Cleveland Inspired: Chris Harris, Lauren Lanzaretta & Color of Love

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Ok, so I usually call this post “A little daily inspiration.” But since I’m from Cleveland, and generally speaking the only articles people share about my hometown talk about it being the most depressed city, or the least livable city, I figured it was time to share something inspiring straight out of C-Town.

Chris and Lauren in Times Square!

Chris Harris and I met over ten years ago when we hosted the television show, “Brown’s Blitz.” Once Cleveland finally got their football team back (they fled to Baltimore), NBC’s regional affiliate decided to air a weekly sports show featuring a bunch of kids and Bernie Kosar. Each and every kid in the group has grown up and gone on to do awesome things. I’m not quite sure that we ever imagined we’d see our co-host, Chris Harris, on screen in the middle of Times Square for the release of he and Lauren Lanzaretta’s new album, Color of Love. But there he is, pictured to the right, and for the second time I might add!

Cleveland has a pretty lively arts community including but not limited to, the Cleveland Orchestra (their really amazing!), The Cleveland Playhouse, which puts on a number of great performances, and Playhouse Square. However, for an independent artist Cleveland isn’t as nurturing as say, New York City or Los Angeles. Despite all of this, Chris has managed to find and create a number of opportunities for himself. Since Chris’s hosting days, he’s released three albums and is now BKA (better known as) DJ $crilla. Color of Love is his third album and first attempt at collaborating with the talented and soulful Lauren Lanzaretta. Social networking had a great impact on CoL coming to fruition; Chris and Lauren met through Facebook. Luckily, their sensibilities and talents made CoL possible.

In an effort to give back to the community, Chris and Lauren have made Color of Love free to download in partnership with Berea Children’s and Family Services. Donations to BCFS aren’t required, but they are always welcome. I’ve downloaded my copy and these are two talented Clevelanders! =)

 
I wish Chris and I could have done a video interview like the old days, but nonetheless I got to ask him a few questions:

We’re a long way from our Brown’s Blitz days, did you know back then that you wanted to make music?

 
Yes and no. I had been experimenting with music for a few years, but I had no idea of the real passion that was inside of me. At first, I wanted to be a DJ. I had my turntables, my mixer, and made weekly trips to the record store — I thought that was what I was supposed to do, but it wasn’t. It wasn’t until I randomly entered a cipher, that I began to make the transition from DJ’ing to performing. Then I realized that music was my passion.

You’ve been performing all over the country, how have you found these opportunities?

 
It’s been a real blessing. It’s funny because most people think that I’m randomly pitching schools, or that I have a booking agency, but that’s not the case. I’d say 99% of my shows have been through word of mouth, a simple referral from one person to another.

What’s been the most difficult part of your journey?

 
I think it’s been a combination of having patience and the reality of the music industry. I’m a workaholic and, at times, it’s hard to have patience waiting for the next opportunity to come. When I first got started in music, I had a perception of what I thought the music industry was like. Once I was exposed to it, it was much different. This journey has been difficult, but it has been wonderful. It’s wonderful because I’m learning everyday, which in return helps me grow as an artist and person.

When I think of Cleveland, Bone Thugs N Harmony and Kid Cudi immediately come to mind. Have you found the music community in Cleveland to be lively and supportive?

 
I think overall, the music community is very supportive. However, I find that the Hip-Hop/Rap community still has a ways to go. There are some really talented local hip-hoppers in Cleveland. I think we as a whole just need more people to support us, and take a chance on us. For example, I’ve submitted content to festivals/performances in the Cleveland area and they have told me straight up, “We don’t do rap here” – and that’s hard to swallow. Sometimes people hear “rap” and they automatically put you in a box. I see it as an opportunity, an opportunity to change the perception.

How did you and Lauren link up? I imagine that collaborating, while at times very comforting, is a huge risk. When did you and Lauren realize that you’d be a good fit for one another?

 

I met Lauren Lanzaretta through Facebook– how crazy is that? Lauren sent me a friend request, and that pretty much opened up the dialogue between us. This collaboration was not only something new to me, but Lauren as well. Anytime you try something new there is going to risk involved, but I was eager to accept that challenge. It all started to make sense while we were recording the song “Color of Love.” After that session, I approached Lauren with the idea of doing a collaborative project.

Every artist’s creative process is different, what’s been the most important and effective part of your process? 

 
The most important part of my process is my environment. I’m a firm believer that if the environment is positive, you’ll get positive results. I’m very structured in my whole process, whether I’m recording vocals, or doing post-production. Once Lauren joined, there was a slight shift in the process, but she brought a positive energy, which I think shows in our music.

What’s the theme of your new album?

 

The new album, Color of Love, is an expression about the many different colors of love. Love is so universal, it doesn’t have to mean your love for someone, it can also be your love for some thing, such as music. When a prism breaks up white light, you get 7 colors (ROYGBIV)…Our CD has 7 songs, see what I’m getting at? 

You’ve expressed an interest in venturing into other areas of entertainment, what are your plans outside of music?

 
I’ve always been a creative soul, and I would love to express that through television and film. I would love to eventually work as a Program Director for a cable network. It seems like a very challenging, but cool job to have.

I’m thankful for all the blessings God has given me. Of course I’m thankful for family and friends too. I’m thankful for all the musical artists that came before me, and paved the way. Even though I may not have always agreed with them, I have always respected people who’ve had an impact on music, whether that be 2pac or N.W.A. I’m also thankful for EVERYONE who has ever supported, or made a comment or tweet about my work (good or bad) – because it has all pushed me to be better.

For more information about Chris and Lauren, check out their websites, DJ $crilla and Lauren Lanzaretta, or follow them on twitter, @dj$scrilla, @Lauren Lanzaretta.

 
As always, it’s wonderful to witness those who’ve chosen to make rather than wait for opportunities. If you are what you continually do, then there is no doubt that Chris and Lauren are inspiring. Now, if anyone has anything negative to say about Cleveland, keep it to yourself!

 

~Thankful


Are You In Love?

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Well, are you?

My college track coach asked me this almost everyday.  I’m convinced that I didn’t entirely understand the question at first. My standard replies were, “Yes!” or “Of course!” Then one day he said, “Do you know what I’m asking? I want to know if you’re in love with Track and Field.”

Running consumed most of my life and had for some time. I’d been running summer track since age 14. Once I got to UC Berkeley, I was practicing everyday and sometimes twice a day. But truth be told, I’d never really given thought to whether or not I was in love with running. As much as you’d think working out everyday is easy, it’s not. I trained in the hopes that I’d reach some lofty goal, and that goal was always in the balance. Endless interval sessions and back breaking hard work could be instantly flushed down the toilet if I got hurt or fell ill. Not to mention the fact that, in between training sessions, I had to attend class and complete my assignments as well as a non-athlete. So, with that in mind, practicing everyday could have seemed like a job. But no matter how difficult things got, I always enjoyed myself. And despite the possible pitfalls that awaited me, I always continued. So when he finally explained the question, I could undoubtedly say, I was in love.

If you work full-time, you spend 40 hours a week at work, that’s 2,080 hours a year and, if you work until age 70, that’s 145,600 hours in a lifetime. Unfortunately, not everyone has the opportunity to do something that they love everyday. The lucky ones, call them smart or talented or whatever you’d like, have made a career out of the thing they love, be it cinema, design, athletics, medicine, philanthropy or other. And to them, I’d venture to say that their work, more often than not, does not feel like a job. It’s easy to credit circumstances. Of course circumstances make it such that some people aren’t afforded the chance to pursue their passions. I challenge those who, at the moment, can’t do what they love to identify something in their everyday routine that they enjoy. It may be your morning walk to work, the opportunity to take the lead on a project, or your time spent researching innovative ideas for your company. On the other hand, if you don’t know what you love to do, see if you can find a sliver of time in your schedule to figure it out. Research has shown that you’re happier if you reserve at least ten minutes in your day for an enjoyable activity. And be optimistic about the fact that your inability to participate in, or determine that thing you love, is only momentary. Who knows, the journey to find it may be as enjoyable as the act of performance.

I’m thankful that I’ve been allowed to explore and expand upon my passions. I hope that everyone finds and takes the chance to do the same. Happy Friday everyone!

~Thankful

~~~~~~~ Check out Thankful for a Million’s Facebook Page!

A Little Daily Inspiration: #17 Mickey Kay

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For those of you with resolutions to take better care of yourself and your body, let this be one reason why you’ll never stray from going on that run because you’re tired. And, to those of you who have a dream and can think of a million reasons why that dream is unrealistic, let this story be your assurance that anything is possible and only you can set limits for yourself.

#17 Mickey Kay, the young man you see in the picture above, is now playing in Germany for the Jena-Caputs, a professional Wheelchair Basketball Team. This wasn’t always the dream, in fact, Mickey hasn’t always been a wheelchair user. Mickey continued his active lifestyle even after sustaining a life altering injury. He’s been involved as a wheelchair basketball player and coach since 2005. This UC Berkeley Alum was a huge contributor to BORP’s (Bay Area Outreach & Recreation) wheelchair basketball team. Since 2005 a fortuitous combination of talent, determination and wanderlust brought Mickey to the Jena-Caputs, a member of Germany’s top-level league, the RBBL (Rollstuhlbasketball Bundesliga). He was kind enough to answer a few questions!

Were you a big basketball player prior to your accident? If so, how did your outlook on your participation in the sport change?

No, I was actually a pretty terrible basketball player! I’d played a little bit on my middle school team, and then just some pickup in high school, but it was definitely never my sport. I was a much better soccer player, and did pretty well at tennis and then ultimate frisbee as well. Wheelchair basketball is probably the most easily accessible sport for disabled individuals, and so I just sort of fell into it naturally after my accident

How did you get involved with the Bay Area Outreach & Recreation Program?

I started playing with the Bay Area Outreach & Recreation (BORP) wheelchair basketball team in 2006. At the time I was living about an hour north of the Bay Area, playing with a really recreational wheelchair basketball team. I mean really recreational. We didn’t even have basketball chairs, so we’d just play in our everyday chairs and go flying out of them all the time. A teammate mentioned that he was heading down to Berkeley to train with another team that was playing at the level above ours, and asked if I wanted to tag along. I was pretty new to the game and was really enjoying it, so of course I jumped at the chance. So, I started training more with BORP, and then eventually played for their team after moving to Berkeley to attend the University. A year later, I started Assistant Coaching the youth team, and the rest is history!

Do International leagues often recruit from organizations like BORP?

Not so much. If foreign countries are recruiting players from the US, it would most likely be from US college programs, which operate some of the best teams in the country.

Is Jena part of the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation? If so, are all the players on the team eligible for consideration for the 2012 Games? Are you aiming to play in London?

The whole RBBL, and thus Jena as well, falls under the IWBF umbrella. All the players are eligible for the Paralympics in 2012, although who you play for in the regular season, or if you play for an IWBF team at all, doesn’t really affect your eligibility. Anyone can play if they make the cut at try-outs!

I’d love to say I was, but realistically that’s not going to happen. First of all, the first selections have already been made. I did attend the west coast selection camp, but didn’t make the selection. The guys who will make the team are playing at a level that is pretty ridiculous, it’s amazing to watch. I look forward to watching them do their thing this summer.

“Then one day I just decided, I really did want to try it out, and now here I am. When I finally got here, that was definitely an “infinite possibilities” moment.”

What’s been the most challenging part to playing overseas?

Adjusting in general. Language is always a tough one. Even though most everyone on the team speaks English really well, I try to speak mostly in German, and it’s hard to feel 100% comfortable in a language that’s not your mother tongue. Trying to find my role on the team is tough too. Back home I played with the same team for four seasons – I knew exactly what my strengths and weaknesses were, and I knew pretty well what to expect from my teammates. That takes time, and here in Jena we have a lot of new guys and we’re still working to build our confidence in one another.

With all that you’ve accomplished, has there ever been a moment when you realized, “I’m truly capable of anything”?

Haha, I wish. Truthfully, the more I do the more I doubt myself. I have high expectations of myself, and if I’m honest, I’m better at recognizing my failures than my successes. It’s been great to come overseas and play, but I’m playing against some amazing players that force me to see my own weaknesses, which can be a tough thing. In a sense though, you’re right. Coming overseas to play had always sort of been this fantasy I don’t think I really believed would ever happen. Then one day I just decided I really did want to try it out, and now here I am. When I finally got here, that was definitely an “infinite possibilities” moment.

Have you come up with any resolutions for the New Year?

I did in fact, two of them. The first is that I have to be in bed with the lights out by 11pm, two out of every three nights. The second is to meditate every morning and evening. I can’t say I’ve been 100% successful so far though.



Lately I’ve actually been thinking a lot about the fact that I lead a pretty miraculous life, and I have a million things to be thankful for that millions of people in the world lack. I don’t live in a war-torn country. I have the means to comfortably and plentifully feed, clothe, and house myself. I have leisure time. I have been able to travel extensively and experience wonderful places and people. I get to play sports almost every day. I have an amazing girlfriend, supportive friends, and a family that loves me. All things considered, I have a great deal to be thankful for 🙂

Check out the video below of Mickey in action! If you or anyone you know stateside is interested in getting involved with the Wheelchair Basketball League, visit the National Wheelchair Basketball Association’s website, http://www.nwba.org/. Also, for more info on BORP visit, www.borp.org. Good luck to you, Mickey!

I hope that everyone is enjoying the start of their week!

~Thankful

Update: Women’s Health and Empowerment Worldwide

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C/O The Fistula Foundation and WHEW

 

In an earlier post, A Little Daily Inspiration: Women’s Health and Empowerment Worldwide, I did an interview with Sarah Scott, Co-Founder of WHEW, a non-profit dedicated to raising awareness and funds for The Fistula Foundation. In an effort to raise money, Sarah will be running a half marathon in March.  All donations will go towards The Fistula Foundation. If you’re interested in donating, please visit her fundraising page here. Every little bit helps!

~Thankful

Happy Tuesday!

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Happy Tuesday! I’ve created a Facebook page. So, look to your right ~~~~~~~~~~> and click like!

Also, a friend tweeted the poster below earlier this AM. I tried to track down the original creator, and as best as I could tell, it’s come from another blog, Sweet Blessings. Thank you for passing along Mere! It’s a lovely quote!

 

~ Thankful

Happy Birthday MLK Jr.

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“Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”

– Martin Luther King Jr.

Thankful for a man who fought diligently and selflessly for the rights, freedoms and equality for all. I hope that everyone has the chance to observe the holiday.

~Thankful

Am I […] Enough?

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Oprah’s always talking about becoming your “best self,” and of course that’s our ultimate goal, but most of the time our own insecurities get in the way. The other morning, I received a call from a friend* knee-deep in stress. He had tons of things to do at work.  And, despite the fact that he was efficiently using all of the time in his day, he was worried that he wasn’t working hard enough.  This predicament made me think of conversations with other friends who worried that they weren’t being patient enough with a project, trusting enough in their relationships or, even something as simple as, that they weren’t thin enough to wear their bathing suit in public. Well, I’m all in favor of being our best selves and finding a way to be enough for ourselves. Just imagine how much worry we could cut out…

~Thankful

* They OK’d me sharing this story =)

A Little Daily Inspiration: Rafael Casal

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It’s Monday and I don’t know about you all, but It’s always nice to start my week with a little inspiration. The New Year encouraged me to commit to a number of personal goals I’d been putting off. After wavering between multiple paths, I realized that I had to be specific to successfully move forward, because I wasn’t doing any of them well. Fear made it really difficult for me to be definitive, but here I am and it isn’t as scary as I thought. If you’re one of the millions out there who’ve had the good fortune to be able to pursue your passions, or you’re thinking about finally taking a leap, then keep reading.

Poet, musician, writer, teacher, producer and artist, Rafael Casal, is a prime example of how diligence combined with the love for one’s work can payoff. As you can tell, he’s a man of many talents but the one constant is storyteller. Over the past ten years of his career he’s evolved from a Poet to a Producer. Casal received his earliest praise for being phenomenal with spoken word (see the video below).

Casal has always considered language to be essential to one’s education. His involvement with Youth Speaks, a San Francisco non-profit that touts knowledge of the written and spoken word as the primary tool for self-empowerment, placed him in a teaching/mentorship role for many kids in the Bay Area. Casal’s experience as a teacher and performer would eventually bring him to the University of Wisconsin, Madison where he ultimately received his Bachelor’s and became the University’s new Creative Director for their emerging performing arts program. After 2 and a half years tirelessly working at UW, he found his way back to California.

He recently formed GETBACK Productions with the partnership of several friends and creative powerhouses. Their goal is to create engaging content across all platforms, music, film, theater, print and whatever else lends itself to storytelling. Additionally, he’s gotten one of his plays into production, is set to release a new album, WHOVILLE LP, on February 2nd, and has just relocated from the Bay to LA to pursue his dreams.

I was lucky enough to ask him about his takes on art, life, and mentorship…

You started performing at a very young age. At what point did you realize, this is what I was born to do?

I don’t know that I have realized that yet. I feel that way about each project that I dedicate myself to,  but there is no umbrella over them all that feels like a “born to do” sort of thing. I know broader truths about myself: that I love to inform the uninformed, to supply perspective, to question. It’s empowering to both realize what you do not know, and use what you do. The first, is the lit fuse that triggers the second. In ten years I could be anywhere/one in the world, but I’ll bet I’ll be creating, and teaching.

You started out in spoken word, from there your passion grew into music, then theater, and production. How has your process evolved? Are there any elements that are a constant regardless of the medium?

The fundamentals of each art form are very similar. They are all about expression, they all have a foundation in language, they all require an audience. Poetry is a great gateway art form, because it, in many ways, is the most open-minded. Poetry has so many forms, takes so many shapes, and accepts all as valid. A play can be poetic, many argue that music itself can be /is poetry. In that, there is no reason to consider them anything BUT poetry. Another structure to master, towards the same idea – tell a story, convey a feeling, provoke a reaction. For the audience, there are distinctions. My music, for example, is a very impulsive art form. I make it a point to not sit and over think my songs, I want them to be snapshots of my consciousness, which tend to be shallow or simple in origin. We are all very similar creatures at our core, and the commonality of that truth is often the beauty of music. It is why we write songs about love over and over again, why we complain about poverty, why we write about happiness and hopelessness – they are common, daily, universal experiences. Poetry is very much a humorous/angry/contemplative art form. It (to me) is all about insight, perspective, wisdom. It should feel premeditated, and intentional. Theater, is very much a beautiful middle ground between the two – each character is impulsive, seemingly simple, filled with commonalities for the audience to identify with or rebel against, but the whole play is one big poem. Same structure, same sense of intent and perspective.

How important has mentorship been in your development as student, teacher and artist?

Mentorship is everything. It is overwhelmingly important to have close mentors, and to be a mentor to others. The term mentor is loosely used, but a true mentor feels responsible for you, has your best interests in mind but does not keep you from falling. They aren’t your parent, they are mentoring you for the betterment of your craft. My mentors have had a profound impact on my art and my life, and I pay it back by mentoring those who look to me for that guidance, that I feel can achieve what they are striving for. It is…a brilliant relationship, to be a mentor and to be a mentee. It keeps you forever a student, and simultaneously forever a teacher. Humble, questioning, practicing leadership, and always growing.

What brought you to the University of Wisconsin?

The stars aligned just right for me in Madison. I was touring, and one of my mentors was in residency there. He brought me out to perform and speak to his class, and while I was there I was introduced to some folks who were trying to build a spoken word-based diversity scholarship 4-year undergraduate arts program. A mouthful, and was as ambitious as it sounded. With noble intentions, they were in way over their head and my mentor would soon be leaving. They began the program, and for the first year I came back to Madison a few times for performances and worked very briefly with the first batch of students. A member of this program’s staff heard that I had never finished my Bachelors degree and put an offer on the table – If I moved to Madison, I could be Creative Director of this new university program, design the 4-year artistic curriculum with the faculty artistic director (who would soon become my next mentor, Chris Walker) get a slam salary, and a full ride to the university to finish out my degree. It was an overwhelming task – it would mean that I would work full-time, and go to school with nearly 21 credits a semester. But it also meant getting to design one of the first programs in the country that was about developing new aesthetics in the writing/performance world, while giving young artists of color a free education. It was all the things I stood for, and so I packed up and moved.

What has been the scariest part of your career?

Frequent, unexpected poverty. Not knowing how to survive. There is no 10 year plan for a renegade career; just hope, leads, and faith.

How about the most exciting part?

I have priceless stories. And as a writer, I live for stories.

What’s the next step?

2012 – new album, continue to get my newest play developed, trying to get some web series ideas developed, take some trips, have some adventures, write about them .

What can we look forward to on your new Whoville LP on Feb 2nd?

Oh just a lot of surface level ranting and me holding up a mirror to myself. I lot of ugly honesty, some sexism, some critique of my own sexism, bragging, great melodies and production, clever punchlines and a solid number of analogies. Yeah…its THAT good/bad.

If you could give one piece of advice to a new artist, young or old,  what would it be?

Take in far more than you put out. Whether you take in others art, or life, you need perspective to write perspective. Living is the best research.

What are you thankful for?

Life.

Thank you, Rafael, for being so open, honest, and thoughtful! Check out The Getback’s website here and Rafael’s website here. And, if you’re feeling socially inclined you can get the latest updates by following @rafaelcasal on twitter!

I hope that this provided a little jump-start to everyone’s week.  This goes to show that if you chase your dreams you might just catch them. It’s refreshing to see someone fearless.

~Thankful

Here’s a link to a preview from Rafael’s 2011 Album.