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pittarchives · 3 years

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John Hammond and Martha Glaser: A Cold Correspondence

This post was written by Adam Lee, graduate student, Jazz Studies.

Erroll Garner famously won a lawsuit against record production titan Columbia Records in the early 1960s, which allowed him to launch his own label Octave records. While the details of this lawsuit have been covered by news outlets such as Variety (The True Story of Erroll Garner, the First Artist to Sue a Major Label and Win), the fallout of this suit would continue to echo throughout history in the form of a feud between Garner’s manager Martha Glaser and Columbia Records producer John Hammond.

John Hammond was a scion of the Vanderbilt family through his mother and by the 1930s had become one of the most influential promoters and producers of jazz, acting as a patron to such jazz legends as Count Basie, Billie Holiday, and Benny Goodman (who became his brother-in-law in 1942). He is often lauded for his staunch stance against racism through his promotion of jazz in a time in which it was considerably less common to find white people of status working to promote Black artists. Not all jazz artists would receive Hammond’s full support, however, as is made clear with his lukewarm response to Erroll Garner’s work.

Hammond was the producer working for Columbia when the events that led to Garner’s lawsuit came about, and later would become involved again in a Garner reissue project in 1975. Martha Glaser, writing on behalf of Garner, wrote to Hammond expressing her disdain for the way Columbia, and thus Hammond himself, was handling this project in the last few years of Garner’s life.

Image from folder “Correspondence from John Hammond,” Erroll Garner Archive, 1942-2010, Box 1, Folder 62, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System.

Glaser writes that Garner and she were reluctant to be involved in a Columbia production, understandable from their previous contentious relationship, but initially thought that Hammond would be supportive of the project: “It was with considerable trepidation that we got into the PLAY IT AGAIN, ERROLL project, because of past experiences at Columbia. However, with your reassurance, and Jim Brown’s support, we thought there would be no problems.” Clearly, there were problems and Glaser had no reservations expressing her feelings later in the letter writing: “We are most dismayed that our good friends at Columbia have so little regard for Erroll or myself, that we can’t reach them, or get a reply.” The venom in her language is clear, the Columbia producers are no friends of theirs.

Image from folder “Correspondence from John Hammond,” Erroll Garner Archive, 1942-2010, Box 1, Folder 62, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System.

Several years later, after Garner’s passing, Glaser and Hammond got into another conflict via letters sent between them. We do not have every record in the archive of this correspondence, but by looking at the letters we do have we can extrapolate some of the content, and it is increasingly hostile. The conflict seems to begin with Glaser’s objection to a quote in George Goodman Jr.’s June 28, 1981 article about Miles Davis titled ”Miles Davis: I Just Pick Up My Horn And Play.” In the article, Goodman attributes a statement to Hammond (which Glaser notes is not written as a quote, but more as a statement of fact): “To John Hammond, the authoritative critic and jazz patron credited with the ‘discovery’ of such greats as Bessie Smith and Louis ''Satchmo'' Armstrong, Mr. Davis is the only major performer of his generation who broadened rather than contracted the appeal of jazz music.” Glaser vehemently objects to this characterization, and overtly questions Hammond on it in a letter dated the next day, June 29, 1981: “Whether it accurately states your opinion, I can’t tell – but I certainly wonder about it.” Glaser goes on to contradict the assertion that only Davis expanded jazz appeal, referring to Garner’s public success with scathing and sarcastic language: “… if he was ‘contracting’ the appeal of jazz, then I wonder who all those people were in all those SRO audiences through the world for all those years…,” and “Indeed, he was sock box office…despite the heavy-handed treatment of CBS Records, and the subsequent results. I can fill you in, but I am sure you know much of what happened.” Obviously Hammond knows what happened, as he was the head of A&R (Artists and Repertoire) for CBS/Columbia Records at that time.

Image from folder “Correspondence from John Hammond,” Erroll Garner Archive, 1942-2010, Box 1, Folder 62, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System.

Hammond’s response is dated July 16, 1981 and specifically refutes the Goodman article for the Times, attempting to redirect the ire against him to the Times itself saying, “Why the Times is so sloppy in its music coverage and quotes is beyond belief.” While he could have continued to play diplomat, he instead doubles down on the conflict and writes some very specifically cruel things about Garner and Glaser “…the greatest mistake he ever made was in leaving CBS for purely financial reasons. When I came back there in the very late fifties, I did my best to patch things up, but I must say that I found both you and Erroll greedy, to say the very least.” He follows this with an attack on Glaser alone: “Unfortunately, the nit-picking that went on by you (acting on behalf of Erroll) left you with very few friends in the company. When I tried to sign Erroll in the mid-sixties, I was warned that if I did, I would probably suffer another heart attack and was ordered to cease and desist my efforts.”

Images from folder “Correspondence from John Hammond,” Erroll Garner Archive, 1942-2010, Box 1, Folder 62, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System.

Glaser counters the attacks directly: “’Greed’ was not the reason for the litigation. It was at a great sacrifice – including a financial one – that Erroll was pressed into this litigation by some substantial violations of his contract.” Ever the stalwart defender of Garner, Glaser accuses Hammond of hiding this opinion from Garner behind a smiling face: “I wish you had told Erroll, at the time, or in the almost 20 years subsequent to the litigation, that you thought he and I were motivated by ‘greed’. This might have put a different face on how he reacted to the entire situation, and to you, since he always said – ‘Don’t put John in the middle’, and was concerned about your well-being.” Glaser continued to take issues with Hammond’s specific phrase “nit-picking,” and notes the implications of such language: “I sometimes wonder where such an appellation might be sexist. When a man works as hard and carefully as I have to maintain quality standards, he is considered to be on top of things.” The jarring final statement is loaded with a sarcastic feel, like Glaser is writing pleasantries because these things are included in letters by practice but not by meaning: “I hope we can talk one day. In the meantime, thank you for your attention and response. Wishing you the best with your new enterprises. Sounds most exciting.”

Image from folder “Correspondence from John Hammond,” Erroll Garner Archive, 1942-2010, Box 1, Folder 62, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System.

To this letter we do have Hammond’s response, dated September 19, 1981. And once again, venomous statements are bookended with pleasantry. Hammond first apologizes about the greed comment, but by the third paragraph he outright tells Glaser that Garner would have been more financially and professionally successful if they had stuck with him and Columbia Records.

(Above) Images from folder “Correspondence from John Hammond,” Erroll Garner Archive, 1942-2010, Box 1, Folder 62, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System.

The final document in this record appears to be a draft of a letter typed by Glaser before the final version dated September 9,1981. While this document does not have a date, it does follow many of the same points of the dated letter and responds point by point to Hammond’s July 16, 1981 document. This draft has numerous redactions and corrections, and the language in it is much stronger than the one that eventually replaced it, (including one parenthetical where Glaser notes “have to change this” after expressing that Hammond’s letter was “character assassination.”) And it is perhaps for the best that it wasn’t sent, but in it we can see the rage that Glaser had for Hammond and the industry, and the vigor by which she was ready to protect Garner’s reputation and status. This draft letter too shows some significant insight into the things that Glaser thought were important, but (in contrast with the final letter) chose to hold back, almost certainly as a result of professional considerations. She writes “That Mr. Garner, a Black – jazz – artist – with a female manager – in those pre-consciousness raised days – both in the fields of race and sex – had the audacity to go up against a major corporation to defend his artistic rights – apparently didn’t sit well with the corporate heads. It was a ‘first’ and they made it clear he had to be broken and punished. Surely, you were aware of that.”

All in all, through these letters, we can see the conflict between Glaser and Hammond, and the not-so-subtle attempts by both of them to conceal resentment and animosity. Hammond’s position of power and reputation in the industry allowed him to feign magnanimity, but Glaser had neither the luxury nor the desire to sugar coat her arguments, although we can see from the differences in her brutal draft letter from her significantly more (but not entirely) diplomatic final letter version that she did take these things into consideration. In the end, Glaser once again proved that she would stand up for Garner against even industry giants like John Hammond, in a way that was uniquely her own.

Works Cited

Erroll Garner Archive, 1942-2010, AIS.2015.09, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System.

Goodman, George. "MILES DAVIS: 'I JUST PICK UP MY HORN AND PLAY'." The New York Times. June 28, 1981. Accessed April 27, 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/1981/06/28/arts/miles-davis-i-just-pick-up-my-horn-and-play.html.

Ouellette, Dan. "The True Story of Erroll Garner, the First Artist to Sue a Major Label and Win." Variety. December 02, 2019. Accessed April 27, 2021. https://variety.com/2019/music/news/the-true-story-of-erroll-garner-the-first-artist-to-sue-a-major-label-and-win-1203413083/.

#erroll garner #erroll garner tuesdays #jazz #martha glaser #correspondence #music business #columbia records #octave records

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chsamuseum · 4 years

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Feather Duster Memories: A Boomer’s Look-Back at Chinatown

San Francisco’s Chinatown, CHSA Collection

Are you working from home today? Due to COVID-19 a lot of people are. My parents worked from home during the 1950s. Ok, that’s a bit of a stretch. Back then, home and work were not typically one and the same. My parents worked 10-12 hours a day, sometimes on Sundays. The work they did was not like being in a tech start-up. There were no snacks or free meals. They owned a hand laundry in San Francisco and running it was exhausting work; skin burns were often the reward. It was hard physical labor. They started their business in 1954 in what is now known as Cole Valley, a San Francisco neighborhood about three miles west of Chinatown. Our living situation was very humble. The entire place was about 600 square feet. We had less living space than a two-car garage. I slept with my parents in a double bed, while my sister slept in a baby’s crib. We took baths on Saturdays in a blue-trimmed enamel pan-the same pan mom used to dye our customers’ clothes. Every evening, after closing, we dropped down sheets to cover the storefront windows and pulled down roller shades to cover the doors. How’s that for privacy? We lived with the sounds of a streetcar passing by our laundry every day.

Mom insisted on only eating Chinese food and our small refrigerator could only store a couple of days’ worth of groceries; going to Chinatown twice a week was a necessity. My dad went by himself on Wednesdays and on Sundays, we went as a family. The trip was a drive across town that took about 30 minutes. My dad drove a two-tone Pontiac Sedan from Carl to Clayton to Frederick to Masonic to Bush to Kearny to Pacific to Grant. We took those streets so often that they are coded in my memory, like a routine in a computer software program.

Grant Ave was our main shopping street for groceries. We did most of that shopping between Pacific and Broadway. At the North end of Grant Ave was the sausage shop. I loved the dried meats and the fat in the sausage, not to mention the BBQ pork. Mid-block there were two fresh chicken shops where you could select the chicken from a cage; a man would pull out the chicken, slit its throat, throw it into a garbage can, and then tell you to come back in a half-hour to pick it up. It was also the best place to buy fresh chicken wings and gizzards! Next door was a dried goods store that sold everything from canned goods to dried squid and 50 pound bags of rice. It was also where they sold my favorite jelly candy that came wrapped in rice paper and in two flavors, orange and banana. Banana was my favorite. On the corner of Grant and Pacific was a fresh fish store. It was always cold inside from all that ice to keep the fish on display fresh. I loved it because the window height of the fish tank was mounted perfectly for a little kid like me to watch them swim. Tommy’s Jewelry store was on the opposite corner where my mom took her watch for repairs and where she admired the gold and jade jewelry. Nearby was an electronics shop, Mee Shing, where they sold TV’s and Radios. Mom shopped for her Chinese opera records there. She listened to these operas during her long work hours of ironing laundry while my sister and I painfully endured the clanging sounds of the cymbals. Next to the electronics shop was Kaye’s Shoe store that carried Florsheim brand shoes in smaller shoe sizes to suit the Chinese foot. Does anyone remember the golden goose eggs in the windows? But what I wanted most, was to weigh myself on the weight machine sitting out in front by the entrance, where for a penny, I could get my weight printed on a ticket with a fortune on the back. Every Sunday, I begged my parents to let me weigh myself wondering when I would weigh 50 pounds. Across the street on Grant was a kitchen hardware store, Ginn Wall, that sold woks, wooden and plastic chopsticks, bowls, and more. It was also where they also sold the dreaded feather dusters with the bamboo stick handle - the ‘weapon’ of choice for Chinese families to mete out corporal punishment. I can attest to their painfulness.

Map of Chinatown Streets with local shops, created by Will Lee

The Mandarin Theater, later Sun Sing, was further south on the same block, and next to it was an alley. The alleys always lead to a building with single resident occupancy units, better known as SROs. Most of the alleys wafted of urine, but some had the smell of cooked foods-rice, chicken, vegetables-from the adjoining restaurants. Add in the sounds of children playing, laundry hanging on a line ruffling in the wind, the sounds of shuffling mahjong tiles, elderly men spitting, and you get a more complete picture of the alleys.

On the next block was a herb shop where my mom bought ingredients to make a ‘special’ soup. It was special all right, and as I remember it, the bitterness was so awful that I had to choke it down while my mom would say Ay-geet, which loosely translated means “to be well, be healthy.” Then at the corners of Washington and Grant were wooden trinket stands where my sister and I would eye the toys we couldn’t afford. We did buy the wax candies with liquid juice inside. Does anyone remember those? Further on Grant was the Eastern Bakery, which is known for their moon cakes, but I loved their cow ear snack, Gnow Gknee, which was shaped like a potato chip that had alternating bands, colored in tan and brown. My mom always bought a Sunday newspaper from the newsstand guy in a wooden shack on Jackson. Even though we subscribed to the Chinese Times, it only came six days a week.

The Buddhist church on Washington was under construction in the late 1950s. I recall going through the building during a Chinese New Year celebration and the street fairs that were held across the street in Portsmouth Square. I won a goldfish by tossing a ping pong ball into a bowl and the fish became our first pet. Other games at the bazaar were the metal horse races where you shot water guns to move the horses, throwing pointed metal darts at hanging balloons, and pitching coins onto a large board to try and land them on a small dot. But as fun as all of that was, who could forget the pink cotton candy!

Back in the 50s, Stockton street only had a few shops. On the corner of Pacific was the El Dorado Meat Market. It was the place to buy fresh meat. Who came up with the name El Dorado for a meat market in Chinatown? It had racks of meat hanging in the back and a display case full of fresh-cut meats in the front. I can still hear the band saw cutting the bone and the opening and closing of the walk-in freezer door. They sold ground pork to make Gee Knook Beng, a steamed pork patty cooked with salted fish on top, a peasant comfort food my parents brought over from their village. Everyone went to buy their oranges at Orangeland on the corner of Washington. My dad would drive up to the man, hand him a buck, and a brown paper bag of oranges was passed in through the window. Yup, that was how it was done.

Will with his younger sister, Courtesy of Will Lee

Going to Chinatown was like going to a foreign land. My mom would have liked for my sister and me to have grown up in Chinatown. She wanted us to identify as Chinese, for us to retain our culture and heritage. However, I am glad we missed that boat of growing up in Chinatown. Our laundry was small and had similar conditions to any place in Chinatown. If we had grown up there, I believe my experiences would have been far less diverse. I might have missed being fully immersed in American culture. So what-if? I’ll never know, there is only what is. I do know I speak Chinglish. My hillbilly Toishanese is badass. As challenging as it was to only speak Toishanese to my parents, not growing up in Chinatown forced me to figure it out. I am enriched to be at ease with both American and Chinese cultures, and I am so thankful to be able to embrace both. And a shout out to the N-Judah streetcar - no noise is too loud for me to sleep through.

Will Lee is a CHSA supporter. He was born in Oak Town (Oakland, CA), but grew up in San Francisco. He writes to share his American stories of growing up in a Chinese household with customs and traditions he didn’t understand, of living in a diverse neighborhood, and of finding his way between cultures.

#chsacomcon #chineseamerican #sfchinatown #aapi #memories #history

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xxthat-kawaii-potatoxx · 7 years

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Rant on School Drama

Okay, usually I don’t rant on here, but right now this is the only thing I CAN rant on without being judged because I don’t use my real identity on here. Recently, at my school, there has been some drama about my principal. There is a girl who is pregnant and she is 15. Yes, illegal is written all over that and her parents are suing the guy involved, but that’s not the point. Her dad created a petition on Change.org about our principal not doing what is best for the students and bullying them. Like really? How is he bullying you or your parents? Let’s be realistic here.

There have been a lot of drug busts at my school, in their vehicles. The most recent, that everyone has talked about, was this kid had “a seed of marijuana” in his car but the search dog picked it up so it definitely wasn’t a seed. So everyone is saying “Free _____” ever since he got suspended for it. The cops wouldn’t search it, so the principal did. He had ever legal right to. The vehicle was on school property, not private property. The vehicle was in his name, not his parents. No big deal, right? No, not to them. They think it’s the end of the world.

Everyone is getting tired of the principal getting kids in trouble, but I haven’t been in trouble this year. You wanna know why? Oh, one of my best friends is the principal’s daughter, that’s why. LOL JUST KIDDING!!! Although she is one of my best friends that’s not why. The reason why is because I actually follow the rules that are based on your common sense, which it seems that no one at this school has.

So everyone is signing this petition because they are tired of getting in trouble. So, they are finding every little reason why the principal is unfit to be the principal. He doesn’t look for what’s best for his students? Ummmm, that’s why he checks in the classrooms everyday to make sure everyone is okay? That’s why he asks how we are doing as we walk down the hallway? That’s why he reaches out to us if he sees we aren’t doing very well? That’s why he offers OTI (Opportunity To Improve)? That’s why he tells us to have a great day in the mornings? That’s why he interacts with us? But everyone is saying he is BULLYING students AND parents? That’s complete bull shit!!! How the hell is any of that “bullying?”

There was an incident at his old school where an autistic 16 year old boy was being bullied. His parents were complete psychos and no one should be interacting with them. Stay the hell away from that with a 240,000 inch pole. Or more. The kid’s parents had reported to the principal that he was being bullied and pulled him out of school immediately before the school could even do anything about it. 8 months later, the boy killed himself. The parents obviously wanted to find a scapegoat and blamed the superintendent and the principal. The psycho parents made a petition, on the same website this pregnant 15 year old girl’s dad did, and 1,000 people supported it because of this kid killing himself.

The true reason the school board, and parents, and students truly wanted him gone was because they were tired of these kids getting into trouble. The principal is strict, but come on! That’s what they are supposed to be like. He won’t let you get away with drugs, bullying, cheating, and all the other things that you get in trouble with at school. Here’s a thing you should try: obeying the freaking rules!!!

So 146 have signed our petition so far for something my principal never did. You realize how freaking dumb that is?! Our SRO quit, because he is friends with the druggy’s family. That’s just gay. (Not an insult to gays by the way, I’m pansexual so I support you guys all the way!!).

Another thing is that they are saying the principal left his son in the car during an awards ceremony, but he’d never hurt the kid intentionally. IF he did it, BIG IF, who cares? The kid is 6 years old now, very intelligent, and it didn’t harm him at all.

People make big deals out of absolutely nothing. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!!

You want to get rid of my principal? Let’s just get the last one back. You want to talk about bullying? HAHAHA!!!!

Okay, sorry this rant is so long.

Thanks for reading if you did.

I had to get that out of the way, thanks.

I feel better now.

Peace OUT!!!

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zoesrequiem · 7 years

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dear evan hansen experience + understudy reviews (08/11/17)

hellooooo on august 11th, i saw dear evan hansen for the second time (and first time w/ understudies!!), and the whole day was a wild ride, so here it is

im not bragging; i just wanted to tell u guys how great everyone was!!

cancellation line

so this wasn’t my first time seeing dear evan hansen; i had seen it for the first time through deh’s artsconnection program in may. while grateful for mezz seats, i was dying to see it closer so that it didn’t feel as distant as it did up there. additionally, as you know, michael lee brown is my boy™ and i wanted to see him as evan soooo badly.

i left the house at 10:30 and got to the city at 11:30 not expecting to get a ticket because it’s just my luck to wait all day and not get a ticket. well around 2:30, they had one unclaimed standing room (sro) ticket and i SOBBED in the box office as i bought it.

i went inside around 7:15 and sat in the lounge (as i was expecting to stand up for the next 3 hours), bought a drink and merch (because i have nO self control. i already own the blue deh hat ((and got that one for free)) and felt the need to buy the black one). i met up with my friend laura, who was seeing it for the 83712381th time, and we eventually went to our seats (and my sro spot).

the usher gave me a stool because i am short™, and as the show was about to start, a man walked up to me and offered to switch seats with me because he had to leave early and didn’t want his seat to go to waste. when the usher brought me to the seat, i was SHOOK. the seat was a center orchestra premium seat, row G, dead in the center! this made my night soooo much.

as usual, the show was AMAZING. even after seeing it once and occasionally watching the bootleg, experiencing it again was just as emotional and memorable as the first time. there are a lot of different things that i was able to notice this time around because my view was better than it was my first time, and i was able to focus on different characters who were in the background to see what they were doing.

understudy reviews

regardless of my biased love for mlb, he did a phenomenal job. compared to the audio from his first few performances, i really think that being in the role more, especially this week, has helped him improve tremendously. he also made me cry much harder than i did the first time, as i could literally see the snot bubbles and mucus he was spitting onto the stage during words fail.

i was also a really big fan of olivia's zoe. it was very different from laura's in the sense of olivia being more firm than laura, who is a little more awkward. because of this, in the beginning, i felt that olivia spoke very much like alana (perhaps because she's covered for alana a lot too?) in how her voice was sharper. olivia's zoe overall seemed more confident and sure of herself, which I don't get much from laura's. i love both very much, and the effect of each one's zoe is really different.

i really enjoyed garrett as heidi as well. personally, I prefer rbj’s vocals for anybody have a map, but i sobbed all the way through garrett's so big so small because her voice was so beautiful. i think the main difference is that to me, rbj seemed a little more optimistic and pushy towards evan getting better (one stand out difference was the "seize the day!" line in AHAM; garrett's didn't feel as strong as rbj’s), while garrett felt generally softer.

also i took an audio if any of u want that

stagedoor

tonight was probably the quickest stagedoor I've ever gone to. mlb came out first, then olivia, kristolyn, and garrett (I don't actually remember if kristolyn went out before garrett). here’s a more detailed post about mine and mlb’s convo.

olivia, kristolyn, and garrett were pretty quick (probably in order of fastest to slowest, it'd be kristolyn, olivia, garrett, mlb), but they were really nice and signed for as many people as they could. i told olivia how hard I cried during requiem, and she said that was really sweet so whoop

conclusion

this amazing musical never fails to leave me in awe. if you ever get the chance to see it, obc or not, do not pass up on that opportunity! this show has changed my life in so many ways, and i'm forever grateful💙

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marymosley · 4 years

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From Basketball Court to Courtroom: In conversation with Braeden Anderson, Regulatory Enforcement Attorney at Sidley Austin

Braeden Anderson is a successful attorney specializing in regulatory enforcement at Sidley Austin LLP (the “Obama” firm), one of the most prestigious law firms in the world, he came from humble beginnings. He focuses his practice on general regulatory enforcement defense and government investigations. Braeden regularly assists with the representation of financial institutions, investment advisers, public companies and senior officers in connection with investigations (as well as defense of investigations) generally initiated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the New York State Attorney General (NYAG) and other Self-Regulatory Organizations (SROs) and various other federal and state financial regulators.

As a Nigerian and Irish child born into the impoverished home of a single white mother in rural Alberta, Braeden’s story is one of overcoming socioeconomic and racial barriers, defying expectations, and conquering adversity.

Basketball was Braeden’s lifeline and his one way ticket to a successful and meaningful life. As an immigrant to the U.S., he leveraged his talent to become an All-American high school player, join Steve Nash and the Canadian Olympic team, and get a high quality education at a Division I school. After a life-threatening accident nearly ended his playing career, he set his sights on an even greater goal: the practice of law. He chose Seton Hall University, where he would become the first Division I ball player to also study full-time as a first-year law student (winning the 2016 Big East Conference Championship in the process).

Here’s a candid conversation with him:

What’s a day in the life of Braeden like for work?

As an associate at a large law firm, I typically work between 10 and 12 hours a day. I focus my practice on general regulatory enforcement defense and government investigations. Our clients are usually banks, financial institutions, and public companies or their senior officers. These investigations are generally initiated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the New York State Attorney General (NYAG) or various other federal and state financial regulators.

While I’m aware that the above may sound boring, I can assure you it’s not. The process of defending large organizations against government regulatory investigations typically involves the firm (and myself) performing an internal investigation ourselves. In many ways, we investigate and try to figure out what happened before the government does in order to best prepare our client for what’s to come. A big part of great lawyering is subsumed within preparedness and foresight. When you can accurately predict the issues that could or will arise, it puts you in a much better position. It’s like knowing the answers before exam day. That process of uncovering the key facts and information is what I love most about my job. This often involves reviewing and analyzing thousands upon thousands of individuals’ work emails and compiling a chronology of major events and key communications. This enables us to be able to tell a complete story. What’s interesting about these cases are the stories themselves. Because all I do is regulatory enforcement, many of the legal issues become repetitive. But the stories and facts we learn and uncover are always different, and frequently shocking and fascinating.

Likes and dislikes or pros and cons of the role?

Pros: Being a lawyer is an incredible honor and a unique privilege. Doing the specific work that I do is particularly satisfying because I get to work on many of the most sophisticated and complex matters that are happening in the world, and also represent many of the largest and high profile companies and individuals. This job also allows you to build analytical skills that enable you to be pragmatic in other areas of your life, aside from your professional career.

Cons: This job is hard work and there is often a great deal of pressure to perform. Working for a major law firm and representing sophisticated parties means that there is not much room for error or imperfection. Our clients pay top dollar for top talent, and excellent representation. Therefore, it can often be overwhelming and intimidating for some people, usually earlier in their career.

What was your journey from law school to your current job?

I was exposed to the securities enforcement practice while writing an article for my law school journal. The article I was writing involved a FINRA rule concerning algorithmic trading. That motivated me to seek out and obtain an internship at FINRA in my third year of law school. Through continuously learning and connecting with other lawyers in the industry, it became clear that this was what I wanted to do.

How can students prepare for a career in this field?

If you’re interested in this field you should do some research and write an article on an interesting legal issue that the industry is facing. You can use your knowledge of that subject to make connections and find the right opportunities. You should also seek out classes that address topics related to securities regulation, and read securities related news everyday.

Advice you’d give for law students?

Work really hard in school, and obsess over the process of getting what you want. Do not be intimidated. If the laws of physics allow for your goal to happen, you can do it, period. It’s also important to realize how important it is to develop relationships and connections with people outside of school. Seek out mentorship from folks who have done what you want to do. Ask them questions and don’t be shy. Finally, be confident in yourself. If you don’t believe it, how can anyone else? Never be the one to say no to your goal. Believe in yourself with relentlessness and perseverance.

Anything you’d do differently?

Not to sound cliche, but no. I have planned out my professional career pretty meticulously, and I could not be happier or more satisfied with the results. It’s been a truly beautiful journey, full of obstacles and challenges. I would not rather have it any other way. If it doesn’t kill you, adversity makes you stronger. So in that way, I feel very lucky.

What are your keys to success?

Fear of failure – This may sound counter intuitive, but having a healthy amount of fear is actually very motivating. I’m so worried about failing I will do anything to succeed. But fear of failure is not the same as fear of losing. I love honestly losing. Losing excites me. Losing is temporary. Losing is part of the process. I cannot lose forever, and I now know that from experience. I love that process of imagining a goal and wracking your brain to come up with a plan that might enable you to pull it off. You lose and then you reflect and think about what you did wrong, or what you could do differently. I have met many challenges. Finding success now is like meeting an old friend. When success is close, you can smell it. You think, “Hey, I can smell donuts, I must be near a donut shop.” People who stop when faced with challenges often think: “Success doesn’t look like this… I guess I should try something else… I guess this isn’t going to work.”

Fun facts about you:

– I graduated from college in 3 years with a B.S. in Forensic Behavioral Science

– I was the first male NCAA division 1 athlete to play basketball while enrolled full time in law school

– I know how to brew meade (honey-wine)

– I like to paint

– I was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Since moving to the U.S. 12 years ago, I have lived in 8 states.

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thoughtfulcupcakesublime · 5 years

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Partnerships, workforce development training and area projects were covered at a recent program.

The Prince William Chamber of Commerce held its Future of the Region at Old Hickory Golf Club in Woodbridge on Thursday.

City of Manassas Economic Development Director Patrick Small and Prince William County Department of Economic Development (PWCDED) Executive Director Christina Winn spoke at the event.

Local projects and employment were among the items Small discussed.

Winn talked about development, activities and themes in the region that will impact the county’s economic development.

Here is a video of the Future of the Region:

Below, is a transcription that was completed with 80 percent accuracy:

Lyle Dukes: We are celebrating and coming into this year, 10 years as a combined chamber, about 10 years ago, um, to, to, to keep chambers from East side of the County came together and merged. And so this is the 10th year and so this is what we call our diamond anniversary. So, Dukes: well we were excited and looking forward to having some, some great things be a part of some events and some incredible initiatives that we’re going to lay out top in terms of helping the County get better. We always talk about having VA a good place to live, the play to work, but I really believe that we will have you all people in this room and others that are really bringing this County together in a special manner. So get ready. We have a host of you supervisors that are, that are a part of the County and then so many wonderful elected officials but also, yes, just being a part of the founded our business owners and whatnot. Um, just we’re, we’re excited about what lies ahead. This is a new not, this is a new year, a new decade, 2020 2020 is a universal symbol of clear vision. How many have 2020 individual

Speaker 2: [inaudible]

Dukes: really lay out to envision and really go forward and so we have some exciting things in the plan and you’re going to hear some of those today. Want to take the time to appreciate all our vision partners. Each has chosen an area of vision that makes up the chambers program of work because it’s an area to which that member is committed, so please pull your applause. We’re going to recognize our 2019 2020 vision partners, founding vision partner, dominion, energy advocacy, Transurban this row freedom bank education, Apple federal credit union,

Speaker 2: [inaudible]

Dukes: economic development partner is our ISIS CIC. Express mobility partners, help the community. It’s a terror Northern Virginia medical center and then faulted life insiders enterprise inc and also let’s give them a hand

Speaker 2: [inaudible]

Dukes: at this time. Also, we want to recognize all of our cornerstone partners. We are excited about this. These organizations, they chosen a department with the chamber in order in order to showcase their commitment to impacting the community and developing a reputation as your preferred partner in success as, yeah. That your whole, your applause. While we name these partners, these are our cornerstone partners. CC, Bartholomew Keller waves solution. Also sedate the city of Manassas did make incorporated George Mason university science and take out your campus, our life church

Speaker 2: [inaudible]

Dukes: data center PEO distilling Northern Virginia community college campus. Know that Northern Virginia electric cooperative, no fat health, UVA health systems, United bank and with bop wealth management.

Speaker 2: [inaudible].

Dukes: Now if we haven’t the Keystone partners, uh, could you stand? We have a list of so many. If you’re a Keystone partner, we’re gonna just stand and be recognized. Let’s get them

Speaker 2: [inaudible].

Dukes: We wish to thank also our gold sponsor Omni ride, which, uh, a witness represent my colleague Morello and uh, she’s going comment and have some remarks. Um, that’s just, let’s see, Polly

Speaker 3: [inaudible]. Okay. And, um, I’m Holly [inaudible] and when [inaudible] told you earlier this week that he couldn’t make a seniors event and he said, okay, this is your moment in the song. I’m not going to be talking about [inaudible] as the TBM program manager. Determinative options and that means portfolio largely. And um, the programs that I manage are the ride sharing program as well as the employer outreach program and that allows the residents of Prince William County to go out to our website, fill out a match request form, and then what we’ll do is send them back a detailed trans of itineraries and transit options for them, including Metro VRE or buses. We also provide them a detailed in this of all the communities that live near them, near them and have some more work out

Speaker 3: of it so that then you hopefully get together with one another SRO ride shoe. And then the employer outreach program is a program where I work very closely with Prince William County employers. Do you talk to them about those commute options so that they can be talking to their employees about, um, alternate commute schedules? Um, can be benefits and things of that nature. So I’ll take just a minute to say for those who’ve lived in the County, um, and you know that the hotlines are some of the first in the nation. Um, they were built in the 73 they were to before, back then in 18, nine in 19 nine, they turned into HOV three. And so the infrastructure on I 95 has been in place for a long time and is quite sure not as much on the 66, four door. And I’m going to spend just a little time talking about, um, what that infrastructure looks like.

Speaker 3: So on the Eastern side of the County, believe it or not, we have 6,000, 814 for you and lot spaces. Um, compare that to the Western side of the County where we have 2073 actually that was high as of November of last year, but in November of last year we had 51 spaces to the university community a lot. So now we’re just over 3000. Um, I forgot to say them on the West or the Eastern side of the County. Besides all the cathedral, what spaces? We also have about 10,000 people day sliding up and down the night before. So that’s response or maybe through Prince William County Stafford as well. Um, then what’s using that, that infrastructure. Um, we’ve got 88 active van pools on the Eastern side of the County and that translates or actually is ADH all of you in the County, 77 on the Eastern side of the County with the telling of 482 riders. Um, and on the Western side of the County we have 11 van pools with 77 Tilton wipers. So there’s a lot of room for growth on the sort of Western side of the County obviously. And you’re excited about continuing to manage the demand for alternate options on the Eastern side of the County, but are really, really excited about the growth on the Western side of the County. Coming not only to think infrastructure that positive community culture out there, eczema

Speaker 2: [inaudible]

Dukes: but following, and thank you for all you all do to get down the road. Um, I failed to introduce one of our VIP peas. Uh, it’s my wife

Speaker 2: [inaudible].

Dukes: We, we’re, we’re really excited about, um, what’s, what’s happening. And before I do this, let me, I’ll recognize our, um, media partners inside node one and what’s up Prince? They’re going to be taking pictures and tell me and taking, you know, taking notes so to speak. Um, and they gave me a note that said, if you would prefer not to be included in the video, please avoid that error. [inaudible] but we’d be all pain today that you are selling side cited things and concerning what our County, uh, and what this region is doing is doing. And I’m excited to be a part of it. And you all certainly are a part of it is now. My pleasure to introduce and they’re going to come out. Um, we had some chairs that were up here and one of the presenters, I won’t mention Patrick, the name he sent me a sentence, doesn’t want to sit up here, but that this fall is not, uh, um, I’m not gonna mention his name, but we, they’re gonna come and they’re gonna present.

Dukes: And then we’re gonna probably do this, some Q and A’s. We have some time so that you can get a better understanding of, of what’s going on. So at this particular time we have on my notes to see and make sure I follow for the presentation. All right. Um, we’re going to ask that, uh, you get ready for the presentation for, um, for the director of the city of Manassas. The thing is on my script that you are first. And then also we have Christina Wynn, who’s the executive director of economic development for principals. So at this time it comes Patrick, he’s going to talk about what they’re doing in their hair. [inaudible]

Small: so they literally had three chairs [inaudible] scared. So last year I did the column E brand or billion dollar walk up to the podium to kick a few people in the head, showed a bunch of slides from micron and chocolate white and piece out [inaudible] this year to be a little more challenging for us. But all in all, we had a fantastic year. So it’s a little squash through this, I don’t know. All right. So let we start with a paper political advertisement. Yeah, because they pay me, I’m going to introduce you to our team. Um, the Cole Smith and myself, there’s only two of us in the economic development department. Quite honestly, if you’ve never met us and only knows my reputation, he might take an apartment staffed with honey badgers, pound

Small: for pound. We’re probably the most atrocious department on the planet.

Speaker 2: [inaudible]

Small: well, one of the things I’m most proud of, um, for, uh, for the most important way for her as Nicole Smith for achieving her certified economic development designation last year, uh, our department is two certified professionals in it to achieve that designation, uh, three to five years worth of study. Uh, the comprehensive Dalal three part exam followed by moral presentation in front of the council of your peers in the cold war diligently and was awarded that designate

Speaker 2: [inaudible].

Small: So what does she and I do? Our full service Edo economic development organization would be business attraction and retention marketing. And we are also the city’s tourism agency. Uh, 80% of all the jobs in the community come from existing businesses. Uh, 100% of all existing jobs in the community can be attributed to existing businesses. For a second. Um, there are one thousand five hundred and fifty thousand employers in the city of Manassas paying an average weekly wage of North of $1,200 a week. That’s an average annual salary in the city average across the board, over $60,000 a year. And the city currently has 2.1% unemployment below friction. Our existing business visitation program for retention, uh, involves Nicole and I work in directly last year with 129 existing and prospective businesses. 23 of those existing businesses chose to invest in additional category employment. Um, 15 of them were prospective businesses that actually picks the Nassis in addition to that, um, cold as direct sales calls on existing businesses, their visitation and relationship though the calls. And she, this is personally with over a hundred businesses in the community years. We stay pretty busy and don’t have a slide for it today, but I want to do a shout out to Mason and small business development center and that was a new initiative for the city last year we established the SBDC to replace on the Ford business center, which closed its operations and it’s been a boring success for us over the past year and I was very pleased when the Kennedy recognize that and decided to follow suit.

Small: So major employers in the city, uh, Microm is pretty rapidly pulling away from, you know, down health, UVA health systems, uh, with over 1500 employees. But Nepal remains our second largest employer with 1300. Um, most of these employers and jobs last year. Um, most of them are planning to add additional in the upcoming year. And again, we spent most of our time working with folks like this. It wasn’t me, you probably can’t read this chart and the ones you can probably care

Speaker 2: [inaudible]

Small: but in the yellow and gold area in the lower right hand section down there, that is a percentage of the employment base in city, in the dances that is devoted to healthcare. Um, the sort of light, whitish color on the far left is a percentage of the city’s employment base that is in professional in technical services. So when we talk about our weekly wage, this 30% of our economy is key to that. So sending the NASA sends a 10 highest weekly wage in the Commonwealth of Virginia, the 16th highest per capita income before the highest overall wage for professional and technical services. And we remaining net importer of labor into the community. Uh, 18,000 homeless, 18,500 people drive into the city of the dances every day for work. There are now a lot of communities in this country that can claim that. So we’re truly blessed. Yeah, I had to put that in there.

Speaker 2: [inaudible]

Small: that’s the slide I showed like eight times last year. Clearly it’s a big deal and it remains to this day the single largest capital investment ever made by a company in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Uh, and yet some will ride that horse

Speaker 2: [inaudible]

Small: so there’s an aerial of the construction and micron, the two buildings in the foreground in the lower right. That is what’s under construction now and I would point out that it’s half of what my partners was committed to build in space. One a phase two was the manufacturing fab labs and does not also include the center for automotive excellence that they will be building in the city of [inaudible] as well. There’s another view that highlights the official burden. The city of [inaudible] Craig

Small: and micro is already paying dividends for us this year. Applied materials of the Melbourne, the city of [inaudible] picture company, world leader in production service and sale of the equipment the micron uses in their facility. They brought 20 jobs to us and they’ll be every other 10 in the near term. This was when the governor helped us out with all last year, another supplier on the micron, the governor through a few training dollars at the deal to over a hundred jobs, the average annual wage of $105,000 a year. And these are the types of jobs we talk about. We talk about career technical education. These are not the engineers that worked at high years.

Small: I would also add high purity systems is a union shop. They usually get in labor out of Washington DC. And just as a sort of temporary sales pitch, Commonwealth of Virginia does allow you unions in the state. However, ranking remains one of our single biggest attractions for new employers. So in Virginia we believe it’s the employer’s options to whether they want to unionize or number. And I hope all of you to join the chamber imposing any efforts to change that Richmond this year or anytime in the future. You can talk to Paulson, Nicole chairs between his policy committee.

Small: Where do you have an airport that has the busiest general aviation airport in the entire Commonwealth of Virginia and 30%. All state’s general aviation activity occurs there. It houses for us companies like war, flight science and why knows, uh, whiteness because they have their best 50 jobs since they came to us and they’re growing rapidly. We’re trying to break into that top 10 list at some point is airport operates in black, that is rare for municipal airport. City on actually contributes both lease rentals and property tax revenues to the city over and both paying the expenses it takes to operate the airport. Um, and in addition to the dividends it pays last year we did the groundbreaking of sheer total years and this fixed based operation there is under construction for those of you who’ve ever been on a long trip and then stopped it. Um, I want you to think about the most awesome. This truck stopped me ever pulled into my showers and the great food or fixed base operator was essentially a truck stop for airplanes. They get their gas, their pilots, lounges. Um, only when you think about nice seats or people who don’t, Jeff’s worth tens of millions.

Small: We have the trucks [inaudible] the lady you can breaks the city’s largest. Oh, you’re screwed. Chris. [inaudible] use them all the batteries, 40 acres, $150 million mixed use development under construction. Now with the public private partnership, we update you on that project as it goes along. Um, the true by Hill, it’s under construction now, should be opened in June and he can partners with other construction on that office. Retail building on the left that’s open April. It is available for leaks now standard Martin’s building luxury townhomes homes out there almost $300 and they average about $450,000 after the first hundred and 14 were built this school year. Um, we keep track of the number of school kids are coming out of the new developments, but also about four kids from this development. So if you hear people saying the residential development is going to sink public school, it’s not necessarily true because the kind of developments we’re building, the civic grasses like the messenger, a journalism major building visitor places down down on the live work units in case B marketplace. These developments are primarily young professionals that don’t have children who are moving into our community for some of those fantastic jobs.

Small: We do have a problem in the city of an assets that we have very little to sell, which is why businesses are so important for us. So for those of you is those that you could get on market reports, get arguments, letters, uh, you’ve probably got one downtown today, the number for downtown or even worse, we have a sub 4% vacancy in our office market. We have so 4% they can see in our retail market and we have sub 2.5% they can see in our industrial market. Um, so new construction is important to us. We a lot of places to do that, which is why we attract developments like the way you can be branch loaded become premium commodity for companies on the marketing side. We continue to invest in extending our brand. Hopefully you’re all familiar with it and we’ll put it on everything.

Small: It’s in the upper right corner to the bottom of every single slide. Every single thing we do. It’s been very well received and if you are not familiar with what’s going on in the city, probably because you’re not paying attention. Nicole runs their social media programs. We are one of the most followed localities in Northern Virginia. Our a newsletter goes out every two weeks plus Facebook, Twitter, presence, Instagram as well last year because workforce development and employment is an issue for us. We’ve launched a new website called moved to the Nassis. This website aggregates information on what doesn’t. It’s kind of like the city’s web page. We find out about the complement in parks and rec and who’s on the city council. This is where prospective residents go to find information on neighborhoods, churches, schools, when the public or private or even homeschooling, things to do in region.

Small: So if your HR department is not using this with prospective employees, you really should lead. And if you’re a realtor and you’re not late to this site, the evolution was festivals and events in the city of Manassas. Tourism is the other thing that we do control. [inaudible] we consider the first day for economic development. If you come to our downtown, participate in our events, you’re going to fall in love with our city and you’re going to want to have your business here. You’re going to want to move here. We did over 450,000 visitors in the city, in the masses last year. A lot of holes to print, 500,000 this year, four point $4 million in meals, tax revenues of 14% since 2014. Um, 9 million sales tax of 12% since 2014. Um, actually started to document a form that I may have ended up, it was hard math guy, but I started in 2014 so I’ll let you do the math.

Speaker 2: [inaudible]

Small: all right. So what’s my legacy for the city? I’m an answer. What can I leave behind when I retire or move on or get hit by a truck or somebody

Speaker 2: [inaudible]

Small: so that is not my legacy.

Speaker 2: [inaudible]

Small: because my leg would say, how many of you come to downtown and participate in one of our special events where you can get a drink, walk out of the nest or walk up and down your streets, walking into retailers and really enjoy yourselves. [inaudible] and I didn’t give a shout out too long. We’re very, he’s our port director. He burns it. He does a fantastic job turning this broken Mike over to proceed.

Speaker 2: [inaudible] [inaudible]

Winn: can you think I to tell you probably that act is going to be hard because I am not as funny as Patrick’s. Um, my colleague, he had, um, informed me that I actually put the wrong date on this presentation. I thought maybe that you guys would believe that. I actually developed it last year knowing that I would be right here.

Speaker 2: [inaudible]

Winn: uh, I took a little bit of a different approach then Patrick Day. And so when I saw the title of of this event, future of the region, I thought to myself, okay, what is happening in the region? What activities, what developments, what themes are actually happening all over the DMV and specifically Northern Virginia that is going to affect the way Prince William does an economic development. And this is really important because obviously as you all know, you know, we have a lot of new board members in this year. Our new board is going be embarking on developing our strategic plan and revolt. Robust economy is an important element of that. And so a lot of these things that I’m going to talk about tonight, you know, my hopes is that these things will actually be woven through that strategic plan so that we can be thinking about that as we’re doing planning and economic development and thinking about transportation and etc.

Winn: So, Oh, I keep thinking, I forget. I have the click. Okay. So the first one is collaboration’s NDAs or economic development organizations collaborating and developing partnerships. That’s not new. I mean we have partnerships with George Mason as VDC. You, we’ve always have done that to really do important work and small business workforce development so forth. But what is new is the fact that, um, especially in Northern Virginia is that we’re actually reaching across to our neighbors and we’re partnering to really leverage resources, market together, share assets to really amplify our voices to reach bigger audiences. And this is new. Go Virginia was probably the go Virginia credits program was probably the first piece that really solidified this because that grant was a success duly apart to the fact that Arlington, Alexandria had partnered together. Now Arlington and Alexandria have really, um, David partnering home before go Virginia on a marketing efforts.

Winn: But when it came to actually working together to recruit a prospect that was really different. And so they demonstrated that, okay, it can be done and we can work together. And so when I think about, okay, I’m in Prince William County, where are my neighbors? What am I going to do? I want to work together with the city of Manassas, Manassas park to amplify our message. We are one community because the businesses don’t see borders. They see marketplaces. And so how can we work together and strategically partner on shared assets and shared issues to really amplify our messages? I’m talking to my friends down in Fredericksburg and Stafford County, you know, uh, Holly over there talked about 10,000 slugs a day coming up the 95 corridor. Well, Frederick, Fredericksburg and Stafford County is in the same boat as us. All that traffic is passing through our communities to go work in Fairfax or downtown. Can you just stop that? So how can Prince William County, Stafford and Fredericksburg actually work together to rebrand the 95 corridor route one to something like the Potomac defense quarter and now we start creating jobs and we put Holly out of work. Sorry.

Speaker 2: [inaudible]

Winn: those are the types of things that we’re more talking about collaboration. So partnerships, how are we taking that to the next level? And that’s when we’re looking at our strategic plan, are the economic development work plan, who are partners, where can we actually leverage resources, connectivity. Obviously connectivity is always been important and this is both transportation and fiber. And what’s happening is you think about this, the Dov region is the second largest. Um, um, sorry, I lost my where it’s second largest, um, workforce that for STEM occupations. So computer sciences, engineers, AI, data analytics, data scientists, et cetera, second largest in the nation for having those STEM occupations. So what does that mean? That means that those workers are working in companies in the DMV. Then the majority of those are actually in Northern Virginia developing the newest technologies and the new advancements in not only transportation, but defense it and related things.

Winn: Those, um, and then you add the fact that Northern Virginia has the largest, um, or the highest concentration of federal research agencies. So think about NSF, national science foundation, DARPA, office of Naval research, et cetera. All of those organizations are funding innovation. So where Silicon Valley is funded by venture capitalists, the entrepreneurs and the innovation that happens in this area is funded by these federal research agencies. And so we are really working in our employers are cutting edge working on these new technologies. And so how does high G get rolled out? How does that all happen? IOT, internet of things. You, somebody just told me the other day down how these technologies are actually transforming and being into our lives on a daily basis. That the ring doorbell that they just reported, that that is where it was, um, you know, uh, meant to be, you know, uh, protection device is passionately now catching criminals.

Winn: I mean, thinking about how this technology is changing the way we live. We live in experience our daily lives and how we’re doing. And so when you think about transportation, you know, our chair chair revealer at the opening statement of her first board meeting talked about how we need to bring, you know, the BRD out to gains know and bring Metro to lick bridge. And you know, why that’s important is that we have to be connected within this region. You know, the perception is is that Prince William was so far out there, it’s, Oh, it’s out there. But if we start now connecting within the region using transportation and technology, we are going to be considered and being able to attract more jobs and more employment to our area.

Winn: The other piece is micro transit. You know when you think about being able to attract workforce, a lot of the DMV region was really a leader in the Capitol, bike, sheriffs, scooters and so forth. You and that technology associated with the electric bikes and whatever they’re doing, I don’t know, I’m not technologist, but whatever they’re doing to really advance that, to make that mobility easier to connect nodes. Well how are we, no, I’m embracing that and bringing it in. Thinking about that in our future developments and planning for that. And the last piece would be smart cities. You know the whole DMV area hat is very progressive in terms of having smart cities policies. Thinking about where wifi is, where, how we are connecting the public life, health safety systems. Those are pieces that we need to think about. And when we start becoming an acting as a technology player, we are going to be able to attract more tech employers and you can really stop becoming a pup bedroom.

Winn: Workforce development training. Patrick talked about this. So the workforce, you know what people say when you talk about workforce, everybody kind of has a different kind of idea in their lined for a long time. Most of the programs around workforce has been in education and training. And so the public schools are doing an amazing job with career technical education, our universities and um, the skill source. We have all of these amazing resources that are working on training more workers, developing them, um, creating sponsor internship and entrepreneurship or apprenticeship programs. And so how are, um, and using that to really develop our workforce, this really, this issue became even more, um, hyper-focused when Amazon and micron really decided to invest in this area. Every, all lot of lawyers were very worried about Amazon creating 25,000 jobs. You know, I just said we were the second largest and these STEM-related second largest market for these STEM-related occupations.

Winn: But now Amazon is going to come and take all the jobs, right? That’s what everybody’s thinking. So there is a lot of emphasis and a lot of focus at the state level, the local level, all of our university partnerships, um, and so forth to really think about how are we developing the workforce of tomorrow? How are we cranking out more, uh, university students and graduates in these STEM-related programs? The Virginia economic development partnership is making a lot of strides in creating, um, a tech talent pipeline with their investment in the university system. They anticipate that through this investment that they’re making over a 20 year period, they’re going to increase the number of computer science graduates by 25,000 people, um, which has almost doubled what they are doing right now. And so that is super important as we’re thinking about how our, if, if we are perceived as having a future labor force, a shortage or that it’s hard to get workers, it’s going to be hard for us to attract jobs. And so there’s a lot of efforts and going into this. The other piece is talent recruitment.

Winn: Well if you listened to the fuller Institute and the reports that they put out, art, the DMV area has always lost a lot of, um, graduates that grew up here. A lot of Prince William students that went to high school here go to college and they never came back home because they didn’t think they had a job. And the only reason why I’m reaching bros is because we have this international, um, in migration of, of people coming in. And so the NOAA economic development Alliance, how many people know about what that is? Nope. Okay. Alright. Good job. So when I talked about collaboration and partnerships, one of the most amazing things that happened to justice fall was that the 10 jurisdictions in Northern Virginia got together the economic development directors and said, we are going to create an Alliance so that we can market together and um, work together to, uh, amplify the Northern Virginia message.

Winn: And because, because of the Amazon, when they were North of Northern Virginia actually got recognized separately from the DMV. Always in the past. Anytime that people would talk about Northern Virginia, they always love it in with DC. They wouldn’t say Metro DC area. And so when that shortlist came out with Amazon, it didn’t say metropolitan DC, it’s a district cook clock and then it said Northern Virginia. And so what we got together as um, an a as partners to say we’re going to work together. One of the things that we’re going to, we’ll focus on is talent recruitment is how are we helping really bring that the, the workforce in the talented workforce in to supply our work, our employers and to make sure that pipeline doesn’t dry up. And Fairfax County is one of the leaders in that area. They have a large budget and they are already investing in trying to develop programs and opportunities to start to market in our area.

Winn: You know, I got ’em handed off to Patrick and Nicole, you have their um, moved to Manassas website. I did stumble on that very early on. It’s a fantastic website because think about it, if I’m looking for a job and I’m from this area, I want to know, you know, what is there to do, how are the schools, what is, what is the opportunities here? And so having those resources available and marketing to be able to attract that workforce is really important. The workforce incentives piece is also, there’s always been some kind of grant training, job training program, but again, the Virginia economic development partnership recognizes that workforce is such an issue that they are, um, they’ve taken a big step this year. They are, they plan to create a workforce program and who have over 50 employees working in workforce related, um, program. And they, I have created a new, uh, it’s called a tap program, the talent accelerator program.

Winn: And what this is, is instead of an employer that’s coming into the area, they either can opt to have a grant and then go do workforce recruitment on their own. Or they actually get this customized service from the state, from the Virginia economic development partnership to work with. Um, then the staff to develop, recruit and attract. They’re more enforced for their jobs. And so it is modeled after some of the best workforce programs in the nation and our state, Virginia will have that. That means that when we’re attracting employers to the city of Manassas and um, principally Yolo County, we’re going to have access to be able to market and that’s going to be extremely instrumental placemaking.

Winn: So placemaking obviously we have it is, um, it’s been, uh, you know, it has been continuing to evolve. I would say as the, um, I think the regular kind of, um, residents you placemaking, it was always been kind of like urban centers and city centers, you know, think about like, uh, those experiences and reskin Thomas center was one of the very first communities that started to try to create this sense of place. And it’s taken over 20 years. Her rests into view what it is today. But what’s, what we’re thinking about now is how are we creating those nodes of activities, those pop up experiences. People don’t shop at stores the way they used to because we can buy what like 90% of what we need on a daily basis online. So when we’re going out, we want to have experiences, we want to connect, we want to engage with people.

Winn: And so our city centers are our nodes of activity, have to be able to give people this, this opportunity to experience things and to bring together the sociability. And so we need to think about like what Prince William is doing with our small area plans in developing these nodes of activity. This is going to play a big part because if we’re going to be able to attract the workforce and we’re gonna be able to attract the little, um, the tail it, people want to know where are they eating and shopping at lunchtime or after work. And they’re gonna go get a drink and they don’t want to have to go miles and miles away and they don’t want to get in their car. They want it accessible. So having amenities available is going to be super important. Pop up retail being a or a pop up libraries, pop up art spaces.

Winn: Those are great tools to help us activate maybe spaces that are vacant or have been underutilized for a period of time and try, try to bring new life into a neighborhood or, or a no. And so when we think about another trend and things that need to be, um, really implementing and doing are our strategies. Placemaking is huge because people, um, because places matter to people in economies. It’s not about, um, it’s not about where the lowest prices are, the lowest landings. It’s about the place which brings me to the revitalization of the, the I 95 route one corridor. We are focused. When I think about how these, uh, placemaking, um, principles are actually going to affect how we start to strategize and encourage investment. This plays a big part just right before the end of the year, the North, um, Woodbridge area, small area plan was adopted and approved.

Winn: That small area plan actually calls or mixed use vertical development in a walkable community that’s going to have that sense of place. Do you know, ever since that plan has been approved, we have gotten so many, um, interested property owners and investors that are now looking to this area. And these are real so that it’s too early for me to talk about, but it’s, but it’s, it happens and the County has made some investment in terms of infrastructure and, um, widening route one and clearing utilities to help create that sense of place, the, um, the market. And so, you know, like I, I get a lot of people saying like, well, we never really focused on the Eastern side of the County before and, you know, why are we doing this now? Or you should have been doing this before. Well, what I tell you, you’ll find years ago, I don’t even think that we could have put, um, got me level of interest in this area.

Winn: Like we are a nap. And that reason is, is that you have these higher priced markets in Restin, Tyson’s, DC, Arlington, Alexandria. And so now those government contractors, those it companies, those maybe second tier, uh, in my class with companies that may have gone to those places, you know, initially they’re being out price and they can’t afford to actually be there. So if they don’t need to have direct access to the Capitol or DC or the pedagogue, this is a great opportunity. And so I feel like when we’re thinking about the future of 20, 20 and beyond, I in 85, route one corridor is where it’s at.

Speaker 2: [inaudible]

Winn: existing business engagement. So I’ve been a big proponent for, um, my economic development career when, when I think about an existing businesses, I think about what types of value added services that we can offer to help, um, companies generate more revenue and um, create new law, new partnerships that hopefully create a new lines of business. And with bottom line that I want you to expand and grow in my County. And so we develop our programs and services around us in mind. How can we lift up our companies and give them more opportunities? The interesting thing is about existing business engagement is because the workforce today and the one tomorrow is so socially conscious. When they are looking for jobs, they go to an employer’s website and they want to see what is that employer doing in the community? Do they have volunteer programs? Are they giving back because they want or do they recycle?

Winn: Like right? What kind of policies do they have? And they want to be a part of companies that embrace those same values that, that they do. And so when we think about where we’re going in the future, part of our engagement is going to be, Oh, ground getting the, uh, existing business community involved in the community. How are we helping give opportunities to that, to their workforce to get involved and give back? And we believe that that is going to create more opportunities, more partnerships, and um, and really help them continue. It’ll like, it’ll dig them in the roots where they’re so connected into our community and they’ll never want to leave. Um, and it’ll create more opportunities for them to connect and generate more revenue. The last piece is entrepreneurship. If you’ve heard me speak before, I told you, that’s what I have told you, that um, one of the interesting Coke towels from Amazon relocating to Northern Virginia is that they have a stat that says, um, three out of every 10 employees that worked for Amazon goes off and starts their own business.

Winn: And so when you think about what small business and entrepreneurship is, and, and we have Mike run in these other major employers in the area and you have technology, we need to be ready to really build capacity with our small businesses and help them not only start and launch a business, but then scale and continue to grow. And whatever their exit strategy is, whether it’s they want to leave, they want to continue to grow and leave a legacy for their kids or they want to exponentially grow and get bought out. We need to support and be able to have the tools ready so that we can grow our home. And because I think there’s unreal lot more opportunities that is, um, Debbie presented for more entrepreneurship and more companies to, to grow with small business and entrepreneurship. It takes a village and it takes many different partners.

Winn: And you know, I’m going to echo, uh, George Mason given her, I go Patrick and give a shout out to our friends at George Mason. And as Patrick says, we did follow suit. We just like to copy him, um, every time. Um, um, uh, reach out and we still, we have a Mason small business development center in order to looking at, you know, when you think about the themes and all connects back because we’re looking at how do we partner with better programs? How do we, how do you partner with AA RFP to engage retired professionals to start new businesses? How are we engaging with the Latin, um, Latino, uh, economic development chamber and a corporation to make sure that we have Spanish speaking counselors to really help our minority and women owned businesses? You. So how are we creating those partnerships? And it all circles back. So all of those things all integrate it in order for us to do economic development. And then last facility with our snapshot, I did not do any, like, here’s what our accomplishments are. So when I think about the future of 20, 20, you know, our demographics are continuing to change. You know, I’m hoping that with our ability to con, um, to attract more workforce, that talented workforce and create more jobs here in Prince William, that our demographics will even get better and, um, more attractive to, uh, attract more companies. Thank you.

Speaker 2: [inaudible].

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blkwidowsweb · 5 years

Text

A DJ Committed to Service... Nick Non-Stop

The Word “Service” is often used by DJs in the industry as a description of what they give to their audiences. Nick Nicholson (DJ Nick Nonstop) is a DJ, Producer and Sound Engineer who delivers service not only to his audiences but to his community. He is the owner and CEO of WeJam DJ Academy, an organization committed to educating and training youth, particularly in underserved communities about the art of DJing. HE is also a managing partner of ACE Chicago Events. Nick has over 30 years of experience as a DJ, producer and sound engineer. Nick has performed for every type of event, plays every genre of music and has catered to various demographic groups locally, nationally and abroad. As a producer, he teamed up with SRO Records to create, produce and distribute the “original” Jack My Body© Co-created and produced the Original House Nation© (never released). Joined Trax Records to produce Fantasy© (#1 on London charts). Aside from being a seasoned DJ and producer, Nick is a former educator and holds a Master’s Degree in Education from Loyola University. Nick is passionate about DJing and is eager to share his knowledge and experiences with aspiring DJs of any age.

I had a chance to talk with DJ Nick Non-Stop about his career, his passion for sharing his knowledge with the youth, his love of the craft and playing the Hyde Park Brew Fest this year.

Black Widow: I’m so happy to be speaking with you today. Tell me a little bit about how you were introduced to house music.

Nick Non-Stop: I started in the early 80s. I attended Mendel High School. That was around 1983 so that was my introduction to house music. I was attending the Bi-Level parties and listening to the Hot Mix five on the radio. I was mesmerized by this continuous flow of music. It was the beat and the rhythms of house music that really drew me in.

Black Widow: What made you want to learn how to DJ?

Nick Non-Stop: Kevin “Kip” Jones introduced me to DJing. He lived around the corner from me. He would play music in his basement. He had two turntables and a mixer and I remember just wanting to learn how to do it. He’s the one who showed me the way and actually let me touch the turntables and play on wax. That was around 1983/1984. My love for it just grew from there.

Black Widow: Now you were a DJ at Mendel and the Bi-Level too right?

Nick Non-stop: Yes! It was four of us. We had a group called M&M and On and On. We were all in the same class. It was myself, DJ Diego, Mark Raspberry, Mark Eldridge, and Del Ireland. Kirk Townsend used to host the Mendel parties and promote it. He was the one who really gave us a chance. We were in the basement but it didn’t matter because we were playing at Mendel! LOL! We eventually made our way to the main floor. I remember it vividly because Chip E was performing one of his songs live. We opened up for him and it was huge. That was our big shot around 1984/1985.

Black Widow: So would you consider that your 1st professional gig?

Nick Non-Stop: I would say yes. I was so nervous!

Black Widow: I heard the place would be jam packed so the pressure was definitely on!!!

Nick Non-Stop: OMG yes! There were no bars, no flat screens on the walls, you just came and danced all night!

Black Widow: So if the music was bad, that was all on you guys!!! [LAUGHTER]

Nick Non-Stop: [LAUGHTER] Yup! That was all on us.

Black Widow: So when did you know that DJing was something more than a hobby?

Nick Non-Stop: When I started to get requests from friends to come and DJ parties it got real. I didn’t plan on it becoming a business but it evolved into a full grown business. Honestly, I just really enjoyed it…30 years later…I still enjoy it. I still do a lot of events, mostly private. I love to see people have fun. Music is one of those things that makes people happy. As a DJ, you are orchestrating that. You control the mood, the emotions and the room. You can make a room or kill a room based on the music you play. I see DJing as a service. You are helping to contribute to an overall experience at an event and I love providing that service.

Black Widow: When did producing and creating music come into play?

Nick Non-Stop: Around 1984/1985, playing around in the basement, we had no idea we would make an impression around the world. We (Steve Simmons, DJ Diego, Ray Thompson and I) created the original version of “House Nation”. We were just playing around with a drum machine and sampler. That was in 1985. It was simple track with a drum beat and bassline. The line “housenation” is my sample voice. My guy, Steve had another sample that we layered on top of it. It was great. We were kids, just 16/17 and we didn’t know copyright laws and stuff like that. We were just having fun. We put the songs on cassette tapes and gave it to a few friends. The next thing you know, I’m sitting in my car listening to the Hot Mix 5 on the radio and I hear a version of my song! I was like WHOA!!! Someone stole my song…that was a gut shot! Then right after that, I heard, “Jack My Body”, which was another song we did. We got burned twice because we didn’t know about copyright laws and the music business. It’s a cutthroat business. People will steal your materials, your brand…

Black Widow:...your concepts, flyers, even your pictures!! Nothing is off limits anymore!!

Nick Non-Stop: Yeah!! Especialy if you don’t protect it. I know you know about it! [LAUGHTER] You know I don’t speak on who it was but they were notorious for stealing music. It is what it is but people know the original from the imitation. 30 plus years later my songs are still moving crowds. We did those in 1985 and people are still rocking to it, so I’m ok with it. I really do believe had my song not been stolen, I don’t think a lot of things that exist in my life right now.

Black Widow: Really? How So?

Nick Non-Stop: Had I just taken this song and went with it, I would have taken an entirely different path. I’m blessed with a beautiful wife and 3 beautiful kids and I don’t think I would have that had the song not been stolen, so it’s all good. Things happen for a reason.

Black Widow: I totally understand. There’s a reason I’m an artist at this stage of my life. It wouldn’t have happened years ago for sure!

Nick Non-Stop: I believe in divine intervention so I’m ok. It was never about the money, it was about making and creating a hot track and moving crowds with it and its still doing that.

Black Widow: Talk about a crash course in the music business at a young age!!! It’s a hard lesson to learn but I bet you know copyright laws now!!! [LAUGHTER]

Nick Non-Stop: Oh man…you betta believe it! [Laughter] I promise you it will never happen again!

Black Widow: You know it’s a constant fight. It’s hard enough to make money nowadays with streaming and such and artists are constantly fighting to create and make money but have to deal with theft and bootlegging that adds another nuisance to it when all you really want to do is create. It’s still happening today, it’s just being done differently and that’s unfortunate. I really wish people would stop supporting it too. Theft isn’t a compliment.

Nick Non-Stop: Yup, so you get it…you understand! I agree too!!! It’s not a compliment, it’s a slap in the face.

Black Widow: So obviously in your 30 year career life happens, you finish college, you get married, etc. How did DJing continue to be a force in your life as you were growing up?

Nick Non-Stop: It was a hobby that evolved into a mobile DJ business. When I went to college, I didn’t have a job. DJing was my job. I did a lot of the campus parties for different organizations. I was the campus DJ. There were a lot of parties and events going on so kept me busy and kept a little money in my pocket. I haven’t stopped. I guess that’s where my name comes from [laughter]. It’s been non-stop for 30 years. I’m constantly working.

Black Widow: What’s been the formula to work consistently these past 30 years?

Nick Non-Stop: I’ve established a lot of repeat customers. I still have people from my NIU college days who contact me. I’ve DJ’d their weddings, kids parties, etc. It’s a good feeling. I just really enjoy it and I’m not going to stop. When people ask me to DJ their event, if I’m free, I do it because I just love it so much. It’s a side business but it’s a legitimate business.

Black Widow: You started your mobile DJ business fairly young as a teenager. What were some of the lessons you had to learn to become a business man?

Nick Non-Stop: I didn’t get my degree in business. I had to maintain my accounting books, lead follow-up, marketing, promoting, engaging with customers; these were all things I had to figure out on my own and I really had to learn how to do it respectfully. As a DJ, you are selling a service. You have to sell yourself, what you are offering to people and give them peace of mind that you are going to do a good job, especially with special events like weddings and corporate events. Those are those high paying gigs and you gotta step up. You have to be a professional, you have to have consultations, draw up contracts, execute the day of. You have to dress a certain way. It’s not something you can just go out and do. It’s a lot behind it. I always say, if I go buy an airplane it doesn’t necessarily make me a pilot. The same applies with DJing. You can’t just go out and buy equipment, some music, and slap DJ in front of your name. You have to work this thing, it’s a business. It’s an art form, a craft. Quite honestly, DJing isn’t work. It’s fun. The work is negotiating deals, carrying equipment, setup and breakdown. DJing is the fun part.

Black Widow: Has the way you brand your business changed over the years, especially with social media?

Nick Non-Stop: Social media is one of the better mediums to use because your reach is farther. I leverage those heavily. I still have my database of clients that consider me their “family” DJ. That’s honestly my best resource. When you have repeat business they also pass the word along and the referral is key!! Word of mouth goes a long way and people don’t refer anything that was bad so if you provide a quality service you will get repeat customers and referrals. It’s no secret to this.

Black Widow: You don’t just DJ in clubs and parties; you do quite a lot of corporate events and private events. Do you consider yourself a “commercial” DJ? There’s always a debate especially in the house scene, that if you do these types of events, if you are on the radio, etc., you are considered commercial. Do you get that at all?

Nick Non-Stop: [LAUGHTER] I’ll be honest. I don’t know and I don’t care. I truly don’t. I’m not here to prove anything to anyone. I’ve already established a brand with “WeJam”. My name, my experience and my rep hasn’t been tainted. I can play at the lounge, the club, someone’s basement or backyard, a wedding, your corporate event or even…the Brew Fest. I’ve put in my work and I’m not here to please other DJs. What I am trying to do is to pave a way. There’s so much work out here, there’s not enough DJs!!!

“ don’t care if people think I’m commercial or corporate. You need to find out what I’m doing and how you can do it too!”

Nick Non-Stop: It’s all about relationships. You can’t just sit around and wait for someone to ask you to DJ. You gotta get out there and hunt it down. You gotta get out there, send some emails, and knock on some doors…show up at the event. If you want to play at a club or event, go to it…patronize it. Introduce yourself to the owner, manager or promoter.

Black Widow: Basic networking 101! [Laughter]

Nick Non-Stop: Yeah! You gotta work this! I’ve worked my ass off over my career doing just that; building relationships, networking, and providing quality service. That’s what it comes down to and I stay versatile.

Black Widow: When did the idea for WeJam Academy come?

Nick Non-Stop: That was about 6 or 7 years ago I had the idea for an academy. I really thought it would be great to teach people, especially kids, the art of DJing. I procrastinated for 5 years until one day, I was playing an event. I was the opening DJ and the DJ who came to play after me didn’t know how to set up his laptop to use his controller. It was then I realized there is an opportunity to train and teach others. Friends of mine would ask me about DJing, and I also had my own kids who wanted to learn. One day I sat down and wrote it all down and said I can do this. The academy officially became a business 2 years ago and it’s been going really good. We’ve trained over 100 students. We have classes for kids and young adults in Homewood and south loop.

Black Widow: The academy does more than teach DJing, what else do you teach?

Nick Non-Stop: We teach Beat matching, the fundamentals, the history of DJing, how to set up your equipment, using digital equipment and the business of DJing, so if they want to set up their own mobile DJ Business, they have the tools to get started.

Black Widow: That’s awesome!

Nick Non-Stop: I have kids right now, 9 year old Air1, and 12 year old, DJ X2 who both have their own businesses. They played the Unity picnic this past weekend and killed it but those are my students and they are out here making money with mobile DJ business. I’m so proud of these young men. That’s our future. I’m getting older and other DJS are getting older.

“I don’t know my shelf life as a DJ. We really need to start training up the next generation”

Black Widow: I love that you add the business component to your training. I help DJs and artists now with marketing and branding and you’d be surprised at how many don’t have professional photos, a media/press kit or A basic website. I tell creatives all the time, your brand cannot be housed on social media. You need subscribers and a mailing list.

Nick Non-Stop: Absolutely!! You hit it right on the head. The kids are starting off with the right blueprint to present themselves in a manner where they do get hired. Even my daughters are out here working; doing birthday and graduation parties. That was my vision. That’s what I always wanted. I wanted a team of young adult DJs that can do those young adult parties!

Black Widow: The vision of bringing young people into this culture and teaching them the art is extraordinary. I think that’s so wonderful for so many reasons. You are giving them a skill and an outlet to express themselves.

Nick Non-Stop: That’s the goal and the vision. I would like to see every household have a household DJ, someone they can call on for events.

Black Widow: That’s how we grew up. You always had someone who knew music, who could work the record player at the family get together or BBQ and so on…

Nick Non-Stop: Exactly! You know? Why not?

Black Widow: So you are playing this weekend at the Hyde Park Brew Fest. How did that come about?

Nick Non-Stop: I’m so excited about it because I was there last year and it was amazing. I live in Hyde Park and the energy was just epic! I was there last year and said to myself, either I’m going to play or one of my girls will be there next year. I claimed it. When I got the call asking me to play, my jaw dropped.

Black Widow: You spoke it into existence!

Nick Non-Stop: I did!!! I play on Sunday at 3pm and that lineup is just crazy!! I’m so honored, humbled and I don’t take it for granted. I’m going to show up and show out! I have one hour and I’m going in!!!

Black Widow: I’ll be there both days covering it. I can’t wait. It’s such a great time! I loved what I saw, it was so dope! It’s just one of those feel good events with great energy and positivity.

Nick Non-Stop: I can’t wait. I’m really looking forward to this. I want to give an experience and take people on a musical journey. I think people are going to like my set. I’m going in hard and I’m going to perform!!!

Black Widow: What are some of your future plans for this year?

Nick Non-Stop: This year, I want to expand the academy. I have a non for profit arm of the academy and this summer we are taking 20 kids and for 8 weeks, they will be part of a DJ apprentice program. We are going to teach them the art of DJing and how to start a mobile DJ business. We are looking for funding now so we can get them equipment now. They will shadow other DJs at events too.

Black Widow: That’s awesome!! I love this idea so much! You are not just teaching but giving them a trade.

Nick Non-Stop: Yup, I even gave those bucket boys my card! I told them; call me if you want to make some real music and real money! [Laughter]

Black Widow: Yes!!! That’s what they need…a trade!

Nick Non-Stop: I want to expand this model and the non for profit side of it. I’m working on finding grant money and get more youth through the program, get them equipment and put them out there to work!

Black Widow: Hopefully get sponsorships from these companies that make the DJ equipment! Whatever I can do to help, let me know. I think it’s a beautiful way to take your gift and give back!

Nick Non-Stop: That’s my hope. It’s all about service. That’s all I want to do is give back. When I see other people enjoy this art, it warms my heart. This job can be very rewarding.

Black Widow: I think about so many DJs who say the art of DJing kept them off the streets. With the times we are in, I think it’s so important to give kids an alternative and it may not be learning the violin and piano, it may be DJing and taking the music they love and spin it and turn it into a skill and business that they can use. It’s a beautiful way of paying it forward.

Nick Non-Stop: Yup...that’s my goal!

Black Widow: Nick, thank you so much for speaking with me. I really enjoyed it.

Nick Non-Stop: I truly appreciate it and enjoyed it.

You can catch Nick Non-Stop at the Hyde Park Brew Fest this weekend!!!

Until Next Time, See ya on a dance floor!

-Black Widow

You can find more information on Nick Nonstop at the following websites and on social media:

http://www.wejamdjacademy.com

http://www.acechicagoevents.com

https://www.mixcloud.com/nick-nicholson4/

https://soundcloud.com/djnicknonstop

IG: #wejamdjacademy

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surveillingthepipeline · 6 years

Audio

Interviewing a Former SRO

Transcript

Introduction: Thank you for tuning in. I am Sarena Weatherspoon and you are listening to Surveilling the Pipeline. I chose someone very special to me as my first guest. Today you will meet my dad Damon Weatherspoon! On today’s episode, he and I will talk about his experiences as a school resource officer

Sarena: Okay, so first question: tell me a little bit about your experience as a school resource office. You know, how you get the position, how long you worked there, how your assignment was chosen and the ages and demographics of the students.

Damon: I started as a school resource officer— I was 3 years. I was chosen out of a pool of three total all applied; we all had to write an essay as to what we thought a school resource officer was about and why we think we would be a good fit for the position. Then we were interviewed by the captain [or] major of the police department and also the principal and administration of the school district to determined who would be the best fit. Like I said before I worked there for 3 years at a middle school so I had 6th, 7th and 8th grade students. So they varied in ages from 12 to probably 14 or something like that. The demographic, it was predominantly African-American students there just because the city that we live in is predominantly African American. So if I had to guess, I would say maybe a 60/40 or 70/30 African-American to “other”

Sarena: Okay, okay and mind you, to the audience: my dad was the resource officer in the same school district that I go (*went) to school in. The next question is: what were the best and worst parts of being a school resource officer? I know you have a few different stories, so maybe pick a couple things that you remember the best.

Damon: Best part of being a school resource officer, I’ll admit, I enjoyed the kids; I enjoyed coming in everyday. The schedule wasn't bad either, I did love the schedule. Monday through Friday, had daylights, weekends off that was nice

S: Holidays

D: Exactly. But I did enjoy working with the kids and then talking to them. I built a nice rapport with some of the kids, so they would come and talk to me before they would talk to their parents. So I always had a good rapport with the kids they felt like they could come and talk to me. Worst part? Can't necessarily say I had a “worst part”, I had an incident. Like I said, I was a police officer for about 6 years and I did have one student that ended up getting shot. That was pretty rough. It was my first year as a resource officer and I go back to patrol in the summertime so during the summer, I got snet on a call and found it was one of my students. Luckily he was okay but that was a rough call to go to. So that was probably the worst part but all in all, I had a good experience

S: That’s good, that's good. Unfortunately, some of our listeners have seen on the blog, or hopefully they have seen on the blog that that's not always everyone's experience as a school resource officer. I know people have seen in the news some negative interactions with school resource officers and students. It sounds like you had a pretty good experience with working with students so what would you recommend to people who want to be a school resource officer or even the people who are kind of struggling or scared for the position?

D: I would suggest you want to be approachable because you're not— even though you have a badge on and I mean, you're considered a law enforcement officer, you have to be approachable. You're just a person like everybody else. You have to remember where you came from; you were a kid at one time, you were a student at one time so you know how hard it can be and can kind of guide them and help them in some of the trials they’re going through currently. But it’s really about building trust with the students and with the community because you also have to have the parents’ backing and get the parents to come talk to you as well. So if they come and talk to you as well. So if they come and talk to you, they feel comfortable with you, the kids will feel comfortable with you, the administration is comfortable and its an overall great experiences. Be approachable I think is one of my biggest takeaways from it.

S: That’s definitely great advice. Another question that I have was, like I said, there has been a lot of negative thoughts about school resource officers or law enforcement being in schools. So what would you say is your personal opinion? I know you may be a little biased but do you think police officers really belong in elementary, middle and high schools?

D: That’s a tough question because it depends on, to me I would think it kind of depend on the; kind of what goes on. Armed? You have police officers and you have security guards, so you have different levels of security I would say quote on quote. It just kind of depends on what they're looking at. Some departments are are too big to where they can't allow to the manpower and that's where you typically have your private security. I know there’s a district here locally that has security officers that are employed by the district, and I don't think they're armed but they're there just to kind of assess situations and they're kind of the first line defense if they need to call the police or if an active situation happens. Whereas you do have other departments that have financial grants and federal grants. That’s how I started, through a federal grant and it paid for majority of my salary but I was an officer with the city and I was placed in the school. You're a police officer, you're a counselor, you take on and wear many hats as an officer. So do I believe they belong in schools, that they're necessary? I think it depends, it’s another level, another set of eyes and someone that can let the administration know the different aspects to safety and security in the school. Whereas most people who aren’t trained in that don’t know to look at those types of things as far as where cameras are set, where mirrors are set, entry points; things like that officers are trained to look at that school administrators might not necessarily know.

S: That makes sense. There has been issues about school resource officers in school so why do you think those issues occur?

D: I would say, well I wouldn’t say being afraid of the students. Maybe the intimidation factor or not being able to relate to the students. That they're just there to collect a paycheck cause I’ll admit, like I said, it was a great schedule.Iit takes a lot of integrity, it takes a lot of you know being there and being important in the job and then really caring for the students and of caring for people that are there. If you're just there to collect a paycheck because it’s an the easy schedule and you’re just there. “Hey I'm going in at this time of day and I’ll sit in my office all day and I’ll just be the disciplinarian .” That's not the case. Schools are using the officer for just a disciplinarian then that's a problem with from the school district’s aspect. I didn't want to be used in that fashion and I let the administration know that I'm not here I'm not here if these two kids get into a fight that I'm going to run up and arrest them and take them to jail; that's not my place. There's administration and protocols that go through that as far as you know, in school suspension or a long term suspension, whatever the case may be that the school deals with. As far as the officer, the law related, if it becomes a really bad fight, if there's weapons used, that's where the officer steps in but the officer has to know what their role is. You have a very defined role and while you wear many hats, you don't want to step in the administration side because that's not your realm. That's not an officer’s realm, to step in and do that so be sure to, as they say, stay in your lane and do what you’re there to do. But try to keep a positive interaction with the students. I mean, if you have to go there, then you have to go there. But you can’t just be walking up and putting your hands on any and everybody and screaming or what have you. You just can’t, you can’t do that.

S: Yeah, definitely. I agree for sure. On to our last question. I just want to remind our listeners out there you are listening to Surveilling the Pipeline. My name is Sarena Weatherspoon, and on today’s show I am interviewing my dad, Damon Weatherspoon, about his experiences as a resource officer. My last question is: how do you think race and gender affected how the students responded to you? As we talked earlier, you said you were at a school with predominantly African American students. So how would you say your race and gender affected how you were able to serve as an officer?

D: Well in our particular area, demographic here, you did have a lot of single-parent households. So we had a lot of young men that were there that were being raised by their mothers, grandmothers, what have you. There were some that had both parents in the home and the whole nine but they were majority single parent households. Me being an African American male, I think they looked to me as a positive role model, I’d like to say that. I've had a few that have come and said that to me, actually. You tend to gravitate towards people that look like you, that you can relate to, that have been in experiences that you have been in currently or have been in in the past. And they can come feel free to come and talk to you about some of those things. Like I said, I've had students to come and tell me about things before they told their parents just because, I mean, I was (*am) a parent! So they knew they could come talk to me or you know, tell me what's on their mind. Or if they were having a bad day in class, I had teachers that knew I had a good rapport with certain students and they would come and sit in my office. They would send their work with them, they come to my office during that period. As long as they’re doing their work, we could talk and have a conversation but I was also about them getting their education first. You know, we can sit down and talk and have a conversation and it is completely between us. I didn't run off and don't tell her parents or this and that, I mean, I handled it respectfully. I've had his students that come and told me that I changed their life quote on quote. Had a young man that actually became a police officer because he said I influenced his life back in seventh grade which I thought was amazing. But I think you tend to gravitate towards people that look like you, that have been in the same experience as you for advice or guidance and I was happy to be there to do it!

S: Alright, well thank you so much for being my first guest today. I would also like to thank our listeners out there. Please, please, please, make sure you check in on “Surveilling the Pipeline” (on Tumblr), I have reblogged content every week and a new interview every month. Thank you.

#Soundcloud #SRO #Schoolresouceofficers

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187days · 8 years

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Day One Hundred Twenty-Eight

I tripped over my own two feet no less than three times today. Once was as I was walking down the stairs to the main office. The new SRO was walking up, soooooo apparently he’s going to be one of those people who never actually sees me when I’m a fully functional adult. Hopefully, he thinks I’m funny; it makes my job easier if the SRO thinks I’m funny (because, for example, they mind a lot less when I direct all the really weird hypothetical questions my Civics students ask about the 4th Amendment at them).

It’s probably a good thing, given my attack of klutziness, that track practice today was canceled due to snow. I’m not at all happy about the snow (seriously, WTF, winter?) but it was nice to be a bit less busy in this super busy week.

But let me talk about my classes. Debate prep continued in World/English. Mrs. T and I had to redirect a lot more off-task behavior today than yesterday because it’s a very different population of students, but I am seeing some who are improving their academic stamina. And there’s good research being done across the board. if there’s one thing the state of the nation has done, it’s made kids more aware of source bias and reliability; they ask about the validity of information WAY more than they used to. Small blessings, right?

And, speaking of the state of the nation, let me tell you about what fun it was to teach Civics today! So, if you’ve been following along at home, you know I’ve teaching about the legislative branch. Today students presented projects on the women who represent them in Congress (Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan, and Representative Carol Shea-Porter). They did a nice job with that, so I’m quite pleased.

Afterwards, we talked about what those women and their 532 colleagues do as members of Congress. Specifically, we talked about the process of passing laws. And, yes, I did show this:

youtube

I have a couple girls in the class who try to start texting- not even subtly- anytime I show anything, but they actually kept their phones away during this little clip. I suppose that’s proof one is never too old for cartoons. And, let’s be honest, is IS catchy. I did give them a more academic explanation of the process to read and annotate afterwards, though, and it generated an unexpectedly awesome conversation about how difficult it actually is to pass a law, and how many tactics can be used to stop that from happening. I asked the student who brought it up if he had any idea why that was; he said no, so I explained that it was intentional on the part of our Founders because they didn’t want it to be easy to make tyrannical laws. I reminded them about the ideas of limited government and individual freedom- and why they were so prevalent in 1787- and I could actually see them light up when it all clicked in their minds. That was cool.

Then I brought the conversation around to things that are happening currently regarding the legislative process. We talked about the development of the AHCA, and the fact that it hadn’t been voted on as planned yesterday, and I showed them a clip from Rachel Maddow’s show that aired last night detailing the activism against the bill. I told them whether they agreed with it or not, whatever, the point was that constituents showing up and speaking out made a difference. I’m on a constant mission to prove to them that being part of the process matters; it’s a huge part of teaching this subject in a cynical age.

I also brought up the fact that the democrats are planning to filibuster the Supreme Court nomination because the idea of a filibuster is fascinating to my students (it always is), and they wanted to talk about that some more. They asked what the longest one was, what the most recent ones were, whether or not Senators have to stay on topic, all the expected questions. I love a good filibuster, personally- i think it’s exciting- so I had a lot of fun with that bit of class.

And how impeccable is my timing that the “killing” of the AHCA and the pending Supreme Court nomination battle are the stories on all the news networks this evening? Real world relevance, kids...

Tonight I’m going to chaperon a Key Club all-nighter! Wish me luck and caffeination!

#edublr #teachblr #teaching #social studies #high school #educhums #teacher #school house rock #rachel maddow #my timing is impeccable #interdisciplinary fabulousness #the big middle east debate #Mrs. T #SRO #being a hot mess #I love a good filibuster #i can sleep when i'm dead #key club all-nighter #day one hundred twenty eight

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storiesbehindthefog · 7 years

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“I grew up on a farm and got an engineering degree. Being homeless is just another adventure.” Ken

I grew up near Fairfield on a farm with my grandmother and uncle. Both sides of my family came to California from China in the Depression in the 1930s. They had to survive here, so my parents did whatever they could— working in factories, sweeping floors, etc. Within their community, that was all they knew.

In the late 1950s, a lot of people started owning cars. So then, our universe got bigger. You could now go to the next county.

But for us, as first-generation citizens, we were influenced by the native people. In the late 1950s, a lot of people started owning cars. So then, our universe got bigger. Instead of staying in your neighborhood, you could now go to the next county. And when you do that, you notice that not everybody gets up at 5:00 a.m. to go to work. And it makes you wonder, “What else did I miss?” And so the adventure begins.

We got by with one dollar a day per person. We mixed powder milk with condensed milk so it would taste better.

I was the first member of my family to go to college. We didn’t have a lot of money, so I rented an apartment together with three guys from the same high school, because it was cheaper that way. We got by with one dollar a day per person, so we had to be smart to get our nutrients. All four of us drank a lot of milk, so instead of drinking expensive whole milk, we got powder milk that we mixed with condensed milk so it would taste better. It wasn’t hard work for us. Compared to working seven days a week on a farm out in the sun, this was easy.

I graduated in 1976 with an electrical engineering degree from UC Davis. I was good in math, so I got in on a math scholarship. When I was taking a software course, I told my advisor, “This is cool, but what about the machine that runs this thing? How can I learn about that?” And he told me that that was called engineering. So I wanted to check that out and transferred over to engineering. That was another adventure, because all I knew about engineering was that it had to do with running trains—ha ha.

Once you start succeeding in things that everybody told you you can’t do, you feel invincible.

I guess I can call myself an extreme person, because my world was so small, and when stuff started opening up, I jumped on it. I’ve kayaked on the Colorado River; I’ve rock-climbed; I’ve got a single-engine pilot’s license. I think that my fear of missing out probably exceeds my fear of trying. Once you start succeeding in things that everybody told you you can’t do, you feel invincible. It’s like seize every opportunity that you can without pissing people off or getting fired.

After college, I started working as an electrical engineer for a telecommunications company. They were developing [what would become] digital telephony. Working on something like that was like working for Einstein — what’s not to like? After that I joined Texas Instruments, where I helped develop a laptop computer. Mind you, this was in 1980. The way I saw it was that I was making money working on stuff that nobody had done before, so they were basically paying me to go to school. Great, right?

One night, there was a fire, and everything burned down.

I didn’t only work in tech; I also owned a reggae nightclub for a while. We opened the club on Tax Day in 1983 and actually started making money in May. After three months, everything was running so smoothly that I decided to take some time off. And one of the nights I was gone, there was a fire, and everything burned down.

I went back to the telecom business and stayed there for five years or so, until I became bored and started my own software house, helping people to find jobs in software. At that time, I was working so hard that I felt out of control. So I quit and joined Tellabs in Chicago. That’s when I had a heart attack for the second time in my life.

One Sunday morning, I sat down and looked at my pills. They reminded me of all the problems I had.

A couple of months later, on a Sunday morning, I sat down and looked at my pills. They reminded me of all the problems I had. I realized, “I’ve been working since I was seven years old. I don’t care if I die next week, but I’m going to do it my way.” So I went back to work on Monday morning and turned in my two weeks’ notice. I threw away all my pills. I figured I would have five more years to live at the most. But here I am, 23 years later.

I started driving around the country to get to know the real people. I mean the people you see in normal neighborhoods like Japantown, Sunset, Richmond and Chinatown here in San Francisco. Not the people at Fisherman’s Wharf or in the tall office buildings. You can see the whole UN in one city if you pay attention.

I was on the road for three and a half years. The main thing for me about driving all the time was that I started self-analyzing. Why do I have a short temper? Why do I have no respect for authority? I’m not sure if I got the real answers, but at least I got a bit more clarity.

My road trip ended when the uncle on whose farm I grew up was getting old, and I needed to take care of him. It wasn’t easy, but I was there for a year. When he passed away, I started traveling locally, staying with friends here and there. I found a job in telecom for nine months, the only job I ever had after leaving Tellabs.

I ended up basically outliving my money and became homeless.

I ended up basically outliving my money and became homeless in San Francisco. Being homeless wasn’t a big thing for me; it was basically just another adventure. My family wasn’t even middle class, so I didn’t miss the money. I knew I could survive without it. And if you’re not lazy in this city, you can get anything you want. If you are making an effort, there will be people watching you that will go out of their way to help you.

I had to go to the doctor before they would let me into a shelter. I hadn’t been to a doctor in 17 years, after throwing away the pills, but it turned out that I was healthier at 57 than I was at 40. Getting a bed in a shelter is frustrating, though, because the time windows are so small, and you can only walk to places, so you can’t get much done. But I was persistent, and I got in.

I started going to the Healing WELL, because it bothered me to watch people be so self-destructive at the shelter. I needed a break from that. I had never meditated, but it seemed to work. In her introduction, Hat [the meditation teacher] said, “It’s OK. I messed up too.” So I knew, “OK, she is one of us; she understands how I’m feeling.”

At first I approached meditation very scientifically. I read a lot about breathing techniques. But with Hat, I would just sit there and, as best as I could, actually meditated.

About two weeks ago, I struggled with a blocked intestine. So I sat down to meditate: “OK, remove this stuff from my body.” I had bowel movements six days in a row. So now I know I have to be more specific with my meditation—haha.

I’m in a good place now. Currently, I’m staying at an SRO [single residence occupancy unit] for seniors, only three blocks away from the Healing WELL. About two weeks ago, I struggled with a blocked intestine. So I sat down a couple of times a day to meditate. I would go, “OK, remove this stuff from my body.” Just that thought—not telling the body how to do it—because I don’t know. But I know the body knows. All of a sudden, I had bowel movements six days in a row. I also had to urinate every two hours, though. So now I know I have to be more specific with my meditation—haha. I’m experimenting more and more now. I can slow down my heart rate and relieve congestion through meditation. I used to approach things scientifically, but now I see there is science that we just haven’t understood yet.

Shared weekly on Medium, and soon to be published in a book, Stories Behind the Fog is a compendium of 100 stories of people affected by homelessness in San Francisco. The project was triggered by one man’s story, which will be released next year in the form of a feature-length documentary (www.moses.movie).

Ken’s story was written by Arjanna van der Plas and photographed by Niranjan Deshpande in collaboration with Stories Behind the Fog’s partner organization, Healing WELL.

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marymosley · 4 years

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From Basketball Court to Courtroom: In conversation with Braeden Anderson, Regulatory Enforcement Attorney at Sidley Austin

Here’s a candid conversation with him:

What’s a day in the life of Braeden like for work?

Likes and dislikes or pros and cons of the role?

What was your journey from law school to your current job?

How can students prepare for a career in this field?

Advice you’d give for law students?

Anything you’d do differently?

What are your keys to success?

Fun facts about you:

– I graduated from college in 3 years with a B.S. in Forensic Behavioral Science

– I was the first male NCAA division 1 athlete to play basketball while enrolled full time in law school

– I know how to brew meade (honey-wine)

– I like to paint

– I was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Since moving to the U.S. 12 years ago, I have lived in 8 states.

The post From Basketball Court to Courtroom: In conversation with Braeden Anderson, Regulatory Enforcement Attorney at Sidley Austin appeared first on Legal Desire.

From Basketball Court to Courtroom: In conversation with Braeden Anderson, Regulatory Enforcement Attorney at Sidley Austin published first on https://immigrationlawyerto.tumblr.com/

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storiesbehindthefog · 7 years

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“My dream is to be on the cover of the Times magazine, as America’s Storyteller.” Gigi/Dr. Dreame

My name is Gigi and my alter ego is storyteller / mouth musician Dr. Dreame. I’ve never been happier than when I became a woman 3,5 years ago, but it wasn’t an easy journey.

I was born in Akron, Ohio. I have three siblings, a brother and two sisters, all younger than me. As a kid I always had friends, both boys and girls. I liked playing nurse, or candyland, and the guys always wanted to play baseball, which of course I hated. But I got along with both, I felt comfortable.

I love to learn. I can spend hours on Wikipedia, following the tracks of the blue words like a detective. But I hated school. I had gender dysphoria, dyslexia, ADHD and I was bipolar. They didn’t know jack shit about that, they had no meds. I was being punished because they tested my IQ and it was above average, so they said ‘You’re just lazy’.

“I hated school. I had gender dysphoria, dyslexia, ADHD and I was bipolar. I was being punished because they tested my IQ and it was above average, so they said ‘You’re just lazy’.”

There are certain things in my life that I didn’t even analyze back then, but now they make sense. I remember bouncing on the bed at age three, saying ‘I’m a girl, I’m a girl’, and feeling really happy. And then, when I was seven, trying on my mother’s makeup and kissing my best friend. He didn’t like it, but we were kissing anyway.

“I remember bouncing on the bed at age three, saying ‘I’m a girl, I’m a girl’, and feeling really happy.”

In 9th grade, I was performing in a variety show for the first time. I did an imitation of Jonathan Winters, who was my first really big idol. People loved it, I got a standing ovation! Afterwards I was backstage, and I thought ‘I think I’d like to be in entertainment.’ My mother came backstage with my brother, saying ‘Oh, you were wonderful, your father is telling everybody around him that you’re his kid.’ But when we got into the car, he didn’t ever say anything to me. That hurts.

My father always criticized us, trying to talk us out of our plans. Because of him, I’m always comparing myself to others, criticizing myself. There is a scene in the movie On the Waterfront, the famous cab scene, where they say ‘You shoulda taken care of me just a little bit. I want to be somebody Charley.’ That’s just like my dad and me. He has ruined my life.

My grandparents were really supportive, they encouraged me to pursue my own interests. My grandmother was on her deathbed at that time and she said ‘Well, if you want to be in entertainment, go for it.’ She passed away when I was 14, and I still miss her so much.

I didn’t go to college, but I went to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City, and I loved being around all these creative people. Right after that I started doing standup. I liked doing that, but as time went on I gave up for a long time, because I felt I was getting too old.

“I didn’t go to college, but I went to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City, and I loved being around all these creative people.”

Throughout my life, I did many of what I called shit jobs. I just wanted a job where I could go through the motions, and go home and just forget about it.

For 13 years, I did radio, and I really enjoyed that. I’m really good with accents. I’ve never been great with learning languages, but I can easily learn the rhythm of the sounds. That’s actually how Dr. Dreame started. The first time I performed as Dr. Dreame was during Halloween in 2011. People loved it.

YOUTUBE

Dr. Dreame started as an androgynous character. I had a white face, two colours of hair, and weird eye makeup. I liked doing that. Later, I realized that I had been in my caterpillar stage, presenting as male for most of my life. Dr. Dreame was basically the start of my cocoon stage. And then in the next stage, I came out as a beautiful butterfly, as a woman. I could finally move on, and feel happy and confident.

“Dr. Dreame was basically the start of my cocoon stage. And then in the next stage, I came out as a beautiful butterfly, as a woman.”

June 14th of 2013, Flag Day, that’s when I officially transitioned. I started hormone replacement therapy that day. But I still have to shave every morning and I hate it. It’s not so much that I think it gives me away, but it’s the one guy thing I have to do every day. I want to get electrolysis in my face and neck, because it drives me nuts.

About a year ago, I went to court and got my gender marker and name changed. It was huge, because they would always call out my name in the waiting room in the hospital or whatever. My first and last initial are G, so it’s GG, which is Gigi. I always thought it was a cool name. My whole family knows about my transition now, but my mum is the only person that will not call me Gigi, she still calls me by my old name. I don’t want to tell you my old name, it brings up bad memories.

“My whole family knows about my transition now, but my mum is the only person that still calls me by my old name.”

I feel more confident as a woman, but even here in San Francisco we’re not fully accepted. Transgender people, we are the lowest of the lowest. But believe me, nobody is completely male or female. You know what kind of people harass me the most? These macho guys, because they’re not comfortable with their own identity, so they are intimidated by us.

“I feel more confident as a woman, but even here in San Francisco we’re not fully accepted. Transgender people, we are the lowest of the lowest.”

It has taken years for me to figure out my identity. We all grow up thinking we’re straight, but I began to think maybe I was gay, or bisexual. Now I know I’m into heterosexual men, and women that have a little extra down there. I’ve actually been married twice, both times to a woman. I’m still living with my second wife, even though we’re not a couple anymore.

She’s the one I moved to San Francisco with, after having lived in many different cities. I knew that I would get back to San Francisco at some point. Before we got to the city, we were living in our car, getting our stuff at 7/11. You know what I had for my 50th birthday on the road? A can of beans. That was all we had. But still, it was kind of fun.

In San Francisco, we sold our car to get some money. We got jobs, and we were staying at an SRO. Back then, you didn’t have the waiting lists you have now. They would let you stay a night or two, sometimes a week, sometimes four. We called it the hell hole. It had mice, lice, rats cockroaches, bed bugs, everything.

“In San Francisco, we stayed at an SRO. We called it the hell hole. It had mice, lice, rats cockroaches, bed bugs, everything.”

We had to get out when we ran out of money. So then, we were literally on the streets for three or four months. We spent our first night at the stepstones of the Opera House. We put all our stuff in storage, so we could travel around light. We've learned a lot, with the homelessness thing. I mean when I see a homeless person I know what they are going through. For example, they guard bathrooms in this city like they are safes. If you have to go to the bathroom, where do you go?

“They guard bathrooms in this city like they are safes. If you have to go to the bathroom, where do you go?”

And there’s nowhere you can rest. One day, we were resting somewhere together with an old woman. The cops came up there and said ‘You can’t sleep here.’ And I thought ‘Jesus Christ, if that was your grandmother, you wouldn't talk to her like that.’ They are taking out all the benches and replace them with spikes. I live in the Tenderloin now, I see what’s going on. There are people laying down, because they’re out on heroin usually. They look like they’re dead. I see these things and I go ‘Brrrr’, but what I can do? I wish I knew!

I know there is enough money in this area to solve homelessness. What makes me mad about Bill Gates is that he sends a billion dollars to Africa. You should take care of your own people first! I mean, you can send money there, but at least also spend a million here.

I would really like to make it as a storyteller/mouth musician. I have shows, I get bookings, but I usually don’t get paid for those. I have friends that are doing better than me, and they are not anywhere near as talented as I am. Most of them are singer/songwriters, there is plenty of them. But there is only one Dr. Dreame. No-one has fused storytelling with mouth music. My dream is to be on the cover of the Times magazine, as America’s Storyteller.

“No-one has fused storytelling with mouth music. I want to make it as a T-Girl [transgender woman]. I want to make the trans people proud of me.”

youtube

I want to make it as a T-Girl [transgender woman]. I want to make the trans people proud of me. There is a lot of shit out there, there are a lot of people that should be recognized. There are trans people that are doctors, lawyers, but you don’t see them. There should be a magazine that has to do with nothing but trans people. To show that we are doing it, that we are part of society. ‘On the Waterfront’ is one of my favorite movies. Every time I see it, I see me. They say ‘This is not your night, kid’. I want what Terry wants: I want the title shot.

Shared weekly on Medium, and soon to be published in a book, ‘Stories Behind The Fog’ is a compendium of 100 stories of people affected by homelessness in San Francisco. The project was triggered by one man’s story that will be released next year in the form of a feature-length documentary: www.moses.movie

Gigi’s story has been written by Arjanna van der Plas and photographed by Tom John Kubik. This story is in collaboration with our partner organization Healing Well.

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