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Scottsdale businesswoman debuts her book in Spanish
BY KRISTINE CANNON who was often referred to as “tiny ninProgress Staff Writer ja” by her two brothers, Finn and Indy. It tells the story of Milo, who doesn’t
Last fall, Sasha Graham’s of�ice was like mornings and deliberately ignores �illed with new merchandise for his Tiny Ninja, who tries to help him her company, Tiny Ninja Books, wake up. and her children’s book, “Milo Does Not “Milo” is the �irst in a series of Tiny Like Mornings.” Ninja Books targeting children ages 4 This year, the Scottsdale resident and to 8, with the central idea of each book business owner has added new items being “we are born with our own tiny to her online shop that include not only ninja who is the bravest, strongest, face masks but also her soon-to-be remost awesome version of us.” leased new book, “A Milo No Le Gustan “It’s that little voice; when you are las Mañanas,” the Spanish language ediscared or uncertain or debating what tion of “Milo.” to do, if you listen to your tiny ninja, it “Spanish has woven its way through all becomes clear,” Graham explained. my life since childhood, and I am de“For years, I wrote stories about lighted to have the chance to bring Milo tiny ninjas,” the former Walt Disney and his Tiny Ninja to Spanish-speaking Studios executive explained. “Somekids and their grown-ups,” said Graham. times [Odessa] was the tiny ninja, Slated for release Sept. 29, “A Milo No sometimes it was imaginary; and then Le Gustan las Mañanas” can be pre-orabout a year ago, it suddenly occurred dered on Amazon. to me that the tiny ninja was internal The book was inspired by her chiland suddenly it all just really worked.” dren, including her daughter Odessa, Graham hoped to have her second book “Whitney Wins Everything” published this month but because she was not able to promote it properly due to COVID-19, she postponed its release to next August. “Book promotions typically involve lots of in-person appearances: schools, bookstores, and community events. With the constraints of COVID, it would not have been possible to publicize and promote ‘Whitney Wins Everything’ in the way we wanted so we decided to go forward with the Spanish translation of ‘Milo’ instead,” Graham explained. Published by Gatekeeper Press,
Slated to release Sept. 29, “A Milo No Le Gusboth books include four “seektan las Mañanas” is currently available for preand-�inds” that invite readers to order on Amazon. (Tiny Ninja Books) �ind the ninjas. They are illustrat
ed by Uzbekistanbased Angelina Valieva. “For pre-readers, it’s really important to engage kids in books before they’re even able to read the words, that it becomes a much more active experience,” Graham explained. “That’s a lot of the feedback I’m getting is the kids love these pages.” For the Spanish edition, however, Graham worked with Graciela Rodríguez de Hernández on the translation. “And I am thrilled at the way she has made the translation sing,” Graham said, adding, “While I am very eager to introduce Scottsdale resident Sasha Graham is the author of children’s book, “Milo Does Not Like Mornings,” and the Spanish edition, “A Milo No Le Gustan las Mañanas.” the world to ‘Whit(Tiny Ninja Books) ney,’ the release of this Spanish edition is a dream come resonates with my children and we true. The musicality of Spanish recan apply it to different aspects of our ally lends itself to the story, and I day. What would your tiny ninja do? think Spanish speaking kids and their This is a must have and we look forgrown-ups are going to love it.” ward to many more books from this “Milo Does Not Like Mornings” was series.” originally published in English on Graham is a longtime volunteer at Aug. 22, 2019. Camelot Therapeutic Horsemanship Since, it has received rave reviews, and a board member of the Giving including on Amazon, where it curGroup AZ. rently has a five-star rating. She and her husband, Alan, encour“The writing is just as fun as the ilage each other and their children to lustrations,” wrote one reviewer. “I “always listen to their Tiny Ninjas.” love how the message of this story Information: tinyninjabooks.com
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Local recording studio is music to bands’ ears
BY KRISTINE CANNON
Progress Staff Writer
Music venues may be closed, but one Scottsdale engineer and producer is providing a virtual outlet for local musicians and fans to get a live music �ix. At TheRecordingArtist.com every Wednesday, Otto D’Agnolo invites bands into his MIA Studio to record a track while live-streaming the two-hour interactive experience for fans and followers.
“All of it is just absolutely fun to me, that’s really what I get out of it – that and providing this opportunity for bands, to watch the impact it has for them to be produced,” the Scottsdale resident said. TheRecordingArtist.com offers two membership tiers: $3.99 a month for the basic membership, which allows members to watch the recording and mixdown sessions the following day; and $6.99 a month for an artist and repertoire membership that allows them to choose the bands invited to the studio and the song they record as well as chat during the recording session.
D’Agnolo said he has about 60 subscribing members and another 50 or 60 who were brought on as beta testers.
“The fact that [bands] have two hours to get done, they love the pressure that has been put on a creative process to move it forward,” D’Agnolo said. “They have to commit, and they feel that it really gives them something that feels a little bit more alive, like a concert, like a live show,” he explained. “It has the energy of that, but it has, tucked in, polish of a record.”
Bands get two hours to set up and soundcheck prior to the live session, which includes a basic track perfor
This summer, veteran music producer Otto D’Agnolo launched TheRecordingArtist. com, which webcasts a live recording session every Wednesday from MIA Studio in
Scottsdale. (TheRecordingArtist.com)
mance followed by some overdubs.
Bands are also treated to dinner from one of TheRecordingArtist.com’s sponsors, Il Bosco Pizza.
While members must pay to watch, bands are invited in to participate for free.
“I think they’re just happy to have somebody who can help them be better,” D’Agnolo said. With more than 30 years of experience in the music business, D’Agnolo is an award-winning recording engineer and music producer who has worked on projects for Kenny Rogers, Phoenician Jordin Sparks and others. With TheRecordingArtist.com, D’Agnolo has worked with 15 bands, including popular Phoenix indie-rockers Vinyl Station and Paper Foxes. “Initially, I was skeptical,” Paper Foxes singer and guitarist CJ Jacobson said. “It seemed like a very short amount of time to try to record anything. But after hearing about the experience from some friends, it sounded like fun.” Paper Foxes recorded two songs during their session and Jacobson described working with D’Agnolo as “fun and loose.” “We had a great experience,” Jacobson added. “It felt like he pushed us in ways we never expected. The time crunch and crowd interaction made the entire experience very exciting and had a similar energy to performing a live show.”
“They knocked it out of the park,” D’Agnolo said.
According to D’Agnolo, what members enjoy most about TheRecordingArtist.com is not so much the music but the process.
“We happen to be making music, but it’s about the process and the personalities. And when they watch it, they get it. They go, ‘I don’t care what the music is. That’s not my music, but I love the show,’” he said.
That’s why D’Agnolo looks for not only energetic music, but also interesting personalities.
“I want people who like to look fun, whether it’s the costumes or their personalities or the way they work,” he said, adding that members “don’t care what the music is because it’s more about the process and the personalities for them.” TheRecordingArtist.com’s demographic is composed of women over 30 and recording students in the their 20s.
D’Agnolo offers a 25 percent discount to recording students.
As D’Agnolo continues to grow TheRecordingArtist.com — his goal is to reach 1,500 to 2,000 members and start traveling to bands out of state – he recently premiered the �irst monthly episode of his Amazon Prime TV series, “The Recording Artist.”
“We’re already shooting the second episode now,” said D’Agnolo, who handles all the shooting, editing, post-production and closed captioning.
“Besides doing all that, I’m booking all the bands. I’m recording all the sessions. I’m mixing all the sessions. I’m shooting video for the rehearsals. I’m doing all the interviews with the bands. It’s a full-time job,” he said.
D’Agnolo is also working on two country albums, one for San Diego-based musician Jay Tighe and one for Arizona City-based singer Josh Scott.
“There’s nothing I like more than editing video and making music,” he said. “So, I’m really spending 100 percent of my life doing stuff I love.”
For each new subscribing member between now and the end of the year, TheRecordingArtist.com will donate $1 to local charities benefitting music education.
