DJ The Porn Kings and My One Work Plus Self-Portrait

I just uploaded a video of myself playing my Numark Pro 2 DJ device. I used The Porn Kings' sampled electronic music titled "Up To No Good" and my own titled "Come On And Then Pump It" in the DJ device. I played them back and forth as I went along. I also translated the sampled words into ASL when they came on. This is to give you an idea that I can switch the 2 music back and forth.

I also created a new DJ WildPoet self-portrait for profiles and so forth. Here it is.

Unfortunately, the video turned out dark without realizing that I should have added more lights in the room. The other problem was my mistake to forget to turn off the "Scratching" buttons. When I spun the wheels, they created the "scratching" sound effects, which I didn't anticipate to allow that to happen. I usually don't like doing the scratching effects. I did eventually turn off the "Scratching" buttons, which I then was able to just speed up the tracks into faster beats per seconds; that was what I wanted to do. So that was the only thing that you may noticed. Other than that, the other sound effects sounded great and wildly ethereal. 

I am planning to look for a DJ table or holder or shelf of some kind where I can put my Numark Pro 2 and laptop on during performances soon. Once that is taken care of, I will pursue for performance opportunities, hopefully by this Fall season.

Here is the YouTube video of the Porn Kings and my work. Just click on the hyperlink and you'll go right to it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_k-MLAXIRA&list=UU--8Y0Cb1tGGhm1Nj2ewPHQ

DJ WildPoet Projects: Business Card Design, Fan-Based Facebook, and 1st Video of "Rebellion"

It's been about 2 months since I purchased DJ Numark Pro 2 device. I have been learning, practicing, and incorporating music in the device. It has been a great and challenging learning experience. I have been using my own original electronic music (with spoken word poems or instrumental) and famous musicians' songs or music. As I went along to play them, I had to figure out how to make special sound effects and tricks such as repeating the part of track, increasing or decreasing the pitch sounds, speeding or slowing the beat, and so forth. The discovery of ethereal sound effects were exciting and fascinating. As of now, I am getting there toward performing out to the public soon.

Meanwhile, I took the time to create a business card, using InDesign graphic design software in my desktop computer (real old computer and still working). I had to find the best font that fits my DJ style through online that offers free font styles, which I downloaded and saved into my desktop computer. I then took a photo of myself with some eyelid, eyeliner, and cheek make-up on, and a wild looking pink hat. I then put the photo of myself into PhotoShop software and manipulated the photo into high contrasted black and white, only to remove my mouth/nose area, just focusing on my eyes and the part of my hat. I then combined the photo and the font together in the business card. Here it is. There is no contact info in the photo for privacy reasons (which I don't want to show online all over the world).

I also video-taped myself, using my digital camera set on a tripod. I played my original electronic music with spoken word poem titled "Rebellion". I demonstrated how I repeat the tracks, changed the pitch sounds, increased or slowed the beat, and so forth plus translated the poem into American Sign Language (ASL) when the spoken words came on. It's my very first time to show my DJ tasks. Here is the video, uploaded into YouTube for you to see. Just click on it in order to watch my DJ-ing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yadWuHXbyxs&feature=youtu.be

I also completed a "Like" fan-based Facebook, which is titled DJ WildPoet. I uploaded the photos of my business card, the video of "Rebellion", SoundCloud of my electronic music, and invited friends/family (which I have 28 people liking so far). Of course, I will keep adding more videos, music, and so on as time goes on to increase visibility and the number of fans down the road. To see my WildPoet Facebook, just click on the Facebook address.

https://www.facebook.com/DJWildPoet?ref_type=bookmark

All in all, I will receive the business cards in the mail from FedEx via online submission sometimes very soon and get them distributed to many people around me (250 business cards). I will create a promo project soon and get that out to the public. Also, some friends are encouraging me to join the DJ groups that gather in spots in the city of Rochester, which I will go to get myself exposed and learn more. And yes, I will eventually perform my DJ stuff for whatever available such as weddings, parties, or so forth. I am indeed excited to go toward new DJ-ing performances.

Dangerous Signs Performance for CDR/RCIL Expression through Visual Arts

I, Jamal Jones, Troy Chapman, and Nic Shaw performed ASL poetry/storytelling/songs as Dangerous Signs for Center for Disability Rights (CDR) and Rochester Center for Independent Living (RCIL) exhibit and performance event titled Creative Expression through Visual Arts on July 22nd at Art and Vintage on Main Street in East Rochester, NY. We did 2 Robert F. Panara's work (who just passed away two days ago, July 19th, at 94 years old): "Dream of Green Field and "On His Deafness", Gnarles Barkley's "Crazy" song, our own "Bully" storytelling about bullying experiences, Langton Hughe's "I Know Rivers" and "Dreams", Stevie Wonder's "Superstitious" song, and my own (Eddie Swayze) poem "Bones" (ASL poem) and "Blade Grey Sky (electronic music and ASL poem). This Dangerous Signs performance was directed by Luane Davis Haggerty.

The event was to celebrate and honor deaf and hard of hearing artists in the city of Rochester and abroad. There was an art exhibition of 4 deaf/hard of hearing artists: Laurie Monahan, Sharon McKenney, Raymond Dunham, and Nancy Rourke. 

I was honored to become part of this unique event.

Here is a photo of us Dangerous Signs doing our skits. Click on the photo below to see it bigger.

Acting in Midsummer Night's Dream

It's been an amazing experience to act as a fairy for Peter Quince in Midsummer Night's Dream production in the city of Rochester. About 33 cast members, hearing and deaf/hard of hearing, perform together, using ASL and spoken English, on stage. This kind of two language/two cultures approach has never been done by the Rochester Shakespeare Players before, which it became a historical moment in the city of Rochester's history. Rochester's City newspaper, Democratic and Chronicle, and WXXI Radio informed the community about this event. The crowd came and ended up 500 plus people for the shows. The production is currently running from July 5th all the way to July 19th. 

Our ongoing efforts to implement and combine ASL (American Sign Language) and English, then act on stage is a daunting task to take. It has been challenging and great learning experiences for all of the cast members, including myself as well. It's not just language and acting, alone, but along a real live music band on stage with us. We also developed mime skills such as slow-mo running as one example that we actually do on stage. Also, spoken-English cast members was taught to develop speaking skills, using a cork in their mouths and speaking their lines. That was an interesting thing to see and listen. All of these work we put into created a sense of family in a theatrical world, an intense relationship among ourselves that grew from the first day of rehearsals to our ongoing shows this month. For this, I shall never forget and shall cherish every moment. I shall tip my hat to our director, Luane Davis Haggerty, for making this historical production happen and the Rochester Shakespeare Players for allowing this to become possible. 

Midsummer Night's Dream at Highland Bowl

I have been rehearing as a fairy for Peter Quince in Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream for 2 months. As a fairy, I translate a hearing person's spoken lines into ASL (American Sign Language). I and other deaf/hard of hearing/ASL-skilled hearing cast members are all fairies in purple outfits with wings. All hearing cast members (spoken words only) act as real characters in Shakespearean outfits. The ongoing effort to work together, the ASL and English, have been an amazing experience for the cast members. 

This production is run by Rochester Shakespeare Players, a non-for profit organization that provides Shakespeare productions in the city of Rochester for almost 100 years. It is directed by Luane Davis Haggerty. This Midsummer Night's Dream production is the very first one that is including deaf/hard of hearing and ASL-skilled hearing cast members ever in history. So, it is a big deal for the city of Rochester, NY. 

Here is the flyer with details for you to look at. To be able to see it bigger, you need to click right on the flyer.

The event will last for 2 weeks from July 5th until July 19th. There will be no shows on Mondays and Thursdays (rest days). It is free to the public taking place outside at Highland Park where a white stage exists in "the Highland Bowl". Foods, chairs/blankets, alcohol, and families are good for this event. 

Through GoFundMe.com and some tax refund, I was able to purchase Numark Mixture DJ Pro 2 and Harbinger speakers. I thank all the donators who made this possible. Without the support I received from friends and family, this wouldn't be possible. Yet the challenge became a bit nasty. My iMac laptop is old (10.5.8 version) and wouldn't recognize the Sarato Into 1.2 software that goes with the Numark DJ device. I had e-mail conversations with the Sarato company who made the software, which didn't get anywhere toward success. So I had to head over to Apple Store at Eastview Mall, a long trip from my home and back. I had to get my laptop upgraded to 10.6 version. It took 45 minutes to upgrade. Finally the Serato Intro software was turned on instead of quitting all of a sudden. The Apple Store tech people were amazing and helped me a lot. When I hooked the DJ device,  the Serato Intro software wouldn't recognize the DJ device. I went to Guitar Center where I purchased the device and speakers, and showed the man what was wrong. He called a Numark Mixture DJ Pro 2 expert. It turned out that I must have the DJ device hooked to the computer and download the Serato Intro software at the same time, which I did not do. When back home, I did just that and it worked. Then the sound didn't come out of the new speakers. I realized on the next day that I didn't plug the cable into the back of the speakers deep enough and they were loose. I pushed them in deeper and then the sound came on beautifully. 

After 2 weeks of struggling to solve the problems, I am now finally ready to learn, practice, and hone the skills I need to become a DJ. I watched YouTube videos of Numark Mixture DJ Pro 2 to get ideas of how it all works with tricks and so forth. I am going to work on the DJ skills daily as much as possible to reach a goal to become DJ WildPoet. That's the trademark I would like to use to call myself when DJ-ing around out to the public when ready. I will create business cards, post the videos of my DJ-ing, and create a network with the DJ entertainment industries or whatever available. I just played around with Dee-Lite's "Groove Is In The Heart" song and it was really fun to speed up the tempos, tweak the pitches, jog the track, and so forth. I also played around with my own electronic music as well. I am very excited and looking forward to entertaining the audience in the near future when I'm ready. 

Here are the photos of Numark DJ device and the speakers, hooked up to my iMac laptop, for you to see.

Dangerous Signs Performance at MuCCC, Saturday, May 10th

I and the cast members - Dangerous Signs - performed at MuCCC twice on May 10th, which was at 3 PM and 8 PM. The show was for MuCCC's College Theater Festival. We performed Stevie Wonder's "Superstitious" song, translated into ASL. We then did skits about the twilight zone related to fear, darkness, superstitious, and so forth. We also did skits about common fear or ignorance toward deafness and deaf culture by hearing people that we are familiar with such as Harry Potter's family hating magic comparing to hearing family denying ASL and things like that. We also did "Zombies" skit, created by Malik Paris, using each letter of the word Zombies, which we acted as zombies and Troy Chapman used the letters (fingerspelling) and using them to represent something. The example is using the letter "O" as eye falling of the socket, using the letter "B" as a blade to chop off the head, and things like that. At the end, we all performed my originally composed electronic music with my recorded voice poem titled "Blade Gray Sky". We all collaborated together on this whole work to show the dark side of things I saw and imagined at New York City. The example is "Young kids shoot heroin in darkened alleys."They sat on the floor and acted out shooting heroin and getting high around me. The show went very well. We had a discussion group with an interviewer after the 3 PM show and 8 PM show, learning what the interviewer and audience had to say about our work. It was a great experience. Here are the photos taken during our show.