Got Bars Program

Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Kanye West is a rapper, producer, director, fashion designer and now the founder of a foundation in honor of his mother, Donda West. In 2013, Kanye West started a non-profit organization called “Donda’s House Inc”. The organization is located in Chicago, Illinois and has partnered with Chicago’s Ark of St. Sabina for “Got Bars” Music Writing & Fitness Program.

Alderman and fellow rapper Rhymefest is the Assistant Director over the Got Bars program and feels the program will change the youth musically, help keep them healthy and also give them a peaceful environment to be around. The children will be able to create songs to a beat that they will perform at a showcase when the program is over.

The Got Bars program is a program open to youth ages 15-24 who has background experience in writing, performing and recording. Only 30 students will be accepted into the program for each session. The program runs for a total of 12 weeks and the students meet three times a week. The first session was offered this past August and the organization has completed the first 12 weeks and will be having a showcase on November 21, 2013 at the Lacuna lofts located at 2150 S. Canalport in Chicago, Illinois.

Being the Director of Breezy's Performing Arts Academy, this Got Bars program caught my interest and I wanted to be apart of this great organization. I reached out to the organization and offered my services in any way possible to help our youth gain knowledge in the music industry. I was offered a chance to help with the showcase this upcoming Thursday and work the section where the press will be stationed.

I believe that the entertainment industry is based on hard work, dedication, and most of all your network. To be able to achieve the highest level of success one cannot do it alone. This showcase and program will not only help the youth but also help put me around an organization whose mission is to implement the arts, health/wellness, and literature experiences that transform our youth.

Checkout the music from the Fall 2013 class at Got Bars program.

Registration for the spring of 2014 will open January 2014. The application can be found at Got Bars program.

References:

Danitha, J. (2013). The Source. Kanye West Launching “Got Bars” Program For Chicago’s Youth, retrieved from http://thesource.com/2013/07/28/kanye-west-launching-got-bars-program-for-chicagos-youth/

http://dondashouse.com/

Digital Marketing in the Performing Arts

Breezy's Performing Arts Academy Students

Breezy's Performing Arts Academy is an arts training program for youth ages 5-14. BPAA trains the youth in theater, music and dance. The youth participate in workshops, such as, poetry, dj'ing, beat production, modeling and fashion design. The youth also create a music video, movie, commercial and participate in studio sessions. Breezy's Performing Arts Academy is located in Chicago, Illinois and was founded in 2012 by Stacey "Ms. Breezy" Gill. 

• The biggest problem for success in digital marketing for performing arts organizations is the lack of budget.

• 94% of the organizations use Google Analytics but 92% of the organizations admitted to not using Google Analytics to its full potential.

• Instead of using digital marketing ads, 45% of the companies are using mobile enabled websites and 35% are planning on getting one. 

• 60% of the arts organizations simply don't have the budget to cover their website needs.

Digital marketing is supposed to be used to track, measure and improve a companies business. Breezy's Performing Arts Academy is one of the companies that are going to invest their money into more digital ad campaigns in 2014. Instead of selling tickets by hand, BPAA will now start selling tickets online and also start reviewing their analytics reporting. If you are a company not using digital marketing to it's highest potential than success for your company will be hard to achieve. To be successful in digital marketing a company has to be willing to invest financially.

Being apart of Breezy’s Performing Arts Academy is the fun part, however, it takes a lot to make this business successful. Stacey has to not only find a location for her academy, she has to also promote her company, find reliable employees to work for her and use social media and digital marketing to help brand and grow her business.

To be a successful arts organization, a business has to spend money on digital marketing and ads. How much does a business spend on advertising for their company? Capacity Interactive did a survey with 50 different organizations in 2012. Some of the organizations included ballet and modern dance companies, theaters, orchestras and opera companies. The budget size for these companies ranged from $1 million to over $31 million. The data they collected showed the results of where the performing arts industry stands with digital marketing.

Source:

Capacity Interactive. (2013). Capacity Interactive. Performing Arts Digital Marketing Benchmarks retrieved from, http://www.capacityinteractive.com/ideas/performing-arts-digital-marketing-benchmark-survey-study/

Gill, S. (2013). BPAA. Breezy's Performing Arts Academy retrieved from http://bpaa.weebly.com/

Semester in LA

Calling all undergrads, graduates and potential students wanting to learn more about the entertainment industry. Columbia College offers students a chance to spend a semester in Los Angeles for five weeks and work on the Hollywood Studio lot with professionals in the industry. Experience what it is like to write a one-hour script or produce a feature screenplay. Have you ever wanted to produce your own music in the studio or know what it takes to sell a project after it is complete? If you answered yes to these questions then Columbia College Chicago is the place for you to be.

Columbia College offers classes in the following subjects:

• Journalism

• Screenwriting

• Producing

• Drama Writing for Television

• Acting

• Entertainment Marketing

• Adaptation

• Graduate Producing

• Comedy Writing for Television

• Directing

• Costume Design

• Music Composition Graduate

• Transmedia & Cross-Platform Development

• Graduate Journalism

This program does not offer financial aid, however, they do offer a chance to be chosen to receive a scholarship. The student will receive 12-16 credits for attending the five-week intense program. ON average students spend roughly between $1500-$2500 for the entire trip. Student is responsible for covering their food, travel and accommodations.  

Some of the places that students have received jobs or internships are:

• Lionsgate

• Phoenix Pictures

• The CW

• Ridley Scott & Scott Free

• CSI: NY

• The Gersh Agency

• Variety

• American Idol

• Fox Network

• Underground Films

• Warner Brothers

Having an opportunity to showcase your skills and talents you have learned in front of industry professionals is a chance of a lifetime. So many people wish they could sit in front of a producer or animator and gain the opportunity to impress them with their creativity. If you are an undergrad, graduate or potential student and looking to get your brand out there to the entertainment industry, please take the time to visit http://www.colum.edu/Academics/semester-in-la/about/.  

Breezy's Performing Arts Academy

Do you have a talented child? Can your child sing, act, dance or rap? Ever wanted to try out for American Idol or America's Next Top Model? Well if your child is between the ages of 5 and 14, bring them to Breezy's Performing Arts Academy.

Breezy's Performing Arts Academy or BPAA is a performing arts training program for children ages 5-14. BPAA is committed to training the next generations of dancers, singers, rappers and actors to serve the world. BPAA is a summer program offered to youth who want to succeed in the entertainment industry and also gain more knowledge in numerous fields of the arts.

Breezy's Performing Arts Academy’s mission is to educate youth how to become more polished in dance, theater and music. They train the youth to better themselves with their talents and skills and overcome any fear they may have within the arts program.

BPAA believes in building leadership skills and bringing the community together as one. They believe in providing positive role models to the youth and offering the children an opportunity to overcome any fears they may have and release them thru art instead of violence.

Stacey “Ms. Breezy” Gill is the Director and Founder of Breezy’s Performing Arts Academy. Ms. Breezy has worked with several major artists such as R. Kelly, Ginuwine, Idris Elba, Twista, Jagged Edge, Trina, Juelz Santana, Mindless Behavior, Young Dro and countless others. It doesn’t stop there! She has taken all of her experience and talent and solidified it by earning a degree in Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management specializing in Music Business from Columbia College in December 2012. She currently is enrolled at Full Sail University getting her Masters degree in Entertainment Business. 

If you or anyone you know is interested in learning more about this phenomenal academy, please contact BPAA at www.bpaa.weebly.com. 

Industry Expert Podcast Research

Listening to a podcast done by Entertainment lawyers Gordon Firemark and Tamera Bennet, I realized how some legal liabilities could affect my performing arts academy business. The podcast was their 44^th episode and it revolved around different cases and controversies in the entertainment industry.

One of the topics the two lawyers discussed was the lawsuit against singer Robin Thicke and his hit song “Blurred Lines”. Marvin Gaye, a famous singer, songwriter and musician, had a song titled “Got to give it up”. Marvin Gaye is now deceased and his family is suing Robin Thicke over his song Blurred Lines, saying it sounds just like Marvin Gaye’s song, Got to Give it Up.

The Gaye’s family claims that Thicke’s song has the same feel and sound as Marvin Gaye’s song. Bridgeport Music is also claiming that Robin Thicke’s song sounds like Funkadelic’s song “Sexy Ways”. The three writers of the song Blurred Lines, Robin Thicke, Clifford Harris and Pharell Williams, countersued the family saying they did nor infringe on Gaye’s song and there were no similarities.

Tamera Bennet opinion was that the song Blurred Lines did not resemble Got to Give it Up. She claimed they were both easy to listen to but no infringement. In my opinion, I think the song is a resemblance of Gaye’s song. Robin Thicke also stated that Gaye’s song is one of his favorite songs of all time. Firemark made a good point when he said that if a lawyer was to bring in evidence that Thicke said comments like, “We should make a song like this”, or that “This is my favorite song of all time”, then he might be found guilty of copyright infringement and declaratory relief.

Breezy’s Performing Arts Academy has to be aware of stealing other people ideas and trying to find a way to make it their own. Sine my company is a performing arts academy, we create music and videos that are sometimes similar to other songs and videos. As long as we stay far away from infringing on another person’s sound or feel, we can protect our company from any lawsuits with out business.

Take a look below at the YouTube clip of Robin Thicke’s song and video of “Blurred Lines”.

In the second podcast that I listened to by the same lawyers above, they discussed the trademark issue between Will.I.Am And Pharell Williams. The issue between the two artists was that Will.I.Am. felt that Pharell Williams stole his “I Am” trademark. Will.I.Am has many registered trademarks, mainly I Am being one of them. Pharell is claiming copyright non-infringement, because his mark does not mean same thing as Will.I.Am mark.

Pharell’s company name is I.Am Other, meaning that he is something else. The argument is not over the I.Am symbolism, but, it is over the period in between the I and the Am that is symbolic to Will.I.Am’s brand. Will.I.Am also claims that Pharell has stolen other trademarks. Since both of the artists are on the same label, there could be confusion between the two of them. The question in this case is whether the period is a matter in this case. Will.I.Am is known for the period in his names. When you read Will.I.Am, you read it just as it looks, not William. There is not a ruling yet on this case, so what is your opinion? Should they settle or let it go to trial?

Breezy’s Performing Arts Academy needs to be aware of slogans or names that they use with their company. BPAA’s slogan is “All Kids R Our Kids”. In doing further research for this assignment, I found a website called AKROK Designs (http://www.akrokdesign.com/). My question is will this be a problem for my company? What if the company wanted to get a shirt with the acronyms A.K.R.O.K.? Will AKROK Design send us a cease and desist letter? BPAA has to be aware of trademark issues in other states and with Illinois, where the business is located. BPAA will definitely need to follow up on this possible issue.