Aha! Blogolicious! Musings and Meanings...and home to HypocrisyFleas, TimeTravelin' Dogs, DC Kids: 2006

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Friday, December 29, 2006

Christmas Carol: Dashing 'Round the Trunk (dog version, not the cat version)

A good friend of mine has graciously agreed to let me post her wonderful, often hilarious and typically cat-oriented Christmas Carols. (She's a cat person, so cats often are the source of her humor and writing.)

I will be posting her carols now through December and maybe beyond if I'm not through them all--there are several of them. Please do not copy or use her stuff without permission. And she would love to hear any feedback about her carols. (You can send any feedback to me, if you don't have Blogger permissions to comment this blog, at cganders1@yahoo.com.)

Here's the next one! It's another dog oriented one, the cat version of this song was already posted earlier.
Enjoy!

Dashing ‘Round the Trunk
(to “Jingle Bells”)

Dashing ‘round the trunk, of my tattered Christmas tree.
Goes my joyful dog, barking in her glee.
Light strings dragging here, and glass balls bouncing there.
Oh, what fun it is for dogs with Christmas in the air.

Oh! Cards and gifts, ribbons bright, cakes and cookies too.
All these things for playing with and wrapping paper too.

At last it’s Christmas Eve, and my dog lurks ‘neath the roof.
Quietly she waits, for the sound of hooves.
An ambush she’s set, so Santa’d best beware.
Oh, what fun that dog can have, with Christmas in the air.

Oh! Cards and gifts, ribbons bright, cakes and cookies too.
All these things for playing with and wrapping paper too.

Now it’s Christmas morn, and my dog’s quite snug (and smug).
There’s a bright red hat, on the fireplace rug.
And next to that hat, some sleigh bells lying there.
That silly dog has too much fun with Christmas in the air.

Oh! Cards and gifts, ribbons bright, cakes and cookies too.
All these things for playing with and wrapping paper too.

Rachelle Coe

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Christmas Carol: The Dog Owner's Christmas Carol

Saturday, December 23, 2006

Christmas Carol: What Cat Is This?

Friday, December 22, 2006

Christmas Carol: Away in a Corner

A good friend of mine has graciously agreed to let me post her wonderful, often hilarious and typically cat-oriented Christmas Carols. (She's a cat person, so cats often are the source of her humor and writing.)
I will be posting her carols now through December and maybe beyond if I'm not through them all--there are several of them. Please do not copy or use her stuff without permission. And she would love to hear any feedback about her carols. (You can send any feedback to me, if you don't have Blogger permissions to comment this blog, at cganders1@yahoo.com.)
Here's the next one!
Enjoy!

Away in a Corner
(to “Away in a Manger”)

Away in a corner, lies kitty asleep.
She’s dreaming of Christmas, and tasks she must keep.
The presents are ready, the Christmas tree waits,
It’s all very peaceful, but soon she will wake.

So hide now your cookies, your ribbons and bows.
Take care for your eggnog, watch out for your toes.
Oh, quick grab that holly, and then save that tray.
For kitty will wake soon, and she likes to play.

Her whiskers will quiver, her eyes they will gleam.
As she looks around at this holiday scene.
She’ll dash up the tree trunk, she’ll leap from the stair,
To play with the ornaments now hanging there.

So hide now your cookies, your ribbons and bows.
Take care for your eggnog, watch out for your toes.
Oh, quick grab that holly, and then save that tray.
For kitty is coming, and she likes to play.

The garlands are sagging, the damage is done.
A stash of glass ornaments, kitty has won.
There’s crumbs in the corner, where kitty had slept,
The remnants of cookies that weren’t safely kept.

So hide now your cookies, your ribbons and bows.
Take care for your eggnog, watch out for your toes.
Oh, quick grab that holly, and then save that tray.
For kitty is here now, and she likes to play.

The presents are opened, much wrapping was torn.
And kitty snagged sweaters, before they were worn.
She played with the ribbons, she chewed on the tags,
She jumped in the wrapping, we stuffed in the bags.

But now all keep quiet, no noise we must make.
We’ll pick up our presents and home them we’ll take.
We’ll tip‑toe off quiet from where she does lay.
For kitty is sleeping, tomorrow she’ll play.

Rachelle Coe

Friday, December 15, 2006

quick note about the NW weather from hell and this blog

There are technical/editorial problems with the last posting, I know. for the last two days I've been without power and have been reduced to a dialup line (a slow dropout one) and my portable which is about out of power.

As soon as power is back and I can get back up and running, I will be correcting the errors in the blog article and the weird code things happening in it. I will also post the link on my MySpace page and send out a bulletin at that time.

So far, only those that check this blog in person know the second half of the article is out. I haven't even had a chance to post a comment on CJ's site or the Movmnt site letting them know. But as soon as I can get power again and get a reliable connection, I will...I promise.

Definitely tough weather here...not as bad as some other areas, but after a month of rain that usually takes 6 months to accumulate, a snow/ice storm that stopped everything for 3 days, more rain, flooding, hurricane winds, trees crushing houses/cars/roads/everything including people, and now power outages, (one woman drown in her basement), freezing temps, more flooding, insane people fighting for gas and hot meals, and cold weather and rain on the way...well, I'm waiting to see when the locusts will hit.

So bear with me, I'll get the errors fixed and the MySpace blog updated and bulletined and CJ and Movmnt notified that the second half of their review is out...

Everyone be careful out there...no matter what weather or challenges you are facing!
CG

Thursday, December 14, 2006

REVIEW: Dance/Lifestyle/Fashion "MySpace Generation" Magazine Movmnt. Critical Review.

REVIEW: Dance/Lifestyle/Fashion "MySpace Generation" Magazine Movmnt.

Part I: Interview with CJ Tyson, Board of Advisors to the magazine, and professional dancer.
Part 2: Critical Review of Movmnt magazine (issue 1 and issue 2) to be published later this week.

Movmnt Magazine's MySpace Web page located at www.myspace.com/movmnt

Walk into any bookstore or magazine shop and try to find a magazine on "Dance." If you do, consider yourself lucky. My luck has always been very iffy in that area and it only seems to be getting worse. This latest challenge comes to mind.

When I decided to do a review of the new dance/ fashion/ music/ lifestyle magazine, Movmnt, I wasn’t expecting it to be a Herculean task. The Seattle area is one of the top places for book sales and magazine sales. We are considered one of the most literate (read that as book crazed) cities in the country.

Now I don’t live in the city itself. I live in the suburbs, but I am surrounded by Barnes and Noble, Borders and B.Dalton bookshops. There aren’t many pure magazine stands or stores. The only one I can think of is in the Pike Place Market of Seattle with a smaller magazine stand in the U-District. For those that don’t know Seattle, meaning most of you, Pike Place Market is a semi-open air, partially enclosed produce and storefront market area with a brilliant view of the Puget Sound. It’s also where you always see the shots of ‘Low Flying Fish’ that are often used in stories about Seattle, especially on the Food Network. There really are flying fish in the Pike Place Market, admittedly helped along in their aerodynamic endeavors by fishmongers. It’s always a treat to buy a fresh salmon there—since it comes with an air show! The U-District is the area around the University of Washington.

Even so, off I went, searching for Movmnt Magazine. BN didn’t have it and checked their list—nada. They checked their computer for it at other stores—nada. I went to Borders. They didn’t have it. They didn’t have a networked system, so had to phone around—again nada. The nice sales guy decided to take it on as a personal challenge and intrepidly called several sibling stores with no success. He then called the Borders on Park Avenue in New York, still undaunted and even more determined to find a copy. After all, the magazine is out of New York. If anyone should have it, they should.

No joy in Mudville. We totally struck out—even in Park Avenue.

They also couldn’t order it for me since they didn’t have it on their list of approved publishers. If it’s not in the book, they can’t access it. Contrary, to public opinion, I was not able to request it from my book store--any of my book stores. I was stuck.

So I went to the magazine’s website and subscribed that way, using my PayPal account. Easy and painless, just the way I like my transactions. Except for one problem, to do a review, I won’t just do it on one sample—I needed at least two issues and this is a quarterly (not monthly) magazine. That meant waiting around for magazine issue 2 to arrive (since I was too late for the first issue) and then waiting around another three months for issue 3 (my second issue.) They don’t do backissues at the moment and I don’t blame them. They are a small startup magazine and backissue hassles can be just that—a major hassle.

But I told this to CJ (see part one for my interview with him) and he said no problem, he’d ask to see if they could get me issue 1, as a special favor, for which I was grateful. He even promised me an autographed copy of Moving Still, the book MySpace users who subscribe can get free with their 1 year subscription. A very good deal for twenty bucks—especially if you are a So You Think You Can Dance Travis Wall fan. He’s in the book, though with a much shorter haircut than his more recognizable (and current) spiky blond mop. In fact, a lot of him is in the book. Nothing that would make you blush (unless you’ve been raised very sheltered all your life) but a bit more revealing than you ever saw him on the TV show!

And I am a fan of the show and Travis, per se, along with many of the other dancers—talents all—and if it hadn’t been my accidental watching of that show, and seeing Travis dance, then I wouldn’t have gotten hooked on it. And I never would have done further investigation into the world of dance, Dennis Wall’s Dance Energy, Virginia Beach and its amazing tap water, NYC Dance Alliance, Danny Tidwell (ABT principal dancer and one of Travis’ many talented brothers), CJ Tyson and finally Movmnt Magazine.

If that isn’t a Web/ Internet/ Social Networking/ MySpace/ YouTube kind of viral discovery path, then I don’t know what is!

Well, I didn’t get an autographed version of Moving Still, but I did receive issue 2 and Moving Still a week later. Another week later, I received, courtesy of the amazing Rami, a copy of issue 1.

Hence, this review can happen now rather than four to six months from now. Considering the fickleness of the magazine world, that may be a very good thing.

What is Movmnt?

According to the founders, it is a magazine for the online generation, for the urban lifestyle citizen, and the young, the independent and the curious. It is also about dance, fashion, music and society—and the blending of each into the other to create something…more.

CJ, a dancer, and obviously from his interview, sees it more as a mature dance magazine and I think he is right. It is a blend of music, art, dance and fashion with some interesting POV’s on culture but it was founded by a dancer and a person greatly interested in the dance world. That influence shows—and may turn out to be one of the magazine’s weaknesses if not carefully handled.

First Thoughts

The first thing that struck me with this magazine was how difficult it was to get a copy of it. The magazine currently is a niche market, especially with a small subscriber base of around 23,000 and distribution heavily focused on the dance world. To give you a perspective, another magazine I read, and by no means a BIG magazine, Women’s Health, has an average monthly distribution of over 900,000 with over a third of that as mailed subscriptions (i.e. yearly subscribers.) It also distributes monthly not quarterly like Movmnt. So we are talking a lot of paper being processed. Women’s Health is also a niche market magazine. It’s not a perfect comparison, but it gives you an idea of the hurdles a small startup has to deal with in the magazine business. Those hurdles are daunting and just for that, magazine publishers should be heartily commended for their bravery and bravado.

To give you a better idea, two other dance magazines that I found (and recognized as having read before, so they were familiar to me) when I googled for dance magazines, Dance Magazine and Dance Spirit, are claiming to “reach” over 300,000 and 700,000 readers. They didn’t give actual subscriber numbers, so take those numbers with a grain of salt. They could be claiming a yearly total rather than an actual subscriber base—you always need to try to unspin marketing and advertising numbers. Dance Magazine also says though, that (of their subscribers) they have over 24,000 subscribers that are dance instructors and that 92% of their overall readership is dance related.

That is a niche market! It’s also the way most magazines survive now, so don’t knock it.

Of my searches online for dance magazines, since I couldn’t find ANY dance magazines on my local magazine racks for several months, Movmnt did not come up once in the list. This is also a problem they should address, especially for a targeted audience that is the online generation. Keep in mind, if I did a targeted search, I found Movmnt, but not if I did a generalized search for “dance magazine” or “lifestyle magazine” or similar.

Movmnt might be also distributing itself through dance studios and subscriptions (and supposedly bookstores) but it’s going up against some heavy, “totally focused on dance” competition.

On a grander scale, there were actually very few dance magazines out there. None on the magazine racks, not even the two I mentioned, over the past two months, but also a real dearth (comparatively) online as well. We are talking a small niche here, which is surprising to me.

With the growing popularity of dance reality shows like the summer hit So You Think You Can Dance pulling in viewers on the order of 10 million or so (and in 18-49’ers, too, with a finale that pulled in an impressive 11 share) and the mega hit, Dancing With The Stars with audience totals double to triple the size of Fox’s SYTYCD, (with 26-28 million for the finale and around a 14 share) not to mention the popularity and rise of dance movies, you would think there would be a similar rise in magazine interest.

It’s a muddle. Maybe the online generation isn’t interested in magazines that much? According to recent changes in the industry, the teen market is certainly going that way with teen magazines dropping right and left and those remaining scrambling to reinvent themselves online and off in order to coax readers away from large social networking sites like MySpace. (FoxNews.com, Sept. 1, 2006, “Teen Magazines Dwindling, Web Publications Flourishing”)

It’s not just teen magazines, or even young adult. It’s media, especially print media, in general that is declining. This is one reason for the rise in niche marketing. It’s also the reason so many magazines and newspapers and even televisions stations and networks are still rushing to the Web (and have been for at least ten years now.) The online generation is real and that generation prefers the online world and the mobile world to the world of print and television.

It’s not a death knell. It never is. (Television was supposed to be the death knell for radio, radio was supposedly the death knell for newspapers and so on. The Web was supposed to be the death knell for …well…everything. It has been and isn’t.) So what is it? It’s media convergence—what I’m always harping about on this blog. It’s transformative rather than destructive. Networks have figured out that hit shows on TV can be rebroadcast on the Web. Ugly Betty was a surprise hit on the Web, just as it is a current hit on traditional broadcast. Newspapers are finding new ways to revitalize themselves in a new web format that augments their print versions without destroying them. The same goes for magazines, even though the road is tougher for them, as it always has been.

Remember, the Baby Boomer generation is still around, still very much alive, still kicking and lively and still holding and spending -A LOT- of money. This is not grandma in a rocking chair. This is grandma the rock climber! Magazines and newspapers in print form are this generation’s preferred media, along with television and television newscasts. There’s still money to be made—and it isn’t in wheelchairs. Advertisers often forget this in the rush to court the young and beautiful (and often broke)—but then remember it when they start checking their numbers to see who is really buying their products.

But the online world offers a way to replenish the supply of viewers, readers, consumers and subscribers and that generation is young and mobile and not as interested in sitting down for hours and reading. (A pity really…but also a generalization, too, since everyone is unique and different.) They prefer (in general) the online world and the mobile world.

And the online/mobile worlds are heady and fast and hard to keep up with—they are always changing and completely changeable. In a way, it’s a media outlet's or advertiser’s nightmare—one slip and you’re slammed relentlessly—and publicly. One superb move or innovation and you’re hailed as a god, again very publicly. No, it’s not for the timid but the potential gains for any media outlet or media minded group (like musicians) are beyond comparison. A niche market can suddenly take off and be a major player—or it can (likely) remain a niche (or perhaps diminish even more.)

So niche markets will remain niche markets and only a few news sources or magazines will reach a broader demographic, breaking free of the niche.

But what about a magazine that is a meld rather than a niche and with only a tentative foothold in the online world?

Movmnt—a true reflection of online culture, a media meld rather than a niche.

Movmnt may end up evolving into another dance magazine. I suspect that its subscriber base will help determine its evolving orientation. As of now, it truly is more an entertainment and lifestyle magazine with a heavy emphasis on dance and a lesser emphasis on music, cultural stories and art (in that order.) The articles and images reflect that diversity.

However, the reason I suspect it may end up a dance magazine, albeit a more maturely minded one that offers more than technique articles and reports on competitions, is that reading it, I found myself often stymied by the articles and images related to dance. I got the definite impression that the writers “assumed” that I knew already who they were talking about—and this remember, is from a “startup” magazine with no established rep or pattern in the industry yet. The fact is that if you mention a choreographer, perhaps a god or goddess in the dance world, I probably will not know who this person is and will not be able to just understand why the writer considers them so special. The writer needs to let me know why this person is special and what they’ve done and put it in terms that I, as a regular person and not a dancer deeply involved in the dance world, will understand.

I might know that Mia Michaels is a choreographer, but I only know that because I watched So You Think You Can Dance and the producers of the show made it very clear who she was and what she had accomplished and why that was such a big deal. Plus, I got to see her choreography at least once during the show—again called to my attention by the show’s format.

I might know who Debbie Allen is, but I don’t know her as a choreographer or even that much as a dancer. I know her as an actress and a good one—and mainly from Fame, the movie and the TV series.

However, in both issues, I often found this problem, though by the second issue, the situation of explanation first and backgrounding had improved. However, backgrounding on columnists could still be improved. I also found this problem with some of the other sections, but it wasn’t as dramatic as the dance sections and it improved by the second issue. If you’re talking about new artists, don’t assume I know who you are talking about. If you say their work is innovative, don’t assume I know why. Tell me why. Tell me who thinks it’s so innovative and why they think so. Is it just your opinion or the industry’s? And don’t make me feel bad if I don’t know who or what you are talking about—I’m hear to listen and learn, so teach me. Win me over.

I did not find this situation as often in the other pieces in the magazine, the ones not related to dance. There, the writers didn’t seem to assume as much and presented a background to help you understand why they were so crazy over this artist. And in general cultural articles, I found the least bias and the best presentation to an audience that wouldn’t necessarily have a background in the subject of interest. Therefore, I suspect the bias of the founders may be showing here. Possibly, they just forget as they write that not everyone is going to immediately know what they are talking about. This works fine for a dance niche (since even beginning dancers who don’t know this stuff will probably be told by their teachers why it is important.) However, it does not work for a more lifestyle/fashion/music/dance/culture arena where you can’t assume any level of depth of expertise in your audience, just a general curiosity and willingness to learn.

If you’re targeting an online, urban lifestyle reader then that doesn’t automatically imply a dance aficionado.

Second, overall, I didn’t find the covers that compelling. If I had seen this magazine on a stand, knowing nothing about it, I would likely not have purchased it. I preferred the first issue cover to the second, though I did understand the second issue cover better when I realized it was tied to an article on an artist. However, text layout and copywriting on the second cover did strike me as more sophisticated and better targeted to get my (the potential reader’s) attention.

In the writing, I found it uneven but improving by the second issue. On an even stranger note, in the first issue (not the second) some of the writing alienated me. It was almost too literati and almost condescending with big, twisty, flowery prose and heavy wordiness meant more to impress English Lit professors and less intended to be understood clearly. Stylistic doesn’t mean overdone, nor does it mean a pure journalistic form. However, there should be a midway point, a balancing point, between straight unadorned speech and philosophical literature. Again, who is the target reader here? I somehow doubt it’s dancers in this case, but it also doesn’t seem to jive well with the online generation either. By the second issue, it had toned down a notch and the magazine seemed to be on its way to finding its own unique style and voice.

Lauren Adams stands out with some very good pieces and D. Michael Taylor was simply a standout overall and with an exceptional piece on MySpace which I heartily enjoyed. (As of this writing, MySpace is now running over 134 million.)

The magazine is printed on heavy paper which gives it a stable and classy feel, more book-like than flimsy magazine-like. However, with the heavy printing and dark tones often found in the first issue, it actually added a slightly ponderous feel to the magazine. By the second issue, with its lighter, brighter and less heavy printing and color, it worked in the magazines favor, giving it a finished, polished, classy look.

On a very nitpicky note, as I’ve already mentioned how dark and heavy the first issue was in places, enough for me to notice, dark in color tones and heavy in print/type, the transitions from advertisements to articles was sometimes difficult. Often, they blended together and I couldn’t tell one from the other. This might have been intentional on the part of the designers but I doubt it was helpful to either the reading of the articles or the deciphering of the ads by readers. It was jarring, to say the least, since I might suddenly realize that a picture with copy on one page isn’t really associated with the article next to it.

Again, that said, by the second issue, there was a dramatic change in overall design and all to the good. It was brighter, more colorful (without being crass or cheap) and didn’t have the same heavy-handed feel that the first sometimes did. The advertisements ‘popped’ more and definitely grabbed my attention. They, too, weren’t cheap or crass looking, but rather, artistic, clever, vivid and compelling. Overall, the visuals were better and improving, though some of the second issue still felt very harsh and was hard to read. And while the visuals were better, some were still too artsy and confusing. I don’t mean the beautiful photography for the “Move for Aids” article. Mainly, I still don’t know if “Urban Angels” is an ad, a photo spread of dancers I should know (again, why?) or an over the top photo shoot that turned into a distracting exercise in excessive Photoshop experimentation. I don’t mind experimentation but in this case, this one didn’t work for me.

The content was also more focused and easier to read. However, “Dancer VIP” was almost a non-sequitor. A lovely piece of photography but nothing in it explained to me who this person was and why I should consider them a very important person beyond their name, their profession as a principle dancer and an obscure quote that didn’t really work for me. Again, I think the dance bias that assumes I will just know was at play again.

Finally, there are two items that I want to call out as innovative and refreshing and very, very promising. Things like this make me WANT to read a magazine like this and reread it—and tell my friends about it.

First, the idea of doing fashion shoots & spreads with dancers rather than models. It’s a wonderful idea and something not seen (outside of dance magazines with dancers wearing dance costumes for sale.) In the first issue, it wasn’t all that I would wish it to be—there was something not quite right about the spread. Again, it was dark and not that exciting or compelling and even the clothing didn’t pop, much less the dancers (often in shadow…too much shadow.) However, by the second issue, it was amazing, if a bit tamer than the first exuberant experiment. The colors were brilliant and vibrant and seemed to capture the vibrancy of the dancers. The dancers were clearly defined, as were the clothes, and everything popped. I didn’t feel that every shot was a winner, nor every piece of clothing shown off to best advantage (or the dancer for that matter, since it was less dance and more fashion pose) but I definitely wanted to pin a few of those shots to my wall just so that I could stare at them—this included the clothing. Nothing is more appealing that a hot outfit on a hot body, and not one that is slim because of anorexia nervosa. I definitely love this trend of fashion plus dancer and can’t wait to see the next one—hopefully, as exuberant as issue one but with the finesse, color and control of issue 2’s “Army of Me.”.

Second, the "Army of Me" article was a standout. Not so much in content, but rather in design, art and communication methodology, even beyond the fashion/dancer angle already mentioned. It was a beautifully done piece of work. The layout and design was refreshing, surprising and very compelling—and without sacrificing readability! Here the “fashion meets dancer” idea works and shows off the clothing to great effect. Danny Tidwell can definitely wear clothes (and make you want to go out and buy whatever he’s wearing, too.)

And while “Wake Up Call” seemed another non-sequitor, even more so than “Dancer VIP” because of the lack of fluidity between the poetry and background information in the first part (along with the fashion shoot) and the sudden list of world transgressions in the second—there was no obvious link between the two—the transition to the article “Army of 3” was a clever twist that did work because of the commonality of names and sense of “us against them” so easily conveyed by the accompanying photography of the “3” in that article, if not the “3” in the previous article. That article, too, while different stylistically than the previous one, was well-written, interesting and compellingly photographed. It also fit with the overall feel and design of issue 2.

Overall

Overall, this magazine shows great promise and some wonderful innovations that could easily reverberate throughout the fashion and magazine industry. It has some great writing and photography and while both are choppy at times, they are improving steadily—as are all the aspects of the magazine, even the ad layouts and transitions in content, which frankly, is more difficult than you might think, certainly more difficult than just improving the quality of individual content pieces.

There are definitely challenges ahead for this magazine. Targeting of its audience is one, finding that audience is another. The founders may find it easier to just cut back on what the magazine is innovating and become another dance magazine fighting for dancer mindshare. I sincerely hope not, since a great deal will be lost, I believe, if they do that. This isn’t a dance magazine, but it doesn’t easily fit into another niche, which may prove problematic in marketing itself to readers and advertisers.

It’s really more akin to a fashion magazine but with innovative twists and a better feel for intelligent adults as well as complex (not sound bite) cultural and world issues. It just chooses to express those values through a mixed media method—art, music and dance.

In that sense, it is an online generation magazine, rather than a dance magazine.

However, given that, the challenges are fierce to gain the hearts and minds (and dollars) of this generation. It’s going against heavyweights from People to Vogue to Cosmopolitan to InStyle to Rolling Stone. It needs a stronger online presence and more interactions with that online community. It shouldn’t abandon its dance/music/art roots but it should always be conscious of who its audience is and who it wants for an audience.

And through all that, it needs to remember to keep innovating and pushing new boundaries (always with quality control and an objective view of itself so that it doesn’t slip into either trite mediocrity or conceited self-involvement) in order to stand out against the bigger, more established, monied giants—but giants that are still only tiptoeing into a new world where brave and brazen movements are required for survival.

Perhaps Movmnt picked an apropos name…

Related articles:
Part One of This Article: Interview with CJ Tyson, Board of Advisors to the magazine, and professional dancer.

Serious articles: Review of So You Think You Can Dance LIVE Tour Premier (Seattle, WA) and the Review that included Denise Wall's Dance Energy and the NYC Dance Alliance.

This article may be copied in whole or in part, as long as fair use rules are observed, no parts are modified from the original and credit is given when quoted or reposted.

CG Anderson is a 10 year new media provocateur involved in media, art, technology and the online world. Also a writer, blogger and novelist. CG's comments are personal and opinionated and solely the responsibility of the author, so there. Don't like the opinions, disagree, agree, don't know? Great, make a comment—clean ones will be allowed, netiquette-challenged ones will be ignored!
MySpace site: http://www.myspace.com/ahablogoliciousHelp me reach 1 million friends. Add yourself as my friend today and get your friends to do the same! Thank you so much! Together we can bring great artists to a wider audience!
Blog site: http://ahablogolicious.blogspot.com/
URL: http://home.myuw.net/cganders/

Sunday, December 10, 2006

REVIEW: Dance/Lifestyle/Fashion "MySpace Generation" Magazine Movmnt. Interview with CJ TYSON!

REVIEW: Dance/Lifestyle/Fashion "MySpace Generation" Magazine Movmnt.

Part I: Interview with CJ Tyson, Board of Advisors to the magazine, and professional dancer.
Part 2: Critical Review of Movmnt magazine (issue 1 and issue 2) to be published later this week.

Magazine's MySpace Web page located at www.myspace.com/movmnt

I recently sat down (virtually) and had an email interview with CJ, who is on the Board of Advisors for Movmnt magazine. Movmnt is a new magazine targeted first at the dance world, but more expansively aims to strike a chord with the MySpace generation. It seeks a more mature look at dance as well as integrating that experience into other forms of culture, fashion, music, art and urban lifestyle issues.

(Minor grammatical changes only to content.)
Question (Q): Hi C.J. For starters, what name do you go by?
Answer (A): C.J. stands for Craig Jr. hahaha, for the longest time I was wondering who Casey was, ah well! But for reference I go by CJ Tyson.
(For some strange reason, I had mistakenly got it into my head that CJ stood for Casey and referred to CJ by that name in a preliminary email….my apologies for the brain hiccup.)

Q: What is your role at the magazine?

A: Board of Advisors is my job description, so my role is mainly on the creative process side. The magazine targets people just like myself, who seek a magazine that has interest in fashion, dance, music, and society issues that effect my generation in my field of work, being an artist. So for a magazine, its helpful to have part of your demographic be part of your creative/advisory process. Kind of going by the saying, "If you want something done right, you might as well do it yourself." I give input every now and then, whether I read an article that I believe represents Movmnt in many aspects from having a great impact on people like myself all the way to a fierce ad that I think should be in Movmnt, just for the statement that it (it being articles, photography, bands, musicians, clothes for shoots etc.) conveys.

Q: The magazine was founded when? And by whom exactly? Is it actually a subset (funded) endeavor by a bigger publishing company?

A: The concept of the magazine was conceived entirely by the two founders, David Benaym and Danny Tidwell. Brainstorming for the project began around August of 2005. The first issue then released on June 19th, 2006. Funding for the magazine comes mainly from David Benaym himself and from the advertisements we receive for Movmnt. This project is a result of many other publishing projects David has taken part of.

Q: What is the overarching goal of the magazine? I know you want to fill a niche, but if you had to explain it in simple terms to people that didn't understand dance, the dance world or things like that (average Janes and Joes), then what would you say?

A: For the average Joe Shmoe, Movmnt is for the artist who represent the "Myspace Generation". In this day in age, technology is creeping its way into every aspect of our lives. Movmnt is just a textual form of information for our lifestyles. "Keeping with the Jones", gets kind of overwhelming and for sanity sake, sometimes you just need a magazine to read. A fierce one! To have a magazine that has everything from amazing photography taken by Dane Shitagi, to events and lifestyles of people across the globe in China, to where the competition circuit is headed, to amazing new music from unknowns and up and comings that should be in your IPod. It's so freakin' convenient.

Q: What is your background? (I don't mean "you were born in a log cabin on a dark and stormy night to Mabel and Howard..." I mean, your dance background, your motivations in dance personally and your motivations in being involved with this magazine.)

A: I started my technical training in the 9th grade, so how old is that?...14. I spent 3 years in a studio that taught me the basics, but not until I began my training at Denise Wall's Dance Energy, that I realized that I could do this as a career. Of course, there is a huge majority of people who want this lifestyle as a career, but it takes a lot. Dance Energy gives you all you need and then some. I can honestly say it's one of the best dance schools this nation has. Denise Wall's approach to her students is like no other, she trains your body, by training the mind first. I mean, that's where it all starts anyways, might as well, nip it in the butt and start where it counts, then go from there. The influences and opportunities that were given to me through her school fuel my desire for this beautiful art form everyday! Danny Tidwell is also from this school. I can't speak for him, but I'm pretty accurate when I say he has had the same experience. So from that, to all we have encountered in our careers, why not give that same influence to a magazine that is all about moving forward, moving correctly, moving period. And that's just our branch of the magazine. There are many others who are a part of this project that have the same "oomph" as us, that wish to move this generation with knowledge that surpasses all other dance magazines on the market now. We all know we can dance, we want more. What are the seasoning to a great dancer? A dancer is just as human as the rest. Everything from what we wear, what's going on in the world, to what we hear is an important part of what makes us who we are.

Q: What are your goals for the future (professional goals, I don't delve into people's private lives...) Your personal goals? Your goals with dance? Your goals with the magazine? Other goals long-term?

A: Good question. Ultimately, I want to be a recording artist. My passion isn't just in dancing. It's performing, period. I also went to an Arts High School (Governor School for the Arts) as a Musical Theatre Major. Musical Theatre is fun, but I would like to have more influence in what I make people feel and the recording artist avenue, for me I think, is the best way to do that, and my first passion. But I have so much technical training under my belt that I don't want to just throw it away. People would pay to be in my position now, so I live in this moment to its fullest and use it to move me on to my ultimate dream. And besides, I LOVE to dance, there is nothing like it in the world. I actually feel that I talk better with my body, than I do with my mouth. As for the magazine, I am here to help out in any which way and give whatever advice/input I can to make it as authentic as possible.

Q: How deeply are you involved in the magazine? Roles? Day by day? Featured artist?

A: It varies. I can do anything from just go see a concert with Lauren Adams, our Senior Musical Editor, to see if they represent Movmnt, to giving my input on the cover or the layout, or just randomly shooting out ideas for upcoming photo-shoots.

Q: What is the magazine's current circulation (rough estimates, but not too rough...i.e. don't claim a million if it's only 50 people. I know the media kit says 20,000.) Has the circulation been growing? (i.e. How's it going? Getting better, worse, about the same/flat?)

A: The circulation is roughly now around 22, 000. It's steadily getting better. Like any other business, it will take some time before we know the exact direction the magazine is going. But so far, so good...really good! David can answer that one a bit more accurately than me =-)

Q: What are the long-term goals of the magazine?

A: Ohhh, I think this is a David question. I could tell you where I would like the magazine to go though. It would be nice to have Movmnt in every living room, dance studio lobby, coffee shop, and newsstand readily available to be picked up by a curious artist who wants more out of a dance magazine. There is a lot of negative connotations with saying "dance magazine."

Nowadays pretty much all they offer is where the next trophy can be won, to which costume to rhinestone, to what should be in a ballet dancers dance bag. WE KNOW ALREADY! WE'RE OVER IT, WE WANT MORE! Movmnt is the spice needed to make a beautiful/smart ARTIST. It also gives appreciation to art, which is very important to this generation.

Q: What are you most excited about in regards to this magazine? Or a particular issue? What are you most proud of in regards to the magazine or any particular issue?

A: What excites me the most is just knowing that we now have a duty to represent these art-forms in their truest form and be an influential part of this generation. We will and are representatives of this art-form, why not nurture us with a magazine that provides insight on all aspects of dance; the art. It's great, for me, to know that I am contributing to this lifestyle that I enjoy so much; giving back what it gave me. And nothing beats the feeling you get when you walk into a bookshop, magazine store, or newsstand, ask for Movmnt, and the person knows exactly what your talking about, leaves your site, and comes back with a magazine in his hands that you helped cultivate. Nothing like it.

Q: How many people work for the magazine (directly, freelancers, volunteers, etc.) (I'm trying to get a feel for the work environment here, big office, small office, back office, smoky room above a bar with piles of papers everywhere, home office based...)

A: It's pretty small at the moment actually. The magazine's center is actually in David's apartment. His office is there, with his assistant, Rami Ramirez adjacent to him, with their intern, Jillian Laub right behind. Usually meetings and interviews with potential photographers interviewees and other business events happen right in his living-room. Movmnt hopes to soon be moving into its own office space in the near future. Aside from the office employees, everyone contributes their free time and talent to help Movmnt, including myself.

Q: Past issues have included what famous people ….and future/upcoming issues are expecting to have what known people? Are they known beyond the world of dance?

A: In the dance world, many of the people in Movmnt have great influence. Movmnt's first issue had Desmond Richardson on its cover. He is an influential dance icon who danced for American icons such as Michael Jackson and Madonna. Was the first African American to be a principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre, and graced the stage in shows such as Movin Out, Othello, and Fosse. Of course everyone is familiar with the dance phenomenon of So You Think You Can Dance. The dance world is smaller than you think, so the panel of judges as well as some of the contestants were stars in our eyes before they became well known to the rest of the country. Citizen Cope, a respected music/ lyrical artist has graced the pages of Movmnt too, as well as many others. Well-knowns that we hope to have in Movmnt aren't really set, but we never turn down anyone who represents Movmnt. Movmnt is always welcome!

Q: Mia Michaels is listed as one of your columnists, correct? I know she is a choreographer, but who are the other columnists? What is their background/area of expertise (or the area that they are writing about, if it's not a match to their background, per se.)

A: All of our columnist write about the areas they know best. From Debbie Allen commenting on the "Science of Dance" and how dance is revealed through, "motion, force, energy, sound, light, and atoms, comes from deep within." (Debbie Allen pg. 26, 2nd paragraph), to Joe Lanteri, one of the most influential key components of making the competition circuit more than a trophy carnival, but a nurturing environment for young dancers.

Q: Who is your current customer/subscriber base (in general.) i.e. are they mainly dancers? Is the magazine mainly distributed through dance schools and dance studios. I know it's supposed to be on newsstands and B&N and Borders. But often magazines like this, niche markets, are distributed through niche markets (dance studios/schools and so forth.) So that's why I'm asking. (I've read the media kit, so I'm asking if this has changed over time, or rather what your personal impression are...)

A: Although dancers are a big portion of our market, our magazine is targeted for the hungry artist who searches for more in a dance magazine. A good portion of our subscribers are dance schools/studios. But for those who have moved on to finishing school, are beginning their careers, or well into their careers, Movmnt is available at any B&N in New York City, Hudson NewsStand, or Port Authority. If you don't reside in New York City, Movmnt is available in B&N and Borders across the country. Since it's still a growing magazine, you will have to ask for it, so it can be shipped to your closest B&N or Borders. To save you the hassle, you can always subscribe on the website itself, Movmnt.com.

Q: Where else do you have a net presence for the magazine (MySpace, the main website, anywhere else?)

A: We can be found in Complexions newsletter (Contemporary Dance Company in New York City. Founders Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson) which is circulated to about 5,000 subscribers. We also work in conjunction with DRA, Dancers Responding to AIDS. We sponsor 4 DRA events a year. Movmnt can also be found on the road with New York City Dance Alliance this upcoming season.

Q: What have been the biggest issues and hurdles with launching this magazine?

A: Honestly, things have been running fairly smoothly. The only difficult spots we encounter are with our advertisers. At the beginning of every unknown magazine, it's a bit difficult to get the advertisements you want. Movmnt looks for ads that represent Movmnt. So getting the ads we want takes a bit of time and effort, but with each day it gets better and better, and that's all that counts.

Q: Was this magazine something that you ever intended to do? i.e. was it something you'd all been planning on for years, or was it sort of a surprise (this question also applies to any other individuals deeply involved with the magazine's creation and publishing.) Did you ever imagine you'd be involved in something like this?

A: Honestly, Movmnt just jumped into everyone's lap. None of us involved in the magazine ever thought we would be just that, involved in a magazine. Most of us are working dancers, choreographers, or have regular 9 to 5's. Danny Tidwell decided that it was past due for a bit more mature dance magazine. And with the publishing expertise of David Benaym, the two brainstormed this project and here we are today with 2 issues currently working on the 3rd! I had never imagined that I would be of any help to any magazine other than being on a cover!!

Q: So far, to the best of your knowledge (direct knowledge, letters, notes, verbal conversations) what has been the reception to this magazine by readers and critics? Has any of that feedback changed what you have been doing previously in regards to the magazine? Has any of it soured you on the experience, or just changed your views of the industry, the dance world or the magazine world? How?

A: So far, we have had positive feedback about Movmnt. It seemed that not only us, but a lot of others, thought that it was about time for a dance magazine that offered a little bit more than what is on the market now. Many have agreed that the mix and match of lifestyles Movmnt has to offer, is what they have been looking for. Of course, you get your occasional constructive criticism, which we always welcome, but we can't make everyone happy. So far though, so good. People have been very satisfied with what Movmnt provides and has to offer in the future. Listening to feedback always influences my role with the magazine. Me being part of Movmnt's target audience, I associate myself with people like myself who would read Movmnt. So when I get feedback from coworkers and friends, I take it back to the office and from there we put those issues into consideration and go from there. Being part of this project has just made my love, passion, and respect for this art form grow! More. I've learned so much more about this art, whether it be positive or negative, it's still something that I didn't know before. That's the soul purpose of Movmnt...to move forward from where I am now as a young person, as a young artist.

Thanks, CJ, for your time and hard work. Thanks also to Rami Ramirez, who made sure I got not just issue 2 and Moving Still (the book on dance that MySpace users can get as a bonus with a yearly subscription—while supplies last) but also made sure I got issue 1 so that this review could happen sooner rather than later—later as in four months from now. (As an aside, which I'll address more on Wednesday, die-hard Travis Wall fans would do well to get their subscription while supplies last of Moving Still. For twenty bucks total, it's a pretty good deal. Travis is one of the featured dancers in the book, along with CJ, Danny Tidwell (Travis Wall's brother) and several other outstanding dancers. All of them stripped down to almost bare essentials so that the beauty of their forms could be better captured by the photography. Something sure to make Travis fans very, very happy.) ;)

In a few days, I will post a critical review of the magazine (using issue 1 to issue 2 as content.) Not to worry, overall, it's positive. This magazine delivers on what is says—and it's getting better at that delivery in each issue.

Related articles:
Part TWO of this article: Critical Review of Movmnt Magazine

Serious articles: Review of So You Think You Can Dance LIVE Tour Premier (Seattle, WA) and Review including Denise Wall's Dance Energy and NYC Dance Alliance

This article may be copied in whole or in part, as long as fair use rules are observed, no parts are modified from the original and credit is given when quoted or reposted.

CG Anderson is a 10 year new media provocateur involved in media, art, technology and the online world. Also a writer, blogger and novelist. CG's comments are personal and opinionated and solely the responsibility of the author, so there. Don't like the opinions, disagree, agree, don't know? Great, make a comment—clean ones will be allowed, netiquette-challenged ones will be ignored!
MySpace site: http://www.myspace.com/ahablogoliciousHelp me reach 1 million friends. Add yourself as my friend today and get your friends to do the same! Thank you so much! Together we can bring great artists to a wider audience!
Blog site: http://ahablogolicious.blogspot.com/
URL: http://home.myuw.net/cganders/

Monday, December 04, 2006

Christmas Carol: Dashing Up the Trunk

A good friend of mine has graciously agreed to let me post her wonderful, often hilarious and typically cat-oriented Christmas Carols. (She's a cat person, so cats often are the source of her humor and writing.)

I will be posting her carols now through December--there are several of them. Please do not copy or use her stuff without permission. And she would love to hear any feedback about her carols. (You can send any feedback to me, if you don't have Blogger permissions to comment this blog, at cganders1@yahoo.com.)

Here's the next one!
Enjoy!

Dashing Up the Trunk
(to “Jingle Bells”)

Dashing up the trunk, of my tattered Christmas tree.
Goes my joyful cat, laughing in her glee.
Light strings dragging here, and glass balls bouncing there.
Oh, what fun it is for cats with Christmas in the air.

Oh! Cards and gifts, ribbons bright, cakes and cookies too.
All these things for playing with and wrapping paper too.

At last it’s Christmas Eve, and my cat lurks on the roof.
Quietly she waits, for the sound of hooves.
An ambush she’s set, so Santa’d best beware.
Oh, what fun that cat can have, with Christmas in the air.

Oh! Cards and gifts, ribbons bright, cakes and cookies too.
All these things for playing with and wrapping paper too.

Now it’s Christmas morn, and my cat’s quite snug (and smug).
There’s a bright red hat, on the fireplace rug.
And next to that hat, some sleigh bells lying there.
That silly cat has too much fun with Christmas in the air.

Oh! Cards and gifts, ribbons bright, cakes and cookies too.
All these things for playing with and wrapping paper too.

Rachelle Coe

Thursday, November 30, 2006

REVIEW: Vedette, We Yes You No, Bag of Toys and KB & Carmen Tango!

REVIEW: Vedette, We Yes You No, Bag of Toys and KB & Carmen Tango!

From the laid back surfer to the unnerving experimentalist with a bit of tango thrown in for good measure…

Well, as MySpace is currently letting me on and actually letting the music sites play, I’ll get in some reviews while I can. I suppose when a site like MySpace suddenly ends up with over 134 million friend sites, things can get complicated, and downtimes and other errors are inevitable.

So today’s review is going to be a mishmash of things. It’s time to mellow out a bit with some surfer music but as a counterpoint to that, we’ll also look at some experimental stuff. I think we’ll start with the experimental, just because it’s probably the more difficult to judge.

With experimental, itself an open invitation to do whatever the hell you want (kind of like how ‘Alternative’ has become) you never know what you will get. Likely though, it won’t be something easy listening or danceable. It’s an important outlet though, for in experimental music, you will often see the new trends emerge. I don’t mean that experimental itself will go mainstream or skyrocket in popularity. Rather, it will influence other musicians in other genres and bits and pieces of it will inspire them to try new things—sometimes similar to the experimental roots and sometimes, as Monty Python fans know, ‘something completely different.’

So while I don’t necessarily listen to a lot of experimental, I try to appreciate the efforts these folks make and I definitely applaud them for their effects on the music scene in general.

Vedette is rather like that—not necessarily to my taste but interesting, very experimental and well…kind of unnerving, the more you listen to it. I like their song, An Orange Timepiece, the best, but I’m hard pressed to tell you why. The lyrics are hard to understand (on all the selections) but that isn’t it-and that could simply be the connection or the download. The music is complex, disjointed, moody, creepy, and just plain full of an odd cacophony of competing and blending rhythms and notes and sounds. It doesn’t seem to go anywhere and yet you’re aware of some sort of story being played out all the same. Chessmaniaque is also quite complex and while I felt totally creeped out listening to it, I still found myself listening. It’s almost as if my mind wouldn’t give up trying to find a meaning within the madness. I think I may have found the perfect music to play when reading A Clockwork Orange.

On the other hand, if you want a bit more structure to hang onto, but still stay within the wild and creepy ride of experimental, then give We Yes You No a listen. This group is out of the United Kingdom and consider themselves a blend of experimental, psychedelic and rock—meaning, again, we see an odd mix of sounds, blending and clashing, but on a subtler and much more traditionally controlled level and with pleasant vocals—British accents seem to have an edge sometimes. The lyrics are understandable and don’t make you question your sanity, but rather your philosophy instead, if you are so inclined, as with True False or Just Give it a Task. There is definitely a seventies psychedelic vibe to the music but with a driving rock beat that holds the musical variety and complexity together. Not quite as surrealistic as A Clockwork Orange read, more like The Man Who Fell To Earth (the movie with David Bowie.) Meaning—a bit easier on the nerves. Even so, I’m still not sure whether I Must Destroy is a love song or a cry for psychiatric help. Maybe it’s better if I don’t know. Definitely, it’s a bit of fun trying to figure it all out with this group.

But what if you aren’t into experimental? Or, you gave it a listen and now you’re afraid to leave the house and are pretty sure there’s something scary in the closet and it’s calling your name? Time to chill out with a margarita glass full of acoustic, surf music with just a splash of reggae. That’s Bag of Toys in a metaphorical nutshell. But before you think they are just a pale imitation of ‘you know who,’ cut them a little slack and realize that they have a sense of humor as well, inter-spliced among the drum beats, acoustic guitars and bouncy lyrics. California is such an example-that little, childlike twist near the end of “my state’s better than your state” just makes you smile indulgently. The musicality of Surf Song is just as complex (but still melodious) as the lyrics and the vocal delivery—meaning, all of it is clever, thoughtful, and filled with humor –about what? Surfing, what else? If you live in Northern California, take a look at their site for performance dates near you.

Want something more dramatic, you say? Try checking out KB and Carmen’s Tango site if you’ve got the bandwidth. Yes, they are tango dancers and teachers out of Cleveland, Ohio. Their site is filled with images of tango, slideshows and at least one YouTube video at last check—of them doing the tango, of course. The video isn’t optimum, but it does show the often deceptive yet intricate moves of the tango—beautiful to watch when done well. So if you just can’t get enough tango in your life, or just want to watch some cool dance for a few minutes, promenade your way over and give them a look—and if you're local to Cleveland, take a look at KB’s blog. Apparently, they give a free Holiday dance performance/show every year as well. Might be a fun adventure if you haven’t watched a dance performance before—or just fun in general if you have.

KB and Carmen Tango is at www.myspace.com/kbandcarmentango
Bag of Toys is at www.myspace.com/bagoftoysmusic
We Yes You No is at www.myspace.com/weyesyouno
Vedette is at www.myspace.com/vedettemusic

Take a look. Some you may like, some you may not, but it should definitely be an interesting experience and isn’t that what makes life fun?

Next week, a special review—an interview with CJ Tyson about dance/culture/lifestyle/fashion “new kid on the block” magazine, Movmnt.

This article may be copied in whole or in part, as long as fair use rules are observed, no parts are modified from the original and credit is given when quoted or reposted.

CG Anderson is a 10 year new media provocateur involved in media, art, technology and the online world. Also a writer, blogger and novelist. CG's comments are personal and opinionated and solely the responsibility of the author, so there. Don't like the opinions, disagree, agree, don't know? Great, make a comment—clean ones will be allowed, netiquette-challenged ones will be ignored!
MySpace site: http://www.myspace.com/ahablogoliciousHelp me reach 1 million friends. Add yourself as my friend today and get your friends to do the same! Thank you so much! Together we can bring great artists to a wider audience!
Blog site: http://ahablogolicious.blogspot.com/
URL: http://home.myuw.net/cganders/

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