Over $230.00 Made: GoFundMe.Com: DJ Device

I am happy that I reached the goal toward the amount I want in order to be able to purchase the DJ device called DJ Numark Mixture 2 device. I shall thank the donors who put the amounts toward my goal.

Meanwhile, this does not mean the donations are over. GoFundMe.Com allows the amount to go higher with more donations without limitations. Henceforth, you can still donate in however much amount you want. That would be much appreciated with gratitude. To donate, click on the hyperlink of GoFundMe.Com:

http://www.gofundme.com/6yvfs4

As I see that I got up to 240 bucks with the $10.00 extra, I am to ponder over the idea of looking into the PA speakers that can go with the DJ device I want. I will go to Guitar Center next week and look at the PA speakers. Once chosen, I will inform the exact cost of the speakers and re-new the goal very soon.

All in all, I am pleased to be able to reach the goal toward the DJ device. Again, I thank the people who donated.

May my dream become true so that I will be called DJ WildPoet very soon.

GoFundMe.Com Donation: DJ/Performance Arts Career

I am currently on GoFund.Com to request for a donation toward a DJ device called Numark 2 Mixtrack  DJ Software Controller. The goal is to reach up to $320.00 to enable me to purchase the device. I have a strong desire to use this DJ device for performing my American Sign Language (ASL) poetry work that already have electronic music. I would be DJ-ing many of my non-spoken words (instrumental) electronic music as well and also just be a regular DJ by playing famous musicians' work for parties, weddings, and so forth. The point of purchasing the Numark DJ device is to go beyond the normal music playing schemes, meaning being able to create wild soundscape effects such as increasing or slowing the beat, creating scratching sounds, repeating the tracks, and many other tricks. These sound manipulation apparatus could enhance my performance skills, and make my performance much more entertaining and interesting.

Here is my GoFund.Com site address in hyperlink for you to click on in order to see my notes, videos, and picture of the DJ device:

http://www.gofundme.com/6yvfs4

Here is a photo of Numark 2 Mixtrack DJ Software Controller.

Success of Def Meets Deaf Poetry Jam 6

On February 15th Def Meets Deaf Poetry Jam 6 presented deaf/hard of hearing and hearing performers at Lovin Cup. The turn out of the audience was packed. This is the 6th year event that provides two cultural worlds: the deaf world and the hearing world. Deaf/hard of hearing and hearing performers took turns on stage, which English spoken words and American Sign Language (ASL) were available. This is an unique performance arts that occur once a year. John Roche, a poet and professor under RIT's Liberal Arts program, and I (Eddie Swayze) coordinated this extravaganza.

Besides the show, DEAAF (Deaf Education and the Arts for African Families) was there to encourage the audience to donate that would help the deaf/hard of hearing children get the education that they need, which is located in Zambia, Africa. Jonathan Rosenfield, one member of DEAAF, stood on stage and explained what DEAAF is about to the audience and took care of the suggested donation among the audience during the show. The donation result is almost $200.00, which will go toward books, pencils, shoes, and other supplies at the school for the deaf/hard of hearing children.

I shall thank the owner of Lovin Cup for providing the performance space for free for 6 years. I shall tip my hat to two interpreters who voiced the deaf/hard of hearing's work into English for the hearing audience and translated the hearing's work into ASL for the deaf/hard of hearing audience: Miriam Lerner and Denise Herrera. All in all, the performers were fantastic and they are: The deaf/hard of hearing - Hinda Kasher, Eric Epstein, Vicki Nordquist, and yes, myself as well, and the hearing - Paulette Scwartfgazer, Kitty Jopse', Nick Eckrerson, Catherine Faurot, and yes, John Roche, too. 

Here are the photos of the event.

Miriam Lerner (interpreter) and Paulette Scwartfgazer 

A packed crowd

Vicki Nordquist

John Roche

Denise Herrera (interpreter)

Hinda Kasher

Eric Epstein

The owner asked me to sign my name on Lovin Cup's wall as a "Hall of Fame".

John Roche, Miriam Lerner and Kenny Lerner chit chatting after the show.

Def Meets Deaf Poetry Jam 6

You can click on the image above to get it bigger and easier to read.

John Roche, RIT professor under Liberal Arts program, and Eddie Swayze, myself, will present an unique poetry, storytelling, and performance arts by the deaf/hard of hearing and the hearing at Lovin Cup on February 15th, free to the public. I plus three other deaf/hard of hearing performers will showcase our work: Vicki Nordquist, Hinda Kashner, and Eric Epstein. John Roche will present the hearing performers: himself, Paulette Scwartzager, Lori Nalasco, Nate Taylor, Nick Eckerson, Catherine Faurot, and Kitty Jospe'. This combined deaf world and hearing world performance event will last for 2 hours, 2-4 PM. Two interpreters: Miriam Lerner and Denise Herrara will provide access to hearing audience along American Sign Language (ASL) by the deaf performers and to the deaf/hard of hearing audience along spoken English by the hearing performers. This is a 6th year of the event. 

Also, Deaf Education and the Arts for African Families (DEAAF) will be there to ask for donations and provide information about their non-for-profit organization. DEAAF is a program that provides funding and support toward deaf and hard of hearing African children get the education and other things that they need in Africa.

Goal to Become A DJ with GoFundMe.com

Here is a photo of the dj device and it's called Numark NS6 Digital DJ Controller. I saw several YouTube videos of how this device is played and how it works. I have a good sense of how to play the device because I played around few trials of dj software online plus the experience of playing GarageBand, one CD dj machine that I had that didn't last long, playing Kaossilator and so forth. 

I used to have a single CD dj player machine, but it didn't last long and broke. I wasn't very happy with the thing at all anyway. I had to use iTune to create a music list to dj, hooked with my M-Audio speakers. I presented that way one time or another, but not much. Henceforth, I've been thinking about getting a real dj device for a while. Since the cost of getting the device can be prohibitive, I had to figure out a possible way to make my ability to purchase it a reality. I researched the devices that are available at Guitar Center in Rochester, NY online and found what I would like to look at and get. I will go look at the device at Guitar Center soon. Yet, it is $499.00 (plus tax), therefore, I will need the support of some kind to enable me to get this device. I discovered GoFundMe.com. It is similar to Kickstarter.com, but it does not require to get exactly $500.00 goal to win, meaning that I could still get a check, let's say, at $400.00, and use that with the rest of my own money, as a saving the money procedure. So, I will get the feel of the real device at the store and get the full price. I will then video-tape myself to explain what I want to do, present my dj and performance skills (with GarageBand and Kaossilator for now) and what my goal would be. I will then post that on GoFundMe.com and get that out to the public for a fundraising effort. 

The main goal is to develop three approaches of performances with the dj device. The first idea is to create an ability to perform my original electronic music, mixed in the dj device. The other idea is to play my music with my spoken word poems in the device and translate the words into American Sign Language (as a performing artist). The third idea is to play the famous musicians' work by creating the cool effects and mixes in the device as a regular dj for parties, weddings, or whatever else. The three performance approaches will expand my creativity and skills. 

"Self-Respect" Artwork

You can click on this photo to see it bigger

I thought about creating an artwork that shows a portrait of myself, and make it become related to pride upon myself as hard of hearing or a person with hearing loss and being gay. Though I didn't have any canvas and much paint at the moment, so I came up with a solution. I discovered a 8x12 inches picture frame with its wooden back, slid into its frames, for hanging the frame. I slid that off and only used that wooden back part of the picture frame, which already has its own maroon color on the surface. I then sought for a photo of myself in iPhoto in my computer and found one. I then used the picture of myself as my reference.

I used acrylic paint, using only white, orange, blue paint, and created Cubism-alike structure on my face. I then used color wax crayons and color pencils for the rainbow background. In regards to being hard of hearing, you have to look at my ear and you would notice a small hearing aid in and around the ear. Of course, the background has a rainbow color which conveys the message upon my self-respect as a gay person other than being hard of hearing. The idea of combining self-acceptance and pride as having a hearing loss and being gay is what I wanted to portray in this work. 

"The Struggle" Artwork

You can click on this photo to see it much bigger.

Several years ago (don't remember which year), ImageArt (Rochester, NY's annual glbt art exhibit during ImageOut Film Festival every October) rejected the work. I was also unsatisfied with the work and left it in the storage for a while. I happened to ponder about the work and decided to bring it back up. I took the time to redo the work, using color wax crayons and color pencils on the major male figure. I also re-drew the little male figures with a white pencil to make them stand out more. I only used orange, yellow, white, gold, and black color pencils to do the major male figure. I used the color wax crayons to do the pink triangle and the rainbow lines, and the rest of the lines. There are some fabrics on the canvas and I used a back pencil to draw black lines that show them a little bit. Before I even applied the wax crayons and pencils, the work was  made of acrylic paint in gold and black, which you can notice below the male figures and lines. The male figures and the triangle were much darker without the crayons and pencils, which were more challenging to see. When applying the colors and lines, I realized that they really helped the male figures and lines stand out much more. It took me a while to figure out how to solve the problem with challenges, forcing me to fix this and refine this and so forth. So, it is officially done to my best.

This work is certainly clearly related to the gay men's struggle. As you may know, pink triangles were used on Jewish gay male prisoners' shirts in death camps during the Nazi regime as a label for "Gay" and many were executed. The little male figures are pulling, pushing, lifting, and holding the triangle to keep reminding us what really happened. The dark black and gold with stripes and splashes in the background give the mood of darkness or the feeling of oppression. The rainbow lines, of course, represent glbt pride. All in all, this is the message to say gay men's struggle for freedom is carried on from the Holocaust under the Nazi regime and still is today all over the world regardless of where they live.