UAW-Ford’s Best of Young Detroit
July 19-25, 2017
Page C-4
Free Detroit Public Library programs promote reading and math Main Branch: 5201 Woodward Avenue, 313-481-1300. Hours: Tuesday and Wednesday: Noon – 8:00 p.m. Thursday, Friday & Saturday: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Bowen Branch: 3648 W. Vernor/W. Grand Blvd., 313.481.1540. Hours: M, W & Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday: Noon - 8:00 p.m. * Campbell Branch: 8733 W. Vernor/Springwells, 313.481.1550. Hours: T, Thurs., & Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.; M & W: Noon - 8:00 p.m. * The “Best of Young Detroit” wishes to inform parents and students that there is still an opportunity to participate in the Detroit Public Library’s summer reading program and basic math program through the end of July. Both programs are free. The summer reading program targets early listeners, kids and teens, while providing opportunities to earn prizes. The math program targets grades 2-9, and provides an opportunity for students to strengthen basic skills. “Keeping reading and math skills fresh during the summer break are important for our youth as it forces them to be responsible for their own education and to prepare for the upcoming school year, said Atiim J. Funchess, assistant director of Marketing for the Detroit Public Library. “Reading and learning math during the summer will also give them a head-start on their upgraded curriculum and increased confidence to meet their new academic challenges.” To register and find out more about the summer reading program, including how to earn prizes, please visit https://detroitpubliclibrary.readsquared.com The summer reading program and the basic math program also can be accessed at any Detroit Public Library branch. Following is a listing of library branches across our city, along with their regular hours of operation:
Chandler Park Branch: 12800 Harper/ Dickerson, 313.481.1560. Hours: W & Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.; Thursday: Noon - 8:00 p.m. * Chaney Branch: 16101 Grand River/ Greenfield, 313.481.1570. Hours: M, W & Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.; Tuesday & Thursday: Noon - 8:00 p.m. * Chase Branch: 17731 W. Seven Mile Rd./ Southfield, 313.481.1580. Hours: M, W & Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday: Noon - 8:00 p.m. * Conely Branch: 4600 Martin/Michigan, 313.481.1590. Hours: M, W & Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.; Tuesday & Thursday: Noon - 8:00 p.m. * Douglass Branch for Specialized Services: 3666 Grand River/Trumbull, 313.481.1707. Hours: Monday-Friday: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Duffield Branch: 2507 W. Grand Blvd./14th St., 313.481.1710. Hours: M, W & Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.; Tuesday & Thursday: Noon - 8:00 p.m. * Edison Branch: 18400 Joy/Southfield, 313.481.1720. Hours: Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.; M & W: Noon - 8:00 p.m. *
Career Spotlight: Damon Martin, Studio Recording/Mix Engineer
Elmwood Park Branch: 550 Chene/ Lafayette, 313.481.1730. Hours: M, W, Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.; Tuesday & Thursday: Noon - 8:00 p.m. * Franklin Branch: 13651 E. McNichols/ Gratiot, 313.481.1740. Hours: M, W & Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.; Tuesday & Thursday: Noon - 8:00 p.m. *
Skillman Branch: 121 Gratiot/Farmer, 313.481.1850. Hours: M, T, W, Thurs & Sa: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. * Wilder Branch: 7140 E. 7 Mile Rd./Van Dyke, 313.481.1870. Hours: W: Noon - 8:00 p.m.; Thursday & Saturday: 10:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m. *
Hubbard Branch: 12929 W. McNichols/ James Couzens, 313.481.1750. Hours: Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday: 10:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m.; M & W: Noon - 8:00 p.m. * Jefferson Branch: 12350 E. Outer Dr./E. Warren, 313.481.1760. Hours: Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.; M & W: Noon - 8:00 p.m. * Knapp Branch: 13330 Conant/E. Davison, 313.481.1770. Hours: Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.; M & W: Noon - 8:00 p.m. * Lincoln Branch: 1221 E. 7 Mile Rd./Russell, 313.481.1780. Hours: M: Noon - 8:00 p.m.; T: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
* Denotes that during the summer (from the Friday before Memorial Day to Labor Day) these branches are closed Saturday, but open Friday.
Monteith Branch: 14100 Kercheval/Eastlawn, 313.481.1800. Hours: M: Noon - 8:00 p.m.; T: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Parkman Branch: 1766 Oakman Blvd./ Linwood, 313.481.1810. Technology, Literacy & Career (TLC) Center: 313.481.1814. Hours: Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.; M & W: Noon - 8:00 p.m. * Redford Branch: 21200 Grand River/W. McNichols, 313.481.1820. Hours: Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.; M & W: Noon - 8:00 p.m. * Sherwood Forest Branch: 7117 W. 7 Mile Rd./Livernois, 313.481.1840. Hours: M, W & Sa: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.; Tuesday & Thursday: Noon 8:00 p.m. *
Five-foot-eight Kay Felder steps up big during Las Vegas Summer League A career in the music industry is an aspiration for many youth, but what can a young person do to make that dream a reality? The “Best of Young Detroit” recently reached out to a gentleman who has answers—studio recording/mix engineer Damon Martin. The pride of Mumford High School, today Martin is the chief engineer at United Sound Systems Recording Studios, which has hosted numerous legendary artists through the years. Martin wants the best for our city’s youth and he graciously took the time to share some valuable information that will no doubt help any young person who has a serious interest in the music industry. Best of Young Detroit: How should a young person approach the music business? Damon Martin: “For anyone trying to get his or her foot in the door of any branch of the music business, my first piece of advice would be to study business in general. Understand the basics like supply and demand, time management, basic accounting, trends, customer service, team building, etc. By doing so, you’re putting yourself ahead of the pack because most artists spend most of their time focusing on the art (music) and pay little attention to the fact that it’s called the ‘Music Business.’ “…Learning the business side of things allows you to build your professional profile and business IQ over time. This industry is about whom you know, so wouldn’t you want to build your reputation based on what you know before your first handshake? You must bring more to the table than a “hot 16 bars” or a “dope beat”. It’s currently 2017 and there are millions of people doing the exact same thing. What can you bring to the table that’s going to make you stand out? As a recording/mix engineer, I get tons of people asking to be my intern/runner/assistant, but none of them ever take the time out to research how to approach a studio engineer. The music business and all of its branches has a certain etiquette to follow. Learn it, master it and you’re halfway through the door. In my many years of experience I’ve witnessed the most talented people be placed on a shelf while those with less talent, but the most ambition and drive succeed.” Best of Young Detroit: Armed with a understanding of the business side of your industry, how should a young person go about presenting his or her art? Damon Martin: “Once you’ve become seasoned on the do’s and don’ts of the business, you should be ready to release to the world your artistry. No matter which part of the production line you’re in, you’re an artist! All the following are artists: Rapper, writer, poet, beat producer, guitarist, drummer, production assistant, recording engineer, mastering engineer, studio owner, manager and even the intern whose only job is to make a fresh pot of coffee, sit in the corner and be very quiet. Even though one may get more
attention, none are more important than the other, because they all need one another at some point in time to reach a goal. The more you work selflessly as a team with others the more valuable you become. So, how do you even get to that point? You work tirelessly on your craft. Your passion should always be the motivating factor behind your works. If making beats is what you love to do then you should be eating, sleeping and waking up to beats… The same goes for engineering. There’s tons of information online about recording/mixing techniques that previously didn’t exist. The information that you gather should be dissected, absorbed and applied to whatever part of the production line you stand in. With that said, always be inspired and you can find inspiration in anything. Sometimes I go to the park and listen to nature. I also listen to conversations, city noise, and even airplanes passing by because I believe that a message doesn’t always come from a person’s mouth. Music is a universal language.” Best of Young Detroit: What are some of the basic equipment items that a young person may need to develop his or her craft, particularly someone interested in music production? Damon Martin: “First, save up some money to buy a laptop capable of handling the software you’d want to work in, and research and find out what software you’ll need. This would be specific to the type of music you’d want to create…You’ll also need an audio interface to give you inputs and outputs to and from your computer. Next, you’ll need to hear what you’re doing, so you’ll need a good pair of headphones or monitors (studio term for speakers) to monitor sound. And a microphone will be needed if vocal production is a part of the goal. This is typically a mobile setup and will allow you to travel without being weighed down by heavy gear. As basic as this setup may seem, this is the meat and potatoes of most recording/production rigs. “After getting to know your equipment, start joining workshops and taking classes. If none are accessible, start following others on social media who are doing the same thing and always ask questions! If possible, learn to play an instrument and incorporate it into your music. And while doing all of this, build an online image along the way. These days, you can sell songs, hooks and beats at the click of a button. Why not get an early start on defining who and what you are with an online presence? “Finally, to be a successful producer, you must have a plan, and once you have a good enough plan, reach out to others across state lines. Go to conventions and bigger venues and absorb the experiences. Make yourself available and mingle with musicians. You never know. You might find yourself loading up beats into Pro Tools at a major studio for an A-List artist. Preparation is the key!
The place to catch young NBA players that are prepping for the upcoming season was the Las Vegas Summer League. One of the players on display was Detroit’s own Kay Felder, who was playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers’ entry in the league, which also included tournament play. Felder, the pride of Pershing High School and Oakland University, appeared in 42 games for the Cavs during the 2016-17 regular season. However, his Summer League
performances showed that he is more than ready to vie for more playing time when the team goes to training camp. The 54th overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft, Felder had many highlights during the recent Summer League competition, including a highly-anticipated game against the Los Angeles Lakers’ squad. The contest matched Felder in the backcourt against Lonzo Ball, the number two overall pick in the 2017 draft. The five-foot-eight Felder stepped up, literally, by scoring 25 points, to go with four assists and four steals.
Smoothie recipe offers special taste for summer in ‘The D’
The “Best of Young Detroit” was seeking a flavorful alternative to soda pop and other sugary drinks for the summer, so we turned to Chef Yolanda Hawthorne, a proud Detroit native. Chef Yolanda provided a recipe for a smoothie, which she named “Bellissimo,” because it is a favorite of her soon to be 13-year-old daughter, Isabella. “I love the combination of mango and strawberries mixed together and I especially love the color of this smoothie, which is light pinkish,” said Chef Yolanda. “I selected apple juice to use to mix the fruit because it has a neutral taste, where as orange juice and/or cranberry juice was too overpowering for my taste buds. Enjoy!” “Bellissimo” Smoothie Recipe (Total Prep Time: 10 minutes. Yield: 2 7oz cups)
½ cup apple cider juice 5 pieces of medium size ice Garnish with fresh strawberries and fresh mint leaves
Directions Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Adding ice makes it slushier.
Ingredients 1 cup fresh sweet strawberries, stems removed (frozen if not in season) 1 cup fresh mangoes, peeled and diced (frozen if not in season)
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