Networking

My "work" week ends here, on Thursday! This week has been very productive and I'm liking the way that things are going right now, I'm very optimistic.

I've decided to take in as much of what my "mentor", I'm not sure if I can call him that, or if he knows, Preston Green has said to me. If I want to become this super amazing publicist, I need to network: build and maintain relationships. Preston suggested that I go to Twitter and reach out to people. So I go on Twitter and start following all these random people!

I reach out to some people and people reach out to me. Turns out this intern from GIANT magazine and he's Funk Master Flex's P.A, is following me on Twitter! YAY a friend, finally! Turns out he know's Preston Green too-- small world, even on Twitter!

But the real issue that I'm having with networking, is: I reach out to all these people, they reply to my posts, I know they're well connected, but how do I ask them for anything? Do I say to the E in C of VIBE, "Hey D, I'm here in New York for the summer, I have nothing to do, can I be your friend and come with you to industry parties?" Is there a proper way to network? Or is it as simple as just reaching out to someone and making a connection. If there's a formality to networking, I don't know it!

Its like going up to Jay-Z and giving him your demo. I feel like I'm using them, which is what networking technically is, but "networking" is the formal name. I guess I feel bad for asking them to do things for me cause as an intern, in a new city without a job, I have nothing to offer them.

I need to figure out, how to reach out to people, without feeling guilty, I just hope I'm doing this right...

Super Mega Publicist

So I've been out in NYC for about a month now. I know how important it is to maintain my blog. Its like, Twitter, if you never update your Twitter, then who cares?! So I'm promising myself that after today I will make more of an effort to blog more regularly.

Today, I had a meeting with Preston Green of WEA, who helped me get my career path started. One of the first questions he asked me was, "What do you want to do here?" I didn't know! I'd thought that I wasn't in the right department, that maybe doing Corp. Communications wasn't for me. Long story short, by the end I figured out that I PR is where I want to be. So Preston helped me to reach out to Richie Abbott in the WMG L.A offices, who gave me some sound advice: know everything and everyone in every place if PR is where you want to be! He then allowed me to reach out to Nadia Ali in the WMG NY offices, and the idea of a Fall Publicist internship came up!

Now this is something to think about. I want to do it, but I have to think about school and taking this last class that's only offered in Fall and then if I say, "Screw it all!" stay in New York until December, I have to work! I can't go on without being employed! I need to develop a social life, meet and interact with people my own age.

I realized that I wasn't taking this as serious as I should. I need to eat, sleep, breath and shit New York. I just need to make some money to do it! Now I'm trying to follow all who I can on Twitter, mega celebs or not, just people who even in the most miniscule way, could be a possible contact, or will post info about an event I can go to and network that way. I need to eat, sleep, breath XXL, Source, Vibe, AllHipHop.com and let this life and culture consume me.

So now what? Am I on the road to becoming a super mega- publicist? I sure as heck hope so! All thanks to Mr. Preston Green!

WARNER MUSIC INTERN!

So these past couple weeks have been so crazy! I've decided to start blogging more to share my experience over the next few months as Warner Music Groups, Corp. Public Relations Intern (I guess that'd be my offical tile).

This whole thing started back in October, I was set to go work with Kadilsha Cain from Asylum Records. When I got to the US/ Canada boarder, I was denied entry. I was devastated, but pushed on, and stayed in contact with WMG's HR. Long story short, I re-applied and went for the interview about two weeks ago. I got the call back and cried when I was told I was chosen.

The word to describe how I felt: baffled! I was floored at the fact that of all the people who have applied, a little Jamaican/ Canadian girl was chosen!

Thus, I have made the choice to chronicle my last month in Canada and the next four months that I will be spending in New York.

Its my final three or so weeks here and I have a lot to take care of. The current problems I face:
1. Money (and lack there of). I've been working since I was 14 years old, so the thought of not having any income, to me, is terrifying!

2.School. My teacher is trying to tell me that I will loose 10% if I miss the two days which is total BS, since other students miss school for their internships as well).

3.Packing. All my clothes not enough space!!

This is the chance of a lifetime. My blog is my corner, my world, welcome to my life.
*~T*~

Whatever Happened to Interludes?

It’s been a long while since I've posted, but something has' been bothering me that I'd love to share. So the other day, I began listening to some early 90s music, and watching some old videos on YouTube. This inspired me so much that I went on Amazon.ca and ordered 112's debut CD. The anticipation for the arrival of the CD was almost too much to bear, but the CD eventually came in the mail and I was excited!! As I’m going through the song list on the back, it struck me that this CD has something that my newer CDs lack: INTERLUDES!!!

These mini-songs as I like to call them were a smooth segway into full length songs. I remember hearing a 112 interlude off their Part III album that I didn't want to end!! CDs of back in the day had intros, outros and everything in between. You got 20 solid good songs, to get that now, you’d have to combine two CDs.

CDs of today, R&B mainly, have become shorter and shorter. But it seems that everything of today is becoming shorter and more compact. Anything that can be done in the shortest frame of time is what wins. It seems that music is reflecting this trend. CDs with less than 15 songs, and no interludes to boot are what is in, prime example, Ne-Yo's latest CD, Year of the Gentleman, total of 12 songs. Lloyd, Lessons in Love, total song count: 12, also. Keisha Cole, Just Like You, song total: 15. I'm not advocating that I listen to every single R&B CD that comes out, and none have any interludes. I'm saying for the ones I do listen to and for the artist that I do love, I feel like I'm being cheated out. Back then when all I could afford was to buy the tape, I got my money’s worth. Today I get get a ten song CD for $20, I'm paying $2 a song, to me that’s deff no steal of a deal!

So why is it that the CDs of today, interludes are no longer included? Have artist just gotten lazy? Or are they taking up to much studio time and have to cut back on cost, thus they've decided to cut out my beloved mini songs? Whatever the reason, I just hope they bring them back!

Happily Ever After

Happily ever after. You have to wonder if this is even real or is this something that Hallmark or Disney decided that one day they were going to make this up to give people who have no hope something to hold onto. 

As a young woman in my early twenties, I find it interesting that I am expected to act and feel a certain way about things. I once had a friend who'd had her heart broken by a boyfriend who said he loved her, but he would always do things to hurt her. Through all these trials she faced she still kept onto this hope. Kept onto the concept that one day, she and her husband, whomever he might be, will be together with the white picket fence and the 2.5 kids in the yard. I must commend her, because if used the right way, faith can be one hell of a thing. 

We often hold onto things, or people whom we love because the fear of loosing them is what keeps us holding on. The child and its blanket that he uses for comfort, for security. The parents clenching onto the hope that their drug addicted son will eventually get clean. The young girl holding onto the idea that her cheating boyfriend loves her. We hold onto these things out of fear that one day they'll come around; or the idea that we'll eventually be able to let go. We hold onto these things because we are incarcerated within our own fear. We've become so accustom to living life with this ever present thing or person in our life that the concept of it no longer being there can be too much to bare. 

The tears flow like the Nile down a child's face if that blanket cannot be found. The addicts parents lives become a puzzle with a missing piece if they should have to burry their child. The young girl has lost herself if she looses her boyfriend. 

So we keep these things in our lives to provide us with the comfort we think we need to go on. Regardless of how infecting, or not, these things can be. These posessions bring us to a calm. We find solace in them. The hardships that we face in life just become that much easier to bare. 

So is holding onto a "Happily Ever After" a security blanket for the broken heart?