teeco71

Get to know Conscious and become part of the Team

February 16, 2019February 16, 2019teeco71

I recently came across the music of Conscious (Brett Prusinski) on Twitter and then did a little reading up on him. Brett is known for his viral presence online with videos that have accumulated an increasing following and that inspired a movement referred to as #TeamConscious. With his music, Conscious brings melodic, sensual vibes packed with witty, emotional and memorable lyrical verses that matches over unique and funky production. Along with a pure flow Conscious provides the listener with a voice that is said to be “powerful and made to move crowds”.

Conscious is more than a musician, he is also involved in every end of the production including writing all of his own lyrics, directing and editing all videography & photography. Conscious has quickly made his footprint in his hometown of Buffalo, New York and has created a great presence online that I am sure will quickly translate into an incredible career.

Q: Tell us a little about your new song, ‘Lies’. What is it about, what does it mean to you, and what inspired you to write it?

Conscious: “LIES” is my first musical release of 2019 and one of my deepest, real-est songs I’ve ever made. This song means a lot to me as the song follows my pain and heartbreak as I talk about a long-term relationship that was toxic and filled with lies, lust and sex. The song was inspired my a past relationship of mine that really changed my perspective on love & relationships.

Q: You have said that you wanted to be an entertainer from a very young age. What are some of your first memories of acting upon that desire to entertain?

Conscious: Sheesh the good old days. So I’ve always had a knack & passion for entertaining. As a young kid I idolized movie stars and musicians. I’ve always had this deep passion for creating. When i first laid my hands on a camera I knew it was magical. Soon after, My mom had purchased me one when was just a little kid. When something inspires me, I become obsessed with it and really soak it up. When i was twelve years old I launched my first Youtube account & within one year of creating videos I landed Youtube partnership (which back then was a BIG deal!). I remember when I first became a partner with Youtube and started earning money online, my mother thought I was scamming people online or something! She didn’t believe it until we started getting mail from Google in our mailbox. I recall always making all types of videos online, some my dad even participated in and helped me make. It grew from there and I never looked back.

Q: Where can people find you and your music online?

Conscious: I’m everywhere! Not only that I’m very engaged with my following. You support me, I support you! Just how I am.

You can find me on Youtube, Facebook , Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat. My music is available on all major music platforms including Itunes/Apple Music, Spotify, Google Play, etc.

Q: What’s one thing you absolutely cannot live without and one thing you wish we could all live without?

Conscious: I’m assuming this is asked in a just for fun manner, so no obvious things like oxygen, etc. Haha. So as sad as it sounds, I’d probably say the internet. They used to say money makes the world go round, but now a-days I think the internet is what makes the world go round. The internet in my opinion is the single handily most powerful tool if used correctly.

Q: Who are some of your inspirations in music and entertainment?

Conscious: I am inspired by artist of all kinds, music of all genres. I can draw inspiration from even everyday life. So it’s hard to answer this. I’m mainly inspired by myself and the last thing I made as I’m always trying to be better than I was yesterday.

Q: What artists would you like to work with in the future?

Conscious: I’m very interested in working with other talented up & coming artist from across the world who are passionate about the art and have a story to tell.

Q: With social media, artists have a chance to be seen and interact with fans more regularly. How do you find time to balance that with working on your music and projects?

Conscious: It’s very hard. You have to really find a balance. Some spend too much time in the studio and not enough time building an audience or following. On the other hand, some spend too much time online promoting the music and not enough time working on their craft. I struggle with this myself time to time. I think it comes down to prioritizing and time management. I think as artist we tend to think we need to respond and be active 24/7 with our following we forget they are going to understand we are human and at times it’s just not possible to respond and get back to everyone as your audience grows. I personally allow myself a time block to get on social media, so that way I can dedicate and give my full attention to my audience. While during other parts of my day be able to give my full attention to other affairs.

Q: Social media can be a great help but there are still lots of challenges artists face when navigating the music business and entertainment industry. What do you think are some of the greatest difficulties creative types are dealing with now?

Conscious: I think for me, the most difficult thing is getting the funding needed to truly take this movement to the next level. Things like setting up tours, merch and high budget advertising all take money. For me everything is stepping-stones, one day & one song at a time. With each song I see my audience grow significantly and I believe if I stay true to the art and make quality content and put my all into this, things will come together.

Q: What’s up next for Conscious?

Conscious: 2019 IS A BIG YEAR FOR #TeamConscious!! I will be dropping a boatload of singles leading up the release of my 4th and best project to date, Path To Redemption. Which follows my journey from heartbreak to reclaiming independence and turning the negativity into success. I also have several high-profile music videos dropping as well some giveaways to show my appreciation to #TeamConscious and all the love & support I’ve been shown.

He is the official video for ‘Lies’ be sure to subscribe to Conscious on YouTube and like and share:

Daniel Alexander will be around more than Just For Tonight…

February 13, 2019teeco71

I first met Daniel Alexander in Ft Lauderdale, Florida while I was on vacation. At that time he told me all about his passion for his music and his desire to make some changes to his career. He was feeling like he needed to experience more, get out of his comfort zone, and find his voice in more than just a musical way. We’ve kept in touch since and one night when I was leaving The Abbey in Los Angeles I literally bumped into him on the street. At the time, he was planning to move to Los Angeles but I hadn’t realized he had arrived already.

Last year, we hung out at LA Pride, where he told me about some of the changes he made and shared with me his plans to release new music soon. Well, the time has come for that music to be shared with everyone…… so, I got him to agree to a little interview……

Q: You have said that Just for Tonight is autobiographical. It’s a deep song that definitely seems to have lots of meaning behind it. Tell us what the inspiration was behind it?

Daniel Alexander: While Just For Tonight has elements of a fun Pop song, it is actually a deeply personal track about my struggles with anxiety and making it in the music industry. “It gets real late at night, I walk the street alone. These LA city lights always set the tone.” The song was inspired by a 3am walk I took down Sunset. I was thinking about how far I’ve come and where I want to be. I wondered if I’d ever be good enough or if I’d ever become the artist I’ve always wanted to be. The “boy” in the song is me. It’s the younger version of myself who I’ve been trying to live up to my entire life. That little boy with the big dreams of becoming a Pop star.

Q: You write your own songs so would you say they are all autobiographical or do you incorporate others’ experiences into your work?

Daniel Alexander: I have to say that most of my songs are inspired by something I’ve been through. Even the party tracks are written after an insanely fun night. Whether they are dramatized for the sake of the song or not is a different story. However, I’m an artist. I tend to see things in a more dramatic light than others would. I feel things in a more intense way. My life is a movie and I always have the lead role! 8214DE88-558B-4224-A2CF-0019603338D5

Q: You appear to have definitely come into yourself as you made other changes in your life. How was it to move across the country and sort of start all over?

Daniel Alexander: Leaving where I grew up to move to LA was one of, if not, the hardest things I’ve had to do. Before I left, I really underestimated the challenges and mental strain it would have on me. However, I knew that staying where I was and not taking the leap would have a greater effect on me. My drive and passion for music is what allows me to breathe. It’s the reason I wake up in the morning. I knew it was the right thing to do.

Q: Speaking of starting over, you also did a little re-branding and redirecting. Was that all as a result of what you learned about yourself from moving?

Daniel Alexander: The re-branding started happening before I moved. I grew up, went through so many life experiences, breakups, makeups, etc. The essence of who I am is the same but, I’m also a completely different person. In turn, a completely different artist. I didn’t see myself through the lens of my old music. While I still love it, this sound, these lyrics represent exactly where I am at this moment. Moving across the country definitely affected me as well and I’m so excited to have written and recorded this track a year after my move. It’s so representative of what I’ve been through here in LA.

Q: What advice would you give to your younger self about taking the path to the music business?

Daniel Alexander: To buckle up and get ready for the ride! “It’s going to be a crazy one!”

I would tell myself to never lose confidence or take my eye off the prize. To keep my head up and to only listen to the people who believe in what I’m doing. When I was younger, I would take what people said to heart. As I got older, I started realizing that people won’t support something they can’t understand or have the confidence to do themselves. “Just keep going and believe in this! You’re on the right track!”

Q: What’s one thing you absolutely cannot live without and one thing you with we could all live without?

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Daniel Alexander: One thing I couldn’t live without is my iPhone! It’s how I communicate with the world, share my music and interact with everything that keeps me going. It helps me share my music, discover new music and put myself out there. As well as set up dates and a bunch of B.S! Haha. “Let me call this Uber right quick…”

Q: How do people find you online to keep up with all you are doing?

Daniel Alexander: Instagram is the social platform I use the most. It is the central source of Daniel Alexander. You can follow me @dalexandermusic. You can also reach me on my official site: dalexanderonline.com

Q: What’s up next for Daniel Alexander?

Daniel Alexander: I want to travel the world! I’m so excited to set up this promotional tour and just get out there! New music and an EP is also on the way! 🙂

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Derek Jameson wants to help you to know your self-worth

December 23, 2018December 24, 2018teeco71

Derek Jameson has become a perfect example, to me, of someone who evolves the right way, in the right direction. His music and voice always spoke to me and I’m impressed by his knowledge of health and fitness. When he started to be vocal about his spiritual journey, it made so much sense. His posts, personality, and demeanor always had a tinge of peacefulness to them so I wasn’t surprised at all to find out he was also in the know about meditations, angels, and guides.

I’ve always believed in higher power and that there are entities who guide us, protect us, and lead us to other souls that are part of our journey. I’m thankful that those entities led me to Derek because knowing him for as long as I have has been a total pleasure. I also knew I could totally trust him to do a reading for me. I would highly recommend heading over to his website after you read our interview to schedule something for yourself. You can also check out his other services and jewelry too!

I was very impressed and pleased with my own nine card reading. So pleased that all of my bragging piqued the interest of at least one of my friends to reach out to Derek for her own. That makes me extremely happy too, when you trust and believe in someone, you want your friends to benefit as well!

I always love talking to Derek Jameson on social media, via email, and in person – so I could have asked him hundreds of questions. For now, I hope you enjoy the ones I chose:

Q: You definitely embody the term “Multi-Talented” – Musician, Trainer, Guide, Healer… am I leaving any out? Tell me how you got started on the music first and where that journey has taken you.

Derek Jameson: Lol! I am sure there are more titles that can be squished into description, but we can leave it at a digestible amount.

I started off performing as a character at a Paramount theme park in Northern California at 15 years old. Hiding behind a big head allowed me to explore my creative side and still be hidden away. I was very shut off from the world when I was young. Being made fun of started in 5th grade, so I had a few years under my belt to really base my self-worth on what others thought about me haha! At the same time I was writing lyrics and playing basic chords on the piano. It was a way to express the dark that was burrowing inside of me. This creative outlet allowed me to be free. Since then I was in bands and winning awards. My solo projects have gotten me signed to a label under UMG, songs in film, TV, and allowed me to have my own tour in Asia. Now, I am collaborating on projects with other artists, DJ’s, and producers with an aim to move people to feel.

Q: How did you get into the Physical Trainer part? What has that been like for you?

Derek Jameson: Going back to self-worth, I would look at magazines and feel like I should look like the guys I see on them. I was reallllllly skinny. In retrospect I completely understand that it was my journey of learning to build armor and make myself stronger so that I could teach others how to. I discovered that if we have the idea, then it lives inside us waiting to manifest. I wanted to help uncover what they already had inside them. I thought this was done through physical fitness, but now I see that it was SO much bigger than that. Being a trainer has allowed me to bring people out of the dark. It has given me radio, TV, and film opportunities as well. Being in Los Angeles, I have had the opportunity to work with high-profile entertainment clients to assist them on their journey. People want to say “luck.” I know it’s just about knowing what you want and following your inner guidance.

Q: When it comes to physical training are there certain things you can say we should never eat or is that something that varies from person to person? Is there a big list of no-no foods one just need never consume?

Derek: This is a funny question because you can’t tell ANYONE what to do or not to do. They have to figure it out for themselves you know? How else do we learn how to tune into what FEELS right for our individual needs and desires at that particular moment? I have had to go from eating Mama Celeste pizzas just to gain weight to eating organic and plant-based nutrition to be healthy and honor my body. It all has served it’s purpose within my particular life plan. Right now you might love eating chicken and that totally works for you. That’s great! However, you may wake up tomorrow feeling that chicken no longer serves this vibrational space you are in and it’s time to eat more plant based and organic. It’s all for good if you are listening to what your body is telling you. It’s about learning. So, I never tell anyone not to do anything unless they are asking for help and I then tell them how to manipulate and modify what they are doing to meet their expectation.

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Q: In your experience, what are some of the most common questions and concerns individuals have when they come to you for spiritual guidance/healing?

Derek: They typically don’t even know what they want, but they know they need something. I typically get first timers who have trust in me enough to sit with me. The issues they are facing typically arise naturally. Many are going through a major cleansing and shift in their vibration and they don’t fully know how to approach it. I bridge that confusion by clearing out the unnecessary helping them to realign to their inner being and offer soul support. You would think it would be a lot of relationship stuff, but it’s been more about aspects of their life that aren’t working. This just goes to show you that we are ALL connected and everyone is going through this major shift. It’s so beautiful lol!

Q: Being a Guide and Healer does actually fit into the whole Physical Trainer part for sure. How did that begin? Tell me a little about where it’s taken you so far.

Derek: I mix spiritual development in with my training clients. Sometimes it’s through clear exercises, but mostly they are receiving vibrational tunings within the conversations we have during sessions. I realized the biggest issue with physical fitness is the word physical. It’s removing the other planes of existence. We also need to focus on the mental, emotional, and spiritual. If they aren’t aligned in all these areas, they won’t see the results they want because they never learned how to SEE themselves truly for the energy they are. They just see this outer casing that ends up not mirroring the inner being. It took me a while to discover this missing component and how to fully integrate it, but it’s proved to be extremely effective. If you can’t see yourself as perfect already, you will never be fully present with yourself and thus always seeking outside validation.

Q: When you did my 9 card reading (which I highly recommend) we touched on realizing one’s purpose. What are some common things that prevent us from realizing our true purpose, path, or calling?

Derek: Self worth is the most detrimental component to seeing, trusting, and carrying out true life purpose. Everyone is talented. Only some have the balance of self worth that allow them to surrender to what they came her to do. No one’s life purpose is your life purpose. So, comparing yourself to what others are doing isn’t even a valid activity. Fear is an illusion that tries to keep you from what you came here to do. Everyone knows what lights them up. If they say they don’t it’s because they have fear surrounding it that they aren’t ready to face. People must choose to look at themselves in the mirror in order to walk through it.

Q: We are always talking about and hearing there are major shifts going on. What do you do if you aren’t feeling them? Does that mean they weren’t for you or are you just not open enough to feel them?

Derek: If people aren’t feeling the shifts taking place, that’s just their life plan. Again, not everyone’s life plan is the same. We make pre agreements before coming into this life and we also choose the time we start to awaken. If people aren’t feeling the shifts, it’s because they don’t necessarily want to or are ready for that. That is all okay. That’s what people like you are there for. Sometimes your simple post, suggestion, or experience is the seed that plants in the minds of those who are ready. That is what you are here for. They will then have their own journey, but you planted the seed that allowed them to feel the sun.

Q: What is one thing you absolutely cannot live without and one thing you wish we could all live without?

Derek: Peace of mind. Fear.

Q: In regards to music, who are some artists you’d like to do collaborations with?

Derek: Most of them are not well-known, but in their style communities. Haelos, Birdy, Vini Vici, Matt Nash, Kaskade, EDX

Q: Where can we find you, your work, and your music online?

Derek: IG – @derekjameson

Soundcloud – www.soundcloud.com/derekjamesonmusic

Itunes – Derek Jameson

Spotify – Derek Jameson

YouTube – Wonderful Light Body

YouTube (Music) – Derek Jameson Music

Q: What’s up for Derek Jameson in the new year?

Derek: QHHT Past Life Regression Healings. Music collaborations with DJ’s, artists, and producers coming out in 2019. Spiritual readings and healings. More amazing-ness!

Here’s something from Derek’s YouTube channel for Wonderful Light Body:

And, of course, some of his music:

Kaden James wants to give you All He Has to Give

December 22, 2018December 23, 2018teeco71

Kaden James is someone who not only has many gifts, he also has the talent of knowing HOW to share them. I’ve known Kaden for years now, have interacted with him almost daily on social media, and have always found our exchanges positive, uplifting, and important. He wrote a truly wonderful Christmas story last year, ‘All I Have to Give’ (available on Amazon). I think it’s the perfect holiday book to read to your children, have your children read, and to read yourself. It makes a great stocking-stuffer or holiday gift too! We tend to lose sight of the true meaning of the Holidays with all the shopping and gift giving. This book puts that all in perspective in such a lovely way! As Kaden ends the book: “When life is tough and you feel you have nothing to give, remember that what you have is always enough, for the most precious gift we can ever give is love”.

When I first came across Kaden, he was pursuing a career in music, his songs have been featrued on a few MTV shows and I was thrilled for him. He was also doing some amazing modeling (just check out his Instagram to see how great he is!). Kaden is definitly someone who is always evolving and searching for the next way to help people, so it was very natural for him to get into life coaching and empowerment as well.

One thing I have always noticed about him is that he takes time to connect and thank me for my support. But, really, he is the kind of soul I want to support. It’s a natural meeting of souls who want the same thing for our world. I am so interested in everything that is for Social Good, that helps others on their journey in life, and that helps all of us get along, as well as get ahead in life (and that doesn’t always mean in material ways). Kaden absolutely gets that.

I could go on for paragraphs about how amazing he is, but I really want you to enjoy this interview that has been a few years in the making!!

Q: Tell us a little about you. How did you get into life coaching and empowerment?

Kaden James: I was in a place where I was feeling very stuck in my life and knew I needed a radical shift in my approach to live. I had always enjoyed hearing how others had gained success and moved their lives forward and I just started studying experts that really resonated with me. I knew I needed to learn what they knew. After having dinner with a mentor friend of mine, and giving him some advice on some things he had been going through, he said “Wow, you really have a talent for this. You should think about becoming a professional life coach”. I had never even considered what I had done for him or other people I had helped in life as a career. I had always just enjoyed making people feel good and getting there lives on track was much easier for me than getting my one on track. So I was sitting there thinking – I NEED A LIFE COACH! So I went home that night and researched some coaches and then reality hit in the form of how much money coaching cost. I am by no means knocking the prices of others who lend their expertise to help people, this is VALUABLE work that we do… I just didn’t have those kinds of resources to create an ongoing relationship with a coach so I enrolled in a course where I could learn what coaches knew and make payments, like student loans to learn. I dove in full force, got certified and then started gaining clients and working with people who had different budgets – the goal was always the same to help people get the life they want, and by helping others do this I am getting the life I want. It’s a beautiful flow of energy that really elevates and great coach/client or teacher/student relationship. I think of it as a partnership and I learn a lot form those I have the pleasure of working with.

Q: I love the term SpirLit! explain what that means to you.

Kaden James: I have always felt that we all have light within us when we are born and through life’s troubles and hardships sometimes that light dims but as long as you are alive there is an ember within you that can be fanned into a beautiful flame that lights up your spirit and the world. It is your job to discover the ways you have blocked your light and then shine brighter than ever. Spirlit came to me while meditating on this concept and is a way I am putting more light into this world. Look out for Spirlit.com launching in the new year to produce content that helps charities reach a wider audience and as a platform that shines a light on people doing kind things in their communities. I hope you will join us and become a “Guardian of Light” which is what we call our members. It’s a very exciting time to be AWAKE and to be willing to spread the light of love across the world.

Q: You’re also a model, your pictures are always so well done. Do you have say over that sort of thing or does it come from picking the right photographers? Or maybe both? How did you get started with that industry?

Kaden: Thank you. Modeling started out as a way for me to make a little money and gain confidence. I would then reinvest what I was earning into music and other things that were important to me. I have always been an artist and felt that I had more to say and offer the world than just some nice images, but with that said I have had a lot of fun with it. I have met some really tremendous people and have been able to spread word about things that are important to me with this platform.

Q: You wrote a book, ‘All I Have to Give”. What inspired that story and then how did you go about getting it out there?

Kaden: I felt a tugging at my heart last year around the holidays to write. I hadn’t yet built up my businesses and was struggling financially. I was left wondering what I could get my loved ones. I knew I could just force myself to work odd jobs and spend my time that way, just hustling away or I could use my time to write. My heart won that battle and “All I Have to Give” became the gift I gave to my loved ones. It’s something I am even more proud of as I read it again this year. We have raised money for two very deserving charities and I as I wrote the story I connected with the real meaning of the holiday season, it was pure and powerful. I hope others who read it will feel more connected with the spirit of the season as well.

Q: What is the best Christmas gift you’ve ever received? (Material item and non material item)

Kaden: Material item- I was given a scrapbook that my mother put together that showed them as children, then when they met and finally when they had me and our lives together through the years. It was so thoughtfully made and I treasure it.

Non material I love a good hug from loved ones during the holidays and also just chatting and being present (pun intended) near a Christmas tree.

Q: In your opinion, what is the best gift you’ve every given?

Kaden: All I Have to Give: this book is deeply meaningful to me and my hope is that it will continue to touch people for many years to come. That’s a gift that keeps giving and I love that.

Q: I remember finding you through your music. Is that still something you are pursuing?

Kaden: I have always loved music, I will always have more songs in me. I have a few unreleased works, one of which I want to lend to a youth homelessness charity, I was homeless for a time and lived in a shelter so this is my way of honoring the people who help in this area as well as help other young people who go through these hardships. I am still working out the best way to do this. It’s a deeply personal song called “Don’t Leave Me Lonely” and is about not knowing your direction or who you are supposed to be in this world. I have also been writing music for a musical called “The Fall”.

Q: What is one thing you absolutely cannot live without and one thing you wish we could all live without?

Kaden: I can’t live without my connection to Spirit. I wish we could all live without hate, it’s a poison that harms everyone.

Q: Where can we find you online, besides following you on Instagram at @Kaden? Or is Instagram your main platform?

Kaden: I have a few little homes online: KadenJames.com YouTube.com/Kaden and of course Instagram and you can check out @SpirLit as well.

Q: What’s coming up for you in the new year?

Kaden: I will be launching a Daily Playbook, to help people adopt good daily habits like daily goal setting, positive thinking, gratitude and a way to check in with themselves and best of all it’s easy and fun. So be on the lookout for that. I will also be releasing more GOOD STUFF! So please connect with me online and join the party.

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I definitely encourage you to join the party. Here’s a video from Kaden’s YouTube channel so you can see how relatable he is and how passionate he is about what he does:

Have you met David Hernandez?

December 19, 2018teeco71

David Hernandez began singing at the young age of six. He was chosen for one of the lead roles for a local theater company, Valley Youth Theater and decided on a career singing and performing after his grandfather took him for the audition. He took vocal coaching and training at Voices, a vocal coaching studio in Arizona. His teacher has said that Hernandez trained “whenever he could afford it” as he wasn’t always financially stable.

When David was growing up, he was a gymnast and won medals in the Grand Canyon Olympics. He’s even tried his hand at acting and was in an independent film before he entered our living rooms on American Idol. At one time, he thought of becoming an entertainment show host (which I could totally see with his humor and personality). Before Idol, he worked various jobs, including singing on cruise ships as part of a singing group called Vinyl Four, working as a server at a pizza bistro, and working at night clubs. He was also part of a local Phoenix cover group called Tribe 7.

As a teen, David went to a Arizona State University and had a job selling knives door-to-door while majoring in broadcast journalism.

After American Idol, David Hernandez made his way to The Ellen DeGeneres Show (where he performed the song “In the Midnight Hour”) Today Show, Access Hollywood, TRL, and TV Guide Network’s Idol Tonight. He was asked to perform at The Children’s Hospital of New York Presbyterian where he sang “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” and “In the Midnight Hour.”

David has toured with Diana DeGarmo, Kimberley Locke and Chikezie on a 20-city Idol Holiday Tour but these days, he’s busy with his brand new album ‘Kingdom: The Mixtape’. The album is available everywhere you get your music and I’m hoping to get my hands on a physical, signed copy one of these days.

I had the absolute pleasure of seeing David perform in NYC (for a benefit for his friend Sly, who had fallen ill) last year and then meeting him for the first time since we became friends on social media. It felt like I was visiting an old friend rather than a first meeting. I have a feeling that it’s just part of his personality from what I have seen of him over the years.

I have to say, without exaggeration, David Hernandez is one of my very favorite voices. When I listen to his album, hear him singing on his Instagram, or when I see him sing in person; I feel the power and emotions behind it all. I have said that I put him right up there with Whitney Houston, which, for anyone who knows me, is the ultimate level.

Check him out, follow him on social media, subscribe to him everywhere, because I have a feeling we are in for so much more! (Plus, he now has this adorable puppy he posts all the time!)

Here’s his music video for ‘Shield’ and be sure to subscribe to his channel!

And I couldn’t pick just one video, ‘Never Did’ is one of my favorites, so I had to show it off:

Have you met Brandon Rogers?

December 16, 2018December 16, 2018teeco71

brandon rogers apathy

Brandon Rogers has worked as a professional backup vocalist, and was the 12th place finalist on American Idol, season six. He also co-wrote “Happy Little Pill” for Troye Sivan and “I Built a Friend” with Alec Benjamin.

Brandon got his first big break as part of a Sons of Harmony, a band brought together through a radio boy band competition as part of The Kidd Kraddick morning show on 106.1 KISS-FM in Dallas, Texas in 2000. They had originally put together an audition as a joke to see if they could really create a boy band, but they ended up with five talented singers which they named Sons of Harmony. Mexican pop singer Marcos Hernandez was also a member of this band. When the group broke up, Brandon moved to Los Angeles, California to pursue a career in music.

He auditioned for American Idol in Los Angeles, where the judges, who included guest judge Olivia Newton-John, were impressed with his vocals. Judge Simon Cowell later said he was the best who had auditioned from Los Angeles.

Brandon has been a professional backup vocalist on Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera’s 2003 Justified and Stripped Tour and Anastacia‘s 2005 Live at Last Tour. He has also worked as a voice coach and wedding singer. In 2008, he even guest starred on one of my favorite TV series, Bones. He also appeared as a recurring character on a web-oriented series “Valley Peaks” and released his single “Broken”.

brandon rogers

I’ve noticed that Brandon continues to support American Idol and the contestants on his social media accounts (he frequently watches and posts his reactions in his Instagram stories during the season).

This year we saw the release of his latest single, Apathy, which is about dealing with a broken heart and getting over someone. Hopefully, you got to see him perform this year as well. I know I’m looking forward to it very soon and possibly sitting down to chat with him for an interview! I have had the pleasure of meeting Brandon and hanging out with him on a few occasions so I can attest to the fact that he is not only a talented artist, he’s also one of the good guys.

Be sure to check out Apathy wherever you get your music and follow Brandon on social media.

Happy 10th Anniversary NOH8 Campaign!

December 14, 2018December 14, 2018teeco71

NOH8 Photo June 2018

Ten years ago I found the NOH8 Campaign online and shortly after, I joined Twitter and found out even more plus found more people who were part of the community. I was new to social media but I quickly saw that what Adam Bouska, Jeff Parshley, and the whole team were doing was more than just taking photos. It was a bold statement at a time when marriage equality was non-existent in most places and had been overturned in others.

NOH8 organized a march on Washington and I wasn’t even used to traveling much back then but I knew I HAD to be there. I booked a flight, made sure to connect with a few people on Twitter so I wouldn’t be all alone when I got there, and proudly headed off to our capital to be sure my voice (and our voices) were heard. That was a huge turning point for me and an enormous push for me to use my voice for causes I believed in. When I got there, met all of these people, and spent the weekend hearing stories, sharing stories, marching, being harassed by protesters, and making friends I am so proud to know; I realized just how important this cause was.

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At the time of the march, I don’t even think I had taken my first NOH8 photo but since then, I think I’ve taken about ten in total. I’ve made sure that if I’m in the same city they are doing a shoot in, I’m there. Over time, the photos have meant more and more to me. It’s about marriage equality but it’s also about all equality for our brothers and sisters who need more of a voice. The entire LGBTQIA community needs to be heard, to be seen, to make themselves known and that’s what I’m doing every time a take a photo, post a photo, bring friends with me to have their photos taken.

We have seen recently that there are people who want to erase certain groups, to reverse the progress we’ve made and that is why the NOH8 Campaign is just as important today as it was ten years ago. In my own personal life, I experienced slurs and prejudice in my work place which wasn’t handled properly by superiors and really not handled at all. I live in NYC but I realized even I could have my voice silenced by the powers that be and that did not sit well with me.

As I think about the past ten years, the photo shoots, the events, the progress, I think the most important thing has been the people I’ve met online from all over the world. They have shared their stories with me, their concerns, their issues. I hope I have been able to offer some advice or at least an empathetic ear that made them feel a little better or helped them to find solutions, a little courage, and some comfort.

I want to thank Adam, Jeff, and everyone at NOH8 for all they have done, do, and will do. I don’t think there are words to express how incredibly grateful I am to have been given the boost of courage I received from simply being associated in any way with this cause and I promise to continue to lend my voice, to proudly display my photos, and to continue to bring my friends along for the experience.

To the friends (Straight, gay, queer, etc) who have joined me: I am forever grateful for your love and support. This campaign has allowed so many to stand next to people they love in support and show just how united we can be no matter what else is going on in the world.

I look forward to another amazing ten years and more!!!

Please feel free to share your own NOH8 stories here!