards, Hemlock Grove, and the miraculous revival of Arrested Development, among others. Midway through June they announced a partnership with Dreamworks to release original TV series based on Dreamworks’ successful movie franchises – a deal that will provide Netflix’s streaming service with over 300 hours of original programming. It’s constant evolution, and it’s a Pandora’s Box that leads to countless captivating questions. What kind of label do you put on the animal that Netflix has become? Can all of their original content really be referred to as“TV shows”if they bypass 12 BLEEP
the step of television exclusivity and land straight on your laptop or mobile device? Does this foreshadow the decline of subscription channels like HBO and Showtime just as the introduction of Netflix’s hard copy rental service ushered in Blockbuster’s destruction? The further complications of Netflix are defiantly putting aside all traditional descriptors, and while that’s frustrating to write about, it’s exciting to think about from the perspective of a media consumer. This abandonment of the rules might just be fixing television (the content, not so much the traditional network system). It gives greater credence to the serial – a format that provides the backbone for binge-watching that Netflix strives to induce – by creating content that leads into more content; in short, it creates big stories in small pieces, which I adore. Based on Netflix’s subscription numbers you probably love it too. It creates long form storytelling beyond the restraints of 120-minute Hollywood productions (after my binge session with the fourth season of Arrested Development I realized that it’s essentially one 8-hour episode), which allows for bigger, more layered stories. By creating entire seasons and releasing them in one complete episode dump, Netflix circumvents the problems that often lead to cancellation and heartbroken fans. Fans of a show are guaranteed that they are going to see some degree of completion, without having to worry about numbers or scheduling conflicts. What was once just a faceless rental store is showing the promise of being a savior for story. It’s the early stages yet, but the numbers are nothing if not promising. Amazon and Hulu are producing original content as well, and it’s hardly looking like a passing trend. Soon it may very well be the norm, and while that might sound a death knell for traditional television, it’s a great sign for lovers of story. After years of floundering in television inconsistency, we might finally have found our champion. Long live the king.
REEL LIFE
by Alex Wright
One year.
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hey say it takes a year living in Los Angeles before you can actually make a decision regarding staying or leaving. New York City takes two. Well, it’s been a year. One year since I graduated from graduate school. One year since I loaded down my Saturn and made the solo drive from Texas to California. One year since I found my apartment, just then an empty shell with holes in the hardwood floors and cockroaches scuttling across the kitchen linoleum. One year from building IKEA furniture in my underwear with two fans puttering out hot air in the non AC sauna of a home, wondering “What the hell am I doing here?” and then immediately, “When will I get my first acting gig?” Ha! A never-ending train of a breakup was reincarnated in several different versions, all consisting of the same man and the same repackaged baggage: we are free to date other people…we are going to stay together. He’s coming to Los Angeles! I’m going to New York! It’s over. It’s hard holding hands across the country. Eventually, someone loses their grip. When I look back on this year, I am presented with a patchwork of statistics: One agent, two managers, three hair dyes, a gaggle of guys, several dozens auditions for “nothing” projects and a handful of “something” projects. This number game taunts me as I replay my last year in Boston: two TV shows booked. Here? Not even a TV show audition. However, my greatest lesson here lies in this truth: acting is a business, but art is separate. The business can be crummy and crippling, but the art will always be beautiful and pure. So many actors become jaded and cynical in this town, and it’s easy to let Los Angeles and it’s sheer magnitude defeat you; but, if you continue to return to the work, the work that caused you to move across country and sacrifice relationships, that work will always feed your tired soul. Acting is a business, but acting is not
only the business; it is bonding with a cast, falling in love onstage with your partner, screaming out into the pitch of the theater, reaching into yourself and finding that hook, discovering what terrifies you and living in that fear. In the same way, love is not bad dates. Love is why we date, but one bad date—or even a dozen bad dates—does not mean love is bad. We keep going on dates because we have faith that one day we will find that person who feels like home. Los Angeles is now my home. I woke up one morning, and I had a life schedule. Suddenly I was on this train, and this was now my life. A year trucked by, and as I look around, I have new, amazing friends, a job, a list of favorite restaurants, a go-to coffee shop. There is a cat on my couch and mail on my table from organizations and clubs and season subscriptions that I have joined. New car registration. New license plate. I’m trucking along. Is my career where I want it to be? No, of course not. But should we arrive fully arrive at anything? Bob Dylan once said, “An artist must be careful to never think he has arrived somewhere. He must always be in a state of becoming.” Art is circular—a perfect wheel that keeps us moving, year after year—even when we are hit with awful Los Angeles traffic. BLEEP 13
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special edition
List
by Rachael Mariboho
This month’s list is a bit of a departure from my normal rant against reality T.V. stars or my gushing about anything Meryl Streep related, though those are important issues. As I write this, I am watching celebrations across the country (and across my Facebook newsfeed) because the Supreme Court overturned DOMA. At the same time, I am also seeing a fair amount of vitriolic exchanges between people on both sides of the issue over this decision, which is, sadly, to be expected. Perhaps my original attitude towards this turn of events was a bit apathetic. As someone who was raised in a conservative Evangelical home and considers herself a Christian, I recognize the origin of the intense emotions coming from certain conservative Christian factions; while the fact that most of my closest friends are gay (hey, I was an ice skater and now I study humanities) provides me with a clear picture of what they have endured in the name of equal rights. But they have endured it, not me. I have gotten to stand on the sidelines with a smile on my face and a wave of encouragement, but I don’t actually do anything. I think it was Helen Keller who said, “we may have found a cure for most evils; but we have found no remedy for the worst of them all, the apathy of human beings.” I thought of this as I read a report today from Amnesty International, which stated that thirty-eight countries in Africa criminalize homosexuality. THIRTYEIGHT. In four of those countries, the punishment for homosexuality is death. In the other thirty-four, the punishment runs the gamut from imprisonment to public beatings. Like many things I cannot comprehend about this world, I do not understand how in 2013 this is allowable. And yet, it is because of the apathy of people who find it easier to look away and ignore than to confront something that is inhumane. What I can only hope is that the victory my gay friends in the United States have fought for, and won, will now pave the wave for change on an international level. But I digress. While I don’t expect something I write for BLEEP to change anything or anyone’s opinion’s, our illustrious editor and myself felt it was important that this issue was addressed in some way, so here are five things I hope people keep in mind when thinking or discussing the recent turn of events in regards to gay rights.
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If you are a parent of a gay child and you do not agree with his or her lifestyle choices, remember that this is your child. You raise your children to think for themselves, follow their dreams, and live lives of integrity. Same thing if you are a friend or family member. The words you speak and the way you treat someone says more about you than it does about them, so think carefully before you engage in arguments or take the “moral” high ground with someone you love. Remember that not all Christians are hateful bigots who think homosexuals are going to burn in hell. Categorizing all of us as such is a narrow-minded and inaccurate assumption. Also, some of the most loving people I know are Christians whose views may differ from mine on certain issues, that does not make them bad people. There are different interpretations one can take from the Bible. I am not a theologian nor would I ever presume to tell someone else how they should read the Bible. But in Matthew 22:36-40, Jesus is asked by a Pharisee which is the greatest commandment in the law. Jesus responds: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart…this is the first commandment, and the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” I guess remind anyone who is a Christian to remember that we are commanded to love people first and foremost. Don’t use the word “fag” around me. Or around anyone for that matter. It is derogatory term that is as bad as a racial slur. Read all of the above again
My Take
by Laura Seitter
The Regeneration of Science Fiction This may come as a shock to absolutely no one, but I have, throughout my life, always been a bit of a ridiculously huge nerd. My interests and pursuits have always tended toward the intellectual, and I frequented the far-away fantasies of books and movies much more often than actual reality. In high school, I even earned myself a shining reputation as that weird girl who could recite full passages from any given Harry Potter book. Now that I’ve aged a few years, I wish I could say that I’ve tried to become more worldly and mature – but Tumblr happened, and I remain a part of the nerdist culture. It wasn’t until recently, though, that I devolved into a full-fledged Sci-Fi geek. I’ve diverged from the familiar territory of historical fiction and fantasy genre, and ventured into that final frontier of spaceships, time travel and aliens. Science Fiction is vast and often impossible to define, but that is part of its allure as a genre. It is completely limitless; characters can go forward in time, back in time, to any distant planet, meet any kind of aliens, meet any sort of god. Sci-Fi is comedy, drama and high romance all wrapped into one, where the monsters can be terrifying and the archetypical heroes always aim to misbehave. As long as the filmmakers have a somewhat coherent script and a band of lovable characters, anything goes. The Sci-Fi genre has been a cultural phenomenon for generations, but there has been an undeniable surge in related projects in the recent past. As I watched the NBA finals last month, (San Antonio native – don’t want to talk about it) it seemed that every single upcoming summer blockbuster features some sort of alien invasion, superhuman protagonist or apocalyptic disaster. With summer blockbuster predictions like Elysium, World War Z and the incredible Star Trek: Into Darkness, it is clear that Hollywood has brought Sci-Fi out of the basements and into the mainstream. In this golden age of computer animation and special effects, it is no wonder that filmmakers are eager to endeavor beyond the stars. Today, anything can be
achieved with just a camera and a green screen – and, you know, money. SFX and CGI teams can make animals talk, create new planets, or level the entire city of Paris with just a little imagination. Classic Sci-Fi novels that were previously deemed unfilmable are now being created more vividly than ever imagined. Sci-Fi has quickly become the most exciting and inventive genre in Hollywood now that productions have such incredible resources at their disposal. It isn’t just the tools that have progressed, though. The culture that feeds on Science Fiction has grown rapidly, and it seems – dare I say it? – nerds are cool. It’s no longer just a world for trekkies and a few serious gamers; Each year, hundreds of thousands of fans attend various Comic Cons, celebrating whichever fandom they preoccupy, cosplaying like rock stars, and debating whether or not Han shot first. With box-office smashes like The Avengers series and Avatar, we’ve come a long way from the society that used to shun the sci-fi geeks. I may laugh at myself for being a huge nerd, but there’s a good chance that you’ve picked up on some of the references I’ve dropped in this article. That might make you a nerd, too. In his introduction to the 60th anniversary edition of Ray Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451,” author Neil Gaiman writes, “sometimes writers write about a world that does not yet exist…because it’s good to look forward, not back. Because we need to illuminate a path we hope or fear humanity will take. Because the world of the future seems more enticing than the world of today.” In a lot of ways, we are already living in the future dreamt of by the likes of H.G. Wells. We can travel the globe in a matter of hours, and we carry powerful, handheld computers in our pockets. The Sci-Fi genre is beloved because it look ahead, fantasizing about the incredible future to come while still serving as an allegory for the world we live in today. BLEEP 17
beauty & the bean courtney shotwell by
Half the Sky: Oppression to Opportunity From two fiercely moral voices, a passionate call to arms against our era’s most pervasive human rights violation: the oppression of women and girls in the developing world. With Pulitzer Prize winners Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn as our guides, we undertake an odyssey through Africa and Asia to meet the extraordinary women struggling there. Among them a Cambodian teenager sold into sex slavery and an Ethiopian woman who suffered devastating injuries in childbirth. Applying their combined reporting experience, Kristof and WuDunn depict our world with anger, sadness, clarity, and ultimately hope. They show how a little help can transform the lives of women and girls abroad. That Cambodian girl eventually escaped from her brothel and, with assistance from an aid group, built a thriving retail business that supports her family. The Ethiopian woman had her injuries repaired and in time became a surgeon. A Zimbabwean mother of five, counseled to return to school, earned her doctorate and became an expert on AIDS. Kristof and WuDunn describe their own attempts to buy prostitutes out of slavery, and the social conditions that make restoring these women to a 18 BLEEP
normal life so difficult. They tell of an attempt to help a woman dying in childbirth in an African hospital, and the institutional, social, and financial problems that foiled that effort. They discuss how their initial support for legalization of prostitution was undercut by the ugly reality they discovered behind the success of just such a legal zone in India (in Kolkata). Legalization of prostitution in the Netherlands compares as an anti-trafficking technique with the criminalization of sexservice purchases in Sweden. Through these stories, Kristof and WuDunn help us see that the key to economic progress lies in unleashing these women and their potential. They make clear how so many people have helped to do just that, and how we can each do our part. Throughout much of the world, the greatest unexploited economic resource is the female half of the population. Countries such as China have prospered precisely because they emancipated women and brought them into the formal economy. Unleashing that process globally is not only the right thing to do; it’s also the best strategy for fighting poverty. Deeply felt, pragmatic, and inspirational, Half the Sky is essential reading for every global citizen. Informative and eye opening.
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Behind the Candelabra: My LifeWith Liberace by ScottThorson
Danielle Milam
1/5 CANDELABRAS “My costumes have become my trademark and trademarks are hard to come by in show business.” -Liberace Liberace, the performer, left the world as a legendary entertainer who mastered the show business of his time. Liberace, the man, left the world as an elusive figure who spawned many rumors. So, when Liberace’s former lover wrote a tell-all book in 1988, the public jumped at the chance to see behind the glitz and glamour. But then, as happens so often, the story was no longer relevant. The book lay dormant, collecting dust in used book stores, until this year when HBO released a cinematic interpretation of Liberace’s personal life based on the pages of Scott Thorson’s book. The book is really nothing special. The writing is fine, but not exciting. The story itself is, in many ways, unbelievable. I have a distrust for the author. Thorson doesn’t even try to paint an unbiased picture. He portrays himself as a naive victim who was seduced by Liberace, a sex addicted, dirty old man. I’m sure the truth is somewhere in the middle, but Thorson’s perspective reminds me of a petulant child unwilling to realize he should look in a mirror while pointing that finger of blame. I just keep wondering how much of the story is really accurate. The movie strips away the poor writing and just tells Thorson’s story. It stays very true to the book. Michael Douglas embraces Liberace’s persona beautifully. He is the star of the show. It is really quality acting. The problem is Matt Damon. Anyone who knows me knows I adore Matt Damon and it pains me to say that he is the problem. But, he is. He is simply too
old to portray an 18-26 year old. He still acts the part very well but my mind couldn’t commit to believing him in the role. The most well done part of both the book and movie is describing and showcasing Liberace’s opulence. He is known for saying, “Too much of a good thing is wonderful” and that’s exactly how he lived. He surrounded himself with the most luxurious houses, cars, furs, and jewelry. Nothing was too extravagant and, we know, hollywood knows how to recreate extravagance. I may have enjoyed the background in the movie more than the main plot. Unfortunately, it takes reading the book and watching the movie to piece together the creative genius behind Liberace, the showman. He had extreme talent but knew his spotlight would fade if he didn’t have something to set him apart. That’s when he started reinterpreting songs in different styles. He’d take a popular song and then play it in the style of Mozart or Chopin. Liberace also knew he needed to stand out. At first, he wore a white suit instead of the traditional black. However, he knew he needed something bigger to continue to impress his audiences. Enter his trademark - his flamboyant costumes. He was the first Lady Gaga but with more pizzaz than she could ever dream of. Overall, the whole experience of reading the book and watching the movie was disappointing. Plus, we are still left with our earlier dilemma: Liberace, the performer, is still a legend and Liberace, the man, is still a mystery. MUST READ FOR: NOT A SINGLE SOUL. MUST WATCH FOR: AVID MICHAEL DOUGLAS FANS; INTERIOR DECORATORS NEEDING INSPIRATION ON “PALATIAL KITSCH” Want more book reviews? Check out www.daniellesviews.blogspot.com
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THIS MONTH’S UNDISCOVERED TALENT IS RHYTHM SPECIALIST MICHAEL FEIGENBAUM. HIS BEATBOXING TALENT AND ECLECTIC BACKGROUND MAKE IT HARD TO BELIEVE HE IS STILL UNDISCOVERED. MICHAEL CHATTED WITH BLEEP MAGAZINE ABOUT HIS CAREER, HIS TWO LOVES AND WHY HE HAS YET TO BE DISCOVERED: WHERE ARE YOU FROM? I was born in Bern, Switzerland and my parents moved us to Haifa, Israel when I was a year old. WHAT IS YOUR TALENT? My talent is rhythm. Today I am a performer and rhythm specialist. I perform, create and teach internationally as a dancer and musician for theatre and live television; specializing in the conceptualization and design of original performance pieces where rhythm meets music, movement and theatre.
WHERE HAVE YOU PERFORMED SO FAR? I have been on tour for the past 12 years, performing and teaching in musical-dancetheater companies in Paris, Madrid, Seoul, New York, Berlin, Toronto, Buenos Aires and Amsterdam, to name a few. Among the projects are: “1789 Les Amants de la Bastille” directed and choreographed by Giuliano Peparini (Paris 2013); “Momentum” by Mayumana (Broadway 2011); and “The House of Dancing Waters” by Franco Dragone (Macau 2010). WHAT IS YOUR DREAM? My dream is to help connect people with their art, as I believe this is an essential tool for creating happiness. I am very interested in the artistic community here in NY, as well as finding ways to inspire youth to discover their talents and pursue them. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT NYC? My favorite thing about New York is that I found the love of my life here.
WHEN DID YOU FIRST DISCOVER THIS ABOUT YOURSELF? I can’t think of a single point in time where I discovered my passion for rhythm and the arts. I grew up in a musical house, both my parents liked singing and my dad used to sing the lyrics of famous musicals and dance while doing so. I was playing the trumpet as a young teenager and started beatboxing when I was 13. I remember my passion for playing the drums as a child and I started dancing by the time I was 16. WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO THE USA? My art and heart brought me to NY. I fell in love with the city almost instantly on my first visit. Over the years the city became a big part of my artistic life; my first Off-Broadway show was in 2007. I returned to the city to perform occasionally, until finally moving to NY about two years ago. WHY DO YOU THINK YOU’RE STILL UNDISCOVERED? I think I’m still undiscovered for two reasons: First - I moved to NY not long ago and am still new to the city. Second - most of my work over the years has been touring internationally, and now a new chapter of my creativity has begun. I invite the city to discover me!
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BY MOLLY CRAYCROFT
undiscovered Photo by Mark Von Holden: www.markvonholden.com.
WWW.MOLLYNEWS.COM
L E A H C I M
M U A B N IGE BLEEP 23
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ILY BELL PHOTOS BY GYPSY SUN
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ON HER DEBUT ALBUM, “IN TECHNICOLOR,” EMILY BELL CHANNELS THE POWER OF PERFORMERS THAT CAME BEFORE HER SUCH AS DEBBIE HARRY, MICK JAGGER AND DIANA ROSS. SHE HAS CRAFTED THE “HERE I AM” STATEMENT SHE’S BEEN WORKING TOWARD FOR YEARS, “TECHNICOLOR ROCK ‘N’ SOUL,” AS SHE LIKES TO CALL IT. SHE CHATS WITH BLEEP ABOUT WHERE SHE CAME FROM AND WHERE SHE’S GOING NEXT.
WHERE DID YOUR SOUND COME FROM? It comes from what I’ve experienced in my life and in music so far. I’ve been all over the place and kept packing it all up in my mind as I went along! From growing up in musical theater, bartending as a teenager at a rock and roll club in Houston, living in New York, writing in LA in the R&B scene, gathering it all together in Austin, TX, and of course my own personal taste and individuality.
DID YOU GROW UP SINGING? Yes. I was in “kinder music” by the age of 5.
WHAT INSPIRES YOU? Music of all kinds. Hard working, passionate people. Nice people. Watching live music. Discovering art and trying something different. Having new experiences. Not being afraid of the dark.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE MOMENT IN YOUR CONCERT? I have a lot of favorite moments! Seeing everyone WHAT WAS THE FIRST PERFORMANCE YOU in the band rocking out and having a great time. REMEMBER GIVING? High five-ing after nailing a new tune. Most of all, My first “memorable” performance was in the Sound connecting with a crowd and that moment when you Of Music when I was 6. I played “Gretel,” the youngest of know you have got them and they are in for the ride the Von Trapp kids. I got to do the cute things that the with you. audience would simultaneously go “aaaawwwww” (how cute) to. It was the most satisfying thing I had WHO IS YOUR DREAM COLLABORATOR? ever done in my entire little life. Aw, geez. Mick Jagger!
AFTER YOU FIGURED OUT THAT YOU AND MUSIC WENT TOGETHER, WHAT WAS THE MOMENT YOU SAW A FUTURE IN IT? I think it was just a natural draw. I’ve always wanted it. I remember a drawing my Mom has kept to this day that I did in Kindergarten. We were asked to make a drawing of ourselves when we got older and what we wanted to be. Mine is of me on stage with a microphone. But at that age I had no qualm with the future. So, I guess when you get older and realize what you’re up against there is a point of no return where you have to go, “ok, this is going to hurt but I’m doing it anyway”. That happened to me when I was 17, living in New York, and had my first real recording experience. It was definitely a “go” from then on.
CATCH EMILY ON TOUR!
JULY 4 - Houston, TX - Freedom Over Texas - 8:15 p.m. on the Patriot Stage JULY 11 - Tulsa, OK - Mercury Lounge - 9 or 10 p.m. JULY 13- Breckendridge, CO - Breck Beer Fest - 2 p.m. JULY 13 - Denver. CO - Armoury - 9 p.m. JULY 15 - Kansas City. MO - The Riot Room JULY 16 - St. Louis, MO - Cicero’s JULY 18 - Brooklyn, NY - The Knitting Factory JULY 19 - New York, NY - Artie Lange Show JULY 20 - New York, NY - Rockwood Music Hall - 8 p.m. on Stage 1 JULY 22 - Memphis, TN - Five In One Art Space JULY 23 - Little Rock, AR- Whitewater Tavern JULY 25 - Austin - Marfa TX - Viva Big Bus - 12 p.m. JULY 27 - Marfa, TX - Viva Big Bend Festival
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WHAT’S YOUR DREAM? To always have the freedom to do what I love. Share music with as many people as I possibly can. And to not get the electricity shut off in my house! WHAT’S UP NEXT? Got a tour coming up in July and then another in October! Lots of quality time in the RV with the band, new tunes to work on and new videos to cut! Lots of shows! World domination! But first, a taco and a nap.
WWW.EMILYBELL.COM
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DETAILS
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I AM A STRONG BELIEVER IN THE ACCESSORIES MAKING THE OUTFIT. THROW ON SOME FABULOUS JEWELS, A VINTAGE HAT, OR A ROCKING LEATHER CLUTCH AND YOU’VE GOT THE LOOK! THESE DALLAS- FORT WORTH AREA DESIGNERS SPECIALIZE IN THE DETAILS OF THE ACCESSORIES. COUTURE ROCKS OWNER CARINTHIA KISHABA DESIGNS HER JEWELRY TO BE UNIQUE, YET ELEGANT. IT’S LYNETTE MAKES BEAUTIFUL FLORAL CHAPEAUX FOR A CLASSIC VINTAGE LOOK. AND ELIA DE LEON’S HANDBAGS AND BELTS ARE UTILITARIAN YET STYLISH. IN THIS FEATURE, WE EXPLORE EACH OF THESE BRANDS, HEAR ABOUT THE DESIGN PROCESS, AND ULTIMATELY DISCOVER WHAT THESE TALENTED DESIGNERS HOPE TO ACHIEVE WITH THEIR WORK.
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COUTURE ROC
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Carinthia wears her own Robert Rodriguez dress, South Sea Flower Ring, and Lady in Red Earrings by Couture Rocks Fine Jewelry. Kit wears a La Femme Navy Gown from Terry Costa Dallas and Vintage Today Earrings and Ring by Couture Rocks Fine Jewelry. BLEEP 33
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR BRAND. Carinthia Kishaba: Couture Rocks is an E-Commerce Fine Jewelry boutique, concentrating on contemporary, one of a kind, and limited edition pieces. A lot of consideration goes into designing and cherry picking designer lines, we always want to give our clients the best quality and lead the trends, which is why our motto is “Setting todays trends for a timeless tomorrow”. We always want our clients to have something special and individual to them. And, it is an accessory and should compliment the individual not steal the spotlight from them. You wear the jewelry not the other way around!
five senses every night and usually remember most of them...in fact the company name Couture Rocks came to me in a dream.
WHAT IS YOUR DESIGN PROCESS LIKE? Usually it starts with a fun stone I find and I sit it on my desk for weeks staring at it while I work. I imagine the color combination first and then move to the style- Big bold piece or soft and romantic? Trending now or in the next 6 months? After that I start doing some limited sketches and then when I have a really solid idea I go to the jeweler who puts it all together in a cad machine (a computer program that draws in 3D and sends to a machine that carves it in wax). NOW TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOU. We make a mold, set the stones, and a beautiful new I grew up primarily in South Carolina, went to college piece is born. in Pennsylvania, and started working in the corporate Jewelry world in 2001. I moved to Texas in 2003 and WHY HAVE YOU CHOSEN THE DFW AREA AS a year later I went to work for a family owned Fine YOUR BASE OF OPERATIONS? Jewelry company and got a real taste for exquisite I love DFW! I grew up in the South and Texas is a great jewels and custom design. In April 2010 My Mother fit. My family is all around me and I have a fantastic and I started Couture Rocks and it has been a dream group of friends and clients I have built up in the past to design more and run a company. Here we are in 10 years. It’s my home and I love the people. And 2013 married to a wonderful man with three beautiful what’s great about being an E-Commerce business is children a fabulous company and heavily involved I can sell everywhere, all you need is a computer or a with two charity groups, Kids Matter International smart phone to find us and shop! and Fashion Group International. My three passions Jewelry, helping children, and encouraging others to WHAT GOALS DO YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE WITH follow their dreams. YOUR BRAND? Our goal is to be a tangible luxury house, one where WHEN DID YOU BEGIN MAKING JEWELRY? everyone can have a chance to own something I started helping clients design engagement rings in precious and unique. That people shop with us and 2002, pick the stone for them and the mounting but love us because along with all the pretty things we sell it was limited in the corporate world to what they had they know we are caring and give back just as much in stock. I really started to get a feel for working in to our community. We are very committed to caring the private jewelry industry with all the freedoms and for our world through the charities we are involved close relationships I was able to have with clients and in and using the only certified all Green Diamond gemstone vendors. My mother was always willing company, Avilon. I want people to know they are to leave her precious collection of gems with me to more than just clients to us, they are family and we experiment with and that was always really fun! appreciate and care for each of them no matter how big or small their budgets are. WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION FOR YOUR DESIGNS? WHERE CAN WE BUY YOUR DESIGNS? Creativity runs in the family and my outlet was always www.CoutureRocksOnline.com Like us on Facebook/ dance, I am happiest in motion. So movement and CoutureRocks follow us on Instagram: @CoutureRocks vibrant colors are incorporated into a majority of email us info@couturerocks.biz OR if you are in the our pieces. They float, swing, and pop with color. I DFW or surrounding area you can book a private love taking a crazy idea and making it wearable art Trunk Show Party and have the time of your life with that people adore. I also have to admit some of my us and your friends! best ideas come when I am sleeping. I dream in all 34 BLEEP
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Bella wears her own studded collar with heart dog tag. Cristen wears a Vintage Dress and Apron from www.throughthealley.com, and a custom Its Lynette hat. Yvette Lax wears her own sequin dress and a custom Its Lynette hat. Special thanks to: Random Dallas for allowing the use of their store for this shoot. Random is located at 6465 E. Mockingbird Ln. #366 Dallas, TX. Or online at www.shopatrandom.com. Telephone. 214.827.9499 The Do Cut and Color for supplying a hair stylist. The Do is located at 6003 Berkshire Ln. Dallas, TX. Or online at www.thedocutandcolor.com. 36 BLEEP Telephone. 214.346.3495
IT’S LYNETTE
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TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR BRAND. Yvette Lax: At Nanny’s house you would find floral wall paper, with a beautiful picture of flowers hung on that wall. That picture is sitting next to a large flower vase with large fresh flowers, all next to a floral couch, with a flower pattern in my Nanny’s floral carpet. Outside of this large comforting home it is encircled with large rose bushes, with the most pungent smell of sweet roses. Look closely at my Nanny’s rose bushes and you see ladybugs, butterflies, bumble bees and see and hear birds tweet their joy. I try to recreate these feelings and memories with my brand. Yvette is quiet and shy and my alter ego is outgoing and flashy; that would be Lynette, therefore my designs are lovingly named It’s Lynette.
proven resourceful and encouraging about designing head pieces. She also has a wealth of information regarding Millinery and hat construction, which really is my interest. WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION FOR YOUR DESIGNS? Life. In every shape, by the color pattern of a well decorated room, the pages and awe moment of a fashion magazine lay out. I love the majestic varied colors of nature to the fashion statements of the 20’s through the 60’s.
WHAT IS YOUR DESIGN PROCESS LIKE? Once I become inspired, the ideas start flowing, my heart starts pumping and I am happy and it is all NOW TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOU. smiles from then on. I visualize the supplies I need as Early in life as a child and teenager, I took private in do I need a hat block for felt or straw? Will I need a piano and art lessons. I am a California girl born and covering for a head band or do I use buckram forms? raised. Came to Texas to attend Southwestern Union My creativity kicks in naturally and smiles continue College where I received a BA in Music, focusing on with the trimming and finally the finished product. vocals-soprano, and opera with a minor in Art. So Then I thank God for the happiness this experience I have always had a healthy interest in the Arts in has brought, I am truly happy for the creativity. different forms. Including all arts and crafts as well. I have an aunt that is 92 years of age and still wears hats WHY HAVE YOU CHOSEN THE DFW AREA AS and gloves, and I have re decorated her hats through YOUR BASE OF OPERATIONS? the years, so I guess I would say she helped peak my I came to the DFW area to go to college and simply interest in hat making. stayed, there are some lovely people here in the realms of photography, modeling, organizations, and great WHEN DID YOU BEGIN MAKING HATS? supportive people. I use the Internet for purchases Around about January 2008 while decorating hats, of major supplies. But local stores and mom and pop it was suggested that I contact Julibee Theater, who shops are best for my trims. So it is easy to stay in the was putting on the play “Crowns”, to ask if I could DFW area and to be able to continue to create. lend hats to their production. After my interview with them, I was asked to supply hats for actors and the WHAT GOALS DO YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE WITH lobby as prop displays throughout the running of YOUR BRAND? “Crowns”. Later that year, I traveled to California for I would like to continue with photo shoot for magazine my first training in the required technique and skills publications, fashion shows, and dreaming of being a of Millinery with noted hat designer Wayne Wichern regular in New York Fashion Week and International of Redwood City, California. I later returned home Fashion Weeks with my designs. See the head pieces to be mentored by Dalph Johnson, Hat Designer in awesome brick and mortar stores, continue in Dallas, Texas in 2009. Most of 2009 once a week learning and studying Millinery. On a personal level, I would spend one hour with Dalph coupled with I would like to be able to give back to the community. purchasing and reading Classic Millinery Techniques by Ann Albrizio. YouTube has been helpful as well. WHERE CAN WE PURCHASE YOUR DESIGNS? Presently I partnered with a formal and bridal wear www.etsy.com designer by the name of Renee L. Turner, who has BLEEP 39
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Erica wears a custom abstract dress from Izavel by Isabel Varela and Elia De Leon Door Chain Clutch. Designers own shoes. Elia wears her own top and pants with an Elia De Leon Door Chain Belt. Designers own shoes and accessories.
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY GRACE HILL IMAGES CREATIVE DIRECTION AND STYLING BY JUAN LERMA AT THE DRAGONFLY AGENCY MAKEUP BY JERRAD TRAHAN HAIR STYLING BY JENNY ARMIJO AT THE DO CUT AND COLOR PROP STYLING BY ALLIE MORA FASHION ASSISTANCE BY CHELCIE GUIDRY PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANCE BY JEFF HILL MODELS KIT JOHNSTON AT THE CAMPBELL AGENCY CRISTEN COOPER AT THE DRAGONFLY AGENCY ERICA GONZALES AT THE DRAGONFLY AGENCY
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR BRAND. Elia De Leon is a contemporary ready to wear clothing and accessory label made in the USA. NOW TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOU. I have a very out going personality. I love to make people laugh and most of the time I am wearing a smile. WHEN DID YOU BEGIN MAKING BELTS AND HANDBAGS? I have been working with leathers, making belts and bags for about a year and a half now. WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION FOR YOUR DESIGNS? I find inspiration every where! A trip to Home Depot, the grocery store, colors, textures, music and art, it all fuels me. WHAT IS YOUR DESIGN PROCESS LIKE? My process normally starts with a sketch, selection of materials, then cut, sew, and stitch! WHY HAVE YOU CHOSEN THE DFW AREA AS YOUR BASE OF OPERATIONS? I was raised in Dallas, and although the tough decision of making the move to another city is not ruled out, things are really falling into place for me here. Dallas is growing and I am happy to be here growing and thriving with the city. WHAT GOALS DO YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE WITH YOUR BRAND? My biggest goal is to stay domestic; made in the USA. I am a Mexican American living the American dream. WHERE CAN WE BUY YOUR DESIGNS? You can shop online at www.eliadeleonusa.com 42 BLEEP
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Maitland
Meets
World
‘BOY MEETS WORLD’ STAR MAITLAND WARD IS READY TO TAKE ON HOLLYWOOD
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PHOTOS BY LORENZO HODGES
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DISNEY JUST GREENLIT “GIRL MEETS WORLD,” THE SPIN-OFF OF THE HIT 90’S SHOW “BOY MEETS WORLD.” IT WAS A SHOW AN ENTIRE GENERATION TUNED INTO T.G.I.F FOR. MAITLAND WARD PLAYED ‘RACHEL’ ON THE HIT SHOW, AND NOW, SHE’S BACK IN HOLLYWOOD, WORKING TO GET HER VOICE HEARD.
WHAT MOST SURPRISED YOU ABOUT BEING ON SUCH A HIT SHOW? How popular it’s become afterwards. Adults weren’t quite tuned into it at that point because it was for a younger audience, but now, it’s insane how popular it’s become through re-runs. And now, the twentysomethings are still fans from when they were kids.
WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? In Long Beach, Calif. I’m an L.A. native.
WHAT’S NEXT? I wrote two screenplays and hopefully get something together with those.
WHEN DID YOU DISCOVER YOU WANTED TO BE AN ACTRESS? Since I was 9 or 10 when I was taking acting classes in the community theatre. My parents wouldn’t let me really do it until I was 16. I took a casting director workshop from a casting director for “The Bold and the Beautiful.” She asked me to audition and I got it. It was a stroke of luck and I was whipped up into the soap opera world. It was a lot of fun at that age.
WHAT’S THE APPEAL GOING BEHIND CAMERA AFTER HAVING SPENT TIME IN FRONT OF IT? My father was a journalist for 35 years so I come from a writing background. There’s not a lot of great material as far as comedies for women and so I really want to get my voice out there. It’s a really great creative process because you have so much control over what’s on the page and in acting you don’t.
HOW DID “BOY MEETS WORLD” COME INTO YOUR LIFE? The casting director saw me auditioning for something else and I was written into the show.
HOW WAS THE RECENT “BOY MEETS WORLD” REUNION IN AUSTIN? It was fantastic. A lot of us hadn’t seen each other at the same time. When we got the airport that morning, it was like coming back in time but it was like no time had passed at all. It was great. Then we got to spend the entire weekend together and meeting fans. It was so fantastic.
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE “BOY MEETS WORLD” EXPERIENCE? I’d done a lot of pilots and they didn’t get picked up. I came into a show that was already a well-oiled machine. The cast was like a family and it was nervewracking to join it. But they welcomed me with open arms and I got to be on this hit show. It was a blessing. I loved working with Matt [Lawrence] and Will [Friedle], it felt like “Three’s Company.”
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WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN UP TO SINCE “BOY MEETS WORLD” ENDED? I did some other work, was in the movie “White Chicks” and then I got married and moved to New York for a while to go to NYU. I was studying theatre and doing some theatre work on the side. It was a shift for me. New York was a fantastic experience and now I’m back in LA for the most part. It gave me a reset.
WHAT’S YOUR DREAM? I would love to get my writing attached to a film and have it produced. Just to be able to create my own product.
TWITTER: @MAITLANDNYLA
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GLOBAL AR WE’RE IN MORE THAN 45 COUNTRIES AND WE HAVE A HANDFUL OF GLOBAL ARTISTS TO INTRODUCE YOU TO.
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ingrid silva
This stunning dancer from Brazil now dances with the Dance Theatre of Harlem.
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WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? I grew up in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. WHEN DID YOU FIRST START DANCING? I started to dance at the age of 8 years old. WHAT WAS THE FIRST ROUTINE YOU REMEMBER? It was the ballet Paquita from Marius Petipa. AT WHAT POINT DID DANCING BECOME IMPORTANT TO YOU? When I was 17 years old, I got an opportunity to be an apprentice at Grupo Corpo in Belo Horinte, Brazil. After that, I came to NYC to audition with Dance Theatre of Harlem. At this time I realized I could really dance professionally. WHAT KIND OF TRAINING HAVE YOU HAD? WHAT IS THE PRINCIPLE STYLE OF DANCE YOU DANCE NOW? WHY? I have trained classical ballet, contemporary, and modern. At Dance Theatre of Harlem, we dance neoclassical and classical ballet. WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST IMPORTANT PERFORMANCE YOU’VE HAD TO DATE? It was this past season we had at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater in April. This season was the official return of the Dance Theatre of Harlem Company after a nine-year hiatus. HOW HAVE YOU BEEN ADVANCING YOUR DANCING CAREER? I’ve always worked hard and also have tried to learn as much as I can from my ballet masters and choreographers I have the opportunity to work with. WHAT DOES DANCING MEAN TO YOU? It’s means everything. Dancing is my passion, it is what I choose to do for a living and I’m so happy doing it. Dancing changed my life for good. WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU? I want to keep dancing and also improving my techniques to achieve goals in my career. WHAT’S YOUR DREAM? I really dream that one day I’ll have my family watching me performing on a big stage here in New York. BLEEP 55 Photos by Ryan Brinson
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speaking spanish but singing in english,this performer from spain has his sights set on the globe.
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WHERE ARE YOU FROM? I am from the Canary Islands. I was born in Gran Canaria Island, but when I was 19, I went to study in Salamanca, and a year later I settled down in Madrid. WHEN DID YOU FIRST GET INVOLVED WITH MUSIC? My interest in music began when I was a kid. I always used to use my toys as microphones or to recreate scenes. I began to take guitar lessons and without realizing it I started to write my own songs.
is very limited, although suddenly through social media, there are artists emerging that contribute something new to music that know how to promote themselves to many people that contribute new and fresh sounds. I attempted to put this Electropop style into my songs that in Spanish does not sound well… It’s surprising the amount of Spanish artists there are on the internet that sing in other languages. Of course there’s always a minority interest in Spanish, but it would be in another style.
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR MOST MEMORABLE DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE OF MUSIC. PERFORMANCE TO DATE? My style could be considered Pop, although a lot My most memorable concert was at Pride 2009 in of my songs could be considered Dance/house or Madrid where I performed with my dancers in front Electropop. It depends on the producer I work with, of tons of people. It’s always so fun and the crowd although I always like to make remixes to be able makes you feel great. to show the different points of view that one song can have. I like the idea of transforming a song into WHY IS MUSIC IMPORTANT TO YOU? different moods. Music is important to me because it is my medicine, my therapy, everything that matters to me, my true WHY ARE YOU SO PASSIONATE ABOUT IT? thoughts and feelings become real in my songs, in My passion for music started the moment I learned my music, in my lyrics. It’s my form of expression, of to play the guitar and I realized I have the ability freedom. It is my true world, which makes me who I to write stories, being a type of therapy to be able really am, and it is where all of my essence is. to freely express my feelings toward something, someone or myself in the way I enjoy the most. WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPIEST IN THE WORLD? What makes me happy is to be able to dedicate WHAT ARE YOUR SONGS ABOUT? myself little by little to what I like, I would hope to My songs talk about many states in which I pass be able to say that I live for music, but I can tell you most of my days. For me, my songs are a journey that I live thanks to the existence of music. It makes and on each trip, something happens. Sometimes me happy to share this art with people that support there is darkness in a song, but I always portray it me. It makes me happy that people can believe in ironically, because when something bad happens to me unconditionally. It of course makes me happy me, I try to look at the positives of that experience, to surround myself with so many types of art, like like in the video for “Son of a Bitch”, where I play a bad musicians actors photographers and painters. I enjoy guy who takes revenge on other bad guys… (watch art most of all. My family makes me happy and though the video). Other songs talk about love, the things I they are far away, they support me. need, what I miss, what I want to get, but above all they have a fresh, positive message about feeling free WHAT’S COMING UP NEXT FOR YOU? and fighting for what you want. Smiling at life is the Right now I am ready to premiere “I Wanna Dance”, easiest way to realize your dreams. my first single in collaboration with David Van Bylen, the video is directed by Fuxedo Devito, and 8 Djs and YOU’RE IN A SPANISH SPEAKING COUNTRY. WHY producers have collaborated on the remixes. It’s a DO YOU SING IN ENGLISH? really fun and crazy video, where I express my feelings When I started writing songs, they were all in about Dance music. After that I will keep editing the Spanish, but one day a well known producer in Spain songs “Don’t Tell Me Lies” and “Living Again”, two sent a challenge on the internet where he encouraged great dance themes that I hope to send to the most the internet users to send song with the same Dance important dance (stamps/seals) to see if I’m lucky. I’ve style that he created. So I sent him Adrenaline (Carlos also composed the music for a black light theatrical Jean - Adrenaline on Spotify) and he immediately show inspired by the worlds of Julio Verne, and we got in contact with me because he really liked my will be on tour through Spain in the summer. proposal and decided to release it in his album “Keep the Trance”, where I also collaborated. So I decided to WHAT INSPIRES YOU? keep working with Djs and Dance music producers, Many artists inspire me, but I always listen to and suddenly I began to feel very comfortable with Madonna, 30 Sec to Mars, Hurts, Polly Scattergood, English, and once I started writing in English, I enjoyed Robyn, Fangoria and I always try to fuse a lot of things it more. They started to publish my English songs on though my producers are the ones that really give my iTunes and Spotify I have kept following that path. songs all the life they need. I always send the demos The cultural music in Spain and singing in Spanish and they transform them. BLEEP 59
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¿De dónde eres? ¿Dónde naciste? Soy de la islas Canarias, nací en la isla de Gran Canaria, pero a los 19 años me fui a estudiar a Salamanca, y un año después me instalé en Madrid. ¿Cuándo empezó tu interés en la música? Mi interés por la música comenzó desde que era un niño, siempre me gustaba utilizar mis juguetes como micrófonos, o recrear un escenario. Empecé a tomar lecciones de guitarra y sin darme cuenta comencé a componer mis propias canciones. Describe tu estilo de música. Mi estilo de música se podría considerar Pop, aunque la mayoría de mis canciones son Dance/house y Electropop. Depende mucho del productor con el que trabaje, aunque siempre me gusta hacer remixes para poder enseñar los diferentes puntos de vista que puede tener una canción. Me gusta la idea de transformar las canciones para diferentes ambientes. ¿Por qué tienes esta pasión? Mi pasión por la música nace desde el momento en el que aprendo a tocar la guitarra y me doy cuenta que tengo facilidad para escribir historias, siendo así una especie de “terapia” a la hora de poder expresar libremente y de la forma que más me gusta mis pensamientos hacia algo, hacia alguien, o hacia mi mismo. De qué se tratan tus canciones? Mis canciones hablan de muchos estados por los que paso a lo largo de los días.. Puede que el mensaje desde fuera se entienda de una manera más superficial, porque en todas mis canciones la base de todo es disfrutar de la vida, aprovechar el momento, pasarlo bien.. Pero siempre que escribo algo, analizo mucho lo que quiero decir.. Para mi, mis canciones son un viaje.. y en cada viaje pasa algo, puede que haya oscuridad en algunas canciones pero siempre de manera irónica, porque cuando me pasa algo malo, intento sacar el lado bueno de esa vivencia, como por ejemplo en el video de Son of a bitch, en el que interpreto a un chico malo que se quiere vengar de otros chicos malos por algo… ( ver el video jejeje). Otras canciones hablan de amor, de las cosas que necesito, lo que hecho de menos, lo que quiero conseguir, pero sobre todo tienen un mensaje fresco, de positivismo, y de sentirte libre y luchar por lo que quieres. Sonriendo a la vida es más fácil alcanzar tus sueños. Vives en un país que habla español. ¿Por qué cantas en inglés? Cuando comencé a escribir canciones todas eran en español, pero un día un productor muy conocido de España lanzó un reto por internet en el que animaba a los internautas a enviar propuestas sobre bases musicales de estilo Dance que él creaba. Así que le envié Adrenaline (Carlos Jean - Adrenaline en Spotify) y enseguida se puso en contacto conmigo porque le había gustado mucho mi propuesta y decidió publicarla en su disco junto con Keep the trance, en la que también colaboré. Entonces decidí continuar trabajando con Djs y productores de música Dance, y de repente comencé a sentirme muy cómodo con el Inglés, a la hora de escribir en inglés me divierto más. Mis canciones en inglés comenzaron a publicarse en Itunes y Spotify y he seguido por ese camino. La cultura musical en
España, a la hora de cantar en español, está muy limitada, aunque de repente a través de las redes sociales , están emergiendo artistas que aportan algo nuevo a la música, que saben autopromocionarse y llegar a mucha gente, que aportan sonidos nuevos y frescos. Yo intenté darle a mis canciones ese estilo electropop, que en español no acaba de sonar bien… Es sorprendente la cantida de artistas españoles que hay por la red que cantan en otros idiomas.. Por supuesto siempre hay una minoría interesante en español.. Pero será que yo tengo otro estilo.. ¿Cuál concierto ha sido lo más memorable para ti hasta este punto? Mi concierto más memorable fue en el Orgullo de 2009 en Madrid.. En el que actué con mis bailarines delante de infinitas personas.. Es siempre muy divertido y el público te hace sentir genial. Hace tiempo que no hago directos, porque me he metido en el mundo del videoclip, y de ser más selectivo a la hora de publicar una canción, pero estoy deseando actuar, ya que siempre llevo a bailarines, y haces shows muy teatrales en los que no paramos de bailar! Como nota te digo que el último concierto memorable al que acudí fue al de Madonna en Barcelona este verano pasado. Para no olvidar… ¿Por qué te importa la música? La música me importa porque es mi medicina, mi terapia, todo lo que me importa, mis verdaderos pensamientos y sentimientos se plasman en mis canciones, en la música, en las letras. Es mi forma de expresión, de liberación. Es mi verdadero mundo, quien me hace ser quien verdaderamente soy, es donde está toda mi esencia. ¿Qué te hace lo más feliz en el mundo? Lo que me hace feliz es poder poco a poco dedicarme a lo que me gusta, ojalá pudiera decir que vivo de la música, pero si puedo decirte que vivo gracias a que existe la música. Me hace feliz compartir con la gente que me apoya este arte. Me hace feliz las personas que creen en mí incondicionalmente. Me hace feliz por supuesto rodearme de distinas formas de arte, ya sean músicos, actores, fotógrafos, pintores.. Disfruto muchísimo con el arte en general. Me hace feliz mi familia, que aunque está lejos me apoya. ¿Qué viene ahora para tu carrera? Ahora estoy a punto de estrenar I wanna dance, mi próximo single en colaboración con David Van Bylen, el videoclip está dirigido por Fuxedo Devito, y han colaborado en los remixes como 8 Djs y Productores. Es un video muy divertido, muy loco, en el que expreso mi actitud hacia la música Dance. Después seguiré editando canciones como Don’t tell me líes y Living agrian, dos grandes temas dance que espero enviar a los sellos más importantes de dance a ver si tengo suerte. También he compuesto la música para una obra teatral de luz negra inspirada en los mundos de Julio Verne, y estaremos de gira por España en verano. ¿Quién te inspira? Me inspiran muchos artistas, Pero escucho siempre a Madonna, 30 sec to mars, Hurts, Polly Scattergood, Robyn, Fangoria.. Y luego intento fusionar varias cosas aunque luego mis productores son los que verdaderamente le dan toda la vida que necesitan mis canciones, yo siempre envío las demos y ellos las transforman.
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nicholas cunningham having danced on broadway, in the west end, and all over the world, this dancer from australia is embarking on a new adventure.
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WHERE ARE YOU FROM? Brisbane Australia. When did you leave there and why? I left for university in 2003 to go to the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts in Perth. I started my training there and moved to Sydney for six months before I was off to the Moulin Rouge in Paris. I started there in 2005 and I was 19. It was my first job and it turned me into a professional. It was very far away and a French-speaking country so I kinda had to fend for myself. It was a good character building experience.
wrong in that four month period but some people saw a light in it and we then played the West End for a year and a half. WHAT OTHER WORK HAVE YOU DONE? I was in the film “Nine” with Rob Marshall. It was really interesting to see a different side of performing arts. It was such a high budget film. We were rehearsing in a sound studio that was just as big as the actual set. It was an interesting and really cool experience. I was working at The Chocolate Factory at the same time so it was interesting to see the difference in budgets of the projects I was working on.
WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST THING YOU LEARNED ABOUT YOURSELF IN THAT EXPERIENCE? I am pretty strong in being able to do anything. I’m game to jump in the deep in. I think that goes with the profession a little bit.
What was the reception like when you brought La Cage to Broadway? Since I’d been with the show from the beginning and had worked closely with the choreographer, she wanted me to come to Broadway with her so I did. People thought we were crazy. Jerry Mitchell’s revival WHAT TOOK YOU FROM PARIS TO LONDON? had just been through a couple of years before but we Billy Joel’s Movin Out. We rehearsed for 10 weeks were confident because we knew we had something and then we opened. We closed within six weeks. special and different. The TV stuff, the TONYS, and the I’d completely uprooted my life, expecting to have a amount of publicity that American theatre injects into job for a long time and then my whole world turned the public is incredible. I’d never experienced that upside down. It was my first musical theatre show much attention as a performer. It was life changing and it closed. I was put out on a limb so I auditioned and I got to come and live my dream on Broadway. for a long time and didn’t get anything. I got to a place where I didn’t think I could do it anymore. But I WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU? went to the audition for Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake The Bad Boys of Dance. They’re doing a full new and two days later, I was in the company for the world production of Romeo and Juliet that is going to tour tour. We visited nine or ten countries. It’s a cliché but Europe. I danced in Phantom and I danced in La Cage, if you just keep on persisting, you really do end up but the last full dance show I did was Swan Lake. I getting to where you want to go. trained as a dancer and with dance, you have a cutoff point, so I wanted to do this now while I can. WHAT WAS NEXT FOR YOU? When that finished, I auditioned for La Cage Aux WHAT’S YOUR DREAM? Folles. I got that job at The Chocolate Factory in 2007 I’ve always wanted to win an award, that’s a dream. and we didn’t think it was going to be a big-time But then again, I didn’t think I could make it to show or anything. It was in the winter in London, the Broadway so that was a dream. I want to be of the theater wasn’t heated, one night the power went out. caliber of Rob Marshall or Jerry Mitchell. I’m happy It was rough. There were so many things that went creating and enjoying the art. I really love the art. BLEEP 65
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R E G G O L B e v o l we We chat with Ashley Dy from Japan about fashion overseas and how fashion may change from country to country but style is universal. BLEEP 69
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WHERE ARE YOU FROM? I’m from the Philippines. WHERE DO YOU LIVE NOW? I’m currently living in Japan.
I like to retain that character as much as possible. However, I also want to grow as a blogger so I started posting “corporate” looks like how I started before.
WHAT’S THE PURPOSE OF YOUR BLOG? To inspire people, to make them dream a little bit WHEN DID YOU START BLOGGING? bigger, travel the world, take more photos and to In 2009, my friend and I were bored with our 8-5 create something they love. job as interns, so I decided to make a blog and take “corporate outfit” photos in between breaks. I became HOW DID YOUR BLOG GET ITS NAME? really passionate about sharing my looks and travels. My childhood nickname is “Candy,” and I just added It never stopped. the phrase “Kawaii Lover” as I love all things Japanese. Most people do! AT FIRST GLANCE, YOUR BLOG IS ABOUT FASHION. BUT IT’S REALLY ABOUT MUCH MORE WHY ARE BLOGGERS IMPORTANT? THAN THAT. I believe bloggers paved way to a change that we’ve If you’ve read closely, you’ll find more about been all wanting to. They started a force to swing Japanese and Filipino traditions, travel suggestions, the pendulum. From being dictated by the “fashion how to love yourself (especially your body) and so authorities” on what to wear, now we can set a trend much more. I am always inspired by places I’ve been if we want to. to, people I’ve met and things people have created, and I love sharing those to my blog readers. WHAT’S YOUR DREAM? My dream is to travel the world, capture magical WHAT NICHE HAVE YOU CARVED OUT FOR moments and become an artist. YOURSELF IN THE WORLDWIDE BLOGOSPHERE? WWW.CANDYKAWAIILOVER.BLOGSPOT.COM People view my blog as “kawaii” or “dreamy” and BLEEP 71
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by Katherine Morgan
BECCA, 25, Administrative Assistant ladyfaceblog.blogspot.com
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE? I think that my style is very classic.I personally think that it’s really girly. I would mainly describe it as vintage with a fit and flare quality. I really love colors and patterns. I am currently loving the gingham pattern.
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS ONE THING THAT WILL NEVER GO OUT OF STYLE? I think that a good fitting dress will never go out of style. A will-fitting dress is key.
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WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PIECE OF CLOTHING THAT YOU’RE WEARING NOW? I really love this dress that I’m wearing. It’s actually vintage and I found it 5 years ago while thrifting
bleepquiz Michael Feigenbaum
Performer and rhythm specialist
I am... a visitor in a world with infinite depth. I’m here because... I do not let my negative feelings win the day. What makes me happiest is... loving inspiration. The color that best represents me is... dark turquoise with orange stripes. What I hope to accomplish today is... to publish an article in Bleep magazine. My best friends are... actually family-that-Ichose! I can’t live without... rhythm and a bit of adventure. Between an Olympic champion or an Oscar winner, I’d rather be... an Olympic champion. If I wasn’t me, I’d be... an African woman dancer. I like it best when you... make me laugh. God is... LOVE! It is this expression that lies within all of us. I’m hungry for... inspiration. I cry… with those I love. Style means… anything you want it to mean, as long as it’s your honest opinion. I want to go... to Brazil. The most obnoxious sound in the world is... a sigh from a cynical person. What makes me weak is... my self criticism. At this exact moment, I’m passionate about... cooking tomorrow’s brunch. I crave... peanut M&M’s. My inspiration is… a manifestation of the moments I am in touch with my soul. BLEEP 79
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. D E R O S N E C N U . Y IT CREATIV www.bleepmag.com
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