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Musician

Life in the Fader: Multimedia in a Multiple-Media World

Published by communitypublishingabq@gmail.com on December 22, 2015 1

By Alex Paramo

I have written several times about the importance of exposing and teaching all of our children to use current technologies. Children from all backgrounds need to have hands-on experience Multimedia Bookwith the learning tools of today and tomorrow. Contrary to the trending meme about limiting your child’s exposure to “screens and monitors” I encourage the use of technology by children.

People seem to conflate, confuse and associate technology and video-games. The purpose of this article is not to bash video games (I do not endorse violence-based games/media) but rather to promote the use of technology to promote literacy/learning and support/endorse collaborative local arts. Let us all remember that the medium is not the message. A book printed with terrible messages, like those found in Mein Kampf, is no better because those messages are on paper as opposed to a tablet/screen. Our brains are constantly evolving and changing to suit the changes in our environment. Our preoccupation should be with promoting positive message rather than on the medium messages are promoted on.

Collaboration

Princess Marisol & the Moon Thieves

Multimedia Books allow for artists of all mediums to collaborate in the at of story-making. For my book, Princess Marisol & the Moon Thieves, we brought together an illustrator (Audrey McNamara), talented musicians (Matias ProfessionalismPizarro, Juan Ramirez, Christian Orellana), Voice Actresses (Jackie Zamora, Sofia Zamora and Marisol Paramo) and an author (Me). We also utilized the talents of Audio Engineers to help tell our story.

For my latest Multimedia Book writing endeavor, the Grand Fantastic Life of DJ Flo Fader, I am collaborating with Alex Lopez (Photographer), DJ Flo Fader (Music), and an armada of local artists such as Xian Bass and Hakim Bellamy and legendary figures from the music business such as Masta Ace and J-Live. Here is a track from the forthcoming project called appropriately enough, Elevate Your Mind (by DJ Flo Fader).

 Multiple-Media

multiple-mediaToday our children are being bombarded with messages from multiple-media outlets: TV, Videos, Games, Books, Multimedia Book, eBooks, Blogs, Radio, Internet-Radio etc. Unlike yesterday where the “traditional” Book/Radio/TV industry was monopolized by a few and we had no alternatives, today we have the power to create our own content. Content that promotes our true values, and embraces our collaborative vision for tomorrow.

Those of us who have access to these new learning tools have a responsibility to share them with those that do not. We need to like, comment and share in order to create the world we have been longing for: a just and equitable world where we can all flourish individually and prosper as a whole.

*DJ Flo Fader produced the music for our 3rd multimedia children’s book Samuel’s Story. Available in print and digital formats get yours today! 

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Alex Paramo Community Publishing

Alex Paramo

Alex Paramo is an Author and Co-Founder of Community Publishing. Community Publishing brings local artists of all mediums together in creative collaborations for distribution as multimedia eBooks while promoting literacy in our communities.

We are proud to be a community partner and digital marketer at the Rail Yards Market and theMonte Vista Fire Station. Need help with your web presence and social media marketing? Click hereto find out how we can help you! 
Community Publishing: From the Community For the Community

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Collection of Human Noise: Music is Boundless

Published by communitypublishingabq@gmail.com on December 17, 2015 Respond

Music is Boundless by Ana Romero Sanchez

Music is Boundless

It seems it should be a simple task to answer why music is so important, but it’s rare that we actually stop to think about how it really fills our lives. Since ancient times the sounds around which we’ve gathered in the name of community, spirituality, ritual, and celebration, is music. It is the evocation of emotion, power, and drama in many areas of life; triumphant or melancholic, music brings the world and human emotion to life in ways that no other human creation can.

 Plato said “ music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.”

Musical Inspiration

Music is BoundlessPowerful as it is, music is not esoteric but part of existence for the joy and inspiration of all. Large segments of our society are beginning to lose sight of the importance of music in every day life and instead relegating it to pop culture. Children, on the other hand, understand music instinctively. Whether it be a toddler moving his head in perfect rhythm, a young child beating on a makeshift drum, or a group of young people singing without fear of being heard, they possess a natural rhythm, a dance choreographed by the heart alone, that adults have difficulty recreating, but by which they are absolutely delighted.

A child’s channels of comprehension are untainted and wide open, and as they grow we slowly lead them to close these channels and instead utilize only those that allow for logic and pragmatism. The arts are not a priority and  are whittled away by legislation year after year. Music and creativity, in terms of imagination, awaken not only our creative selves, but also our mathematical and scientific selves.

Music is BoundlessEinstein said: “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.”

As music and arts programs become less accessible to kids, a greater need for grass roots programs exists. Our education system does not value the power music has to help children learn and become confident students, and private instruction and camps are out of reach for many families. We want music to be attainable to all children in the community, and it’s for this reason that we’ve created the New Mexico Academy of Rock and Blues (NMARB).

At NMARB, our mission is to create a program for creativity that is affordable to all families. This is why we put together fundraisers; it’s our community effort to create a space that doesn’t exclude anyone merely based on finances.

Instructional Diversity

Our instructors are not only Albuquerque Public Schools educators but also some of the Southwest’s most talented musicians, like Reviva’s Glenn “Buddha” Benavidez and Singer/Songwriter Keith Sanchez. We also bring in New Mexico’s renowned poets, such as Albuquerque Poet Laureate Jessica Helen Lopez, Swimming With Elephants Publisher and educator Katrina Guarascio, and nationally published poet Zachary Kluckman.

We know that music is not just about the sounds created, but the creative expression they shape. Be it though lyrical execution, composition, or instrumental mastery, we want kids to express their true selves as they build their musical ability, their self-esteem, their ability to work as a team, and their confidence.
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This article was originally published on January 8, 2015 in the Music Corner page found on the NMARB website. Community Publishing will be re-publishing this collection of articles by Keith and Ana Sanchez.
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Sanchez FamilyAna Romero Sanchez and Keith Sanchez are the founders of the New Mexico Academy of Rock & Blues, which is dedicated to granting equal access to the arts for children from all walks of life. Please contribute whatever you can by visiting: http://nmarb.org/

Community Publishing brings local artists of all mediums together in creative collaborations for distribution as multimedia eBooks while promoting literacy in our communities.

#JoinOurCommunity at http://communitypublishing.org
We are proud to be a community partner and digital marketer at the Rail Yards Market.

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Life in the Fader: Now Featuring

Published by communitypublishingabq@gmail.com on April 14, 2015 Respond

By DJ Flo Fader and Alex Paramo

In the (music) industry, it is common to find artist featured on someone else’s album. The practice goes way back to the earliest days of hip hop when guest Emcees were featured on rapper albums. The practice of having guest stars featured on your project works both ways, to give you exposure and to increase exposure of the guest artist. Taking the feature to an extreme, the Rapture video by Blondie features rappers, graffiti artists and dancers in this multi-genre song.

Featured Folks

Similarly and within the same tradition, the multimedia book the Grand Fantastic Life of DJ Flo Fader will be featuring some internationally known talent as well as some local folks. Some of the featured artists included but not limited to: Masta Ace, J-Live, as well as Albuquerque Inaugural Poet Laureate Hakim Bellamy, Vocalist Xian Bass and Corrin Cameron. Here is a track that will be featured on the multimedia book:

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/200823013″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”75%” height=”337″ iframe=”true” /]

Lending a Hand

The idea of reciprocity is entrenched among artists of all mediums. Of course the reasons to contribute to someone else’s project go beyond expectations of a returned favor but rather some artists view lending their talents as an investment. Of course featuring different artist that cut across genres and mediums can sometimes lead to interesting pairings as in the pairing of Flea and Young MC – can you spot Flea?

Multimedia Stimulation

Now Featuring: The Grand Fantastic Life of DJ Flo Fader has its share of featured artists but it is no ordinary music project, photo essay or book, but rather a Multimedia Book. A Multimedia Book is the ultimate vehicle which allows for creative collaborations among (in this case): Musician/DJ, Photographer and Writer.  Keep pace with the project by subscribing to Community Publishing below or at the top right hand corner of this page. Remember to Stay Chiseled.
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DJ Flo Fader

DJ Flo Fader

DJ Flo Fader is currently the subject of a Multimedia Book project that will bring his biography to life through music, photography, and literature: The Grand Fantastic Life of Flo Fader will be published in the Spring, 2015 by Community Publishing. 

Community Publishing brings local artists of all mediums together in creative collaborations for distribution as multimedia eBooks while promoting literacy in our communities.

#JoinOurCommunity at http://communitypublishing.org  We are proud to be a community partner at the Rail Yards Market Albuquerque.

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BlogBomb: Empathy Embodied

Published by communitypublishingabq@gmail.com on December 5, 2014 Respond

By Nick Fury

Welcome to another exciting and informative installment of BlogBomb. The focus of this week is about the need for empathy in society and how music and art allow for this emotion to spread rapidly. Also I explore the notion of responsibility and obligation for use of this immense power.

Nick FuryEmpathy is an emotion that is intrinsically embedded in our DNA and has allowed the human race to flourish and grow. Empathy nourishes the mind body and soul and is a super emotion with super powers that have an immense impact on ourselves and those around us. Think imagine the concept of paying it forward. Think of how it works, how it permeates outward like a bubble that wants to pop but just keeps on stretching. Yet, for some unknown reason, empathy is severely undervalued, overlooked and misunderstood. Empathy is a necessary and vital aspect of human growth and interaction and has actually been proven to be infectious.

According to Patrick Groneman “Empathy is a skill that experts from many disciplines have deemed important for personal, relationship and career success. People who are empathic tend to have better social interactions, academic performance and accomplishments at work than others. A strong sense of empathy allows children to make decisions that are right for them without hurting others or seeking approval or acceptance. This may strengthen them against negative peer pressure and a range of maladaptive behaviors such as substance abuse, bullying, narcissism, aggression or violence against others. Although some children are remarkably resilient despite abuse, neglect or other forms of mistreatment, studies suggest that “these early trauma experiences significantly increase the risk of emotional and behavioral problems later in life.”

Being a musical artist is the most satisfying thing that I do in my life. I get to create content using words and musical notes and then I get to record and perform it for people. I get to explore

emotions and feelings, deep concepts and engage in the world around me. I would even argue that musicians and artists are possibly the last bastion of the real super heroes that exist in this world. If you consider it, artists are given the unique opportunity to engage large amounts of people how clutch to your words and empathize with your emotions and stories. The real distinction is between musical artists and artists of other kinds are the way in which they connect and impact the public and shape perceptions. The true superheroes of today work with super powers creating a super world using empathy.

Artists Are Superheroes

Nick Fury“The artist has an important role in the world. He literally paints the future. Want something new? Want the world to go in a new direction? The only person capable of this is an artist. Whether you call him a writer, inventor, engineer, architect, illustrator, composer, or photographer, the ideas and inventions that progress mankind forward are all dreamt up into reality by some artist somewhere, whether he even thinks to call himself one or not. The Wright Brothers were artists. So were Steve Jobs, Nicola Tesla, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson and pretty much anybody else you can think of that had a positive impact on the world. You want to be an artist? You are in some excellent company.” – David Carus, from the book Super Artist – How To Take Flight As A Creator 

It’s not like I run into a phone booth before every performance and emerge wearing a cape, but it does mean that a great power and great responsibility have been bestowed upon me. Art is the quintessential embodiment of our super selves and that is why empathy is so important. In order to create art that someone subjectively identifies with it is necessary to channel the empath inside of us and reach out beyond our physical self with energies. Music has been the way that I use my super powers to effect change in my community every day and empathy is the single biggest emotional component of my super skills. The thing that sets apart the artists community is the deep and honest empathy we feel for other fellow artists and also our fans and supporters. If one of my songs can directly improve and alter some person’s life in any way then I feel like I have done my ditty duties.

Empathy and Art

Nick FuryArtists of the world use your powers of creation for good. Make your cause a just one and always be willing to help another. People gravitate towards that positive energetic glow of sound and shapes. Harnessing them unto others should be the one true aim of an artist. Paying empathy forward to those around you will actually improve your mental health and physical well-being as well as the people you contact. I am writing this now as a reminder to myself to be more aware of being empathic too. Sometimes we let our ego get the best of us and that is not acceptable. As a final note I wanted include a track by bandwidthnoname.com about bullying. Take a moment to empathize with others and not hurt them…

FOREVER (a tribute to Amanda Todd): http://youtu.be/DaC4bee3i0U is our premix version of a song that has a great deal of meaning to us. It is a tribute about the perils of cyber bullying and the harmful the effects it has. We wrote this song to honor those who have remained silent in their suffering. BNN does NOT stand for bullying of ANY kind and we want to end the suffering.. Please help us by continuing to SHARE this link and song so we can get the word out and END CYBER BULLYING for good. Thanks for all of your help.

Musicians Blog

Nick “Furious” Meyers

Nick “Furious” Meyers is a longtime veteran of the New Mexico Music scene. Nick has worked with Community Publishing in the past, having served as the Audio Engineer on the multimedia children’s book, Fiona the Funkadelic Freckile Fairy. Nick is currently working working as the Audio Engineer on the Animated multimedia book, Bella the Caterpillar (written by 7yr old Marisol Paramo) to be published in the late Fall by Community Publishing: From the Community For the Community!

Community Publishing brings local artists of all mediums together in creative collaborations for distribution as multimedia eBooks while promoting literacy in our communities.
We are proud to be a community partner and digital marketer at the Rail Yards Market.
#JoinOurCommunity at http://communitypublishing.org

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