LeonDalePhotographer
When looks matter and images count.The Spot Light
Jen Farris of ZDennis Media Group!
Jen Farris of ZDennis Media Group
Jen Farris is a public relations strategist and project manager for ZDennis Media Group. Founded in 2005, ZDennis Media Group’s mission is to be the ultimate resource; exposing positive messages about arts, culture, & entertainment to the “culture curious”.
Employing the creative arts as a powerful vehicle for social change is next on the list of professional accomplishments and running a public relations business with no boundaries is Farris’ ultimate goal. “I want our audiences to experience the arts in every language,” says Farris. “The worst thing ever done to someone is to keep them underexposed and undereducated.”
Prior to founding ZDennis Media Group, Farris was a radio promotions and marketing professional with MCA Records and later worked for the American Society of Composers Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), the first and leading U.S. Performing Rights Organization (PRO) whose constituency encompasses the world’s largest repertory of music publishers and songwriters.
She is a former Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Miss Bennett College ‘queen’ who earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Bennett College in Greensboro, NC and her Master’s Degree from the University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC. She is a member of The Recording Academy, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., and a Charter Member of Toastmasters International Legacy Builders in Atlanta, GA.
Jen Farris of ZDennis Media Group
Social*Phokus !
Social*Phokus
Phokus is a Local Artist here in Atlanta who paints and creates music.
He also organizes ‘get togethers’ sometimes pulling the most eclectic medleys of talent and characters, but always showing up a good time AND turning water into wine.
yeh, he does that.
Check out the write up about our own Social*Pterodactyl Phokus over a FinkMagazine:
http://www.finkmag.com/blog/2010/12/06/socialphokus/
The Seven Sides of Sam Chupp.
“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women are merely players: they have their exits and their entrances, and one man in his time play many parts, his acts being seven ages.”
William Shakespeare
- The Seven Sides of Sam Chupp
The Seven Sides of Sam Chupp:
Think you’re ready for the world of Gaming? Nu-uh! Welcome to gaming squared, as Sam Chupp drags you kicking and screaming into the surrealistic world of Role Playing, Gaming, and Board Games, complete with rule books, props, and a bad ass attitude.
1. The Ultimate Gamer: Finally, a gamer you can take home to mom!
It was at the tender age of eight that Sam Chupp was first introduced to the imaginative fun of gaming. While playing a not-so-fun version of D& D (Dungeons and Dragons for you novice folk), Sam realized the potential that role playing and gaming as a whole could provide for him. While other teenagers were experimenting with drugs, under-age sex, and gang violence, this intellectual kid from Atlanta, GA was finding himself in the imaginative world of free form and board game role playing.
“Gaming really kept my head focused. Role playing kept me away from drugs and out of a lot of bad stuff that was going on around me.” For Sam, gaming provided levels of imagination, creativity, and excitement that most kids only get to dream about. Sam’s gaming has allowed him to travel, make lasting friendships, and continue on a journey that paved the way for much more.
2. Game Designer: What you don’t know about Gaming might scare you!
Games, games, and more games became the focus of Sam’s vision for many years. Sam soon teamed up with Mark Rein-Hagen, Ian Lemke, and Joshua Timbrook to create; Changeling: The Dreaming, a story-telling game system based on supernatural characters. Sam drew upon folklore from various cultures including, Native American tribes, Grecian tales, and Indian and African mythology. Additionally, Sam went on to create Wraith: The Oblivion with Mark Rein-Hagen and Jennifer Hartshorn.
Sam won an Origins Award in 2003 for in his work in the gaming industry. The Origins Award, also known as a Calliope or “Callie” is one of the most prestigious awards in the gaming community and represents excellence achieved in the gaming industry.
3. Author: Sam Wrote the Rule book on Role Playing…no really, he did!
Besides being a note worthy game designer and extremely talented gamer, Sam Chupp has taken his ability to dream to a higher level. With his juiced-up gaming knowledge and experience, Sam has literally written the rule book on role playing and gaming. Some of his books include: Sins of the Fathers: The World of Darkness Wraith based on the Oblivion gaming system andVampire: The Masquerade based on the White Wolf Game Studio’s World of Darkness live-action role playing gaming system.
“Like kids on a playground, you just trust the people you play with and throw out a story, using trust as the guide for rules,” Sam tells us about free form role playing.
Additionally Sam is a writer for much of the content in The Book of Nod, an inspirational book for story tellers worldwide. The Book of Nod also is as a best-selling art book which is still considered a “cult” classic and has many people truly believing in the myth of vampires.
But if gaming just isn’t your thing, don’t worry, Sam’s got you covered. In addition to his long list of gaming based publications, Sam is currently working on his newest adventure, a fantasy audio book called Heart of the Hunter, which can be downloaded directly from his website in the form of Podcasts. Pretty neat!
4. Supportive Partner: Sam Chupp isn’t all fun and games.
Although Sam often portrays strong and warrior-like characters in the gaming world, he has also had to use his own inner strength to support his long-time partner, Cynthia, who suffers from Fibromyalgia. Like gaming, Fibromyalgia is not always on the tip of everyone’s tongue but always remains at the forefront of Sam Chupp’s life. Many don’t know the pain and agony that comes with a debilitating syndrome that completely sensitizes the body’s entire central nervous system, as only two percent of the American population suffer from it.
While there are few remedies aside from physical therapy and medication that can combat the extensive list of symptoms that face fibromyalgia suffers, Sam and Cynthia have found their own treatment. Through the use of their own cleverly engineered free from role playing game, called Raven Song, Sam and Cynthia have found a way to transcend passed the physical limitations of her condition and find a peace that has not only relieved the everyday stresses, but has also made their relationship stronger.
- Sam Wrote the Rule book on Role Playing
5. Podcast King: Food for the Masses.
As a game designer, engineer and all-around bad ass, Sam Chupp has found yet another way to dazzle us. Through the use of innovative Podcasts, a function that Sam discovered years before it became a buzz word in today’s web-conscious world, Sam has been able to reach-out to the thousands of hungry minds needing his expertise.
Through the medium of podcasts and role playing, “friendships are formed,” Chupp describes, as he has established nearly a dozen podcasts that focus on topics that range from treatment and support for Fibromyalgia sufferers (Fibrant Living) to tips, tricks and skills for beginning gamers (Square One). Each one of Sam’s Podcast seems to unravel another intricately woven side of Sam. Yet again, Sam demonstrates that not only is he ahead of the curve but is the one twisting its corners.
6. Poet: To be or Not to Be? Sam’s got the answers.
Who would have ever imagined that an engineer and game designer would write poetry? Certainly not me until I met this gifted gentle giant outside the gaming world. Not only can Sam turn a slightly under-used website into a master podcast engine, but he can also turn a pretty mean phrase.
The Bear’s Cast, Sam’s wonderfully thought-provoking poetry blog, serves not only as his main blog and casual podcast page, but also provides witty commentary and insightful messages about the society and social health of our community. While most of this site is geared to getting a slice of Sam’s mind, this blog, in particular, also serves up a slice of Sam’s heart.
7. Father: Why can’t all dads be this cool?
Clean your room, do your homework, and play games…wait, what was that last one? Yep, you read it right, Sam Chupp definitely allows his kids to game. Not many people would appreciate their child’s ability to fantasize and dream in large scale, but Sam is the dad of all dads.
“Story telling speaks to our souls. Attaining something higher than yourself is worth the journey,” Sam explains. “Through role playing, our family learned understanding and the ability to empathize with others, and was used effectively as a reward for my kids.”
While Sam also recognizes the importance of a clean room and good grades, he understands and nurtures the blossoming potential of a furtive imagination. With a son who is now 20 and two daughters who are 17 and 18, Sam gets the importance of supporting his children to reach their dreams. How cool is that?
- The Ultimate Gamer: Finally, a gamer you can take home to mom!
Although many people may not understand the nuances of gaming or free form role playing, there are millions of people world wide that participate and form their very own gaming communities where gaming is not only a past time, but a way of life. For those special few that take part in the adventure-driven role playing world of gaming, thousands within this close-nit community not only recognize Sam Chupp’s contributions, but are grateful for his voice.
By Janean Brown
The Flavor Of Dean Pardue:
The Flavor Of Dean Pardue:
Dean Pardue was born out of an etouffe of rich, New Orleans-based Southern culture
mixed with equal parts glamour, feminine mystique, appreciation of the simple
complexity of nature, and the lonely vigil of the unique.
Being a creative, sensitive and talented man in the South has never been easy.
But his grandmother, a Master Tailor, took him under her wing, and taught him how to sew.
It wasn’t long before he was making prom dresses, cotillion garb, and the like.
Now, he is a fashion designer and a stylist for many luminaries, including Kim
from “Real Housewives of Atlanta,” and that’s just what he does for his art.
He’s also a devoted father and a master of commercial styling.
The source of his vision is a melange of impressions: the wildness of Mardi Gras,
the intoxicating strength of Southern feminine prowess which contrasts lace and
silk with steel Victorian sensibilities.
He is a study in opposites. On one hand, he thrives in the creative straightjacket
that Corporate America forces on him, creating stunning retail displays that
please an executive mind.
On the other, he is a passionate wildman, a conjurer of flower-petal goddesses
and horned ninja enchantresses. He shreds, strews, cascades, throws, and
teases fabric, wire, thread, silk, lace, and tulle to make confections that are
just as outrageous as they are improbable.
“Fashion is very much like cooking, and there’s a lot of prep work to it. The models are the catalyst and the expression of that. Some people like to look at
models as coat hangers, but I like to look at them as more of a statement of what the garment is, because each individual female is different, as is the statement
that she makes through her eyes, her posture and what she evokes about what she’s wearing.” Dean said.
He caters to women, unafraid to openly worship at the font of feminine power. This Creole man who calls himself The White Chocolate; sinful, decadent,
but always refined, is equally at home in his African roots as he is in his European.
“I like to bring great little visual images forward. I’ve been asked to do things for men, but I’m not inspired by them. If I were to do anything for men,
it would be very simplistic and clean. When it comes to fashion, my impression of men is basic and classic. With a woman, the more you add to her, the more
expression she makes. I think men make a quieter statement, and it’s better that way, like the spaces between the notes of a song.”
…………………………………………
When dressing his models for a shoot such as this, he is in his element.
Like a shaman conjuring myth out of smoke and story, he brings out the masks, the costumes,
the shadows and the light. Hons it, smiths it, and stares at his creation when it’s all done,
a Pygmalion in a simple white shirt and jeans, gazing at his Galatea.
At the shoot, Sable and Alexis step into the roles he has for them without question, and he gladly points the attention to them.
For someone in the middle of things and about to appear on his own reality TV show, he is amazingly camera shy.
The spirit of his grandmother lingers; this bit of yarn from her yarn-stash, that bit of crystal from a chandelier that used to hang in her home;
she still finds a way to affect him even now.
Dean said, “The thing about it is, you do see models as beautiful creatures, but you also see them like a part of the piece.
I’ve done some shoots that are very sexual, but in your mind you don’t get caught up in that.
It’s artistically emotional in that degree solely in the moment, but that requires trust.
Some of the best art comes out of a partnership with people who you can trust.”
Article by Sam Chupp
Clothing/Head dresses by Dean Pardue
Models: Alexis LouStou and Sable Simone
Assistant: Tony Mills
Starburst Headdress by Deanna Bee
The Facets of Jazz Through Gary Motley
The Facets of Jazz Through Gary Motley
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| Jazz is huge, a rich, organic ecosystem. “I think most of the labels are more of a marketing thing than anything - what do we call it so we can sell it?” |
Jazz is humanity. “It’s an oral tradition. It’s handed down. You can study it but the best way to do that is to get out there with the players. Chick Corea called it “The University of the Streets” |
Jazz is a science. “Sometimes you really do think about [ the Golden Mean as you compose.] Music is science, in the artistic sense, if we go back to the early origins of music, music was developed by scientists.” |
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That’s the thing, you have to be in the shed, practicing and figuring out, and it’s a growth process and it’s not going to happen overnight. |
—–> |
The more you learn, you get to the point where you’re mature enough to deal with certain things and it’s going to come out in your music.” |
Jazz is simple and complex.
“I realize that the longer I’ve played and the older I get now, I’m finding that I play simpler things because that thing I was looking for that I was thought was so elusive and was a long way away was right there in my face all along and I wasn’t able to see it. |
. So you start to . . express complex ideas . . in a series of simple ideas. . |
The end result is sophisticated - the thing that makes it sophisticated is how we organize it. “ |
Jazz is a language.
“If someone walks up to you and you don’t literally speak the same language if they smile there will be something implied there just as if they raise a fist there’s going to be something in the physical body language; |
. Either they’re going . . to be receptive or not receptive; . |
There’s something in the music that makes us react a certain way and become sympathetic to it, sympathetic in that we become in sync with it.” |
Jazz is Oscar Peterson…..
“I was in Toronto when he died. Everybody knew he had been ill for a long time, but a loss is a loss nonetheless. Pretty much immediately after that I started looking at doing a tribute album. |
The project is not the traditional tribute that you would think of when you’re doing a tribute to someone. Most people would try to play like the person they’re honoring. |
My thing was not to play like him but to try to incorporate some of his concepts and his approach to music with the idea of getting people to think about where he left off and where we go from here.” |
Link: Renaissance – http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/motley2
Jazz is Technology.
“I pushed the envelope in a lot of different ways. I composed pieces that were in the style and in the tradition, but it was done electronically. The bass was me playing the bass, |
The idea with that was to say that technology has gotten to a point where we can recreate these sounds that are fairly realistic. |
The idea is not to replace musicians but to offer an alternative. What is the boundary? When does technology get in the way of creativity and art ? Here’s traditional jazz presented in a non-traditional way. |
The bottom line in jazz is, can the cat play?
All I’m doing is
using technology as a
means to an end.”
Article by: Sam Chupp
listen to the live interview of Gary Motley by Sam Chupp.
UpComing Gary Motley Events
Emory University Jazz Festival 2010. Bassist John Clayton and drummer Herlin Riley will join Gary Motley in concert during the annual Emory University Jazz Fest on Friday, February 12th at 8:00 PM. More
Carmen Bradford Quartet in San Diego. Be sure to catch vocalist Carmen Bradford and her ensemble featuring Gary Motley in concert on Wednesday, March 3rd at 7:00 PM.More
Ocsar Peterson Tribute CD Released. Now available, Renaissance: a Tribute to Oscar Peterson features original compositions by pianist/composer Gary Motley.
Motley is joined by saxophonist, clarinetist victor Goines. Get your copies and MP3 downloads at CD Baby, iTunes, Rhapsody, DigStation and Lala.
Majestic Piano CD Available. MCG Records has released its latest solo piano project entitled Majestic Piano.
The recording features the unique treatment of sacred hymns by pianist Gary Motley
RahMeek Rasul….A conversation.
Rahmeek Rasul came over bringing a glowing Buddah on his shirt. Rahmeek is a photographer too.
He had some words to say. we asked Rahmeek what would he teach the people and he said:
“compassion. Inform them on compassion, You’d be surprised who doesn’t know about compassion, who doesn’t really deal with the concept of it…but it is, a beautiful thing.”
And Stacy T says,
“so you feel that your work is about the concept of compassion?”
And says Rahmeek,
“it’s about compassion, understanding people, bringing other peoples worlds to others peoples worlds.
interconnectivity, it’s all connected and what happens is, people try to make the disconnect and that’s what happens–they become disconnected. by disconnecting yourself from other people–you disconnect yourself…..from the network, from the people, , from life.
And to me the idea is to stay connected.”
Stacy goes:
“So do you feel passion when you see your work?”
“oh yeh,” says Rah, “I remember Hadley was looking at my work and she said ‘hey is that your work?’ and I said’ yeh!’ she said ‘You get that excited?’ and I’m like ‘Yeh!’ –some of this {work} is old! and I still get excited! you know what I mean? it’s just…..I love this…..”
Big T goes:
“yeh, I can feel the energy, I really can. I can see and feel that energy and when you see your work I can see your really there, you’re in the moment!”
And I have to ask my favorite question before we finish. I ask how The Mighty Rah deals with obsticles and challenges in his life, and he said this:
“I say I take positive information, energy, people….it can be anything from meditation, prayer just kinda like….getting that still time, it’s like that whole….be still know that I’m God, y’know, recognize that God without but also recognizing that God within…”
I agree.
Stacy T says,
“where do you get your peace and solice?”
Rah says:
“photography gets me like that, the interacting with people. Sometimes interacting we can hit a cord in a conversation, I get real loud…I can totally get caught up….it’s all about the story, it’s all about the Narrative, it’s all about the Narr.
To me it’s the story, from begining to end wheather Adam and eve, adam met steve…it’s a story. it’s about mussa, moses and judas and addis ababa international……”
So I say, one last word before we go:
“Be peace, Move forward and get out of your own way.”
Well Thank you Rahmeek,
it’s been a fun chat>>>>