Emily Moldy

Member of the Month - March 2011

By Emily Moldenhauer

Though born in Palm Springs CA, Dee Wilson considers himself a Bay Area native, where he was raised and has found an artistic community to pursue his life dreams in the arts. A well-rounded artist, Dee has been singing and dancing since the age of five, drawing and writing since seven, and now as a young adult of 18, is finding success in photography and modeling. Being a dancer, fashion designer, and so much more, Dee Wilson never tires to inspire others and be inspired. Throughout his run with singing/songwriting, Dee’s R&B-influenced style has been compared to Kid Cudi, B.o.B and Fonzworth Bentley and his sound can be found on YMR’s 2010 mixtape Run This Town. As an LGBQT activist and leader in his community, Dee will be remembered for his familiar smile, his willingness to connect to those around him, and his seriousness about his craft and art. Keep your eyes peeled for him in the future, as he plans to continue competing in dance competitions, writing, recording music, and designing fashion!

Watch the video before to hear more about Dee in his own words continue reading the rest of the blog for some fun facts!

• Read more

Event Budgeting Company Meeting

By Emily Moldenhauer

What’s up YMR fam! Hope this fall season has been fun, productive, and positive for you... This past week we had our last Company Meeting of this Fall Season and we’re here to sum it up for you in case you missed it! You can thank us later :) Check it out..

*The meeting went a lil’ something like this* :

It was a Monday evening on December 6th, 2010.We all filed into the Band Room here at YMR and grubbed on some fine dining (aka the usual Company Meeting snacks; chips and juice boxes). The topic for this Monday’s meeting was EVENT BUDGETING so to get our clocks tickin' in the right direction, our Check-in Question was to describe either what we'd do if we won the lottery, or to describe an event that we’ve been to that was whack and why. Then we went onto the “What’s New?” status updates here at YMR and then learned about all the different terms and definitions having to do with Budgeting for Events before getting deeper into the meeting, by working on a budget for YMR Spring Mixtape Release Event! Using an online spreadsheet projected on the wall, we as a group collectively learned how to budget for the future event! It was very informative and helpful for all of us art-appreciating people who wish to plan events in the future. For a better idea as to how it all went check out some Power Point slides of notes from the Company Meeting below!

• Read more

Member of the Month - December 2010

By Emily Moldenhauer

Happy Holidays Everyone! and Season’s Greetings from YMR..
As November has come and gone, and the Fall season is coming to an end, it’s about that time again for another edition of Youth Movement Records’ MEMBER OF THE MONTH; a relatively new monthly feature where we recognize and honor members who are positively contributing to the life, art, and flavor of this organization. We started off with the rapper/emcee, Miss LLDB back in October, then shined the light on the mad beat-making and engineering skills of Sir Alex Wesley aka Fat Boi (or Snacks) for November... and this month, for December, we’re dedicating to paying our respects to the activist, community leader, and beautiful soul of the East Bay, Tania Pulido!!! To find out more information about Tania read her bio below or check out her video interview made by the media makers and soul-shakers of YMR!

NAME: Tania Pulido
AGE: 21 years old
CRAFT: Video Producer, Social Documentarian, Community Activist
LOVES: Gardening, long skirts, her community, grass-roots organizing
HATES: Evil oil companies (such as Chevron) who pollute under-resourced communities
INSPIRATIONS: Amy Goodman, and all grass-roots social activists
SOMETHING WEIRD: She is a master hula-hooper

Born and raised in Richmond, California, Tania Pulido was what some may have referred to as an “at risk youth" back in her teenage years. But when the reality of Richmond’s toxic climate crisis (which was causing high rates of sickness and poor health within the community) became too real to ignore, she dedicated her life to stopping environmental and social injustice, and began using the art of activism to uplift herself. Now an activist, organizer, and leader in her community, she currently is working as Program Coordinator at Urban Tilth, (a Richmond non-profit manifesting a more sustainable and just food system). Tania went from being a youth participant to receiving a leadership position on staff at YMR’s sister organization, RYSE Center, as a Media and Arts assistant program coordinator. It was through this position that she joined us here at YMR-Oakland as a program assistant.

• Read more

Member of the Month - November 2010

By Emily Moldenhauer

Hello WORLD! Greetings from Youth Movement Records and its beloved city, Oakland! Here we are, back again with another installment of YMR’s Member Of The Month; a feature where we recognize and honor the young artists, participants and members involved who are consistently contributing, shining, and keeping this youth movement alive and going! Youth Movement Records exists as a home for Bay Area youth to come and use music and art as an outlet, turn that outlet into a voice, and use their voices to empower themselves and their community. Yes, this is a new generation of soul-shakers, life-changers, and ground-breakers... which is why YMR would like to take the opportunity to recognize youth who are making strides and holding it down for Oakland, for all that is... which is dope!

Please check out some words and the VIDEO INTERVIEW (find it by clicking on "Read More" below) of this next featured Member of the Month, and see how he is using his art to uplift himself and is positively representing Oakland with his dope music. Without further ado... Ladies n’ Gents, meet Alex.

WHO: Alexander Wesley
STAGE NAMES: Fat Boi aka FB, and Snacks
AGE: 18 years
CRAFT: Producer, Beat Maker, Studio Engineer
INFLUENCES: Ryan Leslie, Issac Hayes, Will Bracy, and his Grandma; Audrey Wesley
MUSIC GROUP: New Generation Music (a.k.a. NewGen)
SOMETHING WEIRD: Alex was born premature and his birth weight was the same as his birthday! (No Joke- Weight: 2 pounds, 6 ounces. Birthday: 2/6/92) ... Some say Alex is a walking miracle.

ABOUT ALEX:

They say that some do it for the money, some do it for the fame, but some do it for the music because the rest is just a game.
Alex is definitely one of those who is truly in it for the music, and you can tell just by listening to the way he talks about making a beat or mixing a song in the studio. A Bay Area native raised in Oakland, California, Alex grew up with a passion for art and music, but lacked the creative environment to pursue his passion seriously. His grandmother introduced him to the piano and drawing at a young age, but it wasn’t until he stumbled upon Youth Movement Records around 2 years ago that he was able to find a creative, supportive space and community in which he could distinguish and advance in two of his greatest talents; beat-making and audio-engineering. A high school graduate of Oakland School for the Arts, a YMR All-Star, and now a student of Ex’pression College for Digital Arts, Alex continues to progress as an artist and leader at YMR and in his community. Alex continues to contribute to our organization by working in YMR’s studio; recording, mixing and mastering our artists’ songs, and also by providing YMR artists and video projects with so many hot instrumental beats to choose from that we couldn’t even count if we tried. Check out one of YMR’s newest projects which Alex’s beats were featured on.... our Job Corps Promo Video... and DON’T MISS HIS VIDEO INTERVIEW (Click "Read More" to find it below)!!!

• Read more

ReverbNation, Marketing Yourself, and some STEPS TO TAKE 4 MUSICIANS TRYING TO "MAKE IT BIG"!

***CALLING ALL ARTISTS & MUSICIANS TRYING TO MAKE IT BIG IN THE MUSIC BIZ! PLEASE READ to learn a thing or two about steps to take to making it big in your artistic craft!***
-- Emily Moldy
Lord knows that this business isn't easy, and that despite what we see on TV and music videos, "making it big" is probably not going to look like getting picked up off the street one day, signed to a big record label and then BOOM... it's all money, champagne, and limo rides from there on out. Nope, sadly "making it big" takes A LOT of self-determination, some business skills, an understanding of the music industry, and knowing the right people.
(Of course talent and luck have something to do with it too. :))

One cool thing about YMR is... that when you come here, you are surrounding yourself with people who have the same dreams as you, and who may know some things about the business that you don't. Through Femi, (YMR's Artist Development Instructor!!!) I learned about REVERBNATION and how useful it is for lost lil' artists like myself, trying to get out there! (I am a singer/songwriter, just put out my first EP, and have been serious about my music career for about two years now)... I think you all should know about it because it has already helped me develop myself as an artist! Check it out!

WHAT IS IT?: ReverbNation is a music site made for independent artists, producers, fans, venues, and industry people to be able to self-promote, connect, and collaborate with one another. It's kind of like a music MySpace or Facebook, but with LOTS of tools provided to help you "get out there" with your music.

• Read more

Member of the Month - October 2010

By Emily Moldenhauer

All over the world young people are feeling it. It’s the bounce in their step, the sensation in their fingers... it’s that passion...that feeling that there is no other time but RIGHT NOW to make life into art and share that art with the world. Beginning this month, Youth Movement Records will be creating a MONTHLY feature to recognize the young and fresh-minded artists, members, and participants who are actively and positively using art as an outlet and a tool for empowerment. Props to those keeping this youth movement alive - this is what Youth Movement Records lives for! Check out a few words about this month’s artist and DON’T MISS the video interview to really pick up the swag that this artist is putting down.. oh Yes folks, its LLDBL

WHO: Alexis Johnson
STAGE NAME: LLDBL (stands for Lil’ Lex Da Beast Loyal)
AGE: 15 years old
GENRE: Rap, R&B, Hip-Hop
INFLUENCES: Eminem and Ryan Peters
COMPARED TO: “a female version of Lil Wayne” - YMR freestyle instructor Dose One
SOMETHING WEIRD: She is deathly allergic to ALL fruits (as in she hates them)

ABOUT LLDBL:
Born and raised in East Oakland, Alexis has lived and breathed hip-hop and what it means to grow up in the struggle. Aspiring to be a female emcee in the male-dominated rap game, Alexis has felt forces pushing against her for all of her life and has continued to develop as an individual and an artist. Alexis is committed to staying positive and uses YMR as a space to tell her story through song. In her 2 years here at YMR, Alexis has been involved in workshops, video production projects, recording, and two of her songs have been featured on YMR’s first installation of the Run This Town mixtape (to be released this November). She is also presently working on completing her first solo project (stay tuned for details). Alexis describes YMR as a home away from home, and talks about her music as being raw and real....

• Read more

YMR Kicks off its New Fall Season with EnterACTION: YMR's Community Open House!

By Emily Moldy

After spending this summer doing a lot of reflecting, restructuring and redefining what Youth Movement Records stands for as an organization, YMR was excited and ready to kick off its new 2010 season last week, with an all-welcoming, open house, community event called EnterACTION. Last Wednesday, on September 15th, YMR staff, participants new and old, and community members all gathered here at OSA where YMR is housed, to meet, eat, and get the inside scoop on what YMR is all about and how cool it really is...

Modeled like an Open House, this event included tours through the facilities given by some true YMR all-star charmer-tour guides, a chance to check out mini- presentations of our music and media-arts workshops, live performances from YMR artists Styna Swagg and Princeton, an opportunity to meet YMR staff and instructors and network with other community members, a raffle... and of course, FOOD!

From performances from YMR artists, to the Music Production workshop, check out pictures from the event below!

^Jamal showing off his DJ skills & keeping everyone on a good one with his spinning!

• Read more

YMR and Clear Channel Radio: A Successful Love Story

By Emily Moldy
Today a group of YMR artists and members got the chance to take a tour through the San Francisco building of one of the world's largest radio networks and companies; Clear Channel Radio. With an expert in the inner workings of the company, 94.9 On-Air Personality Christie, as our guide we got to see up close and personal what happens behind the scenes of this multi-billion dollar industry which reaches all of us. From the Music Director, to the hosts of KMEL and Wild 94.9 stations and more YMR youth got to shake hands with professionals and get advice on how to get on the radio, and play the game of the Music Industry.
Some "take home" messages, or words of wisdom that they left us with were: To get out there, be yourself (be real), follow up, be ready (professional) and don't give up!

• Read more

YMR Artists Perform at Summer Camp!

On July 27th nearly 300 kids filed into an auditorium at their summer camp at Head Royce School in Oakland, not knowing what (or WHO) they were about to witness. Little did they know that they were about to be introduced to Youth Movement Records (a promo video), watch musical performances by YMR artists Greater Than One and Emily Moldy, and see fresh choreography from local hip hop dance team Urban Prodigy.

BUT the thing that they expected the LEAST was to have a surprise, guest appearance from one of their very own camp counselors, and one of YMR's very own All-Stars... Princeton.

Princeton, a YMR Pop/R&B artist of 2 years, had been working at Head Royce school's summer camp all summer long and was well known to the hundreds of campers, ages K-5, as "Buddha." But when the curtain fell and Princeton came out onto the stage... singing Lady Gaga, rockin' sequins and glitter with a mic in his hand, they almost didn't recognize him.

Princeton and the other performers blew away the audience to the point where most all of 300 of the kids flooded the stage, asking for the artists to sign their shirts, hands, foreheads... and anything else they could think of. Check out the pix!

• Read more

Desperate times call for creative minds!

--By Emily Moldy

If you don't know them for their dope music or community activism here in Oakland, you should recognize them from blogs about the U.S. Social Forum (on YMR's website which you should be checking out daily!) They are: AJ Thrower (YMR) and Tania Pulido (RYSE)... and they are two of many Bay Area youth who attended this year's U.S. Social Forum, where they spent time with thousands of other artists, activists, and like-minded folks who are SERIOUSLY ready to change the world..

It's true that now, more than ever, young folks have a powerful voice in movement towards changing our worlds. Here at YMR we talk a lot about movement (like "youth movement" "social movement", etc).. but what exactly is this movement? Where is it going? What does it look like?

This past Monday, YMR hosted a meeting in the lab for anyone to come and listen to what AJ, Tania, and YMR's Video Coordinator, Dan Reilly had to say about their journey to the East Coast to represent YMR at the U.S. Social Forum in Detroit, MI. They brought back with them a contagious energy talking about being creative to make changes in their communities, neighborhoods, and throughout the country. Bono of U2 once said, "This is a time for bold measures. This is the country, and you are the generation.” Imagine if we actually came together with our art (whatever form of art that may be) to use as both our medicine for healing and weapon for resistance, and imagine if we got to brainstorming... we really could run this town.

• Read more