Category: Women in Entertainment

A series of articles on leading indie women

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Women in Entertainment

Women in entertainment: Heather Jacks gives buskers a needed voice

Welcome to another beautiful Monday morning – time for another in our Women in Entertainment series.  This week the spotlight falls on Heather Jacks, author, journalist and music lover who is on a mission to share the magic of busking with the world.
Jacks grew up on an Indian reservation in southeastern Oregon until she was 15, when she was selected as the first ‘experimental exchange student’ to Australia with an organization called YFU (Youth for Understanding).  She spent ten and a half months with the program before returning to the States to attend the University of San Francisco.  She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree at USF before going to the University of California at Davis for an additional two years. 
Since the 1980’s, Jacks has worked in the music industry in various capacities, including radio, production, A&R, booking and most recently as a music journalist.  She recently won a Book of the Year Award for her multi-media project, The Noise Beneath the Apple®, which was inspired by her love for street music, busking and the people who make it.
Besides her love of music, she is a certified TV junkie, an unapologetic Twitter practitioner and a SF Giants loving fiend.   She travels extensively, but continues to hang her hat in San Francisco.
As we do with all our articles, we asked Jacks what inspires her.  In typical journalistic style, she expounded on the subject:  “As a writer, I spend a lot of time online, researching, interviewing, refining and sculpting words, creating cadence and turning good writing into better stories.  I find this journey inspirational.  Still I make time to step away from the blinking screen to breathe in life and the world around me; to re-charge and renew.  At the risk of sounding like I’m writing a love letter, my greatest inspiration comes from the City I call home, San Francisco.  I love walking her streets, wandering aimlessly into shops, undiscovered nooks and crannies, taking guided walking tours, trekking the Coastal Trail—Karl Fog, keeping me close company.  I love stopping at dive bars, where I can get a barrel-aged shot of whiskey AND a can of Olympia at the same time.  I love all the staircases and stunning views that rise up to greet you in the most unexpected place.  I love that we have a baseball team, that no matter how great they do, are always considered the underdog, and they persevere in style.  I love that everyone here is a little weird, and that San Francisco is pretty OK with that.  In the end, I am inspired simply, by doing what I love most.”
Jacks has recently launched a crowd funding campaign on Rocket Hub for one of her new projects, a multi-media project similar to the “Noise Beneath the Apple” project, which is dedicated to the buskers of San Francisco.  Check out the cool gifts you get for contributing to the project by clicking here.
We asked Jacks to expound on her future plans, and here’s what she had to say:
“Currently I am working on TWO separate Coffee Table Books, showcasing and preserving separate pieces of San Francisco history. My earlier book, The Noise Beneath the Apple®, which celebrates the spirit of busking, aka; street performance, and was set in New York City, won an independent Book of the Year Award.  I am replicating that book in the Bay Area, with 25 amazing street performers spanning from Oakland, Berkeley, Santa Cruz, Napa Valley, and of course, San Francisco.  The Bay Area edition, like the NYC version, will include film, music, stories and photos.
The second project is about The San Francisco Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.  The Sisters are a leading order of queer nuns, who began here in 1979 and are now a worldwide charity organization. They continue to devote themselves to community service, promoting human rights and outreach to those on the edges of society. They are an integral, (sometimes misunderstood), part of San Francisco culture. 
These two projects, along with my line of Vintage Vinyl Record Bags, (www.rockarecord.com), will definitely keep me very busy for the next few years!”
Street performers definitely have a friend in Jacks and the public truly benefits from this friendship, as we are exposed to amazing artists that we may not have known were out there.  Many thanks to Jacks for providing this service.  We wish her well in her campaign and look forward to seeing the finished project.
You can keep up with this amazing music supporter by checking out her Facebook page, following her on Twitter, Instagram, and Google Plus, and by subscribing to her YouTube channel.

 

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Women in Entertainment

Women in entertainment: Julie Neumark, an artist on the cutting edge

It’s another beautiful October Monday, and time to introduce our latest in the #WomeninEntertainment series, Julie Neumark, an artist who is on the cutting edge, not afraid to stand up for herself and what she believes.
Neumark grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio before moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in film and television.  Once arriving in the Golden State, she lost no time in securing roles on Lifetime’s Oh Baby, The Gilmore Girls and various pilot episodes, as well as in the film Tattered Angel, which starred her childhood idol Lynda Carter.  She also appeared in numerous commercials and print ads.
After performing a song about an ex at an open mic night, Neumark reconsidered her artistic direction, and opted to pursue songwriting and singing.  It didn’t hurt that she was immediately offered a full spot to perform at the club the following Friday night.
Over the next three years, Neumark performed at every opportunity at venues throughout Los Angeles, including shows at the famed Hotel Cafe where this writer first encountered her.  Her perseverance and drive helped build a large fan base and landed her a manager and a full length album, Dimestore Halo.

Dimestore Halo was an album filled with the passion, fury, sadness and triumph of life, inspired by Neumark’s own coming-of-age story and the loss of her father to cancer in 2005.

Her record release party was held at a Italian restaurant on Santa Monica Boulevard that had originally been the location for the studio where the Doors made L.A. Woman, their final album with Jim Morrison.  For Neumark, the location was perfect, as she epitomizes the true L.A. Woman – unafraid to stand up for her beliefs and driven to share her talents with the masses.

As a result of the critical acclaim for the album, Neumark was signed to Europe’s Hyena Records, which released Dimestore Halo in late 2008.  This led to Neumark being asked to support two tours for chart-topping indie rocker Beth Hart (“LA Song”) in 2009.

Lonesome Day Records also signed Neumark and released the album in June 2010 in the United States.  Neumark and her band supported the album during a tour of the southwest, including a stop at the SXSW Music Conference in Austin, Texas before returning to Los Angeles.

Despite advice to the contrary, Neumark chose to “come out.”   As a result, she won over a new fan base which respected her for her honesty and spunk.  She married Dr. Holly Lucille, a renowned expert on women’s health issues, who also plays bass in Neumark’s acoustic band and has toured extensively with her, when she’s not busy doing television talk shows herself.

What inspires Neumark?    “I have been most inspired by a quote from fellow indie artist Joss Whedon:  ‘Don’t just be yourself – be all of yourself.  Don’t just live; be that other thing connect to death.  Be life.'”

Neumark’s music also caught the attention of key music supervisors in Hollywood, leading to the placement of her song “Uncharted Water” in the indie film Steam, starring Ruby Dee and Ally Sheedy, as well as placement of the title track “Dimestore Halo” by ABC.

Since then, Neumark has released an EP, No More, in 2013, and has just finished her sophomore full length album, Giving Trees, which will be released in early 2016.

What are Neumark’s plans for the future?  “I recorded my upcoming album (Giving Trees) over the course of 7 months with the help of incredibly talented and generous people.  Being able to take my time and remain present throughout the recording process added a magical element that allowed a sparkly kind of joyful creativity to pervade.  I took with me one of the most impactful lessons of my life:  when there is no joy in your art, there is no art.  Always make room for the joy.”

To find out more about this amazing artist, check out her Facebook page, follow her on Twitter, and subscribe to her YouTube channel.

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Women in Entertainment

Future Women in Entertainment: Meresha brings a “New Revolution” to the indie music scene

Happy new (fiscal) year!  It’s time for another article in our Future Women in Entertainment series.  This month we feature 18-year old Meresha, an Alien-loving vegan singer, songwriter, musician, composer, and producer, who has plans to take over the world.  We believe she just may be destined to join the ranks of those artists like Björk, Beck, Gaga, Madonna and Cher who are on a first name basis with their fans.

While many artists talk about chasing their dream and following whatever path is laid out in front of them, most of them never leave their hometowns and cities and expect it all to come to them.  This is definitely not the case with Meresha. Born and raised in Warsaw, Poland, she was deeply influenced by artists such as Robert Plant, Joss Stone, Freddie Mercury, Björk, Hayley Williams and James Blake as she learned and honed her craft.  She and her family relocated to Florida when she was 15 so that she could pursue her music career.

Meresha is a trendsetter and became the first artist to launch an EP exclusively on the new social media site tsu, one week before it was available publicly.  She made videos with the CEO, prominent tsu users, the tsu leadership team as well as prominent charities ahead of the launch.

New Revolution is a four-track EP in the electronica and electro-pop genre.  The title track has already cracked the Top 100 and appears to be headed for the Top 40.   “New Revolution” is a celebratory song that Meresha hopes each listener will interpret to be meaningful for his or her own “revolution.”   It’s an upbeat song that was designed to get listeners to dance and sing along and was written and composed to lift spirits and simply have fun.   Explains Meresha, “I created this song as a celebration of the past, creation of the new and a respect of the classics.  But it really can be about many things and people can interpret it in many ways. It can be applied to music, innovation or even technology.”

Meresha wrote and sang every song on her album, as well as performing them  as a pianist, guitarist and drummer.  Her sound is described as a combination of a soulful voice with modern beats, and is truly unique.   That’s not just hyperbole, since the EP has already either won or been a semi-finalist in several global music competitions, eliciting praise from the music press and extensive global radio play.

For the “New Revolution” video, Meresha enlisted five-time MTV VMA nominee David Rousseau (Pitbull, Magic!, Enrique Iglesias, LMFAO, Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Wayne) to helm the director’s chair.  You can check out the results here.

For more information about this rising star, check out her website and Facebook page, follow  her on Twitter, and subscribe to her YouTube channel.  You can also listen to her stream on Spotify, Soundcloud and iTunes.

Once again, special thanks to Jennifer Lyneis of Ue3 Promotions for introducing me to this electrifying artist.

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Women in Entertainment

Women in entertainment: Tiffany Phillips, inspirational quadruple threat is all pro

Happy Monday.  Now that we’ve all survived the Super Blood Moon, let’s take a look at our next Women in Entertainment featured artist, Tiffany Phillips, actress, dancer, singer, comedian and inspiration to all women, especially those of color.

After receiving a full scholarship, Phillips left her hometown of Apple Valley, California at the tender age of 17 to attend the prestigious American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City.   After graduating, she wasted no time in landing roles in Off Broadway shows as well as traveling as part of several national theatre tours.   She also became a member of the renowned Negro Ensemble Company and National Black Theatre, where she performed on the main stage.  Her national tours included Beehive, the 60’s girl group musical; Sweet Charity; and More Magic, the Motown review starring Florence Larue of The Fifth Dimension.

When she was 19, she became the youngest singer in the Motown Moments at New York’s Motown Cafe, singing the hits of the Supremes, Martha Reeves and The Vandellas and much more.  Among the Motown legends who attended her performances were Diana Ross, Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson, as well as the one and only Mohammed Ali.

Disney cast Phillips in the role of Princess Kibbibi in their musical Festival of the Lion King staged at Walt Disney World ‘s Animal Kingdom in Orlando, Florida.  She also hosted shows on the ABC Soundstage and Superstar Television, as well as performing at special seasonal events.  During this time she also appeared in numerous national commercials and began her string of guest starring roles on network television, including a run as the co-host and on-air announcer for Nickelodeon’s Double Dare 2000.

That run continued when Phillips returned to the West Coast, where she secured roles on such diverse shows as Charmed and Mind of Mencia, as well as several independent films.  Phillips expanded her reach when she starred in several critically-acclaimed plays, including Diary Of A Catholic School Dropout and Jesus’ Kid Brother at the Theatre Rows’ Hudson Theatre, and Soldier’s Don’t Cry and Girls Of Summer, for which she received rave reviews.

This love of theatre prompted Phillips to create the female sketch comedy troupe BoomChickBoom that garnered the attention of Kenny “The Jet” Smith and Robert Townsend, who later became producers on the project.

Disney came calling again and Phillips was chosen to be the on-camera spokesperson and host for their Up and Bolt national tours.  She still found time to make the rounds as a stand-up comedian, gracing such comedy landmarks as The Comedy Store and The Laugh Factory.

In 2010, she returned to her vocal roots when she became the lead background vocalist for Michael Bolton’s “One World One Love” tour.

Tiffany wrote and starred in the critically acclaimed one-woman play I Never Met a Jerk I Didn’t Like,” which debuted at the 2013 Hollywood Fringe Festival and went on to become the highest grossing solo show in the 30-year history of LA’s  Whitefire Theatre, as well as selling out Off-Broadway theaters in New York City.

What inspires Phillips?  “I am inspired by quotes from a diverse range of artists.  Among my favorites are “A woman who walks in purpose doesn’t have to chase people or opportunities. Her light causes people and opportunities to chase her;”  “I’m so clever that sometimes I don’t understand a single word of what I’m saying.” (Oscar Wilde); and “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.  Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.  It is our Light, not our Darkness, that most frightens us.” (Marianne Williamson)

More recently, she has co-starred on The Soul Man with Cedrick “The Entertainer,” performed on Comedy Central’s Workaholics and just completed filming the movie Chocolate Is Not Better Than Sex and the new web series Under The Radar with John Wesley and Cleo King.  She has also made several appearances as a guest on HLN’s The Daily Share, as well as an upcoming co-starring role on ABC’s Scandal.

What are her plans for the future?  “I’m currently turning my one woman show into a novel and am in the process of writing a comedy web series.  I definitely want to get my show up again and would love to tour it because the message is so relevant and universal.  I’m also looking to start a non-profit for teen girl providing self esteem workshops and mentoring.”

For more information on Tiffany Phillips, check out her Facebook and iMDB pages, follow her on Twitter and Instagram or subscribe to her YouTube channel.

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Women in Entertainment

Women in entertainment: Connie Lim, gifted lyricist and musician

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Women in Entertainment

Women in entertainment: Alisha Zalkin, fearless front woman

Happy Monday – it’s time for another edition of the Women in Entertainment series.  Today we will spotlight Alisha Zalkin, a Los Angeles based singer/songwriter and the lead singer of the popular rock band Sleep Machine,  which was recently featured by Entertainment Weekly.
Alisha was brought to this reviewer’s attention by another Women in Entertainment member, Laura Goldfarb of Red Boot PR in June 2014, after the release of On This Road, which was reviewed by Examiner.com.  This reviewer was so impressed with the EP that he attended a live performance in Los Angeles later than month, which resulted in Alisha’ first live review.
In addition to the attention given to Alisha by Examiner.com, she was also named one of the eight break-out artists of 2014 by AXS.com and was the recipient of two 2014 LA Music Critic Awards:  Best CD for On This Road and Best Music Video for the album’s single, “Fearless.”
AXS.com had this to say about Alisha:  “San Diego may have been her hometown, but Los Angeles is falling in love with Alisha Zalkin.  What sets her apart from other singer/songwriters is her heartfelt passion for social change and her willingness to set an example for others to emulate.  Her ballad “Fearless” has set the standard for social change and become an anthem for those fighting oppression and social stigma.  Alisha is well on her way to becoming one of Los Angeles’ biggest stars in 2015.”
It seems that the writer at AXS.com nailed his prediction in this case.  Since December 2014, Alisha has become the lead singer for Sleep Machine, a hard-rocking LA indie rock band which is quickly coming to national attention.  The band has already received placements for their music on several national shows, including The Fosters (ABC Family) and Younger (TV Land), in addition to a commercial for the upcoming ABC drama series Quantico.  The band’s single “Wild for You” was featured by Entertainment Weekly in their TV Jukebox feature.
What inspires Alisha?  “I’ve always been one to find inspiration from music that comes from a pure place, regardless of genre.  I’m inspired by well-written songs that are delivered with purpose.  Anything that reaches out and grabs my emotions.  Music and emotions go hand in hand.  My emotions inspire my music and the music I listen to influences my emotions.”
Where does Alisha see herself in the future?  “I’m currently playing around town (LA) with my band Sleep Machine.  We will be releasing a music video for our song, “Game Over,” from our debut EP Cover me in Gold.  We are also in the process of putting together our second EP.  In addition, I am working on a new solo record, writing and recording for a new folk project, and working as a session singer.”
It is just this kind of work ethic that has propelled Alisha into the spotlight, and promises listeners that good things are still to come for this impressive artist.  To keep up with Alisha, check out her website and Facebook page, follow her on Twitter and Instagram, and subscribe to her YouTube channel.
Thanks to Laura Goldfarb for the background information and for turning this reviewer on to this amazing artist.

 

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Women in Entertainment

Women in entertainment: Camille Bloom, international troubadour

Welcome back to our Women in Entertainment series, which previously ran on Examiner.com.  We are so glad to be back and to be able to post here on Indie Voice.  You can expect a new article in this series every Monday.  Today the spotlight falls on Seattle, Washington based singer-songwriter and international troubadour Camille Bloom.
Born and raised in Washington State, Camille Bloom attended Eastern Washington University and began her career as a high school English teacher in her hometown of Seattle, Washington.  Her love of the English language grew into the skill to craft  songs with truly dynamic and vivid lyrics, and ultimately to Camille’s decision to leave her teaching job and become a full-time touring musician.
Since beginning her musical career, she has played some of the most premier venues in nine different countries:  Canada, United States, Germany, The Netherlands, United Kingdom, Denmark, Belgium, Ireland and Iceland.  With a voice that can ‘purr and wail’ and utilizing her percussive and finger-picking skills on her guitar, Camille has shared the stage with artists like Smashmouth, Metric, Chris Isaak, Shawn Mullins, The Weepies, and many more. 
In fact, during the past nine years, Camille has completed more than 30 national and/or international tours, while her music has been added to over 250 major and college radio stations throughout the United States and Western Europe.  She charted on the European FAR (Freeform American Roots) Charts in 2009 with other music greats such as Bob Dylan, Steve Earle and Iron & Wine.  
In her “spare time,” Camille gives back to her local community by directing a Kid’s Rock Camp for the children in Seattle, Washington.
But what inspires Camille?  “My biggest inspiration is life.  Life experiences, pleasures, pains, politics, societal issues.  Life; all of its beauty and complications.”
And life has been pretty good for Camille.  Not only is she sponsored by Gibson Guitars, but in 2012 Music Connection Magazine distinguished Camille in their annual Top 100 Unsigned Artists compilation.  Her most recent album, Never Out of Time, was chosen as one of the Top 10 Indie Releases by the Los Angeles Examiner. 
What are Camille’s future plans?  “Right now, I am crowdfunding for a new album that I plan to record this fall. I am leaving it up to my fans which kind of album it will be, depending on how much we raise. I am shooting for enough budget to record a full band record with producer, and publicity etc – which would cost around $52,000 but we will determine our budget after fundraising ends on Sept 15th.”
If you want to help Camille with her fundraising efforts, go here and click on the button next to the perk you would like to receive.  If you’re not looking for a perk, you can also make a charitable donation to the campaign.
For more information on Camille, check out her website and Facebook pages, follow her on Twitter and subscribe to her YouTube channel.