HYPE!!

The poly movement! Is there someone heading this movement? Is there a mission statement to this movement? And who began this movement? I do not know.  What's the big HYPE? I have yet to find out.

With so many polynesians pursuing a variety of careers I can't help but praise their ambition, their drive, and their passion for what their choice of work is. If anything, this is exactly what our ancestors have been wanting! To build to higher ground and become something more than what has been offered to prior generations! 

Growing up in a polynesian community I have seen the time and effort people put in to ensure that future generations are not held back from whats right in front of their faces. And for that, I am thankful.

so what is this movement? I have seen many successful polynesians in all areas of expertise and it's inspiring! But what about those that are working to get to the top? Do they not deserve the same praise for their hard work, their integrity, and their courage for going against the grain?

There are many polynesians that I know that have the skill and the talent that surpasses so many of those that are known and yet they are barely recognized for their achievements. I know that the point of business is to get what's liked the most and to sell that. but the Poly Movement is NOT a business. 

Now, to me, the thing that makes it rough for polynesians to be recognized even more for their work and to be part of the 'POLY MOVEMENT" flow is the business side of things. Promoters try to get the ones that will get them the most money (As any smart business person would do). But, with our community, we're breaking so many boundaries that we should not cater to just one side of things. I mean, that is if the Poly Movement is about supporting ALL. I am a musician. and for polynesians we cater so much to reggae! which is fine cuz reggae is a great form of music but I have been to shows where I have been cut off because I wasn't reggae. I have been to shows where GOOD rappers are taken off stage cuz they're not reggae (Why would you invite them then?). Now I know that people build a show around the general genre. but at the end of the night I hear from the entertainment groups say 'we don't do this for the money, we do it for our people.' If that's the case (which, in most cases, it's not) build a show around the 'abnormals.' IF you are "FOR" our people why wouldn't you do something as simple as that. It's easy, cuz they do it for the money. You don't do something that big and not expect to get money from it. Trust me, I've done the math!! haha (After writing all of that I should have wrote about BAD BUSINESS instead of the poly movement haha..)

Networking with other polynesians that have gone to great lengths to be noticed have also expressed these same feelings. I know there are talented poly's that want to be recognized in the poly movement, not to be glorified, but simply, to be looked up to as a role model for our own community. 

So what is it about the poly movement that is so intriguing that we have to hashtag it in a tweet or facebook status? Isn't it meant to show support so that others will feel inspired to do great, if not greater, things? And if so, then properly recognize it... stop JUST 'LIKING' posts and you never read it or watched it. It's a mockery.

For those that have felt this same way of not gaining the support of our own people, please don't give up on what you feel is your destiny, I sure ain't. Because in reality, NOT giving up is more moving than any movement out there. See you all at the top!

SOCIALLY AWKWARD to be VIRTUALLY AVAILABLE

I've always been a person that enjoys and would rather have a face to face conversation. For many reasons, one, you don't have to hide. Two, the communication is clearer and three, its builds character.

I have seen my own friendships become stronger because of being socially intimate with those around me. Its satisfying, its evolving, it's classic!!! Who can ever deny those feelings!! I looked forward to being with my friends and family to seek guidance, to give guidance, to laugh, to love and to live. Being sociable was most definitely my forte.

Being social, I have come across many things that seemed hopeful in maintaining friendships.But the one thing that allowed me all access to my friends and family 24/7 is social networks! Amazing thing to be used in keeping them posted on things going on in my life, but very detrimental if too much of my life was placed on a World Wide Web.

Control. Being introduced to these networks at first is very exciting! It, of course, adds a lot more to the conversation at the dinner table and maybe even spare a few laughs over a cup of hot cocoa (or coffee or tea whichever you prefer). But one thing I did see, is my desire to not go and hang out with those that I loved. I found myself staying home more to be on these networks and even separate myself from my family to spend more time uploading pictures or getting the most current status update and youtube video on my page! I was becoming involved in what everyone was saying and what everyone was thinking that it gave that I started to lose focus. I've lost control and was obsessed with the idea that I can be a homebody and socialize! Even using my phone for text messages has become more of a convenience for the sake of talking to someone.

Spending so much time on these devices didn't make it any easier when I began using a smartphone! Having a smartphone only quickened my access to being socially awkward!! I have relied and still do at times rely on this one device to be the life saver of confronting problems, asking for unsatisfying support, spiritual strength and just being virtually available!It's a PROBLEM! HAHA

Technology, is a great thing! but when we use it to replace the meaning of our personal relationships it's not such a great thing. When it becomes our means to expressing ourselves to our loved ones its not a good thing. When we can't manage our lives because we're wrapped up in our friends timeline or text message about their personal struggles it's not a good thing!

Is it so much to ask to put our devices away for a few short minutes to listen to our parents counsel, or to confront our problems head on and work through the miscommunication? can we, now, only depict our friends based on who texts us and who writes on our status's? Can we only find joy and laughter in a thought that is in our friends update? I believe that we can STILL have these opportunities on a face to face basis if we made time for it! How many times have we finished spending the night with the ones we care about and said "That was a fun night'? Have you ever said that to yourself after a night of being on the computer or your phone? I don't think so.

It's time to become familiar with my friends and family again... personally... sincerely... and not awkwardly!

MUSIC and ME!!

As a young kid I've always looked up to different singers and did my best to pay close attention to the way I felt as the singer expressed themselves through a melody line or even a lyric and tried to connect an emotion with what was sung melodically or lyrically. It gave me drive to sing and write and even play and while the years went on singing became a sense of release, writing became a feeling of freedom, and playing the piano became a field for experiment.

I remember while growing up my three older brothers always singing everywhere, whether it be at schools, nursing homes, a family event, etc. they were always the ones that sang. Yes, me and my sister were thrown in once in awhile, but I could honestly say that I was never musically gifted at that particular time.at that age I never took voice lessons I never took piano lessons, all I knew was what I heard, and sometimes what I heard came out not sounding so good HAHA.. I was always told that I couldn't sing. I even remember times when I would get kicked out of my brothers room while they sang because I was tone deaf. But taking no for an answer was not acceptable to me and so I worked. I studied many different singers, HARD ONES at that. Christina Aguilera, Stevie Wonder, Brian Mcknight, Whitney Houston,  and many more. All of these different types of soul and R&B singers and nothing. I pushed hard to be something like they were (Vocally) but still came out as me.and to me that was unacceptable because I was not good enough.

As a teenager, I had two different types of voice coaches. My first being Mrs. Sparks. She was actually my choir teachers wife. But she taught classical and was very focused on breathing correctly. And I sang out opera tunes, traditional folk songs, after a few months of this I grew tired of singing something that I didn't want to sing. I then came across a man name Dean Kaelin who was taught by Seth Riggs (Credentials - Michael Jackson Stevie Wonder ETC) I was instantly excited with the hope of thinking that I would sound just like the people I idolized. if there was anything that I needed to have learned at that time of my life it would be to not set myself up for disappointment! AHAHA

I am not saying that the teachings of SLS (Speech Level Singing) were bad, because IN FACT, they are what saved my life, vocally. let me explain, going into my consultation lesson, I went in with my karaoke track of 'Superstar' Luther Vandross version and was ready to sing. Dean played the CD and told me to sing. so I began. I didn't even finish the first verse and he stops it and says, ok I'm gonna teach you some things that will make you soar through this song but first you gotta sing like MYCAL, not like Luther, like MYCAL. Devastating news at that time because to me, MYCAL, sucked. ahaha but at the same time it made sense to sing like me whether people like it or not. To just SING! and that's exactly what I did. I continued on with him for 4 years til I began lessons with the same organization just with a different teacher Linda Tomkinson who has continued great teachings, just as Dean, with finding my voice. Taking risks was my adventure with Linda and she would NOT allow me to sing under my capabilities!! Which I am very grateful for!

After taking time to become familiar with my voice and different things that I could do I moved to Los Angeles to further my music. Going to school, booking gigs, writing some songs, gave me the idea to start demanding money, and thats when I started to get lost in the whole business side of music and started to sing for all the wrong reasons. Which money, isnt the WRONG REASON, but it became my ONLY reason. And I lost sight of my passion for it and everything I was doing came off insignificant and insincere. I was putting myself in situations where I was mentally unhealthy. I took on too much and crashed. I felt bitter towards people because they didn't hold up their part of the deal and became LOST once again on what kind of musician I was.

This past December, I went back to Utah for a little bit, and it gave me just the break I needed! Being stubborn I held everything in. Then, finally, broke down to my dad. expressing every doubt and insecurity to him and cried endlessly because of the pressure I was under. And being the man that my dad was, he did something very important to me. He fathered me. If that makes sense. From our moment of conversing with each other he brought up another point that I forgot, and that was to be ME!! Reminded me that I did music because I loved it, that I had a passion for it. Not because it was my source of income. And that was just what I needed to separate music and business. Not saying that I can't make money from it, but making money from it honestly and not grudgingly.. Money will come, in time, but make the most of my music now to make the difference.

Many times as a professional (any type of profession) we lose our sense of direction and place ourselves to be better than we really are! I am thankful for being humbled countless times in this business and for the constant reminder that all I need to be the best at is portraying a better me. I have learned to be not be a afraid of failing because that is when I'll see my success. throughout all of my years as a musician some people see me as a GREAT musician, others see me as a SCUKY musician, and I see me as getting better at being a musician and as long as I'm moving forward to being better I'm happy with myself!!