I had a ball yesterday, participating in the event. The presentations were informative and amazing, as well. I also got to meet Curt Smith (of tears of fears, among other things) and it sounds like we will collaborate on a song. He was extremely gracious towards me.
I was also inspired and blown away by the photography presentation by Jay Mark Johnson. What he does is something called timeline - or spacetime - photography. I can't really - and probably shouldn't try to explain what it really is on here, but I do recommend his website and checking out the concept: it will make your mind spin, and in a good way. I love being exposed to things like this: areas where philosophy, art, poetry, science and technology are fused into one, without trying to negate one another.
When you go to the Artworks section of his site, you find yourself with a brilliant quote by William Blake:
“If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, infinite. For man has closed himself up, till he sees all things through the narrow chinks of his cavern.
- William Blake’s The Marriage of Heaven and Hell
This photo below is one of his, and it is a shot of a dancer in motion. Simply amazing.
Then, we were treated to a presentation by Rob Schwartz, who is the creative CFO for Chiat/Day, and the mastermind behind the recent Pepsi Refresh Campaign, which invests $$ into grants for community-oriented ideas around America. It reminded me of my friend and fan Geoff Cottrill, who has singlehandedly reinvented the Converse brand (I am very partial to it, especially because I got to do a music video for them last year and now own a gazillion multi-coloured converse kicks, hooray!), and it is also all branding centered around giving back, community, art and connection between people.
If you have a brilliant idea, go to the Pepsi website and submit it! You never know. My designer Missy (http://www.i102fly.com) and I were thinking of trying it out to raise some funds for a Cambodian orphanage she has been involved with for a while.
Curt Smith spoke about how his career and interactions with fans have been dramatically changed by the use of social media and played us a couple of collaborations that came from it, including one with an amazing cellist Zoe Keating. I'd love to meet her! Maybe now I will!!
All in all, it was a blast. I got to meet lots of new people and make fans. I also overdosed on free cupcakes. Sue me.
At the end, as we were leaving, there was someone walking down the parking lot alongside us, who complimented me on my performance. He looked familiar, but I could not place him. And all of a sudden it struck me: he was the neighbour to my ex's power boat where the two of us lived for a year or so, before we broke up and I moved out! When I pointed it out to him, he looked flabbergasted and said: oh wow. But you look so different now. (it was a positive). and your music is so much more... uh....
What a difference two years make. I drove away, whistling. Hello, new life. I am SO on top of it now:)
Tito Melega who organized the event and graciously invited me to perform, Melissa Washington (who styled me, equally graciously), and myself.
Wow - looks like a great day was had by all - good luck with the songwriting with Curt Smith. Brilliant! Maybe doing a song with Zoe Keating next?
Posted by: Matt Stevens | 07/01/2010 at 06:42 AM