Musician brings inclusive message as Christmas for everyone

[caption id="attachment_22011" align="alignleft" width="480"] Good people[/caption]

Editor---Many songs about Christmas focus on the birth of Jesus, Santa Claus, or elements of both, and happy times together with shared beliefs.  But there are those who simply do good and believe in good, and in those ways Christmas belongs to them as well as others who embrace that something wonderful in the world that is message of joy and goodwill the world over.  Yvalain, whose music productions are among the most beautiful of all and who has collaborated internationally in music for many years, has a song that unites us all in the understanding and caring for all peoples at this season.

This song transcends sectarian beliefs.  Indeed it reminds us that the universal message of love, the kind taught by Christ, is one that moves over borders and through various faiths, and even in the hearts of those who may not believe in God, to take root in the hearts of many. The song is on Fandalism here and can also be found on YouTube, both places where this musician's musical messages of hope, love and peace are shared.

Employer has legal responsibility when sexual harassment extends to social media

[caption id="attachment_18834" align="alignleft" width="124"] Facebook[/caption]

Gordon Matilla---Significant torment develops from sexual harassment, an emotionally-charged act. Social media further complicates matters and allows the problem to spread into wider and wider areas, therefore causing more widespread and intense abuse.  In many cases, as it extends the workplace, employers can be liable for some of what happens..

Social media provides new outlets for workplace interactions to occur, some of which can be negative and harmful. As of March 2013, there were more than one billion active Facebook users. Nearly 700 million of these people post at least once daily. With so much interaction, the workplace boundaries have become blurred. It should also be noted that employers can be held liable for some of these problems of sexual harassment..

What is sexual harassment? Generally, if an individual, or a group of people, exhibit unwelcomed sexual behavior towards another, it constitutes sexual harassment. Sexual harassment is not confined to one specific act. But can include a number of behaviors, that include, but are not limited to, the following:

- suggestive behavior
- sexual jokes or questions
- physical contact
- offensive gestures

Sexual harassment does not have to be explicitly sexual in nature. The conduct must simply be directed toward the targeted individual because of his or her gender. Sexual harassment is gender neutral in the sense men can harass women and women can harass men, and members of the same sex can sexually harass one another.


An attorney tells us there are two types of sexual harassment, quid pro quo and hostile work environment. Quid pro quo sexual harassment occurs when an employer demands sexual favors from a subordinate under the threat of job-related consequences, such as job-retention, promotion, or performance reviews. Hostile work environment sexual harassment involves situations where the victim's employer(s) or coworker(s) acts in such a way that the inescapability of their improper conduct makes the victim feel uncomfortable because of his or her sex, thus making the work environment "hostile." This commonly occurs as the result from ongoing physical contact or inappropriate comments.

Social media has expanded the confines of the workplace and home boundaries, so a given employer must realize employees are digitally connected. Therefore an employer can be held responsible if an employee is being harassed by a coworker whether in the office or in the digital world.

Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube allow sexual harassment, as employees have the tools to post offensive words or pictures about one another. They can also be involved in cyber-bullying. An employer has the duty to address this problem when it occurs.

Employers can request information regarding their employees' social media accounts if a sexual harassment claim is made. Employers can't ask for access to social media accounts for employment purposes but does have the right to act wisely in stopping sexual harassment.

Pentatonix offers magic of the human voice on 'Little Drummer Boy'

[caption id="attachment_21124" align="alignleft" width="300"] Pentatonix, the human voice prevails[/caption]

Carol Forsloff----You may be among those who have not yet heard the "Little Drummer Boy."  If you haven't seen the video and heard the singers whose voices are all the instruments, simply with their beautiful harmonies, then it's time indeed, as the young folks have proven that the human voice is the best instrument indeed.

Six million views and counting, and "Little Drummer Boy" is rapidly becoming an Internet sensation.  The young adults whose voices individually are wonderful bring even more wonder as they fuse them on this Christmas classic.  In a rendition that is sure to be its own classic, the Pentatonix has made with its Official Video that special something everyone would want in a Christmas stocking too.

Pentatonix is an a cappella group consisting of five vocalists who include Kirstie Maldonado, Mitch Grassi, Scott Hoying,  Avi Kaplan and Kevin Olusola, originating from Arlington, Texas. The group won the third season of The Sing-Off on NBC,

The original instrument for communicating in song has always been the human voice.  While David's harp is the first of the stringed instruments, nothing exudes more beauty in its range and variety than the voice itself, as these young people demonstrate with their singing.

Visit a Christmas Special and view it on YouTube, where the crowds are finding the wonder of Christmas early and the joy of singing that is part of the holiday tradition.

Listen to the 'Songbird' of music to a voice you won't forget

[caption id="attachment_20819" align="alignleft" width="160"] Kathy Songbird[/caption]

Carol Forsloff-----In a world of competition for who’s the best, there are those yet undiscovered major talents that provoke many of us to say to ourselves, “That person is so talented she should be on a national stage.”  This is often said about Kathy Songbird, a vocalist whose singing soars above almost anyone and who surely should be among those who have attained great fame.

Kathy Songbird is the stage name for Jan Jackson who combines physical attractiveness with a voice that stuns her listeners.  She is one of the outstanding performers on a site called Fandalism, where she has numerous fans.  Along with musical talent, Kathy is also known for her kindness and sensitivity for the welfare of others that she often expresses in friendly mail and chats with friends.

An interview with this could-be, should-be Broadway talent brought additional insight into the musical background, interests and musical attitudes that go with being the kind of woman anyone would want as a friend and the kind of musical skill that any producer would embrace.

1.       When did you begin to perform music? At what age did you start singing or playing an instrument?

I started singing in church at age 7. I have been singing since I was 4 according to my Mom

2.       Did you learn music by having lessons or did you learn on your own?

I took piano lessons from my grandmother and took voice lessons at the Conservatory of Music   in Kansas City for a time.

3.       Who encouraged you the most in learning and performing music?

My grandmother loved to hear me sing and she would play piano while I did. She felt I had a gift and I am thankful to her for her support as well as my family.

4.      Have you been primarily a soloist or member of a band?

I sang with the Rocky Rockwell Band as lead singer and also with the Bill Woody Combo band as lead singer. I also did many gigs by myself playing keyboard and singing.        

5. Are you a fan of some of the television programs like “The Voice” or “America's (or your country) Got Talent”or American Idol or any of the other programs that present contests?

I do enjoy watching the Voice and American Idol...love to see the talent that is out there.

6.  What motivated you initially to be involved in music?

I have loved music from as long as I can remember. Singing along with music on the radio from a very early age. Music is my love.

7. What are your personal favorite music genres? Who are some of your favorite performers?

I love blues, ballads, Broadway, the classics from days gone by...even country Barbra Streisand is my all-time favorite vocalist.

8.  Do you compose music?

I have tried writing some songs...I hear the melody in my head but have never done it seriously.

9.  Do you have other family members who play music?

My father played piano by ear, my grandmother on the piano, and my brother plays guitar. 

10.  Are you active in a music group of any kind?

I presently am with KC Cabaret...a great group of talented singers.

11.   How often do you play music, including for your own recreation?

I am always singing, even if I don't post a song publicly. I play my keyboard often also. 

12.   What barriers have you found in the music business? What do you think might improve the music business?

It is very hard to find places to perform and so many places only want certain styles of music and people of a certain age. It would be wonderful if there were ways to find out what is available in the city you live in.

13.   Are you active in any music organizations such as ASCAP or BMI?

I am not active in any music organization at the present time. 

14. Would you encourage a young person starting out to seek music as a career?

I would strongly recommend any young person who has an ambition to put their music out in the world to find out where and how they can go about that. I hear young singers/musicians and I pray that someone will discover them. 

15.   Where do you see the future of music?

Music will be around forever....it is the one thing that can touch even the hardest heart. It makes us cry, laugh, feel emotions that we may have been hiding. Without music the world would be a very sad place

16.   What are your personal music goals?

I do wish I could get with someone and we could perform music for people, be it a band or maybe someone to just play piano for me. Love seeing the smiles on people's faces when I sing for them...money isn't important, it is just the love of music I have in my heart and I love spreading that joy around. God gave me a gift and I thank Him each day for it. 

And as Kathy thanks God for the gift of her voice there are many people who thank Him and Kathy as well for the voice of an angel many people love, that you will too, once you have a listen at the following sites:

http://www.youtube.com/user/songbird18MO?feature=watch

https://soundcloud.com/kathy-songbird

http://fandalism.com/kathysongbird

 

Nancy Burridge: The hopeful "voice"of music

[caption id="attachment_14865" align="alignleft" width="120"] Nancy Burridge----[/caption]

Carol Forsloff — Years ago if a performer wanted to make it big on the stage or in film, he or she had to make a trip to Hollywood or New York and knock on many doors. This meant some talented people had to leave hearth and home, travel somewhere, and often work at a job with flexible hours in order to have the time and money to make the necessary contacts to have that one big chance. These days shows like The Voice provide performers this opportunity from the armchair of one's home. Nancy Burridge, one of the greatest singers in a community called Fandalism, hopes to be that person whose voice is selected for a great future in the music world.

Burridge, like other performers who vie for a chance to be seen and heard on The Voice, submitted her video to the show with two songs and an overview of her music background. This is in line with what others have done to be recognized on Americas Got Talent. Jackie Evancho, for example, was discovered on YouTube because many viewers had seen the young girl perform and the many thousands of views created enough of a sensation that the show's producers took notice. It is Burridge's hope that the same thing may occur with her performance on YouTube.

Fandalism is a music sharing site and also a community where people can present their music in a supportive place. Philip Kaplan, the developer and owner of the site, created the community in early 2012 with an eye to giving musicians that big chance. Burridge is just one of more than half a million individuals who are now members of the site.

America prides itself on giving people an opportunity to be successful, but in these days of economic travail it is much more difficult for musicians to have that big chance. Social media, however, can be of great value in catapulting a great performer to stardom. It is Burridge's hope to be one of those fortunate few who make it into the national spotlight.

The Voice is one of a number of television shows where America's talent can be seen and heard by millions. It is one of the dominant shows on the NBC network. To be selected, an applicant must submit a video for the judge's evaluation. Then the contestant goes through a number of rounds, while receiving coaching from the professionals associated with the show. This means performers have an opportunity, once chosen to perform live on television, to get professional advice and assistance they can use in their careers, even if they are not selected as a winner in the final round.

Today many people in the social media music community, Fandalism, have their hopes pinned on a performer from the community "family," a woman of a certain age of maturity, one of those mothers who put aside dreams of a great performing career to raise children. It is now time, Burridge says, to take that leap of faith. With her dazzling voice and shining personality, that leap may just land Burridge on national television to the delight of her Fandalism friends and others who have come to know this great performer as one who not only is a unique talent but who supports the music of others in a loving, giving way.

Those interested in watching Burridge's performance and offering their support can find her submission on YouTube at this site address:

http://youtu.be/4YPERCwgynk

With a Song in Her Heart: Musician's contribution to sexual abuseawareness

[caption id="attachment_16054" align="alignleft" width="180"] Darcy Jeavons, Singer/Songwriter[/caption]

Carol Forsloff — Darcy Jeavons is a singer/songwriter who carries on the tradition of many musicians throughout history, alerting people to the problems in society. After all, it was the folk singers who stood beside the activists in the March on Washington for civil rights in 1963. And it remains the purview of musicians to take up the banner along with others in the struggle against social problems.   For Jeavons the cause is teenage sexual abuse.

Jeavons, who is one of the most popular of the female singers on a site called Fandalism, was asked to perform music at an event sponsored by a non-profit organization called I Am Gonna Tell. The organization was formed to teach young victims to speak out if they are being abused. From this beginning, Jeavons went on to write her song with the title I Am Going to Tell, a song that has deep meaning for a singer whose heart was touched by her association with those activists involved in helping sexual assault victims.

According to Jeavons, she became interested in the organization and its concerns after interacting with the founder, Janet DuBry. DuBry told Jeavons about her own personal history when her daughter was assaulted by DuBry's boyfriend and found the daughter was too scared to discuss what had happened. The teenager had been convinced not to discuss the assault with her mother by the boyfriend who had intimated that DuBry would not believe her daughter.  This touching story on how the organization I Am Gonna Tell was founded made Jeavons recognize how deep and emotionally-laden sexual abuse can be for the victims and their families.

Jeavons says that in the course of learning about the organization she learned to recognize "abusers only have control when they convince their victims that they better not tell anyone, or else suffer the consequences. So the power lay in the realization that by speaking about your abuse, you could take away their power, and end the suffering. So before I played at the event with my other musicians, I thought it would be nice to show up with an original song for the cause. I felt so strongly about the  need to get sexually abused children and teens to know that no matter how they felt, they had to tell someone….and so, the song was born."

The song is named after the organization, I Am Going to Tell.

Jeavons was enrolled full time at California State University Long Beach Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at the time she began her association with the organization I Am Going to Tell. Her schedule was very demanding because of the requirements of the school and also because Jeavons is a single mother. Still she explored the problem with DuBry, as she learned about the problems of sexual abuse and how critical it is to get victims to talk about their experience and their hurts.

In January 2012, "the wheels were put in motion." for the song's creation and development into a song video, Jeavons said.  She went on to describe how the music video concepts were discussed and how she had help from a fellow worship leader at a church in Huntington Beach, Matthew Darren Nuss. Jarvons went on to describe how important this association became. "Matt was a contestant on American Idol, and had many connections in the industry. The producer of his church’s album, Jeff McCullough from Tree Hill Media, said he wanted to come on board with us, and he produced the single, as well as brought a client he was managing in to sing the lead vocal – young Alani Claire. Alani was perfect for the song, and could appeal to the audience the song was aimed at. And although there were many times the production had to be put on hold for short periods, the end product was/is phenomenal. This was all done free of charge (except for the video, which I personally paid for… I figured that’s where God wanted the money to go that I had saved up – and it was worth it.)"

Many song writers talk about being inspired when they compose. When asked about the actual process of creating the song, Jearvons told this journalist, "I honestly can say that is sort of a blur. The song was written in probably an hour. The lyrics came to me, and I tried to get the feeling across that no one is alone, and no matter what, just tell. I wanted the song to have a driving beat, almost a call to action feel – like a feeling of running and telling. I also wanted it composed in a style that could cross a wide variety of genres so that anyone could perform it. But mostly, I would have a picture in my mind of teens sitting in their bedrooms with their guitars, playing the song along with a YouTube video, and always knowing they are not alone. That is the vision I have for the song."

The song is important to Jearvons for its message, a very important one. She tells us that "if I can help save one life, I would be happy. If I could save many, I would be happier. But I must give all the credit to God, because I could not have done this without Him. He is always at my side, and I truly believe He wrote this song - not me. I was just along for the ride. And I thank Him every day for that privilege."

This song  I Am Gonna Tell is available to view on YouTube, Fandalism, and has its own I Am Gonna Tell Music Video Facebook page. A Twitter acct. is in the making. The song is available on iTunes, Amazon, and other pay websites where proceeds go to the "I Am Gonna Tell" nonprofit organization. The song also can be found on Soundcloud and 4Shared.com as a free download."

For Jeavons, this not about the money - it’s all about the message. And in writing the song Jeavons joins the legions of songwriters over centuries who have made music the vehicle to translate human experience into ways people will understand and feel and to transform hearts as well.

The following are some of the links where people can find the song video.

https://www.facebook.com/IAmGonnaTellMusicVideo

https://www.facebook.com/pages/I-Am-Gonna-Tell/187755047924421

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-a4b3kNA38U&feature=plcp

http://fandalism.com/jeavheav/bjvd

Facebook addiction: take the test

[caption id="attachment_4168" align="alignleft" width="300"] Facebook[/caption]

Carol Forsloff - Here's another addiction to worry about: Facebook.  It seems that there is now a test to determine whether you are or aren't one of those with an unrelenting craving that sometimes you can't control, which is, of course, the nature of addiction.  What's the test and what does this say about the rest of us?

I admit it.  I am on Facebook every day.  I also have a lot of "friends" and that's a serious sign of issues, unless there's a reason.  For me, as a journalist, Facebook is one of those places where networking is important.  But I also peek in and see how my friends are faring, and I admit to a venture here and there on non-friend pages, just to check out what's going on in the never-never land of those I hardly know or don't know anymore.  Some of these have become non-friends and non-relatives through time and distance.    Lots of folks do that, the experts say.  That's the way of the world, it seems, at least the way of the world on Facebook.

I'm also addicted to something else on Facebook, and that's not just writing but music as well.  The new application, Fandalism, has taken off seriously and in some ways might just outpace YouTube.  If it does, some of us will be truly happy for that, as YouTube has become not just a place for musicians and visual artists to strut their stuff but a dumping ground for the absurd and sometimes the very bizarre, as well as the tamer "inappropriate."

Fandalism can be very addictive, if you like to play music.  If you like to listen to it, it can also be addictive, as there are some seriously good musicians.  One of them is Yawroc Sticky Hopkins, that I have written about, and Nancy Burridge, of the super voice.  But there are others as well, and when the site brags it has many of the world's best musicians, you can take that claim seriously, as there are some seriously fine folk on Fandalism, who perform as well, and often better, than those on "America's Got Talent" or its counterparts like "Britains Got Talent" just over the pond.

But Facebook is the parent of Fandalism, parent in terms of the new child becoming a strong connection for people, likely as addicted as those who play games.

So what's the test to determine addiction?  So here's what Kurzweil's publication reports:

 Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale test, developed in Norway, offers the following scale to determine addiction..

Do you (1) Very rarely, (2) Rarely, (3) Sometimes, (4) Often, or (5) Very often:

• Spend a lot of time thinking about Facebook or plan use of Facebook.


• Feel an urge to use Facebook more and more.


• Use Facebook to forget about personal problems.


• Try to cut down on the use of Facebook without success.


• Become restless or troubled if you are prohibited from using Facebook.


• Use Facebook so much that it has had a negative impact on your job/studies.

After adding these up, your full score correlates with your addiction level. Did you score “often” or “very often” on at least four of the six items? You’re a Facebook addict.*

So it isn't just the Internet or the computer that takes our time.  It is also social media.  On the other hand, some people use the site to master their music or to show off their work in various ways.  However, you use, it, experts say, excessive use can cause problems with sleep and bunches of other issues---like who is going to do the dishes or take out the garbage while the other guy is fixed with eyes on the screen for Facebook.

Listen to the artistry of 'Sugar' music in all its wonderful ways

[caption id="attachment_15096" align="alignleft" width="180"] Sticky Sugar Yawroc[/caption]

Carol Forsloff - Making music for money is difficult these days, as folks all over the world will say.  But find a little "Sugar," and that music he makes promotes the rest of us to appreciate what a fellow can do with modern technology, the Internet and lots of talent with instrument, visuals and voice.

"27 years."  That's how long "Sticky Sugar" Hopkins has been playing.  He goes on to tell us, " I was going to take a degree in music,  but all that fell through. I became a guitarist one day when my father handed me a guitar.  He had got frustrated with stringing. It had nylon strings and a very wide neck. When I played my first electric guitar i just found it so easy to master."

Master is surely what Sticky Sugar is, with videos that have variety, color and musical excitement.  He can play his original music in ways that make folks tap their feet and yell for more.  Or he can take a Beethoven piece and own it, modern style.

Creative folks like Hopkins often find themselves frustrated in a world where anybody can.  And that's the trouble, not everybody can.  Everybody wants to, in some ways, stand out in an artistic way.  It is that rare person, however, whom one finds in unusual ways that generates such excitement that the discovery just must be shared.

I found that Hopkins fellow, who also goes by the name of Yawroc,  on Fandalism on Facebook.  I just looked him up, as I read a couple lines of a post and was curious as many might be, to hear and see videos with a variety of music, all played with distinctive cleverness and style, from blues to rock to that old man Beethoven.  Listen to the mundane become miraculous in the hands of a guitar prince who makes music in ways that many yearn to do and spend a whole life learning and still don't catch up.

That Sugar is in that 40-something age range, which means enough of life's seasoning to write and sing with experience.  Take a life that has had its share of knocks and tears, and you have some of the classic background many of the hard-time, great performing musicians had that spurs energy of tone and rhythm with a voice to match.  Elvis' and Roy Orbison, because of the sensitivity of their voices and their musical styles, are "Sugar's" musical heroes, among others.

Someone who has known Sticky Sugar and his music for a long time has this to say:  "Every once in a while someone comes along who creates an indelible impression in life. Yawroc Sticky Sugar Hopkins is one such person whose musical talent with the guitar creates a whole new dimension in the World of Music. As a brilliant, yet self taught musician, he has evolved through his own vision, creativity and self belief to be an outstanding and incredible artist..

It has been a tough road with many twists and turns and a few pitfalls, yet this guy has never doubted his own ability to succeed in what he does best – play the guitar , write songs and vocalize as the true professional he is. He will tell you that he has molded his style of playing through various great guitarists yet, his own sound is unique and instantly recognizable. As a singer/songwriter he evokes emotion and depth in many of his songs which will blend sweetly into the listener’s mood.

For those of us who have no musical ability there is a need to fill our aspirations through those who are genuinely gifted. Yawroc Sticky Hopkins is a musician who truly inspires with his unique blending of genres. His ability to create a beautiful and haunting ballad, a raw and mind blowing rock number or a melodious and catchy Blues number is what makes him such a versatile and creative musician. The time has come for Yawroc Sticky Hopkins to be recognized for what he is a consummate and total professional on the music scene."

Like this fan who writes so eloquently of Yawroc also Sugar, I have become a devoted one as well of a man with exceptional talent in a world where one has to look under lots of cabbage leaves to find the best.

So come with me and enter the world of wonderful, right at your fingertips, where you can linger awhile, then come back for more, because you'll be wanting more of that "Sugar" for all those better reasons.

Copyright issues and challenges worry musicians on YouTube

[caption id="attachment_14894" align="alignleft" width="300"] Musicians Caravaggio[/caption]

Carol Forsloff - Music Publishing Rights Collecting Society is being challenged by YouTube musicians, as concerns about copyrights continue to grip the up-and-coming talents as well as the old hands of music. What used to be accepted practice is now being carefully reviewed in the new culture of everyone's hand reaching for the pot of gold, and the big boys of the YouTube management not yet forthcoming about what's up.

Most musicians struggle to make a living, if they are pitching at all. Many sit back waiting for that great discovery of their original music or their remake of someone else's material. It is the latter that is now being hammered on YouTube, from various angles. It seems that just about everyone has received a notice of some sort from this ghostly group of individuals who declare they will put an ad on the video, on the side, not necessarily taking down the video itself. Instead the group challenges videos and asserts itself as an organization who will be taking money in representation of copyright owners. On the other hand, there is that gray area, that makes folks wonder if this organization represents anything outside of its own interests.

Only recently has Music Publishing Rights Collecting Society put up a Facebook page. A website is also in that early-creation stage where it is difficult to determine who is involved, how and why.

YouTube "ain't talking," the disgruntled musicians declare, some of whom have had their instrumentals of Beethoven questioned or even the music they use in games. They ask frequently, "What is left in the public domain if an outside group, or just anyone, makes a claim. It's a gold rush with a difference. The problem is that musicians don't harbor that much gold. Even the big guns have to aim higher and higher, taking high-profile ventures, in order to be noticed on the growing stack of wannabes put together with has-beens and the wallflowers waiting to be asked for some time in the dance.

This is what one user responds to the Music Publishing Rights Collecting Society who complains to YouTube about copyright infringement on pieces of music that include Bach and Beethoven: " The Music Publishing Collecting Rights Society is apparently nothing more than a scam. This so called organization that doesn't even have a website or mailing address, has attempted to claim rights on everything from music videos to 'How To Change A Tire' videos. I've won 2 disputes with them without even giving a reason for the dispute. These are simply scammers looking for free advertising." This statement was made about nine months ago.

While frequent assertions about disclaimers and what to say to avoid a copyright issue have been made around the Internet, YouTube is clear about its terms of service. One cannot upload a song, that includes even covers, if the musician cannot substantiate "fair use."  Fair use allows limited use of music material for specific purposes. One of these is education. Journalists are also allowed to use music to illustrate articles or to do reviews. The rest of the folks have to wonder when the copyright police will show up for an arrest. So far folks say it's rare, or never happens; but the threats remain.

Statements such as "I don't own the copyright to this material" essentially red flags a problem to the respective music copyright cops, as the user has already mentioned that the material is copyrighted and is not original. Claiming it is okay because it is a "cover" or an additional rendition of a song done by someone else won't help you, according to YouTube. Yet YouTube's customer service is virtually non-existent, as users continue to remind each other. YouTube also makes it easy to use the videos for almost everything by its share button and the ability of the user to snatch a video and place it almost anywhere.

So the rules are getting thick, thick enough to be causing some consternation in the ranks. But who is that Music Publishing Rights Collecting Society?  There is no completed website or address out there for the organization presently, at least after some search was done recently of the various conversations around the Internet. And the group often backs off when challenged. It remains a mystery among musicians who wonder what's next in the ever-changing landscape of what's fair and what's not.

Nancy Burridge talents sadly overlooked by social media

[caption id="attachment_14865" align="alignleft" width="120"] Nancy Burridge[/caption]

Carol Forsloff - Yesterday, after wandering onto You Tube, a woman’s beautiful voice stood out among many others.  What makes this noteworthy is that during the months Nancy Burridge has been singing on the site, relatively few people have listened to her material.   Is this a small part of the Jackie Evancho – Susan Boyle social media phenomenon, just to a lesser degree?

Neither Susan Boyle  nor Jackie Evancho won the top prize of the talent competition called Britains Got Talent or Americas Got Talent, despite the great notoriety both achieved by their spectacular performances.  Boyle had been singing for many years in her Scottish region with a voice as beautiful then as now.  Evancho, a child prodigy, had been demonstrating her amazing singing of classical music for years, despite the fact she was a very young child at the time of her presentation at Americas Got Talent.  But when both of these great talents were eventually “discovered,” they did not win the ultimate prize because of an attitude that appears to pervade our culture coupled with millions of people with a cynicism that says either “I could do better” or the kind of statement made about Jackie Evancho that “she is too young to have that talent and that’s weird.”

In other words, if you are too good, there must be something wrong with either you or the formal judges.  Or there is that other reason, of the democratization of everything driven by social media and popularity polls that does not seek the quality but the number of friends and others available to put someone at the front of the line.

Who has heard regularly about the young man, Michael Grimm, the “white soul singer who won the contest over Jackie Evancho?   Is he frequently in the entertainment news front and center like Evancho, talented though he surely is but less unique than the classical voice of a child?  Fortunately, there are those, who when discovered, sometimes quite accidentally as I found the woman’s talented singing yesterday, get noticed by music executives and get the recognition they deserve.  Still too many languish on the back benches because of those two phenomena of social media popularity and the cynical attitude of a throw-away culture where 15 minutes of fame is driven by impulse.

Erika Van Peldt, who was interviewed on the Today show on March 27, had won accolades from the judges of the national competition.  Yet she was screened out before being among the top few contestants for the first prize.  Again she did not win the social media vote of American Idol.  She was “discovered” after a fashion, and one can always point to a Jennifer Hudson as an example of a winner whose talent continues to charm.  But again who wins may not be the most talented but the one with the most friends or viewers who get in to cast their vote.

It continues to be the vote patterns coupled with the attitudes that drive them that reduces art, and many artists, to the dust bin of entertainment.  What is true of music is also true of visual art and writing, although the television presentations make the problems in music far more pronounced.

Nancy Burridge sings across a spectrum of music that displays her eloquent soprano, phrasing and expression.  She takes the standards of today and expresses them originally.  As a woman of mature years, she retains the youthful sounds that often leave singers bereft of their upper ranges.    Hers is a voice that deserves attention, and her attractive appearance simply adds luster to the performances.

Have a listen.  Discover the magic of that someone new and special, that undiscovered talent, the kind many people yearn for but are unable to find in the wilderness that has become entertainment.  Discover Nancy Burridge.

People ask, Who pulls the YouTube strings?

GHN News Editor - YouTube
is the most popular video sharing site on the Internet, but some
question who pulls the strings and how is it decided to keep disturbing
videos available and instructional ones taken down.

Millions

of people objected to U.S.-born al-Qaida cleric Anwar al-Awlaki and a
listing of 700 YouTube videos.  Al-Awlaki is the Yemen-based imam tied
to accused Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan, Christmas Day bomber Abdul
Farouk Abdulmutallab and attempted Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad.

Congressmen
Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., urged its top executive to remove postings
after numerous complaints were received by his offices.  Weiner warned
al-Awlaki’s message “has caused violence and is a threat to American
security.”   He insisted YouTube should “remove this man and his hateful
rhetoric from the website, as he poses a clear and present danger to
American citizens.” Under pressure from both American and British
officials, the videos were taken down.

But
it took the intervention of high-level officials for YouTube to respond
appropriately, a company called LivingFuelTV observes.  Their
instructional videos on breast cancer were taken down without
explanation, and they have been unable to secure answers and are
threatening to sue the Internet giant.

Approximately
one year ago, Green Heritage News observed hundreds of incest videos
posted on YouTube with explicit language and reported on this on another
site. 

Who
pulls the strings LivingFuelTV asks and the issue is raised in the
light of both national security as well as other videos that violate
YouTube's stated policies, despite the fact it has taken governmental
intervention to get the company to respond appropriately, according to

claims.