Inspirational Interview - Tommy Odetto

Chasing your dreams is an act of bravery that so many people take. Staring them in the face and not knowing whether the outcome will be what you see in your mind is the risk that you have to take. Every day, people around the world take that deep breath and whisper to themselves, “I'm going to do this.”. Those voices that speak to your soul can become so overwhelming that they're painful. And they keep talking and talking until you have no option but to listen.

I've been blessed to meet some incredible people over the years. Dreamers and risk takers, people who've given up everything to listen to their heart and go for it. They serve as an inspiration for when the fear of failure begins to rise.

Tommy Odetto is one of those people, a man whose music is so beautiful that it makes you wonder if it's created in a place that's not of this Earth. Like so many others, he's chasing his dreams and knitting them into a wonderful reality.

Hi, Tommy! Please introduce yourself and tell us a little about who you are and where you're from.

Hello! My name is Tommy Odetto. I'm 28 years old, and I'm born and raised in beautiful Northern California. Little about me? I'm a music freak. I love music. I live to play guitar, write songs, and sing. As well as listening and just enjoying music in a daily basis! I like meeting new people, good food, and good movies.

Young Tommy

What first prompted you to pick up a guitar and start playing?

My best friend Pat, and some older family members of friends I was introduced to the music of Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Eric Cream, and it literally felt like a beautiful spell was cast on me. I knew I was going to dedicate the rest of my life playing music upon hearing that.

Who are your musical influences?

I'm a Beatles freak. They're my all time favorite. I have and do, study their music a lot. Their music is the tapestry to my life pretty much!

The first time ever in my life where music really hit me was watching early footage of Elvis Presley on The Ed Sullivan Show. It just gave me the chills as a kid, and I immediately started dressing and combing my hair like Elvis from age 8-10 years old about. That opened the door to all 50's Rock and Roll. I loved Buddy Holly, Gene Vincent, and guys like that. I also loved all Pop from late 50's early 60's. My dad always listened to The Everly Brothers, British Invasion groups, Motown, Bobby Darin. Great stuff like that was my first exposure to music that really moved me.

Now I love so much stuff. I love all music. I love Blues, Jazz, Indian music, Classical, 60s Pop, Rock and Roll from every period. Anything heartfelt and good!

Creative people don't tend to have “typical” days. Some have set routines while others just go with the flow. What's a day in the life of a musician like? Do you stick to a routine? Or do you see what happens?

Haha! Yes I'm all over the place. I'm a total night owl. Always have been. I love writing and creating at night and into the wee hours. I'm sure other professional musicians are a lot more organized. I'd forget my guitar if I actually put it down once in a while.

At Conejo Valley Days 2016

Your life story, as documented on your website, is one that so many creative people can relate to. How do you feel that your life has set you up for the road that you're on now? At what point did you know the exact path that you wanted to take in life?

Wow good question. Well first I have to say I'm beyond blessed to have parents that believed in me, and knew music was my destiny as much as I did. Secondly, growing up in Fairfax, California with some of the most talented musicians around. Fairfax has really courted me as a community, and help me develop my skills as a musician no doubt.

With all of that said, There's also been a lot of trying times, and still are challenges. I mean, I really believe music chose me. I didn't have a choice. The passion was so strong, is so strong, that my heart would never let me veer off that track, even for a second. That doesn't always fit in with day to day realities, but I knew, and know that it's what I need to do on this earth, so you figure it out! I took a leap of faith, and never turned back from day one, and I've been lucky to get some really great opportunities so far.

Music is your passion and your life. Do you find that there's anything in particular that inspires you? Are there any particular themes or lyrical images that you find yourself returning to?

Yes! Anything that moves me. Whether it's a song that gets my juices going, or just life occurrences, and going through the things that you experience in life. It's all about real emotion thought. If something moves me, that's all I need.

Your songs are beautiful and I implore anyone to go and listen. How do you feel about the 21st Century music industry? Is there a big difference between good and bad days?

Thank you so much. Another good question. Honestly, at least in what's big in the mainstream, is garbage. Total garbage. Not everything, but most. The biggest thing for me is a lot of it is ego based. How much swag they have, how cool they are. It disgusts me. Artists like Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis, The Beatles and people like that, were about lifting people up. Their music was real. Humanity poured out of them. Opened people's hearts up. Changed people's lives. That's why great art, and artists are all about. Real true emotion.

Today's artists I see are no different then a Pepsi commercial. Not to mention, artist originality, songwriting, production is pretty sophomoric. At least to me. To be a major recording artist in the 30s 40s and 50s, you truly had to have something really special to offer. You had to truly be a great artist. That's the gold standard for me. All of the old stuff. Whether it's Benny Goodman, or Brian Wilson.

For anyone who hasn't heard you before, how would you describe your music?

Rock music that's basically a combination of everything I like! Definitely some Blues, and Funk in there too.

At the 2016 Conejo Valley Days you fulfilled one of your dreams. Please tell us about that and how it made you feel.

What a day that was. I still think about almost everyday. It was truly magical, and I'm so grateful. For those that don't know, I made YouTube video that it was my dream to jam with Dave Grohl. Luckily, and amazingly, it reached his attention. Through a couple of very special people to me, I was booked for CVD. We met backstage and he was really nice, really complementary, and just such a gentleman. On stage, it was such a rush, and it didn't fully hit me until after the performance. But in a way, I felt like I was jamming with the big brother I never had. It was one of the best days of my life.

You're currently running a crowdfunding campaign. What's it for? And what will the end product be?

Thank you for asking. I've been given the opportunity to record an EP, at Foo Fighters' private studio and Headquarters, Studio 606. Long time Grohl collaborator, and Producer of Foo Fighters/Nirvana, Barrett Jones, agreed to Produce the EP. We will be recording on the Neve Console that was documented in the Grohl documentary, "Sound City". Nirvana recorded "Nevermind" on this console, among countless other landmark albums. We still have a ways to go, and you can donate here! https://www.gofundme.com/tommy606

Some people find crowdfunding to be very easy, while others struggle with it. How are you finding the process?

Interesting question. I find it to be quite a challenge in a lot of ways. It's a daily thing. Checking in with everyone, thanking everyone who's donated, making sure you get rewards to those who are owed them. It's a complete leap of faith, but I'm constantly moved by how many have stepped up to back me. So no, I don't find it easy!

Every recording studio is different, each having qualities that others don't. You've chosen to record your next project at Studio 606. Is there a reason for choosing that particular studio?

Yes! The Neve recording Console! Great room! Great engineers!

Bar the project that you're currently crowdfunding for, if you could have one other dream come true, which one would it be and why?

Be the opening act on tour with Foo Fighters, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Or Clapton!! On tour with my heroes would be amazing!

Do you have a personal motto that you live by?

The only thing standing between you, and your dreams, is the bullshit story you keep telling yourself.

2017 - Photo by Rich W Chapman

What advice would you give to someone who's chasing their dreams?

Giving up is not an option.

Finally, where can find you, and your music, online?

www.TommyOdettomusic.com Spotify, ITunes

You can donate to Tommy's 606 Recording Dream at:

https://www.gofundme.com/tommy606

Inspirational Interview - Wendy Woo

Wendy is one of those people who gives off a wonderful, calming feeling. You get the sense that she'd invite you in for tea and you'd spend the entire day (and night) talking. Wendy was kind enough to stop by the blog and have a chat.

~~~

I was born Wendy Steele in Romford, Essex back in the dark ages. I've lived all over the county, settling in Billericay for 25 years. I moved to Wales in August 2013...first living in a tent, then a caravan and finally in a house in November 2013. I live on the outskirts of a village in a dilapidated Grade II listed farmhouse with my partner and two cats. My three grown up children still live in Essex and I miss them every day. Living on a building site wasn't the original plan but location was our priority and affordability a close second so we're having to work hard to make our house a home.

House restorer wasn't on my original CV but the more I learn about building with stone and lime mortaring, maybe it should be!

I've been a lover of words since I could read. During the power cuts in the 1970s (told you I was ancient!) we played word games on scraps of paper by candle light and I've loved solving anagrams and crosswords ever since. I was encouraged by an English teacher to continue creative writing and the desire to write every day has not left me.

As a chubby child, taunted as a fairy elephant, I came to dance late in life but as a dance teacher, I view my work as a mission to encourage everyone to dance.

You missed out goddess!....I believe we all hold the universe inside ourselves, just as we dwell within it. Limitations of what we can achieve are set by ourselves, our fears and worries so I try to face my fears and challenge myself, striking out in directions I once thought impossible.

Working in the City was a narrow, blinkered existence so once I left to have my first child, returning to cover holiday for a colleague, I recognised that I was no longer part of this money orientated way of life. If you have a dream, follow your heart. I waited almost 15 years before moving to Wales but the dream never left me. Once the children were through school and University, it was our time and though the break away from family and friends was difficult, their support and love has kept me going through tough times.

One of the reasons we left the south of England was the focus on wealth as a measure of worth and the judgemental attitudes of people living there. Since starting our life in a tent in a field in Wales, we've met many local people and not one of them has judged us on appearances. Money and celebrity as goals in life cannot lead to a happy planet. Until we put people first, there will always be a growing chasm between the 'haves' and the 'have nots'. I'm a huge fan of the Dalai Lama and his teachings and he puts kindness and compassion at the top of the list. While the media supports celebrity as an attribute and governments support bankers who cheat and steal with no recourse, nothing will change.

I returned from the Tutankhamun exhibition in London at the age of 10 and wrote my first poem...I've been coming home and writing about my experiences ever since and received my first paid commission as a writer after attending my first belly dance workshops in London. After a two day writing course at a local college, I spent three years writing my first novel....it was wordy and the plot got a little lost but the characters were good and this inspired me to keep writing.

I write magical realism...real people, real magic. The first novel I published was Destiny of Angels, First book in the Lilith Trilogy and, like most of my writing, came out of a 'what if' question...what if you could face the perpetrators of a childhood trauma and offer them the choice of redemption? Who would take it? Who would shun it? Angel Parsons works with Lilith and other gods and goddesses on the astral plane, working magic and rituals alone and with her friends. In the second book, Wrath of Angels, Angel stands up to Lilith and faces the consequences of using magic. I have also published two short story collections, one an easy read and the other, touching on less pleasant subjects. There's also a wee erotic book, Too Hot for Angels, expanding the sex scenes in Destiny of Angels and my non-fiction book Wendy Woo's Year – A Pocketful of Smiles – 101 ideas for a happy year and a happy you. Having lived with depression all my life, this book is full of ideas I use and have used, keeping me smiling through life. Dedicated to my best friend from school who died from cancer at the age of 40, I wanted to share these thoughts, ideas, meditations and recipes to help others.

I launched The Standing Stone book series in November 2014, inspired by the landscape of Wales. The first book, Home for Christmas, is the story of three women living in different time and space who are linked together by the Standing Stone. The second book, Silence is broken is in the final stage of editing and the cover will be ready very soon.

Cats - always willing to "help"!

All my books are self published. As the publishing industry changed daily around me, I made the decision out of a desire to share my stories. My books have strong female characters and though they are met by extreme challenges, just as we all are, they fight for what they believe and I hope the stories are inspirational. I was inspired by the work of Dion Fortune and I hope to bring real magic into the forefront of fiction.

I was lucky. A great friend of mine, Peter Jones, helped me (and still helps me!) putting covers together and formatting my work. Without him, I would not be published. I'll be honest, Destiny of Angels, my first novel, is not the greatest book ever written...I made mistakes but the reviews I received helped me greatly and Wrath of Angels is a tighter, pacier and better written book.

I decided to read and review Indie fiction in a bid to help other Indie authors learn and grow into accomplished writers. I write an honest review, always bearing in mind the work that goes into creating a book, but also suggesting what I found confusing or a detriment to the book. Having made a decision when starting on social media to be myself, I continue this with my book reviews. I believed, naively, that others would do the same, the standard of self published books would rise and Indie authors would stand on a level field with traditionally published authors. While reviewers continue to give 5* reviews to their friends or fellow authors in a group, regardless of the quality of a book, this system will not help Indie authors. Self published books will remain in second class. If a reader starts a book based on a rave review and finds it badly written, they won't trust the reviews on an Indie book again.

Honest reviews would help change the view of readers but while self published authors publish books that haven't been edited (I have attempted to read many!) and their friends rate them highly, this will never happen.

If you have a story you feel compelled to share, go for it....but be prepared to be disappointed. An eye catching cover is a must and editing your work is essential. If you are driven to continue to share your stories, do it but learn from past mistakes. I read and reviewed a book recently, the third by the author. Littered with mistakes and badly written, I reviewed it as such; by book three, I want to read a more accomplished book....the group disagreed, I was 'sent to Coventry' and everyone else gave it 5*!

Not everyone will like your book....be prepared for this...it hurts. My novels take at least two years to write, edit and publish; that's a lot of time and energy to put into a project and when few people buy them, and even fewer review, it's tough to bear but, if you believe in your work, if you are happy to stand up and say 'This is my book and I'm proud of it', keep going.

Thank you so much for interviewing me and allowing me to share a little of the world of Wendy Woo with your fans. I hope they will be interested in adding a little magic into their future reading choices. 

Website: www.wendysteele.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/WendyWooauthor

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/destinyofangelsnovel

https://www.facebook.com/WendyWooBooks

https://www.facebook.com/TheStandingStone

Amazon author:http://www.amazon.com/Wendy-Steele/e/B007VZ1P06/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wendy-Steele/e/B007VZ1P06/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1365459567&sr=1-2-ent

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=216391838&trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile

Goodreads author:http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6548666.Wendy_Steele

Destiny of Angels (First book in the Lilith Trilogy)

Traumatic events in her childhood, send Angel Parsons upon a different life path.

Fifteen years later, with the help of her new 'family' and the resurrected relationship with Jenny Parkes, her only friend from school, Angel confronts the perpetrators of her misery. Rather than seeking revenge and to free herself from her past, Angel uses the skills she has acquired to offer her persecutors the chance of redemption.

Will Angel fulfil her destiny and put her past behind her or will the demons she unleashes consume herself and her 'family' and leave her empty and alone once more?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007OX5J8O/?tag=kttus-20

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Destiny-Angels-Lilith-Trilogy-Book-ebook/dp/B007OX5J8O/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1423220662&sr=1-1&keywords=destiny+of+angels+wendy+steele

https://www.facebook.com/destinyofangelsnovel

http://www.booktrack.com/#!/bookshelf?booktrackId=f63a302d076b47cd9fa9a558d7e76f4c

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13638993-destiny-of-angels

http://www.heibooks.com/Books/Item/256

Wrath of Angels (Second book in the Lilith Trilogy)

Angel Parsons – wife, lover, entrepreneur and witch – is back and though she strives to put her past behind her, Lilith the Dark Goddess has other ideas.

Angel has the power at her finger tips. The choice is hers. Will she evoke her wrath to take her revenge on Lilith or will she summon nature's forces and the strongest emotion on earth to put right the wrongs of the Dark Goddess?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wrath-Angels-Lilith-Trilogy-Book-ebook/dp/B00KTH2E4Y

http://www.amazon.com/Wrath-Angels-Lilith-Trilogy-Book-ebook/dp/B00KTH2E4Y/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1402305692&sr=1-7&keywords=wrath+of+angels

https://www.facebook.com/destinyofangelsnovel

http://www.booktrack.com/#!/bookshelf?booktrackId=ab2d0d53b68c4a1482bfd68a8e1b9aee

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22586265-wrath-of-angels

http://www.heibooks.com/Books/Item/257

The Standing Stone – Home for Christmas

Rachel arrives in Wales to begin a new life but will Marcus jeopardise their future together before it's begun?

Candy knows the punishment for leaving Station 23 unguarded. Will she succeed in convincing Paul to obey the Lesson?

Fern loves her life in the village but when the Tall Folk arrive with metal working skills, will her peace be shattered forever?

Though distanced by time and space, three women find the Standing Stone and the teachings of the Great Mother, Binah.

http://www.amazon.com/Standing-Stone-Home-Christmas-ebook/dp/B00OCPBVV6/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1414328713&sr=1-1&keywords=wendy+steele

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Standing-Stone-Home-Christmas/dp/150272278X/ref=asap_B007VZ1P06_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415177277&sr=1-1

https://www.facebook.com/destinyofangelsnovel

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24341101-the-standing-stone---home-for-christmas

Wendy Woo's Year – A Pocketful of Smiles 101 ideas for a happy year and a happy you

Once upon a time, two eleven year old girls made a pact of friendship. One left school at sixteen while the other stayed on to study. The friendship remained. One went abroad while the other stayed at home. Years passed, marriage and children followed and the friendship continued to flourish via letters and video messages.

After twenty nine years the girls were reunited and the friendship sparked with renewed love and affection. Three months later, one friend was diagnosed with cancer. Nine months later, she died.

I was the girl who lived and I made a promise to live my life for two and make sure that every day included a smile in memory of my beautiful friend.

It isn't easy and I don't claim to hold the key to a life of everlasting happiness but the ideas in 'A Pocketful of Smiles' are used or have been used by me and have brought smiles and happiness to my life.

'A Pocketful of Smiles' is about being happy, irrespective of the challenges life brings.

'A Pocketful of Smiles' is often practical, sometimes spiritual but never religious, occasionally witty and full of ideas to bring a smile to your day.

http://www.amazon.com/Wendy-Woos-Year-Pocketful-ebook/dp/B00AAVPXVU/ref=la_B007VZ1P06_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1354202723&sr=1-5

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wendy-Woos-Year-Pocketful-ebook/dp/B00AAVPXVU/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1354202865&sr=1-3

https://www.facebook.com/WendyWooBooks

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16225278-wendy-woo-s-year---a-pocketful-of-smiles---101-ideas-for-a-happy-year-an

http://www.booktrack.com/#!/bookshelf?booktrackId=4a8c66b64cb94913848239b03fa6edd7

No More Touts 8 - Interview with Kelly

Last year, a lot of amazing things happened. Among them were fans starting to stand up to extortionate ticket prices. One campaign, which I've closely followed on here, was started by a group of Foo Fighters fans. Among them was Kelly. She was brave enough to come and take on the questioning! Read on for her reasons as to why she launched the campaign and how it's continuing. Thank you, Kelly, for taking time out to come and talk!

Hi Kelly! Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m Kelly, 32 from South Devon. I am a huge Foo Fighters fan but music in general of all kinds.

You started the No More Touts campaign. Can you tell us what sparked the idea and how it all got started? What was the point that made you say “No more. We need to do something about this.”?

This has been an ongoing issue for so long, I was really surprised that nobody was trying to do anything about it already. Evolution is a scientific fact, there have been some historic changes throughout history and they all have 1 thing in common – people. People can drive change, people can do wonderful things…if they dare to. The Foo Fighters world tour was on it’s way to being announced, fear had set in and there were so many people worried about getting a ticket. Royal Blood and Biffy Clyro fans were experiencing all sorts of hell trying to get tickets. Cat Stevens had to cancel his own show in NYC to protect his fans from touts. Kate Bush did everything she could to protect her fans from touts at her recent London residency. This is great, is it really down to the artists; no I don’t think it is. Something had to be done, by somebody, somewhere. Even if we just make as much noise as possible to highlight the situation and stand up and say ‘enough is enough’.

For the past several years you’ve run the Foo Family. How did that come in to being? What does it involve? And how was it linked it the campaign?

When the Foo Fighters announced their long awaited Wasting Light tour and, more importantly, the Milton Keynes Bowl gig, me and my friends were so excited. We lived in different parts of the country so it was just easier to make a Facebook group so we could all communicate together about travel plans, accommodation etc. I started to receive random requests from other Foo fans who wanted to share the excitement with us, share their ideas and plans. The gig was set for the July, the group was set up in November after tickets went on sale. We received more and more requests for people to join. We had around 350 in the group by the time the gig came around. Within that time, some great friendships had been made, people met up at the gigs, people car shared, a real fan network was being created under my very nose. We all shared stories of our own fan journeys and what the band and their music meant to us. There literally was nothing else available on the internet for fans to communicate in this way. So we built it up from there, to what it is today. Without the group, the campaign would have never happened.

For the No More Touts campaign you used the Foo Fighters as a kind of figurehead for it. Why them specifically?

Well, we are all Foo Fighters fans but mostly we are all music fans. We have all experienced touting in one way or another not only with the Foo Fighters but with other artists as well.

In late 2014, the band also named their current North America tour “Beat The Bots”. Do you think this has any direct connection to the No More Touts campaign? Or was it just a reaction to the general feeling of the fans?

I would like to think that if it wasn’t a direct connection after all of the press No More Touts received then it inspired a thought process, in the right direction. This feeling within any fan community it will never go away, until it’s resolved.

The No More Touts Kickstarter was probably one of the most successful music related crowd funders of 2014. For many of us, it was like watching the countdown to New Year with the £150,000 total being exceeded in just over a week. How much work had you put in to it prior to its launch in September? And what do you think made it so successful?

A great team of dedicated people who wanted to drive this forward and make it work. We did lots of research into locations, historical relevance, different cities. Birmingham is in the centre of the country, it has great transport link and an international airport. It’s also the home of Rock n Roll!! This project had been batted about for some time in general conversation between a group of us and one day I just thought ‘I’m going to do this and I’m going to do it now’ and I contacted Kickstarter. It did take a few rejections from Kickstarter before the project eventually met their guidelines. We had a press release ready to go and had a team of people allocated to certain aspects of just getting it out there. We really wanted to put pressure on the government and not only what we were doing but most important why we were doing it.

There are many people out there who are looking at getting into crowdfunding. What advice would you give them creating a successful campaign?

Be absolutely sure of your end goal and how you are going to get there, these things don’t just happen themselves you really have to know what you’re doing and when you’re doing it. We had a timeline that we followed, we knew when the press release was going out and we knew we would hit target quickly.

Even though the Kickstarter didn’t come to its intended conclusion, it’s still viewed by many as being a success. What kind of feedback did you get from it all? Have discussions surrounding ticket touting (ticket scalping to our friends in other countries) grown? Are you finding other people are now taking an interest? What’s happening next with the campaign?

There are 2 people who if they can, will change this for all fans moving forward and that’s Sharon Hodgson MP & Mike Weatherly MP who are both supportive of this movement. They have both recently launched a ‘put fans first’ campaign over social media, driving people to write to their local MP’s to support this during the debate in the house of commons later this year (possibly March). I received an email from Mike prior to the campaign launch asking for our support, which was great. The UK Foo Fighters fan base is now known for standing up for something we believe is not right and I am pleased with that achievement in itself. We received some great feedback from other fan groups via social media. One fan base that really got on board was the Blackstone Cherry fan group. People really came together to help make as much noise as possible, regardless of which band or group we followed it was all for a common purpose.

One of the big issues surrounding ticket touting is that the government have taken very little interest. Other countries have laws in place to protect fans while the UK only regulates the resale of football and Olympic tickets. Have the UK government started to listen more in the wake of the campaign? Have there been reactions from leaders in other countries? What kind of regulations would you like to see put in place?

I think it’s important to remember, everybody should be able to sell on a ticket. It’s just not feasible to ban the resale of tickets all together. Things happen in life which means that peoples plans change and they can’t always attend an event where a ticket was purchased sometimes up to 6-8 months in advance. Companies like ‘Stubhub’ and ‘Get Me In’ have created this platform for people to buy and sell tickets. But when it gets down to the nitty gritty and people are being sold fake tickets or being forced into buying tickets at 30 times their face value these companies respond with ‘we have created a platform for others to use, we don’t control the prices of tickets’ which I believe to be a complete cop out. If somebody creates a service or a platform then they should be responsible for the protection of the people that use it. The whole industry needs to work together to resolve this. At the moment it’s the artists that are trying to drive change but they can’t do this on their own. As consumers we are entitled to a fair and transparent service, to feel protected and know that we are being looked after – just like we would with any other retailer. The secondary ticket market are digging their heels into the ground, nothing has changed. Now it’s up to the government – if they listen. Yes, fans could boycott the secondary ticket market but when tickets are shown as ‘sold out’ and you’re automatically directed to a sister site or ‘fan site’ where there are tickets available then it’s a monopoly and people have no choice.

Yet there are a few people who are for ticket touting, citing the free market and that people will pay whatever is required for a ticket. What would you say to those people?

These people have more money than sense. Anybody who thinks it’s ‘ok’ to spend 10x the ticket price for a ticket 5 minutes after its been released on general resale is crazy and doesn’t represent the general public at all. Music means a lot to people, especially live music. I’m sorry, I just don’t understand anybody that thinks the free market is the place for event tickets, regardless of if its sport, music or whatever….who wants to be ripped off, I know I don’t!

When it’s said and done, you did an amazing job! You worked incredibly hard and you’re keeping this going. How do you feel about the whole campaign? Do you have any other plans in the pipeline?

I knew this was going to be quite a big thing; it’s difficult to comprehend the success of it. Sometimes I wish I was an outsider looking in to grasp the hugeness of it all. It would have been amazing for the end result to include a musical protest and everybody coming together at a truly fan funded concert, showing that people can come together and drive change and celebrate success. Who knows, maybe one day that will happen. We have set up a ticket exchange through our own website where people can buy sell tickets at face value. The one thing that drove us to do this is that PayPal UK have recently updated their terms of protection, protecting people who buy event tickets against fake tickets and just not receiving them at all. When the Foo Fighters released their UK dates, we bought as many tickets as possible to sell on to fans at face value. You got to remember, we as a fan base are just a drop in the ocean but we will do all we can to help as many people as possible, regardless of if that’s 1 or 1000. 

You can follow the No More Touts campaign (And the Foo Family!) at: www.facebook.com/foofamiluk

And on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/foofamilyuk

You can also use the hashtag #NoMoreTouts

You can read the rest of the No More Touts posts here.

Inspirational Interview - Given To Live

Christmas is a time of giving. Whether it's your time, your talents, or your money, Christmas is the season when we bless other people (although we should, admittedly, try and do it every day!). Given To Live are a project that embodies this spirit all year round by giving the gift of live music to those who may not ordinarily be able to experience it.

Recently I had the chance to chat to Given To Live's founder, Tom Pugh. Here's what he had to say. Hi Tom! Thanks for stopping by!

What was your background before you decided to start GTL?

Prior to Given To Live I had been fundraising in various capacities direct for the charity or through fundraising organisations. I am also a qualified holistic massage therapist and am re-starting practising as it's both grounding and something that I enjoy on a soul level.

How long did it take to get from the initial idea to where you are now? Was anyone else involved in the initial set up? Do you have anyone working with you now or is it just you? What’s the process behind setting up a charity?

It took five months from idea to start. I met someone who has a charity, Eudaimonia, that's purpose is to support projects to come into being. At the moment we are a project within a charity and have started taking the steps to become a charity in our own right. Currently I am alone with a few people who volunteer to help where they can and where necessary as they simply love the idea of what Given To Live is out to achieve.

How did Given To Live start and what inspired the idea? What’s the ethos behind the idea? And who’s eligible to take part?

The idea came to me after a Pearl Jam show last November and initially I thought to help fellow PJ fans who couldn't make shows through illness and crisis, knowing if someone has invested to go to a show there can be significant financial loss. Then I thought if I'm going to do this it needs to be bigger. All live music and I use the term vulnerable and excluded as to who Given To Live support to give us the opportunity to help as many as possible. This can mean elderly with dementia, survivors of domestic abuse, young carers, disability, mental health issues and so much more. I think we, as a society, often overlook or forget about so many sections of our society and I want Given To Live to be inclusive.

Music is so powerful. So many people have their own stories of why a particular song or band means something to them. Often it's a band, an album, a song, that gets people through turbulent times. I know music has saved lives.

Going to a live show is a gift that I realised I took for granted when I could go. There have been times when I couldn't go when I have been struggling and it would have been just what I needed. I want Given To Live to make live music possible for everyone and it isn't. Whether the obstacle is mental health, physical disability or financial let's make this happen.

Given To Live have had some huge successes over the previous months. How did they come about and what are your thoughts on them?

We have. The first step is receiving an application and then getting board approval. From there it comes down to sourcing tickets. The meet and greet aspect is a cherry on the top as our remit is to provide funding for tickets, transport and, if necessary, accommodation. To have meet and greets with both the Foo Fighters and Shane Filan was simply beyond my wildest expectations and I can't thank those who helped make these happen from the ground up enough. Fellow music fans with no investment other than wanting dreams to come true via social media through to management and the artists saying yes.

What inspires you to keep going?

Easy question. The looks on the faces, the messages after saying how positive an impact has had. Scarlett's mum telling me her dream was to win the lottery so she could pay for Shane Filan to shake Scarlett's hand and knowing that evening we had made a mum's dream for her daughter come true as well as Scarlett's. The joy of those who helped make it happen. It's a very humbling and beautiful experience.

Recently you were involved in a campaign to help change the secondary ticketing market for live music. What are your thoughts on this and what changes would you like to see made to the live music industry? How can people on the street get involved?

I'm 47 and remember buying tickets off touts in my younger days. I was brought up seeing my dad do this at football matches if we had no tickets so it was normal for me. And if someone wants to stand outside in the pouring rain, behaving shiftily with people mostly despising you and sell tickets I'm ok with that. There is always going to be someone who couldn't get a ticket for whatever reason and be willing to pay. It's a very old profession and it wouldn't surprise me if there were touts outside the Coliseum.

What really bothers me is now we have the internet touts are getting hold of so many tickets, bought by automated bots, that they can set the market and sell via the internet with no regulation. It means genuine fans have much less of a chance of getting tickets in a sale because up to 60% of tickets have been known to end up in the hands of touts and immediately the resale market becomes inflated. We know also some bands give tickets to touts to re-sell and that, for me, is simply fleecing your own fans.

A great campaign amongst Foo Fighters fans here in the UK happened on twitter #NoMoreTouts. This resulted in the Foo Fighters having their own #BeatTheBots where the initial onsale for their 2015 US tour was in person at the box office before there was an internet sale. This is something all bands could do. And this also bring in a sense of community that is also part of the live experience. The campaign can be found at www.foofightersuk.com

The government can also choose to regulate the secondary market. And it's as simple as that, a choice.

How can people get involved with Given To Live? And where can we find you online?

We're at www.giventolive.com

There you can find out more, donate and make applications.

We're tiny right now. Not really known about so sharing us and liking us on facebook is great exposure, the same with twitter- the links are on our website. Talk about us, fundraise for us. Tell bands, managers, agents about us. If people want to be involved please contact us. I am grateful for all help and suggestions.

Finally, if you could change one thing to make the world a better place, what would it be?

Due to my own personal experiences I truly believe if everyone went into weekly therapy and weekly bodywork for two years we would live in a much healthier and more conscious world. As a collective consciousness grew we would have less war, less greed, less environmental destruction. More compassion, more empathy, more joy.

So, two years weekly bodywork and therapy for everyone over the age of 14.

"One day you finally knew what you had to do, and began, though the voices around you kept shouting their bad advice -- determined to do the only thing you could do -- determined to save the only life you could save." Mary Oliver

Given To Live's next fundraisers are at Wembley on June 19th and 20th (the weekend of the Foo Fighters shows). Come along, say hi and enjoy some awesome live music before AND after you rock out with the Foos. 

 

Inspirational Interview - Ngaire Elder

This week, the lovely Ngaire has agreed to an interview. Ngaire, along with a handful of other indie authors, took me under her wing way back when my first book came out. Together they've helped me find my way through the minefield of being an indie author and I'm forever grateful for their love, help, and wonderful words.

As well as writing, Ngaire runs an awesome blog and is always around to dole out advice and beautiful smiles. Please give her a huge, warm welcome!

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Hi Ngaire! Thank you for stopping by! Firstly, can you please tell us a little about yourself?

I am a married mother of four magnificent children, originally from Scotland and now settled in Southern Spain, in a small farmhouse, surrounded by lovely plants and animals of all types. I have written three well received children's books as part of a series called The Adventures of Cecilia Spark and look forward to carrying on with that. I am a voracious reader and am rarely without an on-going book and as part of my work as a children's author, I visit schools in Spain and the UK and read to young children, with the express purpose of encouraging literacy, a love of animals and the great outdoors. 

You write the awesome Cecilia Spark series. What inspired you to write them? Was there anyone in particular you wanted to write them for?

Having 4 children I was a major part of their ‘reading-with-mum-to-reading-on-their-own’ transition. The books we read were amazing and I think I was captured by the juvenile fiction category. Furthermore, this age group (roughly 5-8/9 years) is at such a magical stage in their life for discovering books and defining their reading habits and genre that it seemed a natural place to start my writing.

My aim is to encourage children to read and motivate them to explore the great outdoors. I do this by creating a magical world of rivers and forests and mountains, populated with animals big and small. The adventures are bursting with thrills and spills, with a humorous streak running through each chapter. I hope to inspire their imagination and encourage them to get outside and learn more for themselves, or at least, to pick up a book about the natural world in which they live.

They've had an amazing response from pretty much every corner of the globe and I admit that I'm hooked now as well! Your writing is beautiful and flows so easily. How long have you been writing for? When did you decide it was time to publish a book?

Thank you, Rae, for those lovely words of encouragement for my writing. I have been writing since I was a child; I wrote plays! But it wasn’t until about 7 or 8 years ago I managed to find the time to put pen to paper. I wish I had kept those plays, I am sure I would have had a chuckle reading them again.

You're a big advocate for indie authors and we love you for it! What made you decide to go it alone rather than approach a big publisher? If you went to a big publisher, what kind of reactions did you receive?

My time schedule and the fact I cannot work under pressure. I do set myself deadlines, but if I don’t make it I don’t panic because I am not letting anyone down. Compared with, if I was with a BIG publishing house, I dare say if you miss a deadline they wouldn’t be too happy.

I don’t think I could work under that sort of pressure.

And yes, at the start of my writing career I approached a handful of publishers. I received a couple of positive replies but nothing definite, but it didn’t put me off publishing on my own. In fact it made me more determined to succeed!

For you, what are the advantages and disadvantages of being an indie author?

Advantages and disadvantages … let me see. For me the main advantage of being indie is being in control of my work, and keeping all rights to my writing. I have also met some great folks whom I am not afraid to approach and ask for their advice on matters.

The main disadvantage, in my opinion is distribution and not getting the exposure that a traditionally published author does. Some people still stigmatise Indie authors. You have to handle all, or almost all, your own marketing and that can be pretty time consuming.

The lovely Ngaire!

We've seen a huge shift in the publishing industry in the past decade. Where do you see it going in the next 10 years?

I think a gatekeeper to check on quality is inevitable. I also think Amazon, with their purchases of small publishing houses, will grow increasingly into a publisher and not just a broker/intermediary. Lots more little publishing houses will sprout up and audio books - an area I am involved in - will become more and more prevalent in the area. Writers who don't create audiobooks may struggle to sell their work. I think it is going to be a battle, Rae, and more and more authors will struggle to sell books. However, I don't think people will stop writing, but the expectations of earning money for the vast majority of authors will have to be lessened.

The children's market is obviously huge so how do you find being a part of it? What kinds of things do you have to do differently as opposed to someone who writes adult books?

Coming up with an original idea and theme for your stories. Not to be afraid of exploring other avenues, say for example audio books, an area I have ventured into and I am pleased with the result. Children’s authors have to be prepared to interact with kids. So school and library visits should be at the top of the list. Having fun things to do on your website is a must. And being a big kid helps!

A lot of people want to write children's books. What would your advice be to anyone who's starting out in the industry? Are there any pitfalls that you'd advise them to keep an eye out for?

Don’t try and do things yourself you cannot carry off. See your vision clearly in your mind’s eye. If you have a vision, the story will flow naturally and you should have no problems. If you are just joining in a trend, this will show in your work and you will struggle. Invest in a decent illustrator. Make lots of friends on the social networks and never, ever put a sock in the toaster!

Pitfalls, if I have come across any they have not impacted upon me greatly …

Finally, tell us about your books and let us know where to find you online!

My children’s series is an action and adventure series called The Adventures of Cecilia Spark. To date there are 3 books in the series: Brimstone Forest, the Mystical Mountains of Terra, and Dragon’s Star.

All books are available as an ebook, paperback and audio book. The series is suitable for boys and girls aged 5-10 years old. The younger children will enjoy hearing the stories being read to them whilst looking at the fabulous illustrations (Peter Maddocks).

Another recent publication is My Nature Friends which is an A-Z picture book and was wonderfully illustrated by my daughter, Fearn. I am so proud of her.

I love the research stage for Cecilia Spark’s adventures and I endeavour to base parts of the story on real places; magical and unique locations in our world. In book 2 – The Adventures of Cecilia Spark: the Mystical Mountains of Terra – one place I was drawn to whilst researching for this adventure was the mangroves in Brazil, in particular the Bahia region, and the lake scene at the Mystical Mountains, was inspired by Lake Baikal in Russia.

Given this I believe every child that reads a Cecilia Spark adventure will not only enjoy the thrills and spills but will also learn about the world we live in and the importance of friendship.

All books are available from Amazon and other online book shops.

Amazon UK - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ngaire-Elder/e/B006VXOUN8

Amazon US - http://www.amazon.com/Ngaire-Elder/e/B006VXOUN8

For the audio books in the series:

iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/ngaire-elder/id872717777

Audible http://www.audible.com/search/ref=a_pd_Kids_D_c2_1_auth?searchAuthor=Ngaire+Elder

My website is a great place to explore - http://www.ceciliaspark.com/

My blog where you’ll read the latest news and indie writer/artist spotlights - http://adventuresofceciliaspark.blogspot.co.uk/

Inspirational Interview - Emm Roy

To counteract some of the dark issues I write about, I like to find people, photos, articles, and quotes which make the world a lighter, brighter, and much nicer place to live. This week I've been honoured to speak to Emm Roy. Emm runs Pleasestopbeingsad over on Tumblr. I discovered her blog a couple of months ago and check in every day for a dose of cute and happiness. Her doodles and advice reach thousands of people and if you need a pick-me-up, or just want to smile a bit more, her blog is guaranteed to do it. Without further ado, please welcome her to the blog!

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"Firstly, tell us a little about yourself."

Hi! I’m a 22 year old French Canadian illustrator. I like cats and drinking a lot of coffee.

“You run the amazing Tumblr blog Pleasestopbeingsad. What inspired you to start it?”

Thanks! It wasn’t always the way it is now. It started because I was in a bad place, and I thought it would be helpful if I had a drawing diary to chronicle my progress as I tried to heal and get out of that bad place. I also wanted to let my friends know how I was doing, so I decided to put it online in blog form instead of keeping a more traditional paperback diary. Eventually, it started getting popular, and I decided to switch the focus of the blog so it would be more about helping people and less about my personal journey.

“Your wonderful doodles make a lot of people smile. What inspired you to start drawing? What do you use to make them? On average how many do you draw a day?”

Again, thank you. I’ve been drawing for as far as I can remember. When I was younger, I was one of those kids who was always drawing in class or skipping class to draw. I mainly draw using a wacom bamboo create tablet and photoshop cs6. It’s hard to tell how many I make a day. “A lot” would be my best guess.

“Sometimes you speak about your daily life. Do you make time to draw every day? Is it an “Okay, for the next hour this is what I’m going to do”? Or do you just sit down and go for it whenever the mood takes you?”
I’m very into scheduling. I make schedules and I plan things so that I can be more efficient and maximize my productivity. Drawing is currently my only source of income, so I always make sure to organize my schedule so that I draw at least 40 hours every week. To be honest though, I’m always so excited about drawing and creating work that my biggest problem is scheduling myself time for rest and breaks. I find it a lot easier to draw than not to draw.

“What advice would you give to someone who wants to be creative but finds themselves with a block? How do you deal with creative blocks?”
I think one of the easiest way to be blocked is to set your expectations too high. I have friends who are very talented, but they want everything they make to be perfect, and as soon as they make a mistake or they reach a hard step, they start getting nervous and unhappy about what they’re doing, and they’re no longer enjoying it as much. It’s important to allow yourself to fail. I think people should try to make bad art just for the sake of it sometimes. It’s fun and it helps put perfectionism in perspective. I’m also a big fan of drawing and painting with other people. It’s an amazing feeling to be alone with your thoughts while working on a painting, but company can be a lot of fun too. I’m also a big fan of taking breaks. Everyone needs to recharge sometimes. It’s okay. You’re not any less of an artist if you need to stop making art for a week.

“You give out a lot of wonderful advice and I always find myself smiling whenever I see it. If you could give one piece of advice to everyone, what would it be?”

Be kind, but don’t mistake kindness for letting people treat you badly. There is nothing mean about standing up for yourself or putting yourself first. It only means that you’re extending your kindness to yourself.

“Many people will agree that the world’s not a great place at the moment. What do you think could be done to make it better?”

People need to be more considerate. So often we hurt people, not because we’re bad people or because we want to hurt them, but because we simply haven’t taken the time to fully consider the consequences of our actions (or lack thereof). I think we need to pause and reflect more on how we’re affecting the world. I believe that positive change can happen, but I believe that it happens in small steps. I don’t expect to end poverty, but I can donate a few dollars to someone who needs it. I don’t expect to end bigotry, but I can tell someone when their actions are hurting me, and I can listen when they tell me that my actions are hurting them. I’m a big fan of the idea that small steps are still important steps.

“The doodles are available in books! Where can we find them?!”

Right now, they’re only available on Lulu.com (http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/pleasestopbeingsad)

“More importantly, where can we find you online?”

you can find me at pleasestopbeingsad.tumblr.com where I doodle little things to make people happy
or at emmisnotshortforemma.tumblr.com where I draw things about my life. 

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 Thank you so much, Emm! And everyone else, go and check her blog! Go now! You won't be disappointed!