Getting Back to the Things that I Passionately Enjoy and Love

Since I’ve been out of college in June 2009, I’ve been really trying to catch up on the things that I dearly love doing and “may be” very good at, such as; web and projects development and most importantly; sound engineering and production.

Basically, I’m triple specialized, career wise, in Economics, Sound Production and Engineering, and Web Development.

For the Economics, I have a Bachelor of Science degree from the world’s largest and one of the finest universities in the world, The Ohio State University, and for the Sound/Audio Engineering, in which I have over 20 years of professional experience, I was hands-on trained in Denmark, South Africa, the UK, and USA, by some of the best sound engineers in the world with the help of Svend-Erik the Great, in Denmark, and I have a certificate from the world renown school for the recording arts, The Recording Workshop.

For the Web Development, that’s a self-taught speciality, hands-on learned in 1996 from one of the best minds in computer science, engineering, and software development, my best friend, Satya, currently an engineer at AEP.

FOH Sound board

I’ve had a chance to work with the best people in the world, doing live concerts with some of the biggest names, from MC Hammer, Seal, U2, to Paul Simon, live TV news and interviews with the greatest personalities such as Nelson Mandela, Sam Nuyoma, George Bush Sr., and in-studio music production projects.

I’m kind of rusty right now in sound production and engineering, since I haven’t been really doing anything big in recent years, as I was busy with my study, but it’s like riding a bicycle, and even technology has changed a lot, I’m a geek, and I am catching up easily.

What’s next for me from here? As I’m working on my post graduate study, which comes first, but in terms of music and TV production, I am developing a reality TV show, see my new production company, Flomon Productions Ltd. For as long as I am healthy and capable, from here on, expect only the best. I am meticulous and a perfectionist, which I find myself taking up more time working on a project because I only want the best on it, and everything else I am doing.

Check out this video from my church that I sound engineered, Pastor Wicker, is leading the song. It is different doing sound for a church service though, than for a live outdoor concert, but I love doing it.

Click here to view and play the video, and another one here, enjoy them.

Feel free to listen or watch more praise and worship videos and sounds on our church’s web site at http://www.pottershouse.tv.

Filed under: TV, Tv show, concert, promotion , church service, live concert, music production, promotion, reality TV show, sound engineering, sound production

AOL Acquires Bebo

Apparently, there’s still value in the mostly ad-supported Internet business of social networking.

Yesterday AOL announces a plan to acquire Bebo, the third-biggest social networking site in the United States, for $850 million in cash. It’s reported that “AOL has spent close to $2 billion in the past year or so on acquisitions as it races to leave behind its tangled legacy as the 1990s phenomenon that introduced much of America to the Web.” (CNNmoney.com).

Filed under: AOL, Internet, Web 2.0, adsense, advertising, adword, blog this, business, networking, social, startup, technology , ad, adsense, advertising, adwords, branding, campaign, design, Gatepedia, Internet, logo, marketing, online, PPC, promotion

The Social Networking Web Explosion Years of 2003 – 2005, What Were You Doing?

Okay, I am a child and a graduate of the web 1.0 bubble-era, so I have learned a lot from it, but may be not good enough to some. But do you remember that one guy, I can’t remember his name right now, but he’s from the Silicon Valley area. He had a very successful dot com company; he became an instant dot com millionaire (well on papers) in that era.

When his company received plenty of VC funding and eventually made the IPO, he had gone out and spent millions (on paper), buying huge houses, cars, etc., without having his company actually made any money.

So, after the collapse of the web 1.0 thing which also caused his company to fold, the banks came and took away all of his possessions. Perhaps not knowing what else to do, he was probably more embarrassed than being disappointed, he then left for Asia and joined the Monk convent, but no biggie, and it’s all good, right? Right!

My question is this, after the dot com 1.0 bubble, what were you doing between 2003 and 2005 when they were starting Facebook, MySpace, Friendster, Hi5.com, and some of today’s most successful dot com 2.0, web based applications and social networking sites?

Well, for me, I had gone back to school, and I passionately dislike myself because this entire web 2.0 thing caught me asleep. I didn’t see it coming. I guess I initially looked at their business models and said, hmm, they are just another TheGlobe.com wanna-be’s. Do you remember TheGlobe.com? I’d say that TheGlobe.com was the first social networking site for the web 1.0, but it’s too bad, it didn’t survive the bubble.

The question is; if you are an Internet aspiring entrepreneur, what were you doing between 2003 and 2005 when they were starting MySpace, Facebook, Digg, and the late coming, but fastly growing kid, YouTube?

Do you think there is still a room for another web startup to make it?

Filed under: Google, Internet, Web 2.0, adsense, advertising, adword, article, blog this, business, culture, eBay, entrepreneur, living, networking, news, social , ad, ads, adsense, advertising, adwords, branding, campaign, design, Gatepedia, Internet, logo, marketing, online, PPC, promotion, social networking, web 3.0

The Better Way to Design Your New Logo

It’s a fact that your logo is the face of your company, your corporate identity and brand and it is the very first thing that your customers and audience recognize, remember and associate you with what you do and your product offerings.

But getting a logo designed is the hardest task, and companies spend tens of thousands of dollars designing their logos. There are many firms that offer logo design services, corporate identity, etc., and some charge extremely large fees, just to design your logo.

Most of them do really good, but charging hundreds of thousands of dollars just to design a logo seems rather ridiculous, but hopefully worth it. Is it the designer who makes the logo stand out and make a statement or you, the logo owner?

It’s partly the designer but it is all about you. And you can hire a small time in a sense of the firm size, or a local freelance graphic designer, even a college student and pay him or her a normal fee, whatever she or he charges, hopefully not in the tens of thousands of dollars, and still get the best logo designed, than paying a large design firm hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Hey, you can have or hire the best of all the best graphic designers in the world, but if your taste is ugly, then you’ll end up with a logo design that has no good value or appeal to anyone, except those who have the same taste as worse as yours.

Getting your logo designed is as easy as you may think. First of all, you have to know what you precisely want. And do a lot of research; compare several designs already out there before you embark on your own design. And most importantly, you must know your industry, your targeted audience, and your product offering.

Imagine how your design fits in with your audience and your industry, and always look at what other successful companies in your industry have done with their logo designs.

Picture in your mind placing your logo on top of your office building as your logo signature, picture putting it on your business cards, entrance ways, merchandise, etc., imagine what it will look like in the eyes of your audience and everyone else who sees it.

I am personally not easy to work with when coming to things like these; I may ask to make several modifications until it feels completely right to me. And, if it doesn’t feel right even for a little, then I’ll have it changed to my liking. It’s better getting it done the way you exactly want it rather than not being completely happy with it.

I like taking long drives or a short nap, and then I try to imagine the design in my head and how I like it, when I take a nap, while I am half sleep, that’s when I think creatively the best, and if there’s one thing, even a little that bothers me or displeases me on the design, then I’ll have it corrected to my pleasing.

That’s my personal secret and hopefully it helps you a little. I am not a graphic designer, although I try to, but what I do, I open a new MS Word file, after I have done my research, and write down everything how I want my design to look like, and then I take it to my designers or find a freelancer. Yes, there are in-house designers that I can use, and I do use them most of the time, but I like it when I get outside designers to design some of my stuff, that way I get new and different design ideas, but per my pleasing.

And, when I get the designer that I want, I allow the designer to input his or her own artistic style in my design, giving them artistic freedom, so I try to go with the designer who may offer exactly the style that I want, and then when I give them my MS Word file, I also allow them to express themselves artistically, to expand on what I have proposed, and then I get a mixture of his or her idea with mine, combined, and the results, marvelous.

Today, I have just unveiled our official Gatepedia.com logo as can be seen at our current blog at http://www.gatepedia.com. This logo was designed by one of my all time favorite graphic designers, Lindsay Marsh at Marsh Graphic Design (http://marshgraphicdesigns.com).

She is the best and very affordable, which is a big plus. If you need a logo or whatever graphic work for your small or large business, I personally recommend her. That’s the second artwork she has designed for us, and we are very happy with her work and we will continue to use her service more.

Well, I can keep on writing but that’s my secret advice for how you can design the best logo for your project or business, and now, go out there, make great logo design, and make it happen, and BIG.

“Each One, Teach One”! Make the best of it, and remember to help the needy and those who seek and ask for your help in whatever and every way you possibly can.

Filed under: Internet, Tools, Web 2.0, adsense, advertising, adword, art design, article, blog this, business, culture, design, education, entrepreneur, graphic design, launch, logo, production, project, promotion, social, startup, technology , ad, ads, adsense, advertising, adwords, branding, campaign, design, Gatepedia, Internet, logo, marketing, online, PPC, promotion, social networking, web 3.0

How to Produce a Successful Music Concert

There are some people who constantly ask how does one become or organize or plan to produce a concert?

Well, here is what you may do;

You already know most of the artists, you listen to music all the time, so you basically know which most people, your audience like and listen to most; so that’s who you want to focus on booking for your next concert.

The type of the artist you are considering has to be able to fill the venue you have in mind for the concert. I have worked in the past on concerts with artists like Seal, Boyz II Men, Simple Minds, Paul Simon, etc., so I don’t really know how to book an artist, not so huge for a small concert. The type of the artist you are considering has to be able to fill the venue you have in mind for the concert.

I have worked in the past on concerts with artists like Seal, Boyz II Men, Simple Minds, Paul Simon, etc., so I don’t really know how to book an artist, not so huge for a small concert. I am currently in the middle of the negotiation to produce a great live conference event and music concert with some of the world’s best acts in Sandton, Johannesburg in October 2009.

So, this is what I usually do when I plan to produce a new live concert; I first figure out the type of music I want to have for the concert and the artist(s), and then I check out the venue, it has to be the appropriate venue, the venue that my prospective artist(s) can fill out at full capacity.

And then I check out if that artist is on tour and if he or she is, if she or he will be in the proximity area. Because if they are on tour, you’ll get her or him cheaper, because they already are scheduled to be in the area.

And once I check out their tour schedule, and even if they are or not on tour, then I contact their management. You can find their management contact information everywhere, CD covers, official web sites, etc., and if you can’t find his or her management contact info, I usually just contact his or her record company, and this is what I say when I contact his record company.

Hi, my name is this and that, would you please give me the booking contact info for your artist “artist name”. And they will be gladly give it to me, no further questions asked.

And then I contact their booking agent, and this is what I say. I am this and that, “my name”, with “company name” and I am interested in booking your “artist name” for a show in “city name”, and then they may cut me right off and ask me, what venue, and I tell them the venue. If they are not familiar with the venue, they will ask me how many audience does it hold, and then I tell them because I have already checked it out and know it well.

And then, they may ask me what is our budget, and here is where I don’t tell them how much I have, because they are simply trying to figure out how much to charge me. And I simply tell them that I’d like to know their fees, and they will ask me how much will I sell the tickets for, and then I give them a bulk figure.

Then they may ask me if the artist will be the headliner and or will there be other artists and I tell them yes or no, depends on what/how I am doing the concert.

And then they give me a bulk figure of how much the artist charges, including lodging and air fare and ground transportation. Then if the price is reasonable, I may proceed. What they will need from me from there on is an official offer from me stating exactly my offer to the artist, fees, etc, for the artist to do the proposed show.

This is where the catch comes in. Your letter has to be worded professionally and on a company letterhead. Because they will take that letter and evaluate it and then decide whether to accept the offer or not.

If they accept the offer, they will contact me, and if they don’t contact me sooner, then I contact them to follow up in a day or two. Then once I or they call me back, then they will, not me, draft up an Agreement with all the details; including their Rider Agreement, which simply details their production requirement and stuff, such as their sound, lighting requirement, etc.

They will likely require a deposit depends on your letter offer, they may require 50% up front and the rest on the day of the show before the show or a few days before the show, this is really just depends on how they trust you and or believe in your financial ability.

But before you sign and pay your deposit, make sure you also have talked and secured the venue for the exact date and time.

There are many details and stuff that follow and leads up to the show. I used to do this full time for a minute. I am a certified audio and multimedia engineer, worked for a major TV network and other Film companies around the world doing live TV news, ENG, live sound, studio recording, engineering, mastering, sporting events production, etc., and concert production. I co-founded a record label and production studios, I have worked on many numerous concerts around the world, at one of the worlds’ largest out door concerts with The Rembrandts, and many other acts. So, I have the experience and skill in doing this.

I still do that, but only part time though, because I love it and now, I mostly volunteer doing sound at my church, The Potter’s House, and yes, it has one of the finest sound and TV production equipment. Feel free to come visit with us and check out our system.

So, if you need help in producing your next show, feel free to contact me. And boy, typing these long stuff is just too much time consuming, but I don’t mind helping out. And I am located in Columbus, Ohio and I go back and forth to Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and New York. So, if I can help, just let me know.

Hopefully this helps a bit and good luck!

Filed under: concert, events, production, promotion , concert, live events, live music, music, produce concert, production, promotion, sound

Tip-Mart Makes the List of Finalists for the TechColumbus 2007 TopCAT Innovation Awards

We’re moreover excitedly excitingly excited to announce that Tip-Mart, Inc., the developer of RentersQ (www.rentersq.com) and soon to be launched Gatepedia (www.gatepedia.com), has made the list of finalists for the TechColumbus 2007 TopCAT Innovation Awards in the category of Outstanding Startup Business.

TechColumbus (www.techcolumbus.org) accelerates the growth of the innovation economy by providing vital resources and assistance to people and enterprises that depend on technology to achieve their business goals.

The annual TopCat Innovation Awards (www.topcatawards.org) is the most prestigious technology event in Ohio, which recognizes outstanding achievements in technology leadership. From hundreds of entries, TopCat Awards will be given to 13 outstanding leaders and teams who exemplify the best in technology leadership and innovation.

Just for having been nominated for this category for the TechColumbus 2007 TopCat Innovation Awards and now that we’ve made the list of the finalist is even better. And we hope that we win, but even if we don’t win, we’re just humbly honored for being part of these great events.

It truly helps thrust our passion for staying up late, developing cool and unmatched technological advance web-based tools for the masses.

Please stay tuned for Gatepedia, coming soon.

Filed under: Blogroll, Google, Internet, Web 2.0, adsense, advertising, adword, apartment, article, blog this, business, culture, economics, foreclosures, houses, landlord, launch, life, living, news, project, real estate, rent, technology, tenant , advertising, apartment for rent, awards, campaign, finalist, foreclosures, marketing, office space, promotion, real estate, rent, rentersq, sale, technology awards, tip-mart