music

FreshFest 2010: A Green Festival for the People

For Immediate Release: July 23, 2010

(Oakland, CA) – On August 14, 2010, youth-oriented social media platform Get Fresh, in collaboration with Grind for the Green, Conscious Youth Media Crew, Youth Movement Records, Livity Outernational Clothing, Global Exchange, Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, Oakland Green Youth Media Arts Center and others, presents the 2010 FreshFest, a solar-powered eco-music festival which makes its East Bay debut in Oakland’s Mosswood Park.

FreshFest is a Green Festival for the people, bringing eco-sustainability and environmental awareness into an urban, community-oriented context. “We’re bringing back the old-school hip-hop concept of ‘fresh’ and adding an environmental, conscious twist to it,” says G4G co-founder and event organizer Zakiya Harris. “We’re basically saying, it’s fresh to be informed about environmental issues. Conscious lyrics are fresh, and so is organic, locally-grown produce and green fashion.”

Though targeted at youth, this all-ages event promises fun for the entire family. The FreshFest integrates eco-awareness and eco-education with entertainment, making learning about green practices, programs, and careers fun, while promoting sustainability through recycled materials, biodegradable foodware, and organic food. The event will feature a fresh food pavilion featuring locally-grown organic produce, hands-on
demonstrations, health and wellness activities, Fresh Kids Zone, Hip-Hop Competition, and concert.

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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.

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Industry Insider Series - DJ Amplive

DJ Amplive of Zion-I lets us in on the TRUTH of the music industry... "It's not just about the music, you have to be professional and you have to know your business..." Watch the video below for more and let us know what you think!

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AJ Thrower Speaks on Hip Hop

AJ Thrower speaks on his relationship to Hip Hop and how he wants to bring it back to being sincere. Check out AJ's words and ideas... shared in a Hip Hop workshop at this year's U.S. Social Forum in Detroit, MI.

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YMR Alum DJ CoolHand with G-Eazy

Youth Movement Records alum DJ CoolHand spins in Berkeley at La Pena with G-Eazy... Check out the mad skills of the artists on stage, and the ones behind the scenes who made this video...

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Emily Moldy: The Story of The Intern

What's Up World & YMR Family?!
Pleased to meet you. My name is Emily Moldenhauer (or Emily Moldy, since it's easier to remember... and pronounce) and
I'll be here at Youth Movement Records as the intern for the next 6 months...

My story is this: I'm a student at UC Santa Cruz and part of the Community Studies program... a program where I get to do an internship at a non-profit community organization for school credit. That is why I am here... to learn the ways of community organizing as well as to be around music and beautiful, musical people (like yourselves) as much as I can! I want to focus on learning ways that art can and IS being used as a tool for resistance, making change, opening people's minds, and allowing voices to be heard.

I am originally from San Diego but have lived in France, and then Santa Cruz in the past couple years. I am a musician; singer/songwriter, piano and guitar player, (wannabe) beat-maker (meaning I hope to be someday), poet, scatterbrained but music-mode thinker... and hopefully will keep growing to be much more, both as an artist and person. I love music of (mostly) all types... except for a few, and believe it is TRULY one of the most powerful things in the world.

For now, as the intern here I plan on doing some video-media work, be involved in the studio, help facilitate songwriting & guitar open labs with Andrea (MONDAY & WEDNESDAY, 1-3pm!!!), and WITH HOPES... get a chance to collaborate with the creative minds of the YMR youth!.. If that's you, know this: 1.) I am shy but am getting over it, 2.) I am your friend if you need it, 3.) If you are working on a track and need anything! such as backup vocals, ideas for a melody, help with the keys, etc.. COME FIND ME! I'll be around the office.... and 4.) Show me your songs, because I want to hear your stories and talents!

To Hear my music... Click HERE and check out my music myspace

Beautiful days to you all!
Emily

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End of The-Dream's Love Trilogy (Album Review)

The Dream

By Abayomi Kalaote

Terius Youngdell Nash (better known as The-Dream) has been in the music industry for much longer than most people know. He has been an active singer-songwriter, record producer and overall entrepreneur since 1998. The-Dream has written songs for many artists such as Beyonce's “Single Ladies” (put a ring on it), J.Holiday's “Bed” & “Suffocate” and Rihanna's “Umbrella." As for his own music, The-Dream has released two albums since 2007 and plans on releasing his third and final album on June 29, 2010. His solo albums have been referred to as a “Love Trilogy” on account of their titles which all contain the word "Love" accompanied by some other word or phrase.

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NEW MUSIC! - Pure Delite CD Now Available

Last year’s Musical Mentoring Project was a rousing success, engaging 5 young artists from YMR’s cache of All-Stars to produce a smash compilation entitled, Pure Delite. Pure Delite showcased live in a sold-out concert at the Fox Theater’s Black Box Theater. You can purchase this compilation of professional recordings of 4 of YMR’s best and brightest young people TODAY!

On Pure Delite you will find the following hit tracks produced in collaboration with Grammy Musical Directors, Larry Batiste and Claytoven Richardson:
1 – My Radio by Princeton
2 – Like My Father by Andrea President
3 – That’s Why (My Angel) by Anais Kane
4 – When Push Comes to Shove by Reyna Rose and Common Ground

We are thankful to the East Bay Fund for Artists, Tom & Marla Williams, Kevin Gay and Bob Kliger for making the Musical Mentoring Project and Pure Delite possible.

Visit: www.youthmovementrecords.org/store to place your orders now for Pure Delite! Download via cdbaby.com/cd/puredelite . Available on iTunes June 2010!

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Musicplus: Skill Building for Musicians (5/16)

Join us at the East Bay Community Foundation in Oakland on Sunday, May 16 for Musicplus – a free seminar to sharpen your skills and network with other musicians and composers. The event is being presented by East Bay Community Foundation, Grants for the Arts/San Francisco Hotel Tax Fund, The San Francisco Foundation, and Future of Music Coalition, a nonprofit musician advocacy organization. This program is made possible with the support of The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, LINC (Leveraging Investments in Creativity), The James Irvine Foundation, and The Wallace Foundation.

This event is SOLD OUT, but you can still participate. Tune into the live webcast from 12 noon - 6 pm PT (3 PM - 9 PM ET), Sunday, May 16 where you can watch all the main room programming, participate in an online chat, even ask questions! RYSE Media Arts Coordinator and Youth Movement Records' Protools Instructor Fred Thomas will be a featured panelist.

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"All Eyes On Us" Music Competition

Blog entry from our friends over at The DJ Project

Can you spit ridiculous bars?
Got a voice like a song bird?
Do your beats slap?

Can you convey a message with your music?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then hit us up!
We got a hot opportunity waiting for you.

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