Musical Update

I decided to kill two birds with one stone with this post. I want to talk a little bit about my new job that I started way back in the beginning of August AND tell you about some new awesome music I've discovered because of this job.

Yep, I FINALLY got a job in the music industry!!!! YAY!! Cue the streamers, balloons, parade and thunderous applause! Haha! :)

I work part-time at a company in Malibu (I know, I'm fancy!) called All Access Music Group. It's a radio music company that helps major and independent labels get their artists songs on the radio. My boss, for example, spends the majority of his day calling and getting called by pop station DJs all over the US. They discuss the songs we are currently promoting and what the DJs think about the songs and how often they are playing them and/or when they'll start playing them. My job is to input the number of plays those songs are getting each week and then to edit the comments made by those DJs. All of this information then gets sent to the labels. I also serve as my boss's assistant so I answer and screen his calls and basically make sure that he is taken care of throughout the day.

Along with this music job, I'm also still nannying quite a bit for one small 2 year old boy and my photo shoot business is up and running. I'll write a longer post about that soon. I hope. Needless to say, I keep very busy!

And now for the new music that I was talking about earlier.... For those of you that are new to my blog, from time to time, for fun, I like to mention a few new songs that I've recently gotten into. At this new job, I'm constantly in-front of the latest pop songs so fortunately and unfortunately (HAHA) I'm pretty well-versed in that genre.

A lot of these are great work out songs which I'm always on the lookout for. Enjoy! And please let me know what you think about them.

1. "Tonight is the Night" - Outasight
2. "Crash Your Party" - Karmin
3. "I'm a Goner" - Matt & Kim & Souljaboy
4. "We Found Love" - Rihanna
5. "Domino" - Jessie J
6. "Not Over You" - Gavin DeGraw
7. "It Will Rain" - Bruno Mars
8. "Blackout" - Breathe Carolina
9. "What the Water Gave Me" - Florence + The Machine
10. The entire Drive soundtrack

On Craigslist Now!

Not that everything on Craigslist is official and legit but my photo shoot services are now up there! It's an exciting step forward in this new venture for me as an art director and my team working together! Here's the link to the post so you can see for yourself: http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/bts/2489302361.html
Yes, I'm a dork and just took a picture of the Craigslist post online! : )

I am also happy to announce that today we got our first three clients lined up for shoots later this summer! I literally did a happy dance this afternoon! : ) Stay tuned for more!

Pin-Ups for Vets Calendar Shoot

Something very exciting is about to take off in my life.

Awhile ago I made a list of things that I've been able to do since I moved to Los Angeles, well, another one must be added to that list. Never ever would I have thought that I would be on a photo shoot in LA. Even more surprising, I never imagined that I would be playing such a key role during one.

Last year at around this same time my friend and roommate Gina asked me to accompany her to Lake Arrowhead, CA to help her shoot the 2011 Pin-Ups for Vets Calendar and I gladly accepted. Well, this year her offer came again and I of course jumped at the chance to work with her, her amazing photographer and talented makeup/hair stylist. This year we proved to be the dream team to work with. Of course I say this with no biases at all. : )

So, perhaps you are wondering what exactly do I do on these photo shoots?

Well, first I help the photographer look for outlets for all the lighting equipment and then we set all of it up. In the process, I’ve learned about the different lighting techniques and how to operate it all. Next, I determine where exactly at the location Gina should pose and specifically what positions she should get into. Then I examine what props we have for that location and how they would work into it. Sometimes I’ll even have to build a prop and make sure that it looks good for the camera. I’ve created a picnic scene, arranged fruit in a grocery store, moved people out of a shot, applied whip cream to waffles, moved flags to their proper position and many more things. I also make sure there is nothing obstructing each picture, I’ve moved plants, traffic cones, barriers at museums and even a dog once. I like to have several pose ideas in my head before Gina even gets there.

Once she arrives on set, I get her into position. Then I begin calling out posture and facial expression instructions like “stand tall,” suck it in,” “chest out,” "put your foot there", “turn this way and move your hand,” and much more. You wouldn’t think these instructions were all that important but the littlest thing like the lift of a finger can really make or break a shot. Since we are so comfortable with one another, this rapid exchange of direction cues works very well for us. I even will occasionally fix her bra and make sure her cleavage is looking it’s best. I’ll straighten her dress, remove lint, arrange her hair and more. I also feel like it’s my job to keep Gina calm and entertained throughout the shoot. For instance in this last shoot, we were using an ice cream sundae that was melting and dripping down her hand so I quickly thought on my feet and licked the ice cream dish to stop the dripping so we could resume shooting. Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do to get the best shot. : ) I can say for certain that our photo shoots are always the perfect balance of fun and professional.

All of this takes about an hour to be completed: set up, shoot and breakdown. We’ve done this enough that it’s become automatic for our team. We know our specific duties on set and oftentimes carry them out with little communication. Once the camera stops clicking and Gina is satisfied that we’ve got the “money shot” as we call it, I help the photographer take down his equipment.

We usually shoot about 70 frames just to get that one perfect moment captured, ultimately freezing that moment in time. This is what it all comes down to. I strive to create harmony with all the elements in the picture; the props, her costume, her body language, her facial expression and the location. All of these must be in-sync with each other in order to produce the kind of quality photo we want. We want to create a memorable photo that remains in people’s heads long after the initial viewing.

Now who is responsible for doing all that? Well, have you ever looked at a photo spread in a magazine and wondered how it all came together? No? Well, if you have, the title of this individual in charge of all of that is the Art Director. An art director’s job is to create the visual concept of the photo. They are trying to evoke an emotional response/connection from the viewer. It’s important that the art director understands what the viewers are looking for and what will connect them to the picture and why it will do so. Essentially, there’s quite a bit of psychology thrown into it.

Growing up I’ve always been interested in interior design. I think that I’m good at moving things around and creating a new and interesting look. I also have always enjoyed taking pictures with friends. Perhaps, it’s the combination of these two things that has brought about this new interest in art directing.

What started as a simple friend helping a friend look her best for her pictures has turned into so much more. I now want to be an art director and work with other people on their photo shoots. The photographer, the makeup/hair stylist and I have decided to continue working together. So if you or anyone you know is interested in getting pictures taken here in LA, please contact me. We certainly are a one-stop-shop service. We’ll take head shots, band pictures, beauty and commercial photos, gifts for loved ones, maternity pictures, special events and so much more.

Please contact me at my new work email address: lanlaphotos@gmail.com. I am so excited to get this new venture started!

New Music Monday/Marie Parie!

"Marie Parie lives the very definition of "alien". As a Parisian pop artist who has called the United States her home since 2005, she witnesses American society from a unique point of view. Bewildered by the process of dating and motivated by the power of futuristic music, Marie shares these observations through her art." So a couple weeks ago, I've started doing some online marketing for an up-and-coming pop singer here in LA. Here name is Marie Parie and her story is even more interesting then her very eccentric music.

"The story of Marie Parie was not always so glamorous. Abandoned by her parents at birth, Marie spent her earliest years in an abusive foster home. As a creative individual exposed to harsh living environments, she expressed herself through a love of music and dance. An affinity for singing and songwriting at an early age helped Marie develop a natural talent that was soon to become her life's aspiration. In her teen years, Marie was rescued from creative inhibitions by a Catholic priest. Under the artistic guidance of this priest, Marie continued to grow as a performer, singing regularly in the choir of "La Basilique de Saint Denis", "Notre Dame de Paris", and in other various school performances. Once she decided to pursue her passion further and move to America, Marie arrived with nothing and nobody, once again solidifying her alien identity.

"With her debut full-length album, "Alien Victory", slated for an late Summer 2011 release, Marie anticipates us strange creatures being drawn to her playful and sexy vibe. Despite the immersion into a new culture, Marie Parie was driven to succeed in her musical aspirations, and has performed in cities such as Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Santa Barbara. Her dedication to art and charismatic nature quickly gained the attention of entertainment professionals who were eager to help the cause."

A lot of exciting things have started happening for Marie and her music and I'm happy to be apart of it all now.... Several Clear Channel Radio stations have started playing her song, “Dating” on the radio. A few large department stores like Macy's and Nordstrom have also begun playing this song in their stores. I'm hoping that very shortly, “Dating” will be available for purchase on phones and of course iTunes and other online music stores will surely follow.

The music video for her song "Dating" can now be seen on her website. We are also very active on her Facebook Page and Twitter Account- @Msmarieparie so check out those for more information.

Any and all advice regarding online marketing would be greatly useful.

Interviews....

Part of this blog is about my ultimate quest to get into the music industry here in Los Angeles, so I think it's time that I update you on that search.

To say it's been difficult and challenging would be a serious understatement.

Since moving here, I've been on roughly about 20 marketing/music/entertainment/promotional interviews! Crazy, right?!

Before coming to LA, I would get incredibly nervous before every interview. I would stress entirely way too much about my outfit, my hair, if the shoes matched my clothes and if I had all the right paperwork. These endless worries usually were accompanied by stomach cramps as well. It was all because I hadn't had a lot of experience with interviews. I didn't know what to expect from them and I didn't know what exactly an interviewer would want to hear me say. I would get so nervous that they were judging every single move I made in that room and everything I said to them. I mean, it's like you are under this huge magnifying glass. Every detail of your professional career past is being scrutinized.

However, since I've gone on so many first and second interviews since moving here, I find myself not nervous at all now. I've gone through this interview routine so many times I now know what they are going to ask and I know exactly what to say to make me sound like the best candidate for the job. That's really what it's all about-they want to find the perfect person for the position. They want to be happy and I think ultimately they would you to be happy with the job too. I can't fault them for all that, right?

Sadly, despite all these numerous interviews that have gone supposedly really well, I've yet to land the job of my dreams. Grrr!! A variety of things have happened; they either say I lack the necessary experience needed for the position, they've decided to move an intern or temp into the job, they no longer are hiring because of the bad economy or this last one, the person whose job I was applying for decided not to quit after all. Geesh!! That's totally unfair, right? I mean.. why waste my time and theirs with the interview in the first place?! So frustrating!
I did get a very sweet email from the CEO of the company who I interviewed with last week.
He said:

"Hi Leah ...

I wanted to reach out and thank you for coming out to apply as my assistant. As you know my current assistant, Erin was going to accept another position, and she had a change of heart about the working environment at her new company. So, she's decided to stay on and has recommitted to working here. I am sorry this didn't work out, but you are a bright and charming person, and I know that you will land something soon. We will hang onto your resume for the future. You are someone we'd like to have in our company one day -- I was very impressed with your enthusiasm and knowledge."

While that's nice and all, it's still a major bummer that a great interview got me nowhere... Boo hoo.

Now what? Well, I have another interview next week that I'm very hopeful about so we'll see how that goes. Wish me luck! I've been told that persistence, determination and passion are key to getting a job in the field that I really want.

"Only in LA"

Only in LA (and NY too) will just about everyone at your dinner table not be working at a job that they actually want. It's pretty safe to say that most of them really want to be writers, actors, musicians, directors, producers, singers, comediennes or another profession in the entertainment world. I totally get it though, this is LA, this the hub of that business so who can blame these people for living here and pursuing their 'American Dream'. I don't know about you but I think it takes immense courage to leave wherever you are from and break into an entirely different career path in hopes of achieving your aspirations.

Tonight's dinner was a perfect example of this. Four out of the seven people at dinner wanted different jobs in the entertainment business. It got me thinking about this city and what we are all doing here. Why are we living in this crazy town full of awful traffic, way too many people, expensive gas prices among other pricey items. Well, there's the amazing weather pretty much year round, the incredible beaches, the cool and laid back vibe, the big homes, lots of interesting Hollywood and musical historical landmarks, awesome shopping and much much more that I've yet to discover.

So, what do you LOVE about your city?

Here are some awesome LA quotes that I've been collecting since I moved here:

"The difference between Los Angeles and yogurt is that yogurt comes with less fruit." - Rush Limbaugh

"You can have a laugh in Los Angeles, or you can weep in Los Angeles, depending on your attitude towards it." - Miranda Richardson

"I love Los Angeles. It reinvents itself every two days." - Billy Connolly

"Los Angeles is a constellation of plastic." - Norman Mailer

"Fall is my favorite season in Los Angeles, watching the birds change color and fall from the trees." - David Letterman

"Los Angeles is just New York lying down." - Quentin Crisp

"We live in Los Angeles, where you are expected to move every two to four years, so people can see how well your career is going." - Rita Rudner

"Los Angeles is seventy-two suburbs in search of a city." - Dorothy Parker

"The final story, the final chapter of western man, I believe, lies in Los Angeles." - Phil Ochs

"In Los Angeles, everyone is a star." - Denzel Washington

"Los Angeles makes the rest of California seem authentic." - Jonathan Culler

"In Los Angeles, it's like they jog for two hours a day and then they think they're morally right. That's when you want to choke people, you know?" - Liam Neeson

"Los Angeles is a microcosm of the United States. If L.A. falls, the country falls." - Ice T

"So, I live in Los Angeles, and it's kind of a goofy place. They have an airport named after John Wayne. That ought to explain it. It has a charming kind of superstitious innocence." - George Carlin

"In Los Angeles, by the time you're thirty-five, you're older than most of the buildings." - Delia Ephron

"When it's 100 degrees in New York, it's 72 in Los Angeles. When it's 30 degrees in New York, in Los Angeles it's still 72. However, there are 6-million interesting people in New York, and 72 in Los Angeles." - Neil Simon

Confession Time

A part of me feels like a failure. I moved to LA to pursue the music business. I've wanted to work at a record label forever and music is my passion. I moved here back in January with a few contacts and a couple potential job leads. Yet, here I am 9 months later and no music job to speak of. There are just no open paid positions in the music industry right now. Trust me, I've looked everywhere and asked everyone that I know here.

Here comes my confession; I've decided to put the music business job search on hold and I've taken on a full time nannying and babysitting gig. Perhaps if I call myself an 'Au-Pair', it will sound fancier. Anyway, as I've mentioned before in my blog, I started babysitting shortly after I moved here. I have always at one time in my life or another worked with children. I guess it's no surprise that a teacher's daughter would enjoy being with kids. Plus, I'm really just a big kid at heart so that attributes to it as well. : )

Despite the the fact that I really enjoy nannying and it's pretty good money and I'm not stuck behind a desk all day, I still cannot help but feel like a failure. This was certainly NOT my plan. I had much higher musical hopes for my life here in LA. So, now what? Do I stop searching for music biz jobs altogether and focus on this nannying gig? I'm not sure. I guess what's important now is if I'm happy and have a steady income, check and check to that. Life has definitely thrown me harder curve balls in the past.

So, the family that I'm working for has an adorable 16 month old boy named Jake and a little Maltese-Shitzu named Chloe, that I look after during the day as well.


Jake is a super lovable and easy-going kid. I really couldn't have asked for a better behaved or happier child to nanny for. My favorite thing to do (now, that I've gotten the hang of it) is to go on walks around their neighborhood with the two of them. Jake sits happily in his red wagon picking up leaves and Chloe trots ahead of us, on a leash of course. The family lives very close to me which saves me the headache of dealing with awful LA morning traffic. I've been working for this family for only two weeks but I can already tell it's going be a very rewarding experience.

Life really is all about adjusting your plan and being flexible enough to change it accordingly. I suppose that's exactly what I'm doing. Recently, I watched an old episode of "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer", and in one particular moving Buffy speech, she says, "I'm like cookie dough, I'm not done baking. I'm not done being who I'm going to be." This line really spoke to me. When are we ever really done "baking"? 30? 40? 50 even?

I still want to eventually work at a record label but for now, I'll do the nannying thing. Perhaps my big confession shouldn't be that I took this nannying job, but rather, I confess that I'm still trying to figure out who I am and what career path I want to follow. Geesh, is this what 27 is supposed to feel like?

My Internship

About a month and a half ago, I started an internship at Art of Broadcast in Beverly Hills. According to their website, "Art of Broadcast provides quality promotions for artists from a variety of music genres across the globe. We primarily work with signed talent represented by established labels and management companies. However, we do consider independent and unsigned talent if we feel their music deserves recognition. We accomplish our success by building an overwhelming Internet presence and getting our clients latest music played nationwide on the radio. We use our extensive knowledge and strong relationships within the music industry to help our clients achieve their goal objectives."

I work on a variety of projects most days so I never get too bored. Today for example, I spent about four hours emailing roughly 30 different college radio stations trying to find out if a particular band that we are promoting was currently being played on the radio at all. Then, with the rest of my time at the office, I searched for any and all UK music blogs that might be interested in promoting a British musician that we recently began working with.

While this internship is far from my dream job, it still is a step in the right direction and of course any experience in the music industry is good experience. I'm certainly not a fan of working for free but it's one more thing to add to my resume so that's a very good thing.

Now, you may be asking what exactly is my dream job. Well, I'll tell you! My absolute dream job would be to own my very own record label. I would help write and produce the music, manage bands, talent scout musicians and maybe even sing a little too on a couple tracks. I'd really love to work in the A & R Department at any record label. I think it would be incredible to be that person that discovered an artist and felt so passionate about their music that you help them get their music out to the world. I want to be that person.

So, here's hoping that my next fabulous music job is just around the corner.

Job Opportunity

So, I received a little promising job news last night... My old boss in Phoenix would like me to freelance a bit for him and his company in LA. Here's what he says in his last email to me last night:

"...By the way, I’m going to attach our most current “Jazz” flyer (we will soon fix it up to read “Arts & Music” and then I’ll resupply you). If you’re over there in L.A. freelancing, you can feel free to email this to various venues or whatever. In fact, if you’re trying to network to find a job, you could use this as an excuse to build an L.A. Database in File Maker Pro, then later use it for personal reasons and so forth (like to make job inquiries). If you went about the process in that way, it almost looks stronger because they’ll see you as working with a quality project long before you try to inquire about part- or full-time work."

It's just a thought but I like where his head is at! : ) I will definitely look into doing this and seeing what I can do to help him out in LA. I'll keep ya posted! LA music world look out!

"In the music business bigger is not necessarily better. In fact, I believe smaller is actually better."
--Chuck Kaye, Dreamworks, SBK Publishing

The LA Music Job Market

As the home base of Hollywood, Los Angeles is known as the "Entertainment/Creative Capital of the World", leading the world in the creation of movies, television production, video games, and recorded music. The importance of the entertainment business to the city has led many celebrities to call Los Angeles and it's surrounding suburbs home. Interestingly enough, one in every six of LA residents work in a creative industry. According to the USC Stevens Institute for Innovation, "there are more artists, writers, filmmakers, actors, dancers and musicians living and working in Los Angeles than any other city at any time in the history of civilization."

All of this certainly makes me drool since this is all why I moved to LA in the first place, to break into the music industry. Yet, on the flip side, this also means that there are that many more people out there competing for the music jobs that I want. Therefore, I have to stand out and set myself a part from all of them.

However, it's a rough time right now for the music industry because of the Internet and programs like iTunes. Musicians are finding themselves in more powerful positions than ever before. They can create, promote and even manage themselves without even turning to a record label for help. They can do all this without ever leaving their homes thanks to the Internet.

I did have an interview this morning with a music management company that represents several well known rock groups and I would absolutely love to get this job. The job is to be the executive assistant to the CEO which means plenty of hands on experience. So, keep your fingers and toes crossed for me! I'll keep you posted. I do know that it's best to keep an open mind when it comes to jobs so if this one doesn't end up working out, I know that there is a perfect job for me out there just waiting for me to find it.

"Independent labels take nothing and make something out of it. Major labels buy that something, and try to make more out of it." Tom Silverman, Tommy Boy Records CEO

Easy Money

This and last week, I've had the pleasure of making some very easy money! This is highly welcome since I am still looking for the right job. I have an interview tomorrow which is very promising so stay tuned for the details!

Last Thursday, I babysat for my friend Jason's brother and sister in-law. They have a 13 month old daughter named Anna. She was already asleep when I got there and remained asleep the whole 3 hours that I babysat so it was totally easy. I was actually kind of sad that I didn't get to meet and play with her. I laid on their couch pretty much the entire time and read my book and would glance over at the baby monitor from time to time to check out how she was doing. I can't get over how calming it is to watch babies sleep. They look completely peaceful. Do you think babies dream? Probably about big juicy bottles of milk, huh? : )

Then tonight, I participated in a focus study group for an hour and a half and was paid a whopping $75! All I had to do was sit in a conference room with 7 strangers and talk about our experiences with museums and what we would like to see in an exhibit about the history of Los Angeles. It was super easy and honestly, I didn't really feel like I could contribute a whole lot to the discussion since I am so new to here. Nonetheless, I was paid at the end of the session and I gladly accepted.

"Money is like a sixth sense, and you can't make use of the other five without it". -W. Somerset Maugham