Happy Thursday,
Make sure to get your copy. We have some amazing people in this Issue
Tag: Where It Begins Magazine
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Interview with Phase VI
Interview with Phase VI
By: Where It Begins
Q. You have this company called Phase VI tell us about it?
A. Phase VI is a platform where we educate up and coming artists, executives, producers, songwriters and pretty much everyone that wants to be in the music business on all the ins and outs of the music video. They can:
1. Protect themselves
2. Promote themselves the correct way.
Everything you need from A to Z is out in front of you. Concise, easy understanding. That’s what Phase VI is all about, also making sure people are there and businesses are other support services connected to those things, so they can get assistance they need to win, we are here for the future of music that’s what we all are about.
Q. What made you want to start Phase VI?
A. It’s been a long journey. I spend a lot of time working in the entertainment business. I was blessed to get in at a high-level business being young and in the mist. I did a project with a nonprofit here in Atlanta called Chris Kids. We partnered with NEO Foundation (NEO Compound Foundation), and we did a music therapy program, we are working with a lot of youth in various misguided situations. A piece of that was teaching the music business. I did that for two and a half years when I shut down, I saw there was a huge need to continue the business portion cause all the students kept reaching out to me.
Q. Tell us about your books?
A. Follow me at Phase VI and check out all my books. All my books I try to take complicated information and make it sound simple and be a great read.
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Interview with Tommy in the City
Interview with Tommy in the City
By: Where It Begins
Q. Who is Tommy in the City?
A. I can never be able to describe that because it is not made up. I am from New York, so you know we have an aggressive attitude, but at the same time I have Atlanta roots. They say I am a southern gentleman, so I combine both together.
Q. How did you start Tommy in the City?
A. I have always been a giving person. I have been giving back since day one. So, Tommy in the City came along. I was searching for names one day in the studio. Someone said Tommy in the city, and that was it.
Q. What do Tommy in the City do?
A. I am more like a connector when people need something they will ask me before they find out on their own. At the time you could not google anything, so I did the work for them. I took this and built a website. It was set up on Instagram before Instagram was out. The game was called find Tommy in the City. I would go around town and be places and post on Facebook. If you found where I was, we were giving out gift cards, sneakers, hair, and gas cards. People started playing, so I tried to get an app, but things didn’t work out. I am still here and going.
Q. Tell us about one of your biggest projects?
A. One of my projects I do every year is Grandmothers raising grandkids. I do this yearly. The grandmothers are stuck raising the grandkids, some parents are incarcerated, some deceased, some of their kids are out on the streets, so they give rights to the grandparents. So, we try to give back to them and help because the funds are not there for this program. I teamed up with DFCS. I started out with a friend asking to help 17 people. Now we are at 500 soon we will be able to go from state to state. Every year we get more and more and then we are going to branch out.
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Interview with Reece Odum
Interview with Reece Odum
By: Where It Begins
Q. What else do you do other than acting and producing?
A. In 2017. I started my own production company GPS Productions, LLC. 2018 we facilitated several acting workshops under the series name “Connecting the Dots to becoming an Actor”. I look forward to creating films that help to educate, entertain, and empower my audiences.
Q. Why did you want to become an actress?
A. I love being a storyteller. From a very young age. I always had a passion for the arts. I feel most alive in front of an audience and a camera, it is truly my happy place. Breathing life into a character is one of the most fulfilling things I do as an actor, and even at times becoming a voice for the voiceless.
Q. What are some of the projects you worked on in Atlanta?
A. Well I have completed several television and film projects here in Atlanta. Some of the television shows include: The Vampire Diaries (CW) Saints and Sinners (Bounce TV) and most recently filmed Ambitions (OWN). Some of the films include: Mr. Right (BET), The secret she kept (TV One), The Last Time (Aspire TV) and so many more. My hometown, Atlanta has been very good to me and my acting career.
Q. Who or what inspires you?
A. My parents inspire me daily, they are true examples of how hard work produces success, and they instilled that in myself and my siblings from a very young age. They also encouraged us that we could do whatever we set our minds to do, and to always go after our dreams, for these reasons and more I love them dearly.
Q. What is your favorite album or song right now?
A. It’s an oldie but a goodie: DIVA by Beyonce, lol. This song actually made it back on my playlist recently. I was really inspired by Beyonce’s homegoing concert film on Netflix, so I have her live album from that concert on repeat right now. Love her old and new songs and her work ethic is amazingly motivating.
Q. What advice would you give someone that is interested in pursuing an acting career?
A. As an actor, you should think of your craft as if it is a muscle, the more you work it the stronger you become. All actors continuously get training, in classes or acting coaches, investing in your dream will help to keep you prepared for your big moments. And of course, Never give up!
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Women’s Equality Weekend
This what happened last weekend, Hotel Ziggy on the iconic Sunset Strip celebrated Women’s Equality Weekend which kicked off on Friday, Aug. 26th on Women’s Equality Day with a full program of events including a all-female music night live from their music venue Backbeat with performances by six artists (Rachel Siegel, Carly Butler, M. Maggie, Rora Wilde, and Chaley Rose) along with female deejays, a rockin’ pool party, speciality food & drink, and a Sunday night performance again from Backbeat, to benefit and support women’s equality organizations.
Women’s Equality Day celebrates the achievements of women’s rights activists and reminds us of the unique daily struggles that women face. To remind us of the struggles of the past, present, and future, Congress designated August 26th as Women’s Equality Day in 1971. As a place for musicians to take a stand and celebrate the importance of experimental music on our culture and society, Hotel Ziggy is a nod to the ionic musician, David Bowie, a.k.a. Ziggy Stardust. Known for going against the norms and experimenting with music and identity Hotel Ziggy celebrates West Hollywood’s rebellious, progressive spirit and originality. The hotel pays tributes to the legendary artists that shaped the strip from the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s.Friday, Aug. 26th: WOMEN’S EQUALITY NIGHT live at Backbeat
Hotel Ziggy kicked off the weekend at their “Backbeat” – their versatile music venue that supports local musicians and invites them to perform.Hosted by female emcee, Anita Gohari, incredible female performances took place by Rachel Siegel, Carly Butler, M. Maggie, Rora Wilde, and Chaley Rose (Zoey in the ABC drama series Nashville), with a surprise song by Katie Welch and with music by DJ Hunny in between sets! The weekend featured El CristianoUltra Premium Tequila, and Backbeat lounge had everyone jamming past midnight and indulging in their late night cuisine and pizza offerings fromHotel Ziggy’s B-Side Pizza!
Saturday, Aug. 27th: FUERZA POOL PARTY
Featuring DJ Giselle Peppers, the pool at Hotel Ziggy was bumping with Reggaeton, Afro Beats, and Throwback Hip-Hop and R&B. Delicious Caribbean hor d’oeuvres were offered alongside specialty cocktails, including flowing El Cristiano Tequila. While many enjoyed the day by Hotel Ziggy‘s saltwater pool (the largest in West Hollywood), others found comfort in private, swim-up cabanas that included bottle service.Sunday, Aug. 28th: SUNDAY’S ON THE STRIP with Katie Welch
Women’s Equality Weekend wrapped up with live music by Katie Welch, a Ziggy resident performer in Backbeat for their “Sundays on the Strip” live music series which kept everyone dancing into the wee hours of Monday morning.About Hotel Ziggy: Fusing cocktail lounge, restaurant and pizza joint, music venue and lively lobby, Hotel Ziggy invites hotel guests to check-in at a sociable and engaging bar lined with hundreds of vinyl albums. A record player behind the front desk fills the communal space with music spanning every progressive genre. A retractable glass garage door partitions one end of the lobby, creating a versatile music venue called “Backbeat,” which supports local musicians and invites them to come and share their sound in a new space to rise above the noise. Hotel Ziggy boasts the largest saltwater pool in West Hollywood and a vibrant skyhigh mural, which is another platform to democratize music with live sets performed by the hottest DJs in town. Follow @HotelZiggy on Instagram for more programming updates! www.hotelziggy.com
Photo Credit: Jesse Richmond
