DavidKamatoy.Guru

San Diego Junior Theatre Saturday’s Gala is Sold out 2008, but not Friday

San Diego

,CA- The San Diego Junior Theatre Saturday night JT 60th Anniversary Gala is sold out.However, there are still tickets left for Cafe Rippledink on Friday night and for the picnic on Sunday. If you want tickets to these events, please purchase your tickets today. You can call the box office at 619-239-8355.

 VISIT www.JuniorTheatre.com

 As the 60^th Anniversary of San Diego Junior Theatre is at hand it’s very clear that alumni are attending in droves. Darien Webster, Elizabeth Persons Price along with many others have been pushing hard to create a well attended event. We’ve all been culling the internet when we can to try to find people that we think of that have attended.

 

SDJT has long been the breeding ground for talent over the last 60 years. If you wonder who is out there just check out this link…

http://www.juniortheatre.com/alumni/

So if you are SDJT Alumni or know someone please let them know about this well-attended event.

JET PACK WARS ARE ON BABY!!!

Martin Jet Packs Ready for Take Off?

Found this article on AP about jet packs. On a quick search I found Martin Jet Pack and another company from the founder of GO Fast Energy Drinks.

The first seems extremely loud but long range, the second seems a lot more elegant but only lasts for about 32 seconds.

I remember Jet Packs from the Six Million Dollar Man Episodes and James Bond Films. It's part of that imaginary collective consciousness, something that we just can easily imagine as being real and yet the reality of it being at a consumer level is not...

Well we have the Segue PT for now. (Apparently the Segue PT cost 100 million to develop while the Go Fast Jet Pack about a million. Hmm!)

UKULELE: SECRET WEAPON OF SONGWRITING

San Diego,CA- 30 days into playing the Ukulele and discovered that this was a favored instrument of George Harrison of the Beatles as well as Paul McCartney. George would  often would walk around the house with a Uke in his hand.

As I began playing the Uke I realized that this one of the secret weapons of songwriting. I had a discussion with another piano player regarding music theory. The Ukulele has 4 strings and with a C tuning it’s easy to think of the chords from a piano playing perspective.

In addition choosing chord voicing becomes extremely easy since the chord choices are a string away, moving one fret or string gives you the voicing you are looking for. I also discovered that because of the re-entrant tuning GCEA ( top string being a high string not a low string that it also allows you to hear the note that would most likely be used as a melody line.

I have written my first Uke piece intentionally for the Derek Stroh project. Let’s hope it sticks. I you have a chance to noodle around on a uke you can’t help but get a Beatles vibe, at least from a popular form of songwriting which admittedly  was really defined by The Beatles.

Here is a video I found on Youtube of Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and Eric Clapton as a tribute to George Harrison playing “Something”. This arrangement demonstrates how from a simple 4 string instrument and a voice a well written song can be crafted.

 

TWITTER AWAY!!!: Feels like Stalking

San Diego,CA- I am officially on Twitter.com and am enjoying being followed and following. Seriously this is a great application and another way to create an immediate involved database. Have fun!!!

X-Files was Cool...

San Diego,CA-So while the line to THE DARK NIGHT was still huge. I decided to see X-Files and I had a blast, it was good to see these characters that I had grown with continue to grow and stay a little bit the same. Apparently some reviewers have not taken to this movie, saying that it seemed a bit like a prolonged TV episode. Really?

This is a movie based on a TV SHOW and in fact one of the things that was notable about the TV show was at times drawing upon a larger budget and locations to get a bit more filmesque with the show. So to say it was like a TV episode seems like a weird taunt.

Here is was worked for me. They took a story line and wrapped it around character development for Mulder and Scully and that I liked. They also has some great lines that only GEEK FANS of the show would get, which I liked as well. That and Wow Gillian looks amazing and is getting into a more movie star statuesque look post Motherhood, who says only men age well.

I am looking forward to seeing more from both of these actors and have enjoyed their other work in the last few years.

CHRIS CARTER YOU ROCK!

Hulu:ReGenesis Posted

I'm currently watching ReGenesis on Hulu

As part of HULU's summer debut they have posted ReGenesis which is this drama out of Canada that has dark cloud tone to it with a silver lining. I remember seeing part of one of these shows and wondering what the heck I was watching. I like the Genre, the cast, the driving drama to the show that isnt quite so car crash driven.

The challenge of creating a show like this is that the danger is not a GUN IN YOUR FACE but a medical ticking time bomb. So the tension has to be created by our actors and rightfully so. It's done welllm but I suggest if you watch this one to mix it up, watch Southpark or something lighter.

I find myself getting drawn into the dramas but maybe its not good to watch 12 episodes of a serial killer like Dexter in a row versus say 12 hours of Buffy The Vampire Slayer...lol

There is No Doubt that the Latino Market is Growing San Diego, CA

 Latino bank open for business - Check out this article in the Union Tribune by Hiram Soto 

San Diego, CA – Let there be no doubt that Latino business is large in San Diego, CA. While the consciousness of America has seemingly been focused on illegal alien workers from Mexico, the other reality is that we do a lot of business with Mexico. Imports, exports, manufacturing, and more. In San Diego the relationship is well recognized.

When I attended Saint Augustine High School we had several students who came across the border daily to attend school. Many of these students’ parents had business dealings in both Mexico and America. That has only grown in the years since I attended.

Vibra Bank is making a brilliant and calculated move to create a niche in the bilingual Latino community, as well as to cater to the Latino culture. I have witnessed banking relationships change over the years, and I have seen where a branch can make all the difference in the world.

In some locations a branch will adhere strictly to guidelines and procedures with very little bedside manner. Kind of like a nurse with a REALLY BIG NEEDLE that she doesn't have to use, but will use anyway. In other locations they attempt to cater to you, as well as take the time to adjust challenges with accounts. I have found certain banks and credit unions create a warm and friendly banking culture.

I look forward to seeing what Vibra Bank will do, and I'll try to chat with them on a future show.

While I attended Saint Augustine High School we had several students that came across the border daily to attend school. Many of these students parents had business dealings in both Mexico and America.

David Kamatoy is an Entertainer and Entrepreneur that works with media and business development projects. Check out www.jugglemail.com and he can be reached by emailing him from www.davidkamatoy.com.

WRITING MODE...TRYING!!

San Diego,CA- I have been in performing mode, putting me in extrovert mode and in doing so I have been meeting people, shooting videos, performing, stirring up more business for sure. Now I need to switch into writing mode which is usually brought on by procrastination, b-12, caffeine and a random deadline.

Seriously, one of the largest challenges of multi-tasking is quite simply the ability to switch gears effectively. Sometimes I need to shut down the world and spend a day getting back into task mode / writing mode. It's one of the reasons I love production so much.

In a film or music production you just have to focus on one thing.one part, one shot, one harmony, one boom move, etc. Oh well. I'll write more on this later...

Ebert and Roeper No Longer at the Movies..AN ERA IS OVER

Roeper and Ebert No Longer at the Movies

Wow! I can't believe that it's over. I guess it's realy changed over the years but still had more to do with these two guys. I know that Ebert has been ill so I wish him the best. It will be interesting to see what happens next...

When I was a kid I did a video that was a parody of Siskel and Ebert that got national coverage on 20/20 winning a contest sponsored by American Film Institute AFI and Sony. It was with San Diego Junior Theatre under the direction of John Dennehey and featured commentary from Jim Hensen and Francis Ford Coppola. It was a trip to say the least. So the original Sneak Previews has a special place in my heart. 

Thank You Ebert...may your health improve.

Ukulele Report: Ukulele Underground Visits San Diego...

The founders of www.UkuleleUnderground.com with Aldreine Guerrero are in town teaching a beginning and advanced workshop on the Ukulele. In addition they will be performing at Mo's Island Grinds today July 22,2008 at 6:30p.m..

I wasn't sure which class to take so I ended up in the beginning class which was a bit more rudimentary than anticipated but still well worth it. I stayed for the advance workshop which covered some strum patterns as well as some improvisation. This was more to my liking and skill set.

The two workshops were followed by a short set of Ryan on Guitar and Aldriene on the Uke. The crowd was uber impressed, Aldriene's technique is the real deal and has to make a decision if he really wants to pursue a more serious recording career. I hope he does, although we have Jake Shimbabukaro it would be great to have a few more contemporary Uke projects. (I'll work on it but it's still not my primary instrument....lol)

After decades of playing piano and directing musicians in various capacities it has been interesting actually picking up another instrument for once

It's been almost 30 days since Steven Sloan gave me a Ukulele on my birthday. It was the week that we were in sessions for the Derek Stroh Project which is heavily guitar driven so I guess I got the bug. My intention behind the Ukulele was a bit comedic to be honest, then I started looking into the new wave of Ukulele seemingly inspired by Jake Shimabukuro and found Ukulele Underground. Aldreine has videos covering how to play more contemporary pieces as well as more aggressive strumming and pick styles.

Ukulele Underground is a great example of a blog, video podcasting model. so check it out just for that....