D Articles written by Jessica Rivera of JRivera LLC, for questions or concerns e-mail RockStarFairies@gmail.com
Written by Jessica Rivera, Editor
Explore Dream Realize! I encourage everyone to explore themselves. If you are 15 or 45, the same principles apply! So… Who do YOU want to be? Are you a leader or follower? You cannot develop if you continue to do the same thing over and over again. Your results won’t change no matter how much you hope. FIND YOUR OWN WAY on page 6 discusses developing yourself. After taking a good look at myself I realized I needed to improve my leadership role in the community. ARE YOU A LEADER on page 8 asks questions to get you thinking of who you are and if you are a leader or follower? Another great article featured is SOCIAL MEDIA & YOU, but don’t skip passed the important article on CREATING A BAND, these articles are geared to give you important information and to help you survive the music industry. You’ll find great giveaways and more interesting articles inside… Discover the world of Rock Star Fairies! Remember these words: EXPLORE, DREAM, & REALIZE… Have courage to be you and stay true.
Where Wh ere should I go now?
Finding your own way has become even more difficult with the economy in distress. Everyone is in crunch mode… your not the only one that feels like they’re in limbo. Frustrated with your looming future, don’t be! After what I felt was wasted time, I have come to realize all the jobs I have held and with all the different bumps in the road, have helped me recognize my true calling. Finding my own way hasn’t been easy. When I was 12 I dreamed of being the Puerto Rican version of Frida Kahlo or Pablo Picasso while I lived in Paris and traveled the world. As I continued to develop, so did my dream. At 14 I decided I was going to be a fashion designer. I even went to the High School of Fashion Industries. My first two years I focused on fashion… I sewed my first complete outfit for a fictitious baby (I still think we were unpaid sweatshop workers). Before my junior year started, I had made the decision to follow into art and began Business of Art specialty. By far the best choice I made in my teen years! I loved that class, the freedom to express myself, and learn proper techniques. I was phenomenal. However during this point of my life there was a very big grey cloud hanging over my head. I was 16, a few months away from my 17th birthday and felt like I was lost. I struggled getting through that entire school year. Some time during December “99, I decided I could give myself a better education then the one I was being supplied in the New York City Public School System. Thinking back, it wasn’t the most intelligent decision, however everyone who joined me got a lesson. When we had money, didn’t have money, only had a penny each, we all got into the museums! Some of the most interesting and one of a kind experiences, I still can joke about! One of those amazing experiences started on a very rainy New York fall day; we were standing in the train station deciding whether to go to school or to go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the museum won! As with most of our endeavors we had
very little money; however the museum has a donation policy that allows anyone in with a penny donation. I could spend hours in the museum, literally in the same section and never move. Every time we went I learned something new, appreciated every detail hanging on those walls. My friends would walk around while I sat trying to recreate the technique used on the piece I was mesmerized by. Later with $8.00 between my sister and my four friends, we enjoyed two gourmet meals of Kennedy burgers and fries with our complimentary soda. Being in my twenties, actually being in my twenties is an interesting experience. Some of us have it rough, others as smooth as a silver spoon; depending on the day and mood I experienced both. However, that’s a story of another day! The rough patches seemed to be more often the case during my teen years. Honestly, looking back I wouldn’t change anything, because I know the person I am today is based on those life experiences I have had. Sure, I can think of what could, would, should have been, but that’s wasteful thinking. I decided to sit down one day and list all the negative things I experience, and on a separate sheet of paper write down the positive. At first glance it looked as if negative was winning (the entire page was full). However, after laying the sheets next to one another with my multi colored highlighters, I started to link the situations. These two negative experiences prompted this positive one, from this other positive I had three negative, and so on. By the end of this process, I had recognized that the positive balanced the negative. It’s about putting life experiences in their proper perspective, and LEARNING from them. Finding your own way has to start with the way you think. If you think life is bleak and there is no light at the end of the tunnel, don’t be fooled there is plenty of light, you just can’t see it. You’re too busy carrying the negative with you to school or work, that’s why you had a crummy day; not because of the teacher, best friend, your boss, or coworkers! Your dream day didn’t happen, but instead you had another life experience positive or negative, put it in proper perspective.
Below I have provided an example sheet of paper for you to start your list of positives and negatives. When doing this, make sure you use the front of the sheet so you can lay it out in front of you and link each experience.
This seems like a simple project; however the first time I sat down to complete this I had to walk away from the desk. Thinking of all the negative became consuming, so start small and work your way to the meat and potatoes of the project. If you get worked up, STEP AWAY and return when you feel calmer; don’t waste your time being upset. It’s a process, this process takes time. You may not have an “Ah Hah” moment in the first run through, so do it again. The goal of this project is to get your mindset in the positive. “I CAN ACCOMPLISH ANY AND EVERYTHING”, say it again, shout it, yell it from the roof, and write it on your Facebook until you truly believe it.
Answer these questions honestly; your inner leader will shine through.
1. In class or at the office, do you come up with new ideas and suggestions? a. b. c. d.
All the time Sometimes Rarely Never
2. Are you the first person to raise your hand to answer a question or take on a project? a. All the time b. Sometimes c. Rarely d. Never
3.
A classmate or coworker is criticized for sloppy writing and incomplete sentences; he tried to explain he was in a rush this morning. Do you: a. Offer to work with him next time and proof read his work. b. Sympathies over lunch. c. Pull him aside and tell them they should have known better d. Avoid him like the plague, your too busy to deal with his issues.
4.
The project you worked so hard on scores horribly, how do you react? a. Accept the criticism and make changes. b. Ask for assistance in the future while going over the needed changes. c. Get upset and ignore advice for changes. d. Demand a new review while you berate your reviewer
5.
How important is status to you? a. Very important, I have to be Ms. Popular. b. Important, I want to be one of the popular kids. c. Somewhat important, I care sometimes. d. Not so much, I don’t really care honestly
6. Change to you means? a. Goodbye Old. Hello New! b. Bring on the new challenges! c. Does it have to change now? d. OMG, NOOOOOOO!
7.
In your child hood what was your “gang rank”? a. I’m the head cheese b. I’m co captain c. I’m a cheerleader d. I don’t associate myself with a “gang”.
____________________________________________________________________________ Your Answer guide is on page 37.
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Nothing is more stressful than growing up being an Identical (Mirror Image) Twin. The term twin took on a new meaning, for some people they actually thought it was my name. Alternate color coded outfits to boot! My mom would introduce us saying “Jasmine is in blue and Jessica is in pink.” Then the crowd saying how cute we are would go gaga over us, it felt like being circus freaks. Not to mention during our developmental stages, double mint twins had nothing on us! I once read that twin’s are clones, for an entire month I was freaked out thinking my mom participated in a science experiment that split me in half to create my sister. Frankenstein slept in the bed next to me. I actually walked around telling people my sister was the evil clone version of me, a lot of people believed me too. I laugh now thinking how silly I must have seemed to everyone older than me. However silly, everyone 11-12ish thought I was a genius. Then I later learned identical twins are a malfunction of the normal development process, the split is abnormal. So then I walked around thinking I must be “gifted” or “special” or any of the other nice terms they use for people who do not develop normally during gestation. My mom had a few things to say about me being “abnormal”, then told me god sent her two happy healthy babies that were her gift from above. When I kept pushing the idea, she stared me straight in the eyes and said “there is nothing wrong with either one of you”. I felt relieved. One out of every three sets of twins is identical and the odds of a woman having a set of identical twins are about 3 in 1,000. That’s literally .3%. I also found it interesting that no matter where you live in the world, birth rates for identical twins are the same across the globe. It’s the same no matter what race you are too. The first question everyone asks, “Can you read each others minds?” or “If I pinch you will she feel it?” Let me answer this clearly, NO, at least not anymore. When we were young we had a very close and loving relationship that allowed that connection, that link. Now that I’m in my twenties, I only sense when things are out of whack. Like a sense of distress washes over my thoughts and her name or face pops into my head. The next question we get asked frequently, “Are you the nice one or the mean one?” First let me just say this, if you ask me this question I become the mean one! I don’t know which pack of wolves raised you to think it is appropriate to walk up to a stranger and ask “are you the nice one?” It’s insensitive, what if I’m having a bad day? Can I have a minute to warm up to you? Besides, what answer do you expect to hear? As I write this I am reminded of a 3rd grade school bully who had a crush on my sister. When she told him she didn’t like him, he pretty much lost it and disrespected her. The following day in defense of the rumors spreading my sister was making fun of him on the school bus. I warned her, actually told her
to shut up and still she kept making jokes. He got upset and decided to exact his revenge on the school bus ride home. Initially I let the two of them yell back and forth, making the crowd’s eyes bounce back and forth; almost like they were playing pong. Then it happened. As I heard my sister yell out “you pulled my earring”, the boy ripped two buttons off her shirt. In a flash I was on top of him beating him in the face. I mauled him until the bus came to a quick stop and was jerked forward from the force. As he stood up with a bloody nose, he intentionally crushed my sisters gold hoop earring. He threatened he was going to tell his father. I just beat him up in honor of my sister, was he for real?!? At the time, I wasn’t concerned with his father, all I kept thinking was I was going to get whooped by my mom for not jumping in sooner. My mom was enraged, she felt that we conducted ourselves totally inappropriate and should never have fought. Then the lecture began, she must have talked for over an hour. It was worse than any punishment I could imagine. She turned it into an essay type of project where we had to write an apology and then write about how to properly handle this type of situation in the future. The next morning put things in proper perspective. The father of the school bully approached my mom at the bus stop (we lived across the street from them). Hostile and towering over my mom, he demanded to speak to the man of the house. When my mom informed him she was the man of the house, he made a snide comment and began to berate my mom in front of all the other parents at the bus stop. Seeing where the school bully got his people skills from, my mom looked at everyone at the bus stop and as she stared him down she said “You’re obviously teaching your son that beating on women is appropriate”, looking over at his mother, she continued, “it is not! My daughters will continue to stand up and fight against this type of nonsense!” Every part of me was screaming Woo Hoo MOMMY! That night she made us my favorite food and told us how proud she was. Throughout the next couple of years we developed a strong bond that allowed us to get past the ill feelings we may have felt towards one another after an argument and stand by each other. Together we are stronger than any of adversaries! As I finish up this article, I hope you have a better understanding of what it is to grow up a twin, at least from my perspective.
Gratitude, thankfulness, gratefulness, or appreciation is an emotion or attitude in acknowledgement of a benefit that one has received or will receive. Gratitude serves to reinforce pro-social behavior; saying thank you or showing appreciation is key to positive interaction in children. Gratitude has been said to have one of the strongest links with mental health of any character trait. Several studies suggest that grateful people are more likely to have higher levels of happiness and lower levels of stress and depression. While many emotions and personality traits are important to well-being, there is evidence that gratitude may be uniquely important. Studies showed that people who we more grateful coped better with a tragedy or heartbreak. The next time you feel under appreciated, scarceness, or an insufficiency of any kind take a sheet of paper a think of all the things you are grateful for, all the times you were told thank you or felt appreciated. When you’re finished give yourself a pat on the back and say “Thank You”. Immediately you will feel more at peace and less upset. Ingratiate yourself, look in the mirror and say out loud “I am grateful for _____________________”.
Be resourceful! Use what you no longer use‌ find parts, remnants, old buttons, and other forgotten materials. Create a piece unique to you and remember to have fun!
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Let me start by saying, this is not an overnight process. This is written for the independent musician in search of her next step. Be clear of your intentions when finding your band. After you have found your DRUMMER (good drummers are hard to find), you need a GUITARIST and a BASS PLAYER. If you don’t sing, or not well enough, you’ll need a SINGER. For added value and depth, make sure you have a KEYBOARD PLAYER. If you play a particular instrument mentioned, your one band member closer to your goal! With your band assembled you will need to practice, practice, and practice some more. Practicing a new song or a favorite song, must be held at a mutually convenient location. Generally, the person who plays drums will have enough space for practicing. If it becomes too difficult to meet, your band mates might loose interest and find a new band to join. So think cooperatively! No one should have to travel too far, unless they want to; so be creative and find innovative ways to accommodate band members as they travel to and from practice. After the first few band sessions, record a practice run through. After you’re done, take a breather and return to critique each song. Everyone should focus on the music not themselves. The recording is just to hear the cohesion of the band and to see where improvement is needed. Burn a copy for each band member and request everyone to go over their part and find improvement. Make sure everyone completes their homework! The following jam session should be recorded and reviewed. You should see a change in everyone’s performance, if not, go over what you feel needs to improve. Ask everyone to provide feedback, positive and negative. Once everyone is in sync, your next step must be creating a business plan. Designing a business plan helps guide your band to completing the important steps you have laid out. An important element to think of is your strategy or action plan to conquer the internet. Here are some other important elements to think of: v What is the ultimate goal of the band? v Copywriting/Rights to Original Music v Branding/Merchandising v Showcases/Performances v Compensation Another element to consider is adding a line for each band member to sign at the bottom of your business plan. If you include the following text, your business plan becomes a contract: “In agreement, we, the band members of “____________”, consent to the above listed guideline and will uphold the band’s bylaws or provide written justification of each offense.” (Please seek a lawyer for professional contracts and/or clarification.)
Once you have completed your business plan, it’s time to get your band in front of the public eye. This has become more accessible through sites like MySpace, YouTube, FaceBook, and Twitter. Explore your music’s niche and hone in on those specific fans. For example, you wrote an upbeat song about going shopping; shopping enthusiasts and store owners are your niche target. The type of music you play (ex. Pop) is one niche, the subject matter of your song (ex. Shopping) is another niche, and so on. Once you know your target audience, it becomes easy to get noticed. Create a blog geared to just that niche, so keeping with the examples mentioned, you’d use images of shopping, create a short video teaser, and a full length music video that will entice your audience to buy your music. Always include a plug for where your music can be purchased or downloaded from. These campaigns will facilitate sales of your original music. Going even further into niche marketing, finding the correct magazine and/or website to review your music, is important. Submitting your music to Rolling Stones (not suggested) is like being the needle in the haystack. No matter how awesome your band sounds or how compelling the subject matter is, you’re not likely to get noticed and it’ll be a waste of your time. However if you contacted a magazine in your niche (ex. Lucky, Luxe, etc) (not suggested) your more likely to get their attention and get your music reviewed in their magazine. Offering merchandise such as CD’s, T-shirts, and Posters of the band is another way to increase band recognition and provide added value to your audience. These items can also be sold to generate income and pay for band expenses. Ongoing communication helps your audience stay interested. Having fans Opt-In to receive text messages that include video links and special offers (ex. 30% off ticket price) will help build a solid connection to the band. Make sure you always appear humble and authentic; no one likes an arrogant and superficial artist or band! The following is a list of A few books you need to read: v THE INDIE BAND SURVIVAL GUIDE v THE LONG TAIL v GETTING THINGS DONE v RULE THE WEB! Good luck! Enjoy the journey and never let anyone stand in your way. Perseverance is the difference between those that succeed and those that wish they did.
Turning your everyday communication into an interactive dialogue, using the internet and mobile technology is termed Social Media. Using Social Media to your advantage sets you apart from everyone else. Your audience will be able to connect to you or your business 24/7. Social Media is unique on many different levels, including internet forums, blogs, podcasts, pictures, and videos. According to the experts, Kaplan and Haenlein, there are six different types of social media: v Blogs and Micro-blogs (ex. Twitter) v Collaborative Projects (ex. Wikipedia) v Content Communities (ex. YouTube) v Social Networking Sites (ex. Facebook) v Virtual Game Worlds (ex. World of Warcraft) v Virtual Social Worlds (ex. Second Life) Currently, Facebook is the primary method of communication by college students in the U.S. (Diverse Issues in Higher Education) Several features of online social networks are common, the most basic is the ability to create and share a personal profile. Profile pages include a photo, some personal information, and what interests you. Making friends or maintaining relationships have become a lot easier especially for the fully wired “Net Generation” (NG). Gone are the days of face-toface communication or chatting on the phone for hours. NG’s are more likely to consider having in-depth and personal conversations with complete strangers, unlike any other generation. What does this mean to you or your business? Well unless you haven’t been paying attention, it means you can be a household name in 6 months without breaking much of a sweat; maybe a finger nail or two depending on how fast you can type. Start thinking of yourself as a brand, the more people who are connected to you the more successful any business or self promotion campaign will be. Social Media isn’t for major corporations; it’s made for you, the end user and consumer. For example, if you didn’t enjoy the pizza you order last night; guess what, in less than a minute you can tell the whole world how bad it is on their facebook page or blog (almost every company has one now). So become a smarter consumer and take the control back. Develop yourself with the times; stop thinking of social media as someone prying into your life and more as a tool for success. You decide what content you put out there. Keep your passwords secure and have fun!
Left to right, Me, Jasmine, and Toni (16yrs Old) No matter how bad it has gotten, if I’m ever in need I know the two of you will drop everything and be at my side. I look forward to the next 15yrs of our journey together!
Left to right: Emmanuel and James Gentlemen, in your unique ways you have shaped my thoughts and helped me become successful. Without the two of you in my life I’m not sure who I’d be today.
Left to right: Me and David Simply THANK YOU for teaching me and motivating me to get back into graphics. I appreciate you and every minute we can share together, thank you for joining me on this journey.
Left to right: Titi Norma, Grandpa, and my Mom (Carmen) I only wish Grandpa was alive to see my success. Mommy and Titi, the two of you shaped my creativity, embracing my art no matter the subject. Thank you for encouraging me to follow my dreams.
Jalene my beautiful Niece You inspire me to create content for you, your generation… you’re a sassy, smarty pants just like me. You’re amazing! Love you!
Answers Now that you have completed this short quiz, I’m sure you’re anxious to know if you’re a “leader”. Depending on your answers, no matter what the results, there is always room for improvement. Mostly A: Your Leadership shines through everything you do; whether it is a question in class or encouraging co-workers to ask for assistance. Making a name for yourself is very important and should be, if you’re going to lead the masses in the future. You’re headed towards being CEO! Mostly B: You’re a great leader in the making! You make great decisions but still need to work on your execution. Focus on a smaller team project to lead and take on more responsibilities every project. Mostly C: You work better being lead. If you choose, pick up a book at your local bookstore and start reading. The more you understand what characteristic’s make great leaders the quicker you will adapt them to your everyday life. Start thinking of ways you can improve your current work habits and the rest will start to develop from there. Mostly D: You work well by yourself. Leadership seems to be the last thing on your mind. When you’re more focused on your future and want to develop as a business woman, you will need to work in a team atmosphere. Start contributing ideas here and there. Figure out what you offer the world and run with it, become a leader in that field! We wish you fun on your journey to self discovery. Have fun!
All the products found in our “Welcome Back Autumn” section
are
from Bare Witness and Rock Star Fairies Collection Found online at the following links: http://www.zazzle.com/barewitness http://www.zazzle.com/rockstarfairies Custom orders are accepted; please send any inquiries to ROCKSTARFAIRIES@GMAIL.COM