DEREK JORDAN

“HUMANIST”

…An emotional journey…

By Adriana Rubio

Photos: Courtesy of Derek Jordan

Derek Jordan is a music artist from Los Angeles. He sings and plays lead guitars for his own music projects which can be described as an emotional journey. The album “Humanist” proves it. Derek music is a real encouragement for those “wanna be” musicians who think major recording productions are the deals. Not true at all. Derek recordings transport you to the enjoyment of making music the old way –the kind of excitement that is very much missed in these modern days’ recordings-, a garage rehearsal room, a place where musicians should enjoy their most precious treasure: art creation. Derek Jordan is truly himself, no secrets and no mysteries. “Humanist” is the purest album you can listen to. It provides a wild variety of sounds and melodies in a true attempt of Derek to explore different music styles. Although Derek is a huge fan of Jared Leto’s band “30 Seconds To Mars” and admits to be highly influenced by Leto’s music… the album “Humanist” shows artist Derek doing his best to be himself with the inspiration his own existence has provided. 

Derek Jordan’s lyrics talk about the anger, desperation and emptiness human kind is into. It’s a “wake-up” call to enjoy life. And, in this regard Derek describes his music as “Psych Alternative Rock”. He is trying to make people think and at the same time he is giving the listeners the opportunity to analyze themselves as in a session with a psychologist. Derek is fascinated with the way society moves and the psychology behind it. He has read a book that changed his life and encourages everyone to read it: “The Four Agreements” By Don Miguel Ruiz. According to Derek’s own experience, this book will open your mind!

Derek latest work was released on April 12, 2011 and is entitled “Predators”, a musical novel of five chapters written by Mimi Black. Each chapter has a song written by Derek Jordan.

Logline for Predators: Five friends look to escape the daily grind by taking a trip to Paris, only to find themselves being hunted by vampires.

For further information on Derek Jordan, music downloads, tour dates and more, visit his official site at:

http://www.derekjordanmusic.com

THE ART OF DRUM THERAPY

Pat Gesualdo at D.A.D Program

Drums and Disabilities

By Adriana Rubio

Photos: Courtesy of Pat Gesualdo & D.A.D Program

Award winning drum virtuoso, author, clinician and researcher Pat Gesualdo released sections of his DAD Program as an extraordinary education Pilot Program in numerous New York City schools in 2004 to help children with disabilities. Seven years later the program has expanded greatly to many cities within the US and is also successfully working in London, New Zealand, South Africa, Bosnia, Italy, India and Slovenia.

The DAD program (Drums and Disabilities) is a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization that helps children and adults with Autism, Dyslexia, ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), Angelman Syndrome, Tourette’s and Asperger’s among many other disabilities, to develop: coordination, physical and cognitive functioning, retention, social skills, fine motor skill and sensory integration.

DAD Program is certified by the New Jersey State Department of Education as an official teacher-training program.  It is currently in use by Special Education Teachers, Physical, Occupational and Behavioral Therapists, Psychologists, Psychiatrics and Neuroscientists.

Pat Gesualdo and his DAD Program have been featured in major media outlets nationally and internationally. Gesualdo, who beats his own severe battle with a disability from when he was a child, not only has created this amazing program to help others but has performed and recorded for a number of major recording labels. To mention a few: Sony, Columbia, Warner Brothers, Atlantic and RCA. Pat has worked on many projects with Paramount Pictures artists and also with members of Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Kiss, Quiet Riot and Halford among many others famous musicians.

Pat Gesualdo writes a column for Modern Drummer Magazine entitled “Drum Therapy”. Gesualdo has won a big number of awards and received various mentions and honors. He has also authored two books "The Parent’s Guide To Learning Disabilities" and "The Art of Drum Therapy". Pat Gesualdo is a non-stop researcher and is currently working hand in hand with Neuroscientists and Psychiatrics who are interested in using the DAD Program with schizophrenic patients.  

For further information on the DAD Program and complete background info on Pat Gesualdo, conferences, lectures, book tours, sponsors, donations and more, please contact: info@dadprogram.org

DAD PROGRAM

P.O. BOX 341

Towaco, NJ, 07082

USA

OFFICIAL PAT GESUALDO WEBSITES:

www.dadprogram.org

www.myspace.com/patgesualdo

www.myspace.com/dadprogram
www.promark.com
www.zildjian.com
www.moderndrummer.com

THE FUSE

“Freedom Of The City”

…The Ups and Downs of a Record Deal…

By Adriana Rubio

Photo credits

Courtesy of The Fuse and Deuce Management & Promotions

The Fuse, previously known as “Lato”, a New Wave-Pop-Rock band from London started their first steps into the music industry in July of 2006. They have released a new record “Freedom Of The City” which is currently available to buy on CD Baby, iTunes and Amazon.  But before getting into the exciting moment this band is having now, I want to highlight how passionate they are for the music they make and how much they trust themselves to keep going strong after all the ups and downs they went through over the years. I want to thank The Fuse leader Alex Lato for sharing the band’s story and also to Robert Saunders at Deuce Management & Promotions for providing album promo and pictures.

Ladies and gentleman please welcome THE FUSE…

ALEX LATO: Lead Vocals

JAKE BLAIR: Drums

MICHAEL VARNAVA: Bass

KIKI: Keyboard

SIMON BOWKER: Guitar

Alex Lato and Jake Blair founded “Lato” in July of 2006. Michael and Kiki joined them soon after. With all the excitement of joining a band together they experienced the first thump down in November of the same year. “Lato” guitarist -Nick Sowden- left the band. But in a blink of an eye they got Simon Bowker in.

The year 2007 brought more ups than downs for these five musicians full of energy to record an album and tour. So, songwriting and rehearsals were number one priority to reach the goal. Michael Varnava wrote 3AM riff, which then the band developed into the song “3AM”. And in May the band heard that Russ Regan, CEO for the Record Company Velocity Entertainment, liked the song.    

The band prepared for the most thrilling experience ever. Alex and Jake visited Velocity Entertainment and met with the Company CEO Russ Regan and Kent Jacobs -an important figure behind Death Row Records-. Band demo was given to them; they loved it and expressed a great interest in signing the band, which they actually did. According to the signed deal Velocity Entertainment agreed to promote the album after recording sessions, mix and mastering were done. Deadline to deliver the finished project was November.

Alex, Jake, Simon, Kiki and Michael arrived at Los Angeles with funding for recording sessions. But something unexpected shadowed the band’s joy. The van they were travelling in from San Francisco to Los Angeles broke down en route. They paid $4,500 to get the van repaired. Soon after, some recording issues made the project delayed and they missed the previously arranged November deadline. However, Russ Regan signed the unmixed record off after visiting the studio and talking to them. A preliminary deal was discussed and the company promised $250,000 to push the record. The band returned back home for Christmas to celebrate both the holidays and record deal. 

Celebrations didn’t last for too long… in January of 2008, just a month after signing the record deal, they were told Velocity Entertainment's parent company pulled funding so Russ Regan was not able to fund Lato’s project. But despite the bad news, there was still a bit of hope. Velocity Entertainment dealt with a Canadian Fund Management for $4,000,000 funding for “The Red Letters”, a previously arranged project which in some way sounded promising for Lato… they were told: “If this project goes green, Lato album should get the funding”…

No green news for Lato, things turned worse for these five talented musicians. The boss of the Canadian Fund Management died of heart attack, and although they were a signed band, the Canadian boss’s wife refused to sign the cheque… It was rumored that the dead boss was having an affair and his wife discovered it. Record deal for Lato was terminated. They were in a desperate situation… no deal, no money, nothing. They returned back home in London on April 4^th, 2008 to start all over again from the very beginning. They performed for an audience of only “three people” and after submitting their record to every single management company listed in the “Unsigned Guide” for months, it seemed that no one was interested in Lato.  

They kept going and going… until they were offered a promotional song package from Deuce Management & Promotions which included radio play in November of 2008. They actually get airplay receiving great feedback from listeners; -the ball was running-, the band got tons of very good reviews and things seem to get better for the band from this point on. They played their first gig with a Coldplay cover band called “Coldplace” at Mr. Kyps in Poole getting an amazing response from the public and making 200 pounds in merchandising in January of 2009.

Lato reached an agreement with a Management Company in Camden Town in February and in May of 2009 the band opted for a new name to make a fresh start after everything they had experienced under the name of Lato and changed to THE FUSE. With a brand new name, The Fuse performed their first summer festival –the Ampfest- as an opening act for “Coldplace” in Yorkshire.

A year later, January of 2010, things were not working out with their Management Company so they decided to cut their ties with them and, through Bear Brown promotions the band toured with “Coldplace” in Holland reaching the greatest reviews ever since the first gig at Bibelot until the last show of tour where The Fuse started playing for zero people and ended up playing for hundreds and hundreds, plus sold out merchandising while listening to the massive crowd singing along one of their best hits: “Phantom”. 

Blessing times for The Fuse finally! They have played for zero and three people in recent years, have been ripped off many times, and have lost everything except faith. They woke up from a bad dream to have the biggest moment of their lives supporting “UB40” and playing for 2,500 people. Here is an account of The Fuse live performances for your enjoyment:

http://www.youtube.com/thefuserock#p/a/u/0/dtm8q8Gig00

Things are getting better and better for The Fuse since they now play for 3,000 people and are very much acclaimed in Holland and Germany. And in May of 2011 Deuce Management & Promotions and The Fuse agree to work together. They were first promoted by Deuce Management in November of 2008, and  since then they receive regular airplay both under the Lato and The Fuse name and are currently “A” listed on the Deuce Radio Show http://www.deucemp.com/Deuce_Radio_Show.htm which is a weekly show featuring Deuce Acts and broadcast on 30+ stations worldwide as well as podcasted.

The Fuse’s new album “Freedom Of the City” proves the band’s passion for the music they make, letting behind -but not forgetting- all the stones they jumped out on their way to succeed. Since the album release, The Fuse have gone on to support UB40 in Holland, album tracks getting over 50,000 plays on YouTube, and diverse radio stations are now digging up on their distinctive sound.  And as London, UK based artists they are ready to present “Freedom of The City” to Pretty Green, Liam Gallagher’s menswear label to play live gigs since two stores in London, one in Manchester and another in Glasgow provide live music from a host of well-known bands including unsigned acts every month. 

For further information about The Fuse including recently announced gig dates in Germany and more can be found here:

www.thefusemusic.com

www.facebook.com/thefusemusic

www.deucemp.com

GONE TOO SOON

“Journalist-Filmmaker Ian Halperin tributes Pop Star Michael Jackson with a film doc”  

By Adriana Rubio

Photo Credits: Courtesy of Ian Undercover

A behind the scenes look into the life and death of Michael Jackson “Gone Too Soon” directed by New York Times Best-selling Author Ian Halperin is now available for digital download.

The Undercover Journalist who wrote and published "Unmasked: The Final Years of Michael Jackson" after devoting five years of his life to investigate the singer’s troubled living, brings Jackson's last days to the big-screen. 

An 88-minute film documentary about the renowned singer after professionally selecting material from 300 hours of footage shot inside Jackson’s camp. “Gone Too Soon” includes video and audio of Michael Jackson shot before his death as well as a number of interviews with Michael Jackson’s attorney, personal manager, spiritual counselor, hairstylist, chef, trainer and more. 

Although “Gone Too Soon” portrays the most shocking facets of Jackson's life, Ian Halperin calls the film "a balanced tribute to the King of Pop… It’s a film Michael and his fans deserve”.  

In December of 2008 Ian Halperin reported Michael Jackson’s death six months before the sad event happened, while Jackson’s doctor at the time refuted Halperin and called it “a complete fabrication”. On June 25^th, 2009 Pop Star Michael Jackson died.

Ian Halperin's directing film credits include “The Cobain Case”, "His Highness Hollywood” and “Gone Too Soon”.

 

For “Gone Too Soon” digital download follow the link below:

 http://ianundercover.com/2011/05/23/iuc-world-exclusive-mj-film-gone-too-soon-now-available-for-digital-download/

PRETTY GREEN

Beady Eye Singer Liam Gallagher

Launched Another Pretty Green Store In London

By Adriana Rubio

Photos Credits: Courtesy of Pretty Green

Beady Eye singer Liam Gallagher has launched another Pretty Green Store in London on May 19th, 2011. In front of an excitedly awaiting crowd of Pretty Green fans, Liam appeared for the opening of his clothing brand’s second London Pretty Green store located in Covent Garden’s iconic East Piazza, just on the Royal Opera House Colonnade. 

“I’m very happy to be opening our fourth store in Covent Garden; it’s a perfect location for Pretty Green.”

Early on the Manchester singer stated that clothes and music are his passion. Liam’s words are still the same; there are facts that prove him right. Since launching in 2009, Pretty Green has opened four stores: Carnaby Street, Covent Garden, Manchester and Glasgow. Additionally, all Pretty Green stores provide live music from a host of well well-known bands including unsigned acts.

“Clothes and music are my passion. I’m not here to rip anyone off and I’m not doing it for the money either. I’m doing it cuz there’s a lack of stuff out there of the things I would wear”.

The emblematic singer is not only famous for his musical career but also for his inimitable presence on stage and unique singing style. All this together has been perfectly summarized to the Pretty Green collections: Green and Black Labels which are as cool as his creator. Collections count with an exclusive variety of footwear, jackets, knitwear, t-shirts, shirts, scarves, hats, parkas and more.

Pretty Green has also announced a limited edition T-Shirt, Badge and Poster set as collaboration for the Teenage Cancer Trust. Liam Gallagher is not new to this type of collaborations since he has done it before with “Oasis”. There’s no doubt the singer will keep his thumps up on the cause for a long run:

"I've always been a massive supporter of Teenage Cancer Trust. This collaboration is only just the start".

For further information on Pretty Green Spring – Summer Collections, stores' locations and live music visit: 

http://www.prettygreen.com

IAN HALPERIN

The Undercover Journalist

By Adriana Rubio

Photo Credits: Courtesy of Ian Undercover

New York Times Bestselling Author, Ian Halperin, is a well known Canadian investigative journalist from Montreal, Quebec. He authored and co-authored nine books since 1997 to the present days in 2011 including documentary films. Among his books titles, readers find a variety of interesting and controversial stories about Celine Dion, James Taylor, Kurt Cobain, Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie -the Hollywood couple known as “Brangelina”-, Michael Jackson and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Halperin is an accomplished-professional writer and a truth seeker by nature. No matter what, he goes right to the point, digs in and, without a doubt knows what he is talking about. Ian predicted Michael Jackson’s death six months before the sad event happened, while Jackson’s doctor at the time refuted Halperin and called it “a complete fabrication”. Ian Halperin also predicted on Arnold Schwarzenegger’s marriage… that the couple would split… and they actually did. 

Does Ian Halperin have a crystal ball? Is he turning into some kind of psychic? Absolutely not. All predictions are based on facts that only an old school investigative journalist knows how to do it. However, it’s not that easy. Don’t think the guy just sits and writes. Every case needs a different treatment. When conducting investigations, professionalism, intuition and a high level of astuteness and creativity are precious gifts Ian Halperin never lacks of.

Behind the scenes and with all the ups and downs included, Ian’s assertions are the result of years of non-stop hard work and taking risks even on his own life. Halperin has made a career of undercover investigations infiltrating into the Hollywood world posing as a troubled gay actor for the film documentary “His Highness”-Hollywood-Scientology-, and he also entered as a suicidal patient into the mental institution actress Angelina Jolie was in years ago.

Additionally and apart from being an undercover journalist in the writing and film fields, Halperin has contributed to “60 Minutes II” and was also a correspondent for “Court TV”. The wisdom achieved during the ten years investigation he and his writing partner Max Wallace did on the yet “unsolved murder” of Kurt Cobain, has guided Halperin, in some way, to where he is today. As a journalist myself, I follow Ian’s investigations since more than a decade ago and have talked to him on several occasions. His work is genuine. 

“The Seattle Police Department investigated the Cobain case for ten minutes and labeled it a suicide… We investigated it for ten years… There is forensic evidence that proves the official report wrong… it’s a complete different scenario… Kurt was murdered…  A dead man can’t pull the trigger, period… We call for this case to be reopened”. Ian Halperin told me in 2004 when the book “Love & Death: The Murder Of Kurt Cobain” came out.

Halperin would never publish a story without having enough evidence in his hands to prove it. Many people shocked out after hearing Michael Jackson had six months to live. On June 25^th, 2009 Pop Star Michael Jackson died and, whatever the hell the autopsy reports revealed, health issues as predicted by Ian Halperin were involved. In July of 2009, just weeks after Jackson’s death, Halperin published the book “Unmasked: The Final Years Of Michael Jackson”. Did Halperin write it in just hours? No. Although “Unmasked” coincidentally came out after Jackson’s death, it was the result of five years investigation: 

“I had more than a glimpse of the real Michael; as an award-winning freelance journalist and film-maker, I spent more than five years inside his ‘camp’...” 

“Many in his entourage spoke frankly to me – and that made it possible for me to write authoritatively last December (2008) that Michael had six months to live, a claim that, at the time, his official spokesman, Dr Tohme Tohme, called a ‘complete fabrication’. The singer, he told the world, was in ‘fine health’. Six months and one day later, Jackson was dead”.

After the publication of “Unmasked”, Ian went for more as a mental “undercover” patient for the book “Brangelina: The Untold Story Of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie”. Halperin spent months at the psychiatric institution where Jolie was committed years ago. The book makes public the brain-architect behind Jolie's barely credible change from infamous Hollywood bad girl to a concerned and caring one. And among many other issues the book deals with, Halperin describes in great detail Jolie’s uneasy-unhappy teenage years stuffed with her openly confessed experiences with bisexuality, drugs and self-injury. A must read.

Now Arnold Schwarzenegger is on the spotlight more than ever thanks to Ian Halperin’s revelations in his book “The Governator: From Muscle Beach to His Quest for the White House, The Improbable Rise of Arnold Schwarzenegger”. Early on Halperin experienced some rejections from the media to promote the book, but he never gives up. He usually appears on several TV and radio shows to promote a new released book. Halperin knows Arnold’s people were badly trying to stop the book. They have failed in all counts. The ball is running and can’t be stopped. Ian Halperin’s predictions on “The Governator” months ago are assertions today. On May 18, 2011 Ian was on TV shows “Inside Edition”, “Extra” and “CNN”.

For more information on Ian Halperin undercover investigations, TV and radio shows appearances, live chats and more, visit his official blog webpage at:

http://www.ianundercover.com

Complete list of books authored & co-authored by Ian Halperin below:

“The Governator: From Muscle Beach to His Quest For the White House, the Improbable Rise of Arnold Schwarzenegger”. HarperCollins Publishers.

“Brangelina: The Untold Story of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie”. Transit Publishing. 2009.

“Unmasked: The Final Years of Michael Jackson”. Simon Spotlight Entertainment. 2009.

“Hollywood Undercover: Revealing the Sordid Secrets of Tinseltown”. Edinburgh, UK: Mainstream Publishing. 2008.

“Love & Death: The Murder of Kurt Cobain”. Atria. 2004. (with Max Wallace)

“Miss Supermodel America”. OGO Books. 2004.

“Bad And Beautiful: Inside the Dazzling And Deadly World of Supermodels”. Citadel. 2002.

“Best Ceos: How the Wild, Wild Web Was Won”. OGO Books. 2000.

“Fire and Rain : The James Taylor Story”. Citadel. 2000.

“Shut Up and Smile: Supermodels, the Dark Side”. OGO Books. 1999.

“Who Killed Kurt Cobain? The Mysterious Death of an Icon”. Citadel. 1998. (with Max Wallace)

“Celine Dion: Behind The Fairytale” - A Very, Very, Unauthorized Biography. Boca Pub Group. 1997. 

DREAM ARIA

A Music Band From Canada

…With A Powerful Mission…

INTERVIEW WITH DON STAGG 

By Adriana Rubio

Photographs Credits: Courtesy of Dream Aria

Dream Aria is a music band from Toronto, Canada. They started the process of becoming a band around 2001. They didn’t even have a name then. Ten years later, Dream Aria is in 2011 one of the top unsigned bands on MySpace, number one on Canadian rock, alternative and progressive charts, and number two on Global progressive, number five on Global alternative and number 7 on Global progressive charts. Dream Aria released three studio albums: “In The Wake” (2005), “Transcend” (2008) and “Fallen Angel” (2011). 

Don Stagg, a talented musician, keyboardist and songwriter, is both the band founder and the leader. This is what he says to you all: 

“I started the thought process for Dream Aria -no name at the time- about 10 years ago with a mix of rock/opera/world music plus many other genres to work on. I started to write the music and almost two years later I decided to record. I phoned drummer Garry Flint -ex National Velvet, a well known Canadian band-. We talked on the phone and he was into the same bands and music I was into. Also, he had a studio so I grabbed my keyboards and headed off to record with him. And after we recorded a few songs I wanted to bring in opera singers and add a guitar”.

“We brought in Ren and Anna, two fabulous opera singers from Toronto, and a very talented guitar player. Ren and Anna loved what we were doing at first, but when I then added a harder edge to the music, they decided it was not for them”

“I found Ann Burstyn in 2004 and she was a great fit being able to sing opera and hard rock as well as anything else I threw at her. She is one of the best female rock singers I met. Ann also started to write the lyrics to many of the songs and then put her stamp onto the band by naming us Dream Aria”

Band members from 2004 to the present days are:

Ann Aria Burstyn: lead vocals

Don Stagg: keyboards

Garry Flint: drums

Jon Casselman: bass guitar

Mark Crossley: lead guitar

The music they create has no rules or boundaries. They feel it as a powerful mission to please the audiences by taking them to a long “Dream Aria” journey. And here is why the journey is called “Dream Aria”:

Dream:
A succession of images, thoughts, or emotions passing through the mind during sleep. An involuntary vision occurring to a person when awake. A vision voluntarily indulged in while awake: daydream, reverie something of an unreal beauty, charm or excellence.

Aria:
A lyrical song for a solo voice with orchestral accompaniment, generally expressing intense emotion. It’s found in opera. A deep harmony passage. The vocal-singing expression for a solo singer, adding chorus and instruments based on lyric and/or dramatic and poetic narrative.

“In 2005 we came out with “In the Wake” and have gotten so many great reviews. We did a gig on the Internet called In Your House. We have been building a steadily growing
worldwide fan base since our first album. We have already been featured on over 500 radio stations around the world. Dream Aria have also found huge success on MySpace where we have reached number one in the unsigned Global progressive charts contributing in them performing at a number of top venues in Canada including The Opera House and Lees Palace”.

The release of their newest album “Fallen Angel” in January of 2011 has noticeably increased their fan base worldwide and has been quoted as being a densely arrange project which is equally delighting instrumental and female vocal enthusiasts.

Dream Aria members bring together progressive rock, hard rock, ambient, heavy metal, Goth, classical, new age and world music with a unique sound: their own. They also combine languages, vocal styles/timbres, music eras, and cultures, exotic instruments which create a musical journey of different sorts to open the audiences’ minds, and why not… to end all the suffering. The music of Dream Aria makes you feel alive and most importantly, it makes the crowds believe they are part of some sort of Broadway characters. Songs like “Pandora’s Box Prelude”, “Pandora’s Box”, “Sun-Goddess”, “Transcend”, “Flower Duet”, “Fallen Angel”, “Gypsy Heart”, “Abstract Relations” and “Winter Storm”, among many others, are master pieces and true examples of their musical-art talent with a commanding female voice followed by heavy guitars, all music genres combined in harmony with a vast knowledge on history, classical composers, different cultures and civilizations.  A MUST listen!

In the Wake (2005)

#1 Spirit

#2 Sun-Goddess

#3 In the Wake- Soul

#4 In the Wake- Body

#5 Blue Lady

#6 Snapshot

#7 Pacis

#8 Promise

#9 He Touched My Soul

#10 Raindrops

#11 Opus Dei

#12 Spanish Nights

#13 11th Hour

Transcend (2008)

#1 The Rhythm of Now

#2 Labyrinth

#3 Transcend

#4 Serpent Nile

#5 Pandora's Box Prelude

#6 Pandora's Box

#7 Rebecca

#8 Tigress

#9 The Secret

#10 Compassion

#11 Flower Duet

Fallen Angel (2011)

#1 Fallen Angel

#2 Gypsy

#3 Abstract Relations

#4 Tale of Two Wolves

#5 The Illusionist

#6 Carnival of Souls

#7 Hearler

#8 The Gift

#9 Winter Storm

For tour dates, photos and videos please visit:

http://www.myspace.com/dreamariacanada

You won’t be disappointed. Enjoy the trip… Turn into a Rock-Broadway character… “Your Suffering Is Over”!!!