Saturday 20 December 2014

Music Is a Scary Journey

Music is a scary journey for me


Have you ever gone up to your parents and said I want to be a singer/rapper? What did they say? My friends often ask me, will I be happy if I don't make it in music? Will I be happy having a desk job for the rest of my life?

Well to answer those questions, I haven't told my parents that my dream is to become the biggest artist ever known and have my name up there with Mr. Tupac Shakur. To answer my friends’ questions, I don't know. All I know is that my dream is my dream, and I am young and I won't be able to live with myself knowing that I had an opportunity to chase this dream and didn't take it. I am going to school for computer science and it is an interesting field but it's no music career.

It's funny because I never knew about the work involved behind the scenes in music to get your name out there, I always thought that if I focused on my lyrics and made them meaningful, I would automatically get noticed.

In school they teach you about mathematics and sciences which are very important but they never teach you what you actually need to succeed in the real world. You need to know how to talk and relate to people and you need to know how to sell yourself, which is what I am learning how to do at the moment, but am not fully succeeding. I tried to learn a new language last year on my own through various websites, but it did not turn out perfectly- and that's what promoting myself feels like.


I've always focused on my lyrics and what I talk about, but now I'm learning something new and getting my feet wet; I dive in.

Isla's Straightjacket Escape

Isla's Straightjacket Escape

I have been practicing magic for 15 years now and performing for 12. Practice is a major part of performances; I usually practice some form of magic every day.  My daughter Isla is two and has been around both her mom and me while we performed since before she was born! Adreanna remained my "lovely assistant" on stage until she was about 5 months pregnant. When Isla was a month old, she attended our show at the Saskatoon Festival of trees Father Daughter Gala.  One could almost say show business in her blood! She routinely watches us practice and rehearse and pals around with the actors in the improv troupe whenever they come by. (For anyone who doesn't know, our business isn't just about magic. We also feature Off the Cuff, an improv troupe headed by Adreanna.)  Now Isla is at the age where she is amazed when I have something in my hand and suddenly it disappears, so performing magic for her is great.

Last week Isla saw me getting ready for a show, packing my case and making sure I was bringing my straitjacket and not Adreanna's.  Isla was interested and asked if she could put it on, so like any parent wanting to see what would happen I did up the arms and one strap at the top and encouraged her to escape.  I hope you all enjoy her first attempt at an escape! She was great and I was really proud of her effort. Have fun watching!


Friday 5 December 2014

Ronda Rozon's "End of Day" Music Video!




The Waterfall

As the weather becomes colder, most of us want to hunker down and stay close to home in our nice warm places.

The other day we were filming outside for the last shoot of the video.  Our location was a most inspiring, beautiful spot near Goldstream Park in Victoria, BC.  We were amidst towering trees and a waterfall as high as Niagara!  Every hue of green, gold and red surrounded us.  The sound of the flowing water was mesmerizing. My desire was to sit and drink it all in.  The air was so refreshing.

I had to cross over the frigid, meandering water in order to get to the sweet photo spot beside the waterfall. The rocks were slippery and I had to make some long jumps between the rocks .  I had my guitar on my back and a blanket and a bag in my hands.  It was a challenging balancing act.  One that I did not win.   At one point my feet landed in the cold waters - “Brrr!”

As I carefully stepped from stone to stone I made my way to the spot and settled in for the shoot.  The force of the waterfall was causing water to spray over me and the wind was blowing cold air all around.  It was so cold I could see my breath!

This was fast becoming a labour of love!  Ken had brought over the music for my song and he showed me how to work the player and then he returned to the other side of the water.  Now was the really hard part: being filmed!  I find it challenging to be in front of the camera .  I wanted this to be a great video but truly wished I didn’t have to be the center of attention.  I much prefer to be captured in a natural, authentic way without having to pose for filming.  I knew that it was necessary, so I tried my best to be creative in some movement to the music.  Ken was considerate and kept the filming short and sweet.

I made my way back to the other side where we did some filming inside the trunk of a tree (a very cool little space).  Climbing up and over the rocks I felt invigorated and alive.  To be amongst such natural beauty was such a gift.

As we packed up I marveled at the wonder of the waterfall!  It was amazing and I had never experienced it before.  How could I have missed this my whole life?  The whole space was magical!..Like being in some far off mystical, spiritual, distant land.

I looked back for a moment and pondered upon the privilege of living in such an incredible paradise.

Monday 1 December 2014

Teemus Supreme & the Song Writing Process

Hip-Hop Artist Teemus Supreme: "Always finish something you start"




A song is one thing, but a video is another. I never imagined myself being part of a music video, let alone making my very own music video for my very own music. I used to listen to music on the radio and wish that I could rap and sing just like those popular artists. I never knew music could come so naturally. The lyrics that I write flow naturally and I never have to push them out; any time I feel an emotion (which for us human beings is like all the time) I take out my phone, or if I have a pen and paper out, start pouring out my emotions into verses. People say they often struggle to write one song- I've already written five. Could this be my ego talking, or do I possess actual talent? My writing process doesn't involve a beat, nor can I just sit and listen to a beat for hours and try to write a song specific to it. I just grab a pen and starting writing on a paper, I don't try to make the words rhyme and even though sometimes when I read what I've written down and it doesn't sound too good, I keep going because if there's one thing I've learned in this life, it's that no matter what always finish something you start. It is an interesting process when we record in the studio because I'll have a beat picked out that I want to record the track over but my lines or verses don't always line up to the beat. So I kind of take a "see how things go" type of approach. The music starts and I start singing, I let the music guide me and the words that come out of my mouth are mere expressions. Of course sometimes I either write too much or too little and so I'll make changes as I go forward with the verses. Sometimes I won't even have the verses completely written and sometimes the chorus isn't even written but that's what I like about the studio environment, it always brings out the best in me. This is only the start for me though, maybe I'm arrogant or maybe this is beginners luck and the struggle is yet to come. I've only recorded 3 songs thus far and am on my way to making my first music video for one of my very own song called "Fake Friends"

Wednesday 26 November 2014

Brenda Navarette - Cuban Singer, Percussionist, Dancer

Brenda Navarette - the Sky is the Limit!


As many of you may know, Cuba is a hotbed of musical talent, but Cuban musicians face some unique challenges when reaching out to the outside world. Internet connectivity is relatively slow and can only be accessed from public Internet portals or hotel business centers. That being said, Brenda is working hard and we expect her to be able to join in on the conversations very shortly, so get ready for some passionate exchanges... she’s a little firecracker that lives and breathes music, 24/7! Brenda is working almost around the clock these days in Havana, with rehearsals as a singer, percussionist and dancer with a large international touring production by day, and club performances at night, both with her own band and as a special guest. Besides touring in the coming year with the international production, Brenda is also setting her sights on North American festival dates. Despite her busy schedule, she is recording tracks, one by one, for her long-overdue debut CD release. In the meantime, please feel free to reach out to Brenda's publicist David Pye anytime at RubixCubaRep@gmail.com, or through his Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/david.pye.5437). If you have any questions or comments for Brenda, send them along, and they will be promptly addressed. Brenda looks forward to meeting and interacting with you all in the days ahead! 

Check out this feature on Brenda Navarette on YouTube:

Sunday 23 November 2014

A Message from Mark Rosner

Independent, but not alone


I get asked a lot, where is the music industry headed? My answer is simple- sponsorships! I will use an analogy from hockey. In European leagues, their jerseys are filled with sponsor logos! It looks ridiculous, in my opinion. However, it is here to stay. Just a reality of business. When I hear people high up in the industry suggest that the music industry is dead, or has no value, I say shame on you. Just because the gravy train is over for you, it does not mean that the industry is dead. History shows even in the great depression, some people were making money. The industry is evolving and has been for many years. Those who will have the resolve to persevere through the changes will be called the pioneers of the next wave of successes. Musicians are better than any sub culture in society at social networking. That has tremendous value!! It just needs to be tapped. Herein lies the key, as artists learn to work together, their power and leverage will grow. So, to you artists out there that are determined to stay independent I say, good on you, stay “independent”...... Just don’t stay “alone”

Cheers,
Mark Rosner



Saturday 22 November 2014

Introducing... Boucher Entertainment

Want to Have Fun at Your Party? Look No Further...


Greetings from Boucher Entertainment! Christmas party season is upon us and life is busy! That's a good thing. It's not only Christmas parties that we've been entertaining at, such as the Sasktel Christmas party in Saskatoon, although those are definitely keeping us hopping; we have just had the pleasure of performing for the Angel and Friends Halo Gala fundraiser in Saskatoon and a bonspiel in Prince Albert. We are looking forward to all our other upcoming shows!  We are very lucky to spend every weekend on the road doing what we love: making people laugh.  Being busy means that our daughter Isla gets to visit with her grandparents, uncles and aunts more often, and does she ever love visiting!  I wonder where she gets it from?

having fun in a straightjacket never looked better

A Message From Delaney Rose

Message from Delaney Rose: Just Believe


This message sounds so simple but sometimes the hardest possible decision. We all walk our roads, paths, from happiness to deep grief to the sometimes distant middle ground. As a singer songwriter, I walk all of them sometimes a song comes from the spaces in between. I am so honoured to write what I feel, see and hope. Lately, while touring in Nashville area, I wrote my latest song about the tough road to success with "Just Believe" being this deep focus. 

Well, sending you all the light possible for you to reach your highest potential. 

Ciao for now, 

Delaney Rose 
@DelaneyRose2

Friday 21 November 2014

Aztec the band

Check out Aztec's new EP "Stitches"!


Starting Monday, November 24th, we will be airing our first episode in a series of short webisodes that follow our band through live shows, rehearsals, touring, drinking, hiding bodies (of our old drummers), and good ol' fashioned hijinx. Stay tuned to our Facebook page for more on that!  -Aztec

www.facebook.com/aztectheband

Check out/purchase Stitches on Bandcamp here: http://aztectheband.bandcamp.com

Thursday 20 November 2014

Ronda Rozon Filming in Metchosin

An Update from Ronda Rozon on her Music Video for "End of Day"


An inspired night was on the brink of being born as we gathered together in beautiful rustic Metchosin. I was breathing in all the scents of nature and feeling so blessed to be outdoors on this splendid evening that would be would begin our outdoor filming. Friends had gathered together on this special night to help me bring this song to life.

Creativity was being ignited around the blazing warmth of the fire that our gracious hosts Michelle and Gord had built on their acreage in the outskirts of Victoria.  As the equipment was being readied we were soaking in the fresh air and depths of the day turning into night.

The immense size of the trees with the moon shining through the branches, filled my mind with wonder.  We seemed so small amongst the vast length of tree trunks, bark and colorful foliage.  It was a clear, crisp night and myriads of stars dotted the skies. 

As ‘End of Day” began to play in the back ground, I pondered the beginnings of the song and how it had grown into such a part of my soul. It was much more than a song. It was not only about a sunset but also an ending to another relational chapter in my life story.

Bringing visuals to the song allowed me to relieve it’s creation and see it in a brand new light. The camera was ready and the drummer, flute, shakers and dancers came together around the fire. Images were flashing and smoldering in time with the music.  We were  surrounded by a peaceful presence as the players played their parts each adding something fresh to the music.  


Sharron dances 'round the fire while filming for "End of Day"
Tall, towering shadows of bodies in black played in the grass as we brought the filming to a close. We finished our evening singing songs around the fire in wonderful musical community. “Another day gone, another day well spent.”

A feeling of true satisfaction washed over me  and I  knew that these special moments in time would be etched in my memory.

Stay tuned for part 3 where we will visit a magical waterfall in Goldstream Park as the filming continues and the story unfolds.


Tuesday 18 November 2014

The Tod Hughes Project

Tod Hughes will have you toe-tapping in no time!


Tod was born into a musical family and started his first band in grade three, "the silver surfers".  Although the surfers soon disbanded and never found commercial success, their rendition of "Young Girl" was considered a minor hit in some circles!

After many years of life, family, and business, (with some musical coaching and band experience thrown in), Tod was in a place to return to his real musical love and gift, telling stories, as a singer songwriter. 

Tod writes real music that comes from the heart, stories of love, hurt, happiness, fear, disappointment and fun.  A message of hope is thread through the stories which are sometimes serious and sometimes a bit tongue in cheek.  The toe tapping melodies and memorable choruses will stick in your mind for days after hearing them.  They are told with truth and respect.  Tod wrote and sang all of the songs on his first EP entitled "Changing Gears" which celebrates this new phase of life and the opportunity to share some stories!

Inspired by the great storytellers of our time, men like Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, JJ Cale, Neil Young and Leonard Cohen, Tod's unique style of telling the stories and engaging the listener resonates with folks of all ages.

Tod often plays around town with his band Great Rain. Here is Tod blowing harp at one of their favourite spots to play, a local hole in the wall pizzeria/pub, Pizza Bob's. Always a great crowd and great time.


Last week Tod played the new Aloft Hotel in Calgary, which is featuring live indie music once a week."The Lumineers" were discovered in Denver at the Aloft Hotel, in their "Live at Aloft" series.

Thursday 13 November 2014

Canadian Hip-Hop Artist Teemus Supreme

Teemus Supreme- Word UP!

Teemus Supreme talks about his roots, inspiration, and aspirations:

Ever since I was little and could remember, my dream had always been to play in the NBA, inspired by Michael Jordan, Vince Carter, Allen Iverson, and many other players. I remember sitting at home and watching the games in my living room and every time there was a highlight play, I tried to imitate that play with my plush ball and mini hoop. I spent every recess and lunch playing basketball with my friends and after school and on weekends I spent time improving my skills, hoping that one day I could make it to the NBA. One day in grade 6, during silent reading, my friends and I were talking, so we got detention and had to stay after school for cleaning duties. I had an idea and while I was cleaning the chalk board, I gathered my friends around it and asked them to write their names backwards, as did I. After reading the names, mine was the only name that sounded like an actual name, so Sumeet became Teemus and from then on, my friends called me Teemus Supreme. Music never entered my life until grade 10. Before grade 10, the only music I listened to was the music in video games or movies. But one day while driving with my cousins, my cousin put a CD into the deck and a Tupac song started playing, of course at the time I didn't know who Tupac was, and to me his sound was amazing. That day I went home and googled Tupac and started my journey into music. I starting listening to his songs and buying clothes that had his image on it, and before I knew it, I became semi-obsessed with Tupac. It wasn't until after high school that I actually started relating to his lyrics, because beforehand what got me really interested in Tupac was his attitude and reckless nature. When I actually started listening to his songs and lyrics, it made me appreciate his music even more and eventually I mustered up the courage to write my own music. In the beginning, I could barely even write half a verse but I kept at it and eventually they started to flow. Though I never recorded the first couple of songs I'd written, I always kept them in my book and I refer to them every now and then to see where I was when I first started. It was only until the beginning of this year that I had the courage to record my first song, "Smile" and that was my first song that I actually felt the lyrics as I was writing them. I have just now recorded my second song "Fake Friends" and am beginning to develop my own style. I try to write how I feel and write what happens in my life and use Tupac's music and lyrics and inspiration. In the future, I hope to record many more songs and go on tours and build an incredible fan base. I have a lot of other aspirations too, such as starting a clothing line, working with top artists in the music industry, as well as try to become a successful actor and become involved in TV shows and movies, both in Hollywood and Bollywood. I believe that one should have a set of goals that are achievable and that one's dreams should be such that, at first glance, they seem unachievable but can be achieved through hard work, persistence, and determination. You should always go to bed happy dreaming of what you would do if anything were possible.

Sunday 9 November 2014

Mackenzie Dayle in LeducRep

Mackenzie Dayle: Born to Perform


Meet Mackenzie Dayle. Here is an interview with this talented young pop artist from LeducRep's online news site:

Mackenzie Dayle may be a fresh face to most, but she’s no stranger to performing.
Dayle, who [headlined] a pop music showcase at the Maclab Centre for the Performing Arts Sunday, Oct. 26, is just at the outset of her music career, but she’s been performing on stage since the tender age of five, when her mother signed her up for a singing competition. It was almost an inauspicious beginning.
“When I arrived there, all practiced and ready to go, I was told that I would be on first and that’s when it hit me. I started crying and refused to go on stage,” Dayle said. She stayed backstage instead to watch the first few performers, and after working up some nerve, decided to try her luck.
“I was an extremely over-confident child at the time, and after watching a few performers go on I looked at my mom and said, ‘Oh, I can do that’.”
And she’s been doing it ever since.
Dayle is a born and raised Edmontonian, and recently graduated from Edmonton’s prestigious K-12 Victoria School of the Arts. She’s performed the national anthem at Oilers, Oil Kings and Eskimos games several times, and recently released her first album, Give Me Some Action, packed with songs Dayle crafted herself.
She [performed] songs from that album at the showcase, incorporated into a stage show that indulges Dayle’s theatrical tendencies.
“Whenever I put on a show, it becomes a look inside the crazy and colourful world that is my brain. I am a natural theatric and this showcase is going to be a collection of all the things that excite me about performing,” Dayle said. “I have put my heart and soul into making this concert as smooth and exciting as it could possibly be.”
Dayle [was joined] on stage by several other young artists from the Edmonton area. Dance crews, singer/songwriter Asim Chin and Nic Neufeld also [performed]. Dayle said she personally picked Neufeld and Chin for the showcase.
“I specifically wanted to include them in my show because I knew what they could do and I knew I could trust them to deliver a great show, as I have seen them do many times before,” she said.

credit: <http://www.leducrep.com/2014/10/24/pop-showcase-bringing-young-talent-to-leduc-on-sunday-night>

Here is Mackenzie Dayle's cover of Katy Perry's "Roar":


Friday 7 November 2014

Meet Phoenix Christa

 Get to know Phoenix Christa

Hey Everyone!

How's it goin out there?  If not so well, time to put on some rock n' roll and just let it go for a while, eh?! Times are tough, people come and go, and change is inevitable in any circumstance and situation but music - Rock n' Roll - will never die!


My name is Phoenix I am hard working female artist from good ol' Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. I grew up in a small village named Viscount, with a population of about 300. My parents were farmers and we lived on a farm outside the village in a house that was built in 1909. Originally my mother had me in Saskatoon but moved us out there when I was 3 when she married my adopted dad. Life on the farm was simple and I spent most of my youth playing with animals and adventuring all the cool and neat old buildings that remained on the property for almost 100 years! I could go on and on about life there and awesome adventures, but for now I'll stick to the roots of the rock n' roll.

My dad had an awesome 8-track player out at the farm, and all of the 8-tracks that went with it were mostly metal... I can't exactly recall all of the band names, it was the early '80s and I was only three years old, but I recall listening to Judas Priest and Testament, Guns n Roses and Black Sabbath the most! My dad told me later in life that all I would do is sit and listen to those metal 8tracks, and I do remember that.

We didn't have a whole lot of money, and my parents eventually had 4 more kids, so it wasn't easy keeping up with all of the needs of everyone, also when your closest community is a village, it's pretty difficult to find outlets for someone with musical drive and interest.

My mom enrolled me into Piano lessons as soon as I started school, and I played piano studying through the Royal Conservatory of music up until I was in grade 7. Somewhere in my teen years, I decided piano was lame and would doing nothing but listen to metal and rock - as much of it as I could possibly find. Favourite artists included Metallica, Marilyn Manson, Nirvana, Guns n Roses, Aerosmith. Rock and roll started taking over everything I did... every choice I made, every dream I had; it was all I could live, breathe, and think about.

I hunted people down who were living the rock life, I sought out bands and got involved with a local band in a surrounding town. I decided in my youth that the only thing I cared about was rock and roll.

At the age of sixteen, I hit the road and left my parents farm, and the adventure has been nothing but crazy. That was over a decade ago, now here I am...

I am still in Saskatchewan, though I wandered out of province and lived out in Ontario for a couple years. I returned to Saskatoon in 2009 after being in Kingston, Ontario for about two years, beginning in 2007. Started up a rock band, took on some extra projects when I got here- I designed and created my solo musical act "Babylon", which is not so much rock n' roll but a fantasy type genre- and stumbled into Mark Rosner, previous CEO of HMP Recording and Development, located in Vancouver, BC.

Mark signed me to a one year development deal with HMP, as I had A LOT of work and fine tuning to do.
 

I had no produced songs, no videos, and I'm not so good with social networking, so hardly had an online presence, but they picked me up anyway. For that I am so thankful, it's amazing.

A year later, Mark signed me on to Rosner Management. I have two singles: "If You Dare" and "Remember". Now the ball is rolling, and soon I will be doing a music video for "If You Dare".

I am working on my website, which will be up shortly, and am doing a major live Saskatchewan event soon. This is just the tip of the iceberg; there is much more behind me and much more ahead...

My name is Phoenix and I am here to make music! Thank you to everyone who took the time to read this- you'll be hearing more from me soon...

~All in the name of Rock n' Roll~



Click here to play "Remember" by Phoenix Christa on SoundCloud

Wednesday 5 November 2014

Ronda Rozon's "End of Day"

Music Video coming soon for Ronda Rozon's "End Of Day"


"Fall is a wonderful, colorful time of changing seasons.  As time moves forward we must continue to evolve and grow as artists. I have been feeling like something is on the verge of being born for quite some time now. In honoring that I have partnered with a very talented musician/producer/ creator to help me craft my first music video. It will showcase my original song titled "End Of Day".

The ideas are swirling and twirling in my mind’s eye, and when Ken and I get together things start to flow like two meandering streams that meet In the middle.  One great idea leads to another and then another!  We are visualizing beautiful imagery of nature, sunsets and night skies.

A live shoot outside is in the works for this weekend where we will dance and drum around the fire. Getting in touch with nature will be extra special this time as we prepare to share our vision with the world around us!"


-Ronda Rozon

Click Here to listen to Ronda Rozon's "End of Day" on SoundCloud

Thursday 23 October 2014

Welcome!

Welcome to Rosner Management Stories & Sounds!

If you are reading this, you have found our blog. Here, we will collect a variety of stories about who we represent, their journeys, their music, and how you can connect with them.


Enjoy!

-Rosner Management Blog Team