Sell Out released, Rachael Cantu at Hotel Cafe & Jody Watley to perform at Open Artists benefit
It’s been a happenin’ couple of weeks! Sell Out is officially released and available on iTunes. Click HERE to get your copy!
Sell Out was officially released on Tuesday, August 10th. I had a blast doing CD release performances in NYC at Rockwood Music Hall on the 9th and in my hometown of Watertown, New York (that was a trip!) on the 13th. Also, this past Tuesday I sang a few songs from the new album in WeHo at a ramp-up event for “We Are Golden” which is coming up on September 27th at Arena nightclub in Hollywood. Jody Watley is confirmed to perform!
Monday night I had the ever-inspiring pleasure of seeing Rachael Cantu perform at the Hotel Cafe. If you don’t recognize her name, you’ve probably heard one of her songs played on your favorite TV show. She’s an incredible singer and a confident & understated performer. You should definitely check out her website HERE. She’s rad.
I was fortunate to have a few nice interviews published where I talk about the new CD.
-The Edge Magazine by JC Alvarez
-WWNY TV article by Craig Thornton
Lastly, here’s a vid of me performing “Save Me”, my favorite song from Sell Out, at Palihouse in WeHo. I shared the stage with a talented artist named Adam Joseph who you may know from his single “fagotty attention”. He is FAR more talented than his single suggests. Check out his website HERE.
No excuses, but worst sound ever!!…I couldn’t hear myself so it’s a miracle I’m singing on pitch! Gotta love performing live in LA!
Have an brilliant week-end.
CD release party in NYC y’all!
I would be so grateful if you could make it to my CD release performance this Monday, August 9th at 8pm at the prestigious Rockwell Music Hall in NYC. It will be my first performance in NYC in about a decade! NYC friends and family, I need your help to fill up the venue to the brim! Let’s get the fire marshall all worked up by violating Rockwell’s maximum capacity!!!!
The CD is done, being printed and will be available for it’s official release on August 10th. Set your alarms to get your copy for next Tuesday!
If you are planning on attending, please respond to the Invitation on Facebook so I can look for you after the show!
Also, coming up, more info on this year’s Open Artists benefit for Lifeworks mentorship program for LGTBQ youth We Are Golden coming very very soon!
Touched, Matt Von Roderick, and SELL OUT!
What a week!
Sell Out is officially mixed! Seth von Paulus and I have burning the midnight oil on this project. I’ve learned that mixing is at least HALF of making an album. Seth brought a few of my tracks from “album filler” to “single” quality. I am eternally grateful. As if it could get better, Joe Bozzi is mastering the album this week-end by Joe Bozzi at legendary Bernie Grundman Mastering. My manager may kill me but here’s a version of the album cover.
Maybe a little leaky leaky next week??? Stay tuned!
This week-end is the week-end of the reading of the new rock musical I music directed and did vocal arrangements for, Touched. Do yourself a favor. Come and witness this gorgeous piece. It’s going places.
Matt Von Roderick will be performing at King King this week-end & under the direction of Tony Nominated Kristin Hanggi, expect a broadway extravaganza! Here’s a link to an article about him from the Huffington Post. I coach Matt on his vocals, I helped him with his vocal arrangements and I ended up singing back-up for him as well! …and I’m playing knee cymbals! (kidding on the knee cymbals)
Matt’s Huffington Post Article
Off to rehearsal at King King…have an awesome, productive, creative day!
New Musical by Kristin Hanggi, Matthew Von Roderick at KingKing, more Fay Wolf, Puccia CD release updates, etc.
Good times. Busy Week. No sleep. Here’s the skinny.
This week-end is the LAST week-end to see the beautifully written and acted “Praying Small” at the NoHo Arts Center. I composed original music for the play and several of my songs are featured throughout.
Matt Von Roderick, a sickeningly talented singing client of mine, is performing at KingKing in Hollywood on August 2nd. I’m helping him out with vocal arrangements. He’s a fantastic singer and trumpet player and he does this polyphonic thing that you’ve really got to hear to believe. This show will be an extravaganza as it is being directed by Kristin Hanggi. Expect some theatrical magic! Also performing on the bill is the lovely Fay Wolf.
I’m close to getting a date for my CD release party in LA at the Hotel Cafe. Stay Tuned! And PLEASE come out for my NYC release party on August 9th at Rockwell Music Hall. Thx! The album is so close to being finished. It’s been an empowering, challenging, exhausting and exhilarating journey. Here’s a promo shot for the album taken by the BRILLIANT Logan Alexander.
There will be an LA reading of the new musical, Touched, written by Ben Dector and Kristin Hanggi, at the end of August. I’m music directing and doing all of the vocal arrangements. The score is POWERFUL! I’ll let you know if the reading is open. It will also be at KingKing.
Giulietta is shooting her music video for “Vertigo” this week-end. It sounds like it’s going to be really fun. Look for it soon on Yahoo’s music front page. Here’s the vid of the crazy reinvented version of “Vertigo” we did in my studio.
Don’t Be Afraid (Ellis Miah) Remix & The Hebrew Mamita’s “PhD in Him”
The genius of Ellis Miah is that generally his remixes are better than the radio version of the song. This version will be featured in the upcoming film “Chain Letter”. Yikes, the preview looks creepy!!!!
New Yorkers, please pen my CD release performance at Rockwell Music Hall in for Monday night, August 10th at 8pm. Joining me to blow you away with her genius spoken word will be my friend Vanessa Hidary, AKA, The Hebrew Mamita. She’s electrifying!
This is my all time favorite: ”PhD in Him”. ENJOY!
Two fun vids & a new song from Leo Moctezuma! Enjoy
More blogs. Less chatter. :)
Kyle Kannenberg, who is Production Designer for this year’s Open Artist benefit, We Are Golden, has submitted an amazing concept and video to get his own show on Oprah’s TV Network. Check it out and vote for him.
VIDEO LINK HERE!
Gina Katon, perhaps THE sexiest dancer in LA who has danced for me several times including LA PRIDE in 08, is in the studio recording music! I wanted to share this clip that I found on her Facebook page.
VIDEO LINK HERE!
Leo Moctezuma, who most recently danced and co-choreographed P!NK’s FUN HOUSE Tour, has been recording songs for his new album. Check out his single “Unconditional”. Word on the street is that he’s also recorded the song in Spanish and is shooting a video for it with director Cole Walliser and director of choreography, Brian Friedman (his choreography, directing and producing credits are too long to list!). This video WILL be HOT!
LISTEN HERE!
I’m finishing up vocals for my CD. I had a title I loved but it looks like Macy Gray STOLE IT! I might just use it anyway. Maybe I’ll post a song leak soon!
Go make your dreams happen folks! Nobody’s gonna do it FOR us! XOXO KP
CD Release info, Jonte, Praying Small up and running, MD-ing a new rock musical in July & some other random goodness!
I haven’t posted in weeks! The MAJOR excuse I have is that I’ve been finishing up production for my 3rd full-length CD, Sell-out. I’ll spare you the gloriously gory details, but I will tell you that 5 of the tracks are co-produced by the brilliant Ellis Miah & 4 are co-produced by a tremendous artist named Kazzer . Track 10 will be the version of Hallelujah that I’ve been performing around town for the last 5 years or so, produced by yours truly. I’m beyond excited that Seth Von Paulus who runs shop and engineers at Linda Perry’s studio will be mixing the tracks.
I produced vocals for Jonte a few weeks ago. Incredible artist. First off, he showed up the first day of recording in an emerald green beauty queen/talent competition dress, some high-ass heels and a full face of make-up. Flawless. He was performing at “United For A Cause”, a charity event at The Highlands in a few days and had 4 tracks without proper backing vox recorded on them. We rocked it out in my studio and he blew the ROOF off of The Highlands. No wonder it’s said that Beyonce and Rihanna got their style from Jonte!
Praying Small opened at the Noho Arts Center a few week-ends ago. I got hired originally to compose original underscoring for this play, but at some point I was hornswoggled into doing ambient sound effects for the play as well. I spent about 50 hours total on the sound effects which were cut a few days before the opening to everyone’s great relief! Frankly, because they were horribly distracting to the play. We’d perceived this from the start, but I come from a theatre background and I was taught to give the director what he wants. 50 hours later… Anyway, go check out the play. It’s wonderfully written and acted and my original music remains the underscoring for the play.
I’ll be music directing an LA reading of a new musical that Kristin Hanggi, director of Broadway’s Rock Of Ages & Ben Dector, an LA film and TV composer are developing. The reading will happen in July. Anything Ms. Hanggi involves herself in is a project worth being a part of. I’m honored to be working with her again.
I’ve got some gigs coming up. The shows that are booked are my New York CD release performance and Open Artist’s “We Are Golden” benefit concert here in LA. My NYC release party is Monday, August 9th at 8pm at Rockwood Music Hall. For you New Yorkers, it will mark my first performance in New York City in over a decade. Yikes! The “We Are Golden” concert is on Monday night, September 27th at Arena Night Club in Hollywood, CA. We have some big names for you this year, all to benefit Lifeworks‘ mentoring program for LGBT&Q youth. I will also be doing a CD release performance in Los Angeles and in my hometown of Watertown, NY in August. More info to come!
Also producing music for Kelly Meyersfield, Phoebe Carter, Kurtis Simmons and some other uniquely talented artists this Summer.
Here’s a vid of an artist I’m working with named Giulietta that I’ve mentioned previously. This is an unplugged version of her first single, “Here We Go (again)” arranged by us and shot and recorded in my studio. She’s MAJOR.
That’s all I got. Word to yer mama. XOXO KP
Fay Wolf, Laura Bell Bundy, Ticked Off Trannies, & a new song on iTunes!
More time than I would have liked has lapsed between my last posting and this one, but for good reason. The last few weeks have been wall to wall. I saw some great art, had some exciting writing sessions, and went into full production for my next full-length album. That combined with teaching and producing demos for my clients makes for a busy, happy KP.
I saw singer-songwriter Fay Wolf perform at the Hotel Cafe last week. She’s a chill, piano playing, very pretty young lady whose songs are quirky and melancholy. Her voice is clear and sexy. I’m guessing there is some musical theatre in her past. Her EP, Blankets, has only been out a couple months and she’s already had a few placements on Grey’s Anatomy. Her music is VERY film and TV placement friendly. Check out her website for more info.
My BFF Darryl Stephens opened a play called Boys In The Band last week which is a fascinating piece of theatre for several reasons. The play was written by in 1968 and apparently it was the first play to put gay characters on a stage. The play is set in an apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, where six of Harold’s closest friends are throwing him a birthday party. Add a copious amount of alcohol & an ultra-straight, surprise visitor from the party host’s college days and mayhem ensues. I attended the preview before opening night and saw it again the following week with a friend from out of town. Honestly, the first time I saw it, I was NOT a fan of the writing. I couldn’t understand why anyone would write this story. Also, the actors hadn’t yet settled into their roles. I left depressed and exhausted. However, my 2nd experience of the play was an ENTIRELY different one. The actors took a lighter and more humorous approach to the play’s very dark and bitchy dialogue to great effect. This shift allowed me to see some good in the writing. -And though these characters depict only a small slice of all gays on the planet, these people DO exist. I know some of them! Historically in 1968, once the gay community adjusted to seeing themselves depicted onstage in this play, there was a serious backlash from those who didn’t like the WAY in which they were being represented. This reaction seems inevitable when a piece of art is created around a minority group. There is valid concern about further stereotyping the group and putting them into an even worse light. But I think it important to realize that these are but a FEW characters who happen to have certain habits or mannerisms which perhaps have very little to do with the minority group that they are part of. Maybe they act a certain way because they were abandoned by a family member, grew up in a super rich and highly conservative environment, etc. -But these backlashes obviously come from an emotional place and sometimes create an irrational or OVER reaction. Sometimes I think we all need to relax.
…forced segue into…Ticked Off Trannies, an indie feature film that my friend Willam Belli stars in, showing at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival in NYC. To me, It’s obvious at first glance that this film is pure camp, in the style of a vintage John Waters film. The trailer is silly, yet highly provocative and I’d bet money that the selection committee for the festival was banking on this film creating controversy. -And they were right. A portion of transgender community was up in arms and picketing against the film & it’s inclusion in the Tribeca Film Festival. Picketing transgender activists expressed outrage at the films inaccurate & silly depiction of transgender people. -But the irony of it all is that every screening of the film is nearly sold out at the festival and its gotten tons more press than I’m guessing it actually deserves, including an article in the New York Times! I’ll be attending the festival in NYC so I’ll let you know how it goes!
Probably my favorite performance of the last few weeks was Laura Bell Bundy’s spirited performance on the American Country Music Awards this Monday night! I had the pleasure of working with Laura Bell a few years ago when I co-music directed and vocal arranged the original LA production of an 80s rock musical called Rock Of Ages. Laura Bell was cast to play the lead. She was sweet, professional and a tour de force in the role. She went on to play the lead role in Legally Blonde, The Musical for which she won a Tony Nomination. Following her run as Elle Woods, she returned to her native roots and recorded a country album which got her a record deal with Mercury Nashville. Over the last few months, I began to notice Laura Bell’s new career gaining fast momentum. The music video for the first single, “Giddy On Up” was released, brilliantly choreographed by RJ Durell (the original choreographer for Rock Of Ages) and Nick Flores. The popularity of the video earned her a best video nomination and a featured performance at the ACM Awards. There are few things more inspiring than to see a talented, deserving friend become a star. I finally downloaded the entire CD this week, called Achin & Shakin, and what I really love about it is that it’s a gorgeously produced “classic” country album reminiscent of a Dolly Parton or Loretta Lynn album. It’s the kind of album that will stand the test of time. -And it reminds me that despite Taylor Swifts insistent claims, her album is not a country album, it’s a pop album with a dash of slide guitar. 
In other news, a pop song I wrote with the uber-talented Ellis Miah was released on iTunes. It’s called Ascention (the artist – hopefully on purpose – chose the archaic, biblical spelling) and was recorded by Guilietta Russo. What’s most exciting is that the producer of the album is David Kershenbaum who is known for his production work with Janet Jackson, Bryan Adams, Joe Jackson, Supertramp, Cat Stevens, Tracy Chapman and Joe Jackson…the list is endless! The song and the album are available on iTunes…so check it out & buy it if you like it. It’s a songwriting favorite of mine.
-More news, but I’ll save some of it for next time. I will say that my new album should be finished by May 30th! If you are an independent artist, you understand that we have to create our own deadlines, manage our own projects…and PAY for them! I’m teaming up with a brilliant music manager named Rich Overton. Stay tuned for more info regarding the CDs release & concerts in LA and in NYC (August).
It’s going to be an incredibly busy and productive Summer. Let’s make 2010 the year of the artist. XOXO Kyle
Reading of a movie w/ music, Sam Sparro, P!NK & stuff
It’s been a few weeks since my last post and I think I promised that the next one would be the shortest ever. Let’s just say that it was so short that it was invisible to the human eye! -mostly because I don’t think this is going to be a short post…OK, I know it’s not going to be. :P
Last Monday Sam Sparro sang a few songs downtown at an evening called Mustache Mondays. It’s an alternative night at a space called La Cita on Hill between 3rd & 4th Streets. A wild, musical performance art piece is presented each week at around midnight. It’s usually one of those performances that is equal parts ghastly and extraordinary! It’s always a blast & usually brings me back to my 20s in New York City. When my friend Darryl posted that Sam was performing, I was in. I’ve always been a fan of Sam, who I’ve met a few times before. Darryl and I spent some time with him at the Sunset Junction in Silverlake a few years back and I met him once before that when he worked at Aroma Cafe in Studio City. I’d learned about him through a producer who did a remix for me years ago named Jesse Rogg. Jesse produced Sam’s first album, the one with the hit “Black & Gold” on it.
I was intrigued to see how the venue was going to accommodate Sam’s performance. I’ve seen Sam, who is also a DJ, in smaller venues but this one sort of defies description. Sam was announced at midnight sharp and a larger than usual crowd quickly gathered around the dance floor. Jesse played tracks from his laptop and Sam sang his face off as usual. SOUND, however, was less than desirable. OK, it was a mess. At one point Sam’s mic shorted out completely and the MC for the evening handed her/his mic to Sam mid-song. Sam was a terrific sport and his drunken fans didn’t seem to care much that they couldn’t actually hear him. It was Sam Sparro. -At Mustache Mondays. All was as it should be in the LA alternative music scene!
Lately, I’ve been pondering P!NK. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting her and visiting Australia to see her sold out tour through one of my best friends, Leo, who co-choreographed and danced on the tour. -And I would like to make the point that I met her once for a few moments at the tour’s kick-off party where Leo introduced me to her. The next time I saw her, several months later in Australia, she greeted me warmly, remembering my name from our brief meeting before. That’s how present this talented woman is. Shortly thereafter, I was blown away by her Funhouse Tour performance. As you may have heard, she sounds better live than on her albums & she is so in the moment, so personal in her performance that you feel like you’re hanging out with her, having drinks together in some hole-in-the-wall dive bar. Her connected communication as an artist is a quality I search out but seldom see in popular music.
…But I digress. Today, a client came for her singing lesson, and she asked if we could work on a P!NK song. P!NK songs are great for voice lessons because they are well written & the vocal range is both high and low, a good stretch for most singers. I have songbooks from her last two albums and use them frequently.
We’d been working on “Sober”, but my client asked if we could look at “Dear Mr. President”, a song from her album, I’m Not Dead Yet. As we were going through the song it occurred to me that P!NK’s songwriting has heavy roots in folk music. When you think of songs like “Dear Mr. President”, “Stupid Girls”, “I’ve Got Money Now” and many others, you notice that her songs oftentimes express her political & social views on the current state of affairs on this planet. If it’s possible, I gained even more respect for her work in that moment.
Lastly, I wanted to share with you my experience this past Saturday when Darryl Stephens and I coordinated an informal 1st reading of our film script with original music. It was as thrilling for me as it was terrifying! We invited around 20 of our talented friends to come and help us read through the script. We played skeletally produced versions of the songs for the film as they occur in the script. As I’ve mentioned D and I have been working on the script regularly for a little over a year & I’d started to lose objectivity on how the project was going. -So, we purposely invited a variety of friends from different walks of life to get as many points of view for feedback as possible. Chris D’Arienzo, the talented writer of the script for the 80s rock broadway musical Rock Of Ages, read the lead character of Coyote, a 40 year old rockstar who finds himself in the middle of a comeback tour, with just the right touch of humor and bravado. A bunch of LA’s most talented, working tour dancers read roles uncannily resembling their own lives…some roles written with them in mind. We BBQd, had cocktails and made a party out of it. The feedback was insightful and D and I will now dig into a rewrite, not too major but substantial. I’m also going to focus on getting the music more fully produced, with demo singers, real guitars, drums, etc. Then the hard part begins. -Getting it produced!
In other news, Skyline released a video for their single, “Not The Only One”. Check it out. It’s really wonderful.
Also, check out the SIZZLE REEL of a brilliantly talented production designer named Kyle Kannenberg. Perhaps you can hire this uber-talented designer before he becomes so famous that we won’t be able to afford him anymore. Kyle has graciously agreed to art direct the 3rd annual Open Artists With Open Arms benefit. How lucky are we?
Long blog… Again… My sis-in-law informed me that blogs are supposed to be short. Rats. I’ll do better next time. Promise. :P
3rd Annual “Open Artists w/ Open Arms” WE ARE GOLDEN benefit concert for LIFEWORKS
Last night marked the 1st meeting in 2010 for a benefit concert that my friends and I have been producing for a couple of years now. Bestie and fellow artist, Guy B, and I were chatting on the phone back in 08 about doing a concert together. We thought it make sense for us to find a worthy cause for the show to benefit.
Over the years I’ve been homing in on my “career concept”, a great habit I had gotten into when I was taking acting classes at the Beverly Hills Playhouse. I define a career concept as a phrase, sentence, or paragraph that sums up what you are about as an artist & perhaps more importantly gets you out of bed in the morning. My career concept had always included a vaguely philanthropistic “I wanna do good works for the planet” vibe, but I’d never gotten specific about HOW and WHO I wanted to help. Moreover, in the back of my mind I had attached the qualifying phrase “When I’m famous and have lots of money and a greater circle of influence…THEN I’ll save the planet!”
…well, we’re still waiting for THAT glorious day to arrive!
For those of you who know Guy B., and if you don’t I encourage you to do so, he is an artist with a strong spiritual purpose. He knew of a brilliant cause called Lifeworks, a mentorship program for LGBT&Q youth (lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender, and – you guessed it - questioning youth…because we are THAT PC!). We had our cause. Now let’s put on a show!
Collectively, Guy & I know a LOT of artists here in LA. Guy asked Brad Bilanin, his co-founder and partner at Media Temple Productions & I asked Kevin Stea, probably the most accomplished working dancer (as a popular art form) on the planet. Brad would head up marketing and branding & Kevin would direct. We had our team.
Then we hit up our talented friends to help with the cause. My friend Tod donated the use of his club space at The Highlands, a very sexy, state-of-the art venue in Hollywood. Working actor and comedian Alec Mapa agreed to host the night. Other artists we love and admire joined the show; DJ Derek Montiero, Leo Moctezuma, Darryl Stephens, Wilson Cruz, Christine O’leary, Racheal Cantu & a bevy of the most talented dancers, singers, musicians, circus performers, producers, and hair & make-up artists in Los Angeles. The result was one of the most magical nights of my life.
We had our share of terrifying moments. My favorite moment to regale from that year occurred on the day of the show at around 2pm. Someone uncovered that somehow, despite our meticulous planning, we had NO red carpet for our red carpet event! Several celebrities and some major press had been confirmed…but NO CARPET! In one of my favorite Guy B moments, he picked up the phone and started dialing. WIthin a few hours a complimentary red carpet was delivered to The Highlands and the day was saved! I still don’t know the details and it may have involved the Isreali mob but I prefer to imagine that it was the magic that comes from creating art with a purpose. 
We crossed fingers that we might draw an audience of 500 to attend the event, & our hopes were far surpassed as we packed The Highlands with 800 or more (we lost count in our initiative to get people into the club so we could start on time) hip, colorful, supportive attendees who were the greatest audience ever! I’ll never forget walking into the green room a half hour before the show & realizing there were literally about 100 artists volunteering their time and talents to this concert.
-And it all blossomed from a casual phone call between two friends throwing around ideas about how they could create art together. That “green room moment” will forever be a defining moment in my life, & that first show one of my greatest accomplishments.
Well, you know what they say about magical opening nights. Sometimes, a terrible 2nd performance follows. Well, the 2nd annual “Open Artists with Open Arms” concert, POP GOES THE WORLD was by no means terrible, but it presented some of the many challenges which accompany growing pains. We set out to at LEAST double the size of our show…more sets, bigger space, bigger celebrities, more press, more awareness, MORE! Also, Lifeworks had just recently become a part of the Gay & Lesbian Center which is a huge organization. Being under the umbrella of a huge organization brings it’s challenges as well as it’s benefits.
On the brilliant side, the show featured several top-notch, well-known performers including JoJo (Pop Billboard charting recording artist), Blake Lewis (2nd place American Idol contestant), Fanny Pak (America’s Best Dance Crew), Carmit Bachar (Original Pussycat Doll) & others who levitated the theatre with their talent. We focused our attention for this 2nd show on the kids. We found a space twice the size of the previous year’s venue called The Avalon, a beautiful, historical theatre in Hollywood on Vine just above Hollywood Blvd. We created an amazing pre-show youth lounge for the kids and invited them to attend for FREE. We reached out to neighboring high-school GSAs (gay-straight alliances) and invited them to attend the show as well. We had at least 200 kids up in the balcony for the show that night and those kids embodied the spirit & energy of the evening. They walked away with a free pair of red Levi’s skinny jeans and a bunch of other donated goodies in their gift bags. I got the flu a few days before the show but squeaked out a decent performance with very little voice. I won’t go into detail, but we encountered some -hysterical now/devastating then- SNAFUs (Situation Normal: All Fucked Up) that made the weeks leading up to the event stressful to say the least. It was a MAJOR growing and learning year & totally worth it.
Wiser from experience, we embark upon our 3rd annual OAwOA benefit concert for Lifeworks with a theme of abundance, “We Are Golden”. Brad, who has become a brilliant Executive Producer for the event, is also on the Board Of Directors for Lifeworks. We are honored by the talents and experience of Kyle Kannenberg, Trey Campbell and Ron Pennywell, who are now part of the core team. This week we’re focused on finding a great space for our event. We are leaning toward Arena, a cavernous club space in Hollywood that would be a blast fill up with beautiful art. We plan on diversifying performances to include other exciting, cutting edge art-forms that will make love to your senses! We are more positive and excited than ever as we embark upon pre-production for an event that will occur in September of 2010. Are your seatbelts fastened??
In other news Carmen Perez’s single, “Overload” gained a spot (it was 41 last week, not 43 as I had reported) and is at #40 on the Dance Billboard Charts. I started work on my cover of “Hallelujah” that will be featured in the play Praying Small this year in LA. The play has already been optioned for a film (because that’s what happens to good plays in LA!) and I will hopefully be doing the score for the film. I’m writing songs for several projects in development which I’ll keep you posted on as they develop. Other stuff is happening too, but this is officially my longest blog EVER and I don’t want to scare you away! The next blog will be the SHORTEST blog ever. Promise.
All the best to you this week! I encourage you to take even 1 action a day in the direction of your dreams. XOXO
My cover of “Hallelujah” up for a day
My talented friend Clifford Morts has written a play that’s going up next month at the NoHo Arts Center called Praying Small. Clifford is starring in the play and the artistic director of NoHo Arts Center, James Mellon, is directing.
Clifford got me hired to do the music for the play & his concept is that there will be music throughout, not unlike a film score. I’ve got a LOT of work to do.
Anyway, here is my first crack of one of the covers he asked for, “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen, a song I’ve been covering for a couple of years. I’m planning on adding an acoustic guitar and a few other elements, but it’s coming out how I’d hoped. The song is an emotional roller coaster and I want to capture that. In some other versions I’ve heard, the lyrics are almost an afterthought. -But the lyrics of this song are among the best ever written. I recorded this yesterday and I wept on more than one occasion throughout the day.
This morning as I listen and reflect, this song is the perfect soundtrack for my own life in art. The challenge can bring you to your knees, but you just keep on singin…
Click on the cute little player below and enjoy. I’m taking this song down tonight. So if you want to hear it again you’ll have to come to PRAYING SMALL. XO Kyle
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Carmen Perez, Marta Krupa, Diana Gone Wrong, Toni Braxton & oodles more
Things have gotten busier and I love that. But I’m definitely committed to doing this once a week. It’s fun, keeps me on track and I hope it inspires a fellow artist every once in a while. I choose words carefully. My blog will never be bitchy or negative. I’m focusing in on the purpose of my blogging.
- To write about live shows that I see. To promote my brilliant friends who are producing art here in LA.
- To keep you up to date on what’s happening in my world musically, with a personal twist of course.
- To write about music news, developments, album releases, etc.
I didn’t see any shows this week…so that part is easy! But Carmen Perez’s single, “Overload” was #43 on the Billboard dance charts & was #1 for the 2nd week in a row on the NJ dance charts. We’re looking forward to seeing it enter the UK pop charts very soon. Her last single, “Emergency” went to #10. I co-wrote both of these singles. Carmen is a working actress here in LA and she’s become a wonderful painter too. Ms. Perez is a TRUE artist and I’m very proud of her accomplishments & hustle. Because it’s ALL about the hustle!
Diana Gone Wrong, is doing an east cost tour! The band is currently stocking up on merch and practicing a LOT. One of the best things about touring is that it really tightens up a band. When they return they will showcase for the Majors. Diana, lead singer and creator of the band, deserves GREAT success. She’s also an artist through and through.
Another singing client, Marta Krupa, was featured on TMZ this week. It’s a really cute segment. -And she’s as talented as she is beautiful. There will be more to come from Marta & her music soon. Her star is on the rise.
I spent a lot of my time this week getting several of my singer/dancer clients ready for the Bring It On, The Musical audition. The musical based on the movie is starting it’s run in Atlanta with an eye on Broadway. We made a great showing I must say! 5 of my clients got callbacks. It’s always reassuring to know that I’m helping people to get work in the industry…to achieve their dreams.
In my career, things are moving along nicely. -More work on the movie musical, focus on the music I’m composing and covering for Praying Small (at the NoHo Arts Center in April), working on my album (adding a few wonderful songs by other writers), and some songwriting sessions.
I’d like to clarify what I mean by “movie musical” in the above paragraph. My writing partner, Darryl Stephens, and I have tried to figure out what to call the piece that we’ve written. -Because it’s not really a movie musical at all. It’s a movie about an aging rockstar’s comeback tour. There is plenty of music but it is all sung on stage, at award ceremonies, in recording studios…all settings where music happens in LIFE. So what would you call that? I guess it’s a movie. -with music. -sung by characters who are singers. But that’s not clever at all. Thus, I’ve defaulted to the vague, yet identifiable genre of “movie musical”, because it’s far easier to say.
Right now I’m listening to Sade’s new album, Soldier of Love. It’s gorgeous. Definitely an album that needs to be listened too. It doesn’t make much of an impression as background music. It’s times like the moment I’m in now where the album really shines. It’s sophisticated, it breaks my heart, and it’s the Sade that we know and love.
I’ve also been listening to Toni Braxton’s new CD, Pulse. I’m trying so hard to like it, because I’ve always liked her. The songs are very good. (I especially like “Wardrobe”, “Stay”, “The Break-up”, “Get Loose”, “I Hate Love”, I mean MOST of the songs are good!) -So why doesn’t this album hit me like I want it to? I think it has something to do with the way her vocals have been produced. They are drenched in reverb & delay. Most singers of Toni’s ilk are being produced more dryly these days, although Alicia Keys‘ new album, The Element Of Feedom, is also pretty reverb heavy. Personally, It bothers me. For me, too much reverb creates a distance between the artist and the listener. I want to feel like the artist is in the room with me. -So I hear the lyrics more clearly & I relate more deeply to the performance. We don’t look at fine works of visual art through smokey glass. Why are pop vocals being so heavily diluted? Discuss. :)
The week ahead is full and exciting! I REALLY need to get back to the gym this week. I’ve been procrastinating since the new year and it’s…MARCH! UGH! I’m much better on a deadline, like a performance, for example. -But with nothing scheduled while I work on new music… OK, I’m just GOING! I’m so much happier when I’m working out. That should be more than enough incentive. I’m going. -At least 3 times. I’ll report back.
All the best! Enjoy your week and create some beautiful art. XO
PS: I just saw this quote tweeted by my friend Kristen Hanggi. It’s a good one!
“Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens.” – Carl Jung
Diana Gone Wrong, We Are The World 25, Massive Attack &…
I just got back from a fantastic show down the street from my pad at a dive bar called Skinny’s in NoHo. The band I went to see is called Diana Gone Wrong & Diana, the lead singer of the band, is my singing client, songwriting partner and the dearest of friends. Diana has a rich, powerful voice which far exceeds the needs of her band, a loud & energetic punk-pop tour de force. In fact, her voice can barely be heard over the raucous band which, as her singing teacher, always makes me a little angry. I get this aching urge to push the sound guy off his haughty perch to pull the band volume down and feature Diana’s fantastic vocals and insightful lyrics! -But honestly, no one else really seems to care if the sound is shitty or the lyrics don’t come through. -Because what DOES come through with an effortless vengeance is Diana’s brilliant songwriting & a stage presence that an entertainment lawyer who was scouting the band tonight aptly referred to as “star power”.
She speaks to the heart of her generation like nobody else in pop music at present. Her song “In The Life of Me” is an anthem to every young girl who feels different, out of place, unloved & undervalued. A song that I helped Diana write premiered tonight called “I’m Not Moving” & it has become my new favorite. Of course, I’m totally biased! Her bass player and drummer are super talented & uber bad ass, but the new addition of a second guitarist tonight gave the group more body and presence. You SHOULD check out her music on ITUNES and/or her MYSPACE PAGE for a more personal look at DGW! I will keep you posted with info on future shows.
Tomorrow night I’m going to a reading of a play written and directed by my friend Clif Morts at the NoHo Arts Center called “From The East to The West”. It plays Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday nights this week. Clif is a brilliant actor and playwright & The NoHo Arts Center has a reliable, high standard of quality. Thus, I’m sure it is well worth seeing.
Lastly, I’ll mention two recorded works. First, I’ll quickly say that Massive Attack’s new album, “Heligoland” is pretty awesome. It’s dark, sad & sparcely opulent…a great album to listen to when you’re in a mood, which I, myself, have been this week. ;) Lastly, I’ve noticed more than a few Facebook updates & tweets trashing “We Are The World 25″. Personally, I enjoyed the outrageous variety of artists, from P!NK to Streisand, L’il Wayne to Mary J. Blige, Miley Cyrus to Justin Bieber…but I love ALL music styles, even bad ones! Notably, what most impresses me about this project is that it was ACCOMPLISHED! All those artists gathered in one place, at one time to donate their time and talent to HAITI relief. And that’s all I have to say about THAT! :P
Oh wait, one more thing. My client and friend Carmen Perez’s dance single was #1 in New Jersey this week. Any city that spawns Bon Jovi is OK by me! Check out the single, “Overload”, and more of Carmen’s music HERE! I co-wrote “Overload” with her & producer Ellis Miah and I coached her vocals. Have a beautiful week.
INSPIRED. Great art in LA!
OK, it’s simply one of those weeks that makes me super happy to live in this amazing city full of beautiful, talented artists!
Because I’ve just come from CATHERINE FEENY’S show at the Hotel Cafe, I’ll start there. If you haven’t checked her out, you MUST. Vocally, she’s stunning and her songwriting is unbeatable. A few years ago her song “Mr Blue”, was placed in a film called Running With Scissors in a climactic montage which garnered her some mainstream success. Since then, she’s lived in England, toured all over Europe, and now she’s back in the states and residing in Portland. Lucky for us, she does a show for us here in LA every few months. I even got a little shout out tonight as her “old vocal coach”, because I’m so loud that she couldn’t help but hear me in the audience! In my humble opinion, the most special thing about Catherine Feeny is her stunning communication with an audience. Do yourself a favor, visit her website and check out her songs. You won’t be sorry!
Tuesday night was my dear friend Travis Terry’s cabaret at MBar. Travis is a singularly special artist. When I met him in a musical artists workshop almost a decade ago, Travis was terrified of singing! But out of his own glorious stubbornness & tenacity, little by little he began to conquer his fear. Tuesday night was nothing short of a proclamation. Travis is officially a seasoned musical artist. He packed the house and gave a wonderful performance full of personal stories, intimate moments, and a creative mix of songs from many genres in a beautiful, rich baritone. We are all very proud of him.
Wednesday night, I got together with some good friends to see the National Tour of Mary Poppins. One of my very best friends from college, Fran Curry, is a “star dresser” on the tour. I probably wouldn’t have gone if it wasn’t for her involvement, but I must say I’m glad I went. Aside from delightful familiar childhood tunes, a brilliant set & some spectacular magical stage tricks, it was the SINGING that really impressed me. Because I don’t go to the opera and most of my friends & clients are singers of popular music, I don’t get to hear classically trained, operatic singers that often. It made up for the conventional acting which always seems to disappoint me when I go to traditional musical theatre productions. Some day we’ll get both and hopefully, I’ll be involved in those productions!
This afternoon Skyline came over for a music rehearsal to get ready for a performance they have this Monday @ 9PM at Jamie Foxx’s “Foxx Hole” at the Conga Room, downtown. They’ve been together a year and a half now. I’ve been music directing them for about a year. I’m proud to say they’ve made AMAZING strides and they sound wonderful. The harmonies are tighter and more consistent, the blend is lush and balanced, and each of them has developed their own unique style and tone as a soloist. Here is a LINK to “ALL BRAND NEW”, an a cappella piece, and an acoustic version of “MAN ON THE MOON”. Ellis Miah and I are going to start writing a killer retro-uptempo tune for them within the next few weeks. I’m excited about that fierceness!
-So much more, but enough is enough! -Some brilliant new singing clients, a gorgeous country song demoed, a fantastic meeting with a music publisher (great guy & fellow new york Italian), more good work with Darryl on the movie musical and other stuff. I can’t believe the work-week is over. Thankfully, I enjoy working on Saturday and Sunday too.
OH! The most exciting moment of the week…CHRIS CORNELL was hanging out backstage after Mary Poppins with his wife and kids! When Fran nonchalantly pointed out that he was feet away, a pretty much lost my shit…inside, of course, because I’m far too cool to be star-struck! (not really) :P Let’s just say that if I was hard pressed to choose a hero, it would have to be Chris Cornell. Cute kiddies too! Here’s a LINK to a soundcheck of his cover of Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean which he rocked WAY before that dude on American Idol. ENJOY!
Have a brilliant week-end. :P KP
PS: Here’s a cute picture of Kelly King getting her hair Diana Ross-ed OUT before the Pop Goes The World benefit concert on 11.11.09. Check out her very well done video for “working girl“ which is conquering the Billboard Charts as we speak. Nighty night.
Songwriting, Vocal Coaching, Megalomaniac Vid & Skyline
-Been a great week for songwriting. Ellis Miah (his pooch Roscoe on left), Seth Van Paulus and I are working on a country song for a stunning 16 year old Native-American girl. She is the new Patsy Cline with an iconic, rich, classic voice well beyond her years. The song is being written on top of a sweet and brilliant guitar motif that Seth came into the session with. I also started creating a new song with Guy B and Leo Moctezuma. -A good one too. I hope we finish it.
Darryl Stephens and I are constantly working on our original soundtrack for a movie we’ve written. I can’t wait for the first reading. I’m excited to hear how it reads. The potential for this project is SCARY. The songs are fun. We’re kinda giddy about it.
I don’t talk about it much but I’m also a vocal coach. It’s beyond rewarding on a regular basis. I work with some pretty extraordinary artists. I ALSO music direct. Hello Mr. Hyphenate! Tonight I had a productive rehearsal with a boy band I M.D. called Skyline (in photo below). We are back to work after a short hiatus. The group has gotten their business together, they’re working with new management & now they’re putting together an EP that they can shop to labels. It’s a matter of time for them. They are talented, good guys.
I have a bunch of other projects rolling around in my head that I’ve got to put down on paper. I’ve got a little creative bottle-neck happening. It’s time for a plan of action. I’m obsessed with finishing what I start & I’ve got a TON of writing and producing to do for various projects. But I’m getting it done… sometimes I just have to relax and not get wound up about it.
I finished editing my “Pop Goes The World” Performance but I haven’t figured out how to add video here yet, but a link I CAN do. This video was my first experience with editing in Final Cut Pro. I’m in LOVE! -Kicks IMovie’s ass. :P To get things done as an independent artists, you’ve gotta be a one man band. Producer, editor, promoter, booker, publicist, etc. Look ma, I’m a video editor. :P
Have a great week!
Slow and steady…and stubborn…wins the race
I’ll keep it super short this week. I’m working tenaciously on a bunch of projects. Weirdest thing to me about being an independent artist is…no deadlines. So I’m plugging away at:
-My songwriting demo
-Editing my Pop Goes The World performance
-Fleshing out the website
-Working on music for a play I’m covering a few songs and creating underscoring for
-The album, the album, THE ALBUM!
-Working on music production for “Coyote Roadkill” with D.
-Writing for and developing some promising artists…
…and currently enjoying some red wine and chilling out for a moment while I contemplate and plan for the next few days.
This week’s GREAT news is that Carmen Perez’s new dance single, “Overload”, which was co-written by myself, Carmen & Ellis Miah entered the Billboard charts. Carmen deserves ALL the success and I pray her single goes straight to the top! Feel free to check it out on ITunes.
Favorite tracks for the week are the ones I’m working on for the play I’m providing music for, Praying Small, written by the BRILLIANT Clif Morts. It will be playing at the Noho Arts Center soon. I’ll keep you posted.
God Give Me Strength by Burt Bacharach & Elvis Costello & Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen. Both songs are masterpieces & I am humbled as I try to create my own versions of each song.
Have a brilliant week & if you live in LA, stay dry!
House painted, week in progress & this weeks top tracks!
OK, let’s see if I can rock this Wordpress bloggy situation! I was using Google’s blog tools before Chad Kukahiko helped me get up THIS site.
GOAL: Keep it short and sweet this week!
First off, for those of you who don’t know me and/or live in LA, this is my cozy & humble abode. I just painted it which was a four month extravaganza that I thought would take two weeks tops. But it’s pretty near done and I can move onto bigger and better thangs. And that is that. Scene. :P
2010 is feeling good so far. I’ve got a bunch of projects cooking, one of my best pals on the planet, LEO, is home from the P!NK tour, I’ve been contacted for a couple interesting producing/recording projects & I’m back to eating well (also LESS!), exercising & chilling on the booze (I love the word booze, don’t you?)…YES. I’m feeling great.
Tonight, I’m tackling Final Cut Pro. I’m slightly intimidated but I’ve always got performance video to edit & iMovie just ain’t cutting it, especially when lip synch is involved. I might break down and get a six pack at the corner bodega before the night is out. -So much for drinking less booze in 2010. :P
The other big project is the album…another overwhelming, huge-ass project. I had an amazing phone meeting with Rich Overton, a brilliant music manager/PR/hustler I’m going to be working with this year. We discussed the differences between doing an LP and a full-length album. I was leaning towards LP (less than 10 songs) for financial and time reasons. Time and money: the two greatest excuses on the planet for artists! Can I get a witness?!
Well, apparently an album (10 plus tracks) is given more attention than an LP (less than 10) by magazines, reviewers, etc. Currently, I’ve got 8 tracks for the album, which would make it an LP. -So we discussed alternatives for adding 2 more tracks. I could (and probably will) add 2 tracks with minimal production (AKA me & a piano), but the challenge will be to create a cohesiveness between these piano songs and the rest of the album. In short, I’ll figure it out. Deadline to finish album? April 1. In the meantime, I’ve gotta find some genius up-and-coming producers to do remixes for my dance single, “Missing You”. Any suggestions?
Short and sweet…right.
I thought I’d share my track favorites for the week. Click on the song titles for a listen! Have a beautiful, productive week. :P KP
Mary J Blige: Kitchen: This song is fun and clever. Songs this clever are NOT easy to write. Quintessential Mary. One of my all-time favorite voices in popular music.
Robin Thicke: Sex Therapy: No description needed.
1st Monday, New Year, Great Music!
Happy New Year!
I’m gonna go ahead and say I’m really happy we’re in a new year. 2009 was a good one for me, but through the face of adversity. -And we artists face enough daily adversity without the addition of global economic adversity & the adversity of human rights inequality…to name a few.
But I’ve found that artists are generally a stubborn and tenacious lot, so my friends and I put it into turbo boost to make ‘09 work as a SEED PLANTING year. I’m going to list my 3 favorite ‘09 highlights for two reasons. 1. As a wise, past teacher often said, “throw bouquets on your past victories” & 2. In hopes that it will inspire YOU to look at all that was good in ‘09 so we can travel together into ‘10 with lighter, more victorious hearts.
1. Pop Goes The World! My friends Guy, Kevin, Brad & I mounted the biggest show that I’ve ever been a part of in Hollywood at the Avalon. This benefit concert for LIFEWORKS featured major pop stars such as JoJo & Blake Lewis and was an amazing production!
2. My beautiful & talented client, Carmen Perez, hit number 10 on the pop UK charts with “Emergency”, a song that was co-written by myself, Carmen Perez, Ellis Miah and J & Sweet (Jennifer Lopez’s “Love Don’t Cost A Thing”).
3. Long time friend and artist Darryl Stephens and I have written a feature film with original pop/rock music!
I also had the honor of working with dozens of brilliant artists writing songs, developing voices & inspiring confidence. This daily achievement reaches beyond any monetary success that I will achieve in this lifetime!
This year will bring a new album, a new single, a new manager. All in the works.
My postulates are:
- My music is placed in film and on TV, my dance single goes top 10 on the Billboard charts & my video is #1 on Logo’s click list. My music will be nationally reviewed and appreciated.
- I am offered and accept a publishing deal as a songwriter with a substantial advance & earn at least 3 major placements with a major artist/major label. My income as a songwriter is my bread & butter. I continue to write songs to add to my catalogue, develop a system of organization/identification and produce them at a very high, sellable quality. I work with Kara DioGuardi, Linda Perry, Butch Walker & P!NK as a songwriter.
- My income as a performer is greater than the investment I put into it. I will put together and perform a show of cover songs which sells out MBar in which I sing and play piano for myself. I will be payed to perform at at least 4 Pride festivals. I will perform CD release parties in LA and NYC.
- My career as a voice teacher/vocal coach will at least double, if not triple in clientele & income. I will do a series of podcasts focusing on specific areas and techniques of singing. I will record and create warm-up CDs for the male and female voice which I will sell online and at various stores. I will be hired as celebrity vocal coach/judge for a major or cable TV reality talent competition.
- This year’s Open Artists show will feature MAJOR artists such as P!NK, Mary J., Sam Sparro, etc., will be brimming with major celebrities/VIPS & will yield at least a 10K profit for Lifeworks. I will perform at peak health and energy with new, exciting material. Production will be smooth, organized and the energy will remain positive, light and fun.
- I will work on the set of a major motion picture as vocal coach, music director, and/or vocal arranger.
- I will be offered & accept a paying tour as music director for a pop band/group.
- I will maintain this blog on a weekly basis.
- My income will be at least double.
- I am in a position to buy my first house.
- I am the happiest, busiest & healthiest I’ve ever been.
- I fearlessly move forward with purpose.
- I inspire others to go after and achieve THEIR dreams.
I will leave you with a LINK to this fun home video shot by amazing friend and business partner Phoebe Carter & featuring my super-model pit-bull Bella Puccia of my rendition of Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen.
What is your 2010 game plan??
Yours in music, Kyle
iam100k.com
