“for the LOVE of Music” with Sara Troy and her guest Jason Shand, on air from May 24th
I think every artist obviously has their own method for coming up with a good tune. Everyone has their own inspirations. So on that note – no pun intended- I guess if I were to give advice to some young up and comers trying to craft a good song, I’d say to go with your gut… to go with what you’re feeling… to go with what inspires you, because in my opinion, if you do that, it’s coming from an authentic place, and for art to be good, it’s got to be authentic.
Personally, I draw from my life experiences or the life experiences of people I know, or people I may not know first hand, but may observe. I’m inspired by that slice of life, that human connection. Now for me, these slices of life most often go hand in hand with a melody, a bass line, perhaps a lyrical hook, that may evoke an emotion tied to an observation… and the next thing you know, this observation… this inspiration… has given me the tree trunk/main hook of a song, and what follows are the branches/verses that flesh themselves out. Sometimes it’s the other way around with the branches first becoming well defined, followed by the tree trunk… the main anchor of a song suddenly staring you in the face!
There is no real formula… except that I’m drawing from a situation… a storyline… I’m drawing from something that inspires me. It’s very rare for me to come up with anything good when I try writing for the sake of writing with no emotional impetus/connection to spark me.
I truly believe that when you go with your gut… when you go with your feel… when you go with your instinct, when you are inspired from that authentic place, tap into that and the universe will eventually give you something back. That goes for life as an artist/songwriter and I think that also goes for life in general as well.
Not all things that are good are inspiring when it comes to a great song. Extreme sadness/depression, anger, confusion, jealousy, hatred… these emotions have given me great material. Don’t run away from these negative feelings. Confront them, dissect them, and turning them into some poetic expression will probably be cathartic.
‘The Petty Narcissist’, the title track of my new album, without going into personal detail, is an example of a song about a relationship of mine and it was written from a place of enormous pain. It was an extremely cathartic experience for me to write and finish that song and I was able to let all that pain go afterwards. It was healing. And I got one of my best songs out of it!
So to wrap this all up and to bring things back full circle in regards to being an artist/songwriter – go with your gut… go with what you’re feeling… go with what inspires you, because in my opinion, if you do that, it’s coming from an authentic place, and for art to be good, it’s got to be authentic.
ABOUT THE NEW CD:
??The Petty Narcissist, is Jason Shand’s second full length album after 2015’s Because of Zeeva.
“My goal with this 14 song collection was to make a substantive personal pop album that not only catered to this new single driven era, but also catered to the old school of having a full length album where each song flows into the other taking the listener on a sonic journey. There are no fillers on this album. With all fourteen songs – from the 6:36 ‘Seeing You’ opener to the 2:49 ‘Oh Fábio’ closer – being substantive pop singles that flow from one song to the other, taking the listener on a sonic story telling ride, I’d like to think I succeeded.”
Five years in the making, The Petty Narcissist dropped worldwide on January 21, 2022.
LISTEN TO JASON’S NEW SONG XFACTOR, CLICK CHART TO HEAR THE SONG
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I came done with 2 viruses and then bronchitis, which means I had to cancel a few shows last week and reschedule them for another time. I hate having to do that, but life happens and sometimes is out of our control, and that is ok.
So this week with a husky chest and splutter nose I did 6 shows, and that also ok, for again life happens and we do our best with what we have. WE PUT SO MUCH PRESSURE ON OUR SELVES TO DO IT ALL AND WHEN WE CAN’T WE BARATE OURSELVES. NOT GOOD, FOR TRYING TO LIVE UP TO AN IMPOSSIBLE EXPECTATION WILL ONLY LET US DOWN.
It is OK to say no, to change appointments, to take time to heal, to reschedule, no one will think bad of you, and if they do, then don’t do business with them. We have to pace our selves, lay out the priorities and sometimes say no to things if there is something else you need to do. I have a dream that I wish to see through, will I make it? I don’t know but I am going to try and achieve it, I just have to schedule my self into trying. If I don’t get there, that is ok, for I am proud of what I have achieved thus far, and what ever is to come, will be.
Some times we need to take a step back and ask ourselves if we are going in the right direction or can we redirect, re-prioritize and not let others expectation dictate our way for us. What ever it is, it is ok to say no, I can not, need to reschedule and re look at our own balance of life.
Take the time for you to be you, not just what you are doing, but being.
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Mental Health Awareness with Sara Troy and her guest Shanell Parrish-Brown, on air from May 24th
GIFTS IN BROWN PAPER PACKAGES,AN EMOTIONALLY HARD-HITTINGCOMING OF AGE STORY BASED ONHER REAL LIFE TRIUMPH OVER ADVERSITY
The Narrative’s No Holds Barred ThemesOf Domestic Violence Tie In PerfectlyWith the Author’s Dedicated Work OnBehalf of The Safe Center of Long Island (TSCLI),A Non-Profit Serving Nassau County, NY
Drawing courageously from painful experiences of her childhood while embracing and sharing her hard-won self-truths for the first time, author S.P. Brown’s powerful debut novel Gifts in Brown Paper Packages has earned out of the box acclaim and success – including debuting at #1 in three categories on Amazon within the first 72 hours of its Christmas week release.
Driven by the powerful, often harrowing but ultimately life affirming and triumphant narrative of 17-year-old protagonist Kyrie, the emotionally impactful book ended its second day at #38 in the highly competitive “New Releases Coming of Age” category and #1 “Musical Reference” due to the author’s inclusion of both old school and contemporary artists (from Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell to Deniece Williams, Lauryn Hill, Ed Sheeran and Bruno Mars) as the soundtrack to Kyrie’s experiences. Currently, it is also ranked on the Kindle Store’s Black & African American Christian Fiction list.
Evoking some difficult experiences from her own childhood growing up in Harlem, Brown uses the fictional character of Kyrie as a vehicle to reflect on her ability to overcome the trauma of domestic abuse and somehow, miraculously, turn her physical and emotional survival into a triumphant and thriving life. The New York based author wrote the hard-hitting, flashback driven coming of age narrative over the course of one year while working her demanding high profile job as Vice President, Employment Counsel for a major entertainment conglomerate, often in quiet stolen hours in the middle of the night after her three children (now ages 14, 17 and 23) were in bed.
The breathtaking journey chronicled in Gifts in Brown Paper Packages hinges on a single question. In the wake of another emotionally and physically abusive episode with the person she refers to as “Man,” should she take the leap through her bedroom window into the unknown? Leaving her mother and young brother behind, she has no idea if she can make it on her own, but choosing the risk of the streets seemed like a better option than staying. With no plan but survival, Kyrie’s story is driven by strength, personal growth, a journey to self-awareness and ultimately acknowledging her deepest truths.
The theme of Gifts in Brown Paper Packages ties in perfectly with Brown’s dedicated involvement with The Safe Center of Long Island (TSCLI), a non profit agency comprehensively serving the needs of victims of domestic violence and inner personal trauma in Nassau County – and the only organization in the county providing free services to child and adult victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse and human trafficking. In addition helping to raise funds for a Capital Campaign project to build an expanded new safe house facility, she has served on the nominating committee for the past two years, with the goal of helping to identify diverse talent for TSCLI’s Board of Directors; she is currently their only African American Board Member. In 2020, Brown was named Vice President of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors. She has agreed to become President of the Board in May 2022.
“For many years, I felt a lot of guilt and shame associated with those stories and felt like sharing them in my professional circles as a lawyer and even in my social circles wouldn’t engender real respect,” Brown says. “Eventually I realized my truth and that every part of my background, including the terrible, painful memories, served a purpose and informed what I consider this fabulous end product. That strength and resilience came from my path. It’s not necessary for readers to know the real life experiences versus the instances where I employed creative license or drew from other’s real life experiences.
“The point of the book,” she adds, “is to inspire readers to look at their lives with the proper lens, and allow those hard knocks and terrible experiences to ultimately work towards defining greatness in them as opposed to defeat. Those lessons don’t always show up beautifully adorned. Sometimes you have to dig through the ugly wrapping to discover the strength within the package. Everyone experiences difficult trials in their lives. The difference between a person who rises above them and succeeds and the one who doesn’t is perspective.”
S.P. Brown’s out of the box acclaim and success with her first novel Gifts in Brown Paper Packages is stunning proof that wherever we may be in our life’s journey, it’s never too late to embrace, share and inspire the world with our inner truths – no matter how raw and painful they may be and how vulnerable they make us feel.
Drawing from some difficult experiences of her own childhood growing up in Harlem, the author uses the fictional character of 17-year old Kyrie as a vehicle to reflect on her ability to overcome the trauma of domestic abuse and somehow, miraculously, turn her physical and emotional survival into a triumphant and thriving life. The New York based author wrote the hard-hitting, flashback driven coming of age narrative over the course of several years while working her demanding high profile job as Vice President, Employment Counsel for a major entertainment conglomerate, often in quiet stolen hours in the middle of the night after her three children (now ages 14, 17 and 23) were in bed.
In the first 72 hours of its Christmas week release, Gifts in Brown Paper Packages debuted at #1 in three categories on Amazon, including ending the second day at #38 in the highly competitive “New Releases Coming Of Age” category and #1 in “Musical Reference” due to her dynamic inclusion of both old school and contemporary artists (from Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell to Deniece Williams, Lauryn Hill, Ed Sheeran and Bruno Mars) as the soundtrack to experiences. Currently, it is also ranked on the Kindle Store’s Black & African American Christian Fiction list.
Of the dozens of five-star customer reviews posted so far, perhaps this says it best about the book’s enduring impact on its readers: “I truly enjoyed following Kyrie’s journey through life and how she was able to overcome everything that life threw at her. Reading this story and enjoying every page as much as I did has reconnected me with my love for reading. I cannot wait for more from S.P. Brown.”
The breathtaking journey chronicled in Gifts in Brown Paper Packages hinges on a single life changing question. In the wake of another emotionally and physically abusive episode with the person she refers to as “Man,” should she take the leap through her bedroom window into the unknown? Leaving her mother and young brother behind, she has no idea if she can make it on her own, but choosing the risk of the streets seemed like a better option than staying. With no plan but survival, Kyrie’s story is driven by strength, personal growth, a journey to self-awareness and ultimately acknowledging her deepest realities.
Kyrie’s experiences are sometimes amusing, often shocking and so real and intense that it almost reads like a memoir rather than fiction. Along the way, she learns how to embrace the life lessons (gifts) that strife, struggle, perseverance and the tackling of overwhelming challenges can ultimately grace us with, if only we’re open to seeing life’s hardships that way.
The theme of Gifts in Brown Paper Packages ties in perfectly with Brown’s dedicated involvement with The Safe Center of Long Island (TSCLI), a non-profit agency comprehensively serving the needs of victims of domestic violence and inner personal trauma in Nassau County – and the only organization in the county providing free services to child and adult victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse and human trafficking. In addition to helping to raise funds for a Capital Campaign project to build an expanded new safe house, she has also served on the nominating committee for the past two years, with the goal of helping to identify diverse talent for TSCLI’s Board of Directors; she is currently their only African American Board Member. In 2020, Brown was named Vice President of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors. She recently agreed to accept the role of President of the Board beginning May 2022.
Brown laid the foundation for her emergence as an influential first time novelist back in 2009, when she began writing fantasy fiction at night to, as she says, “assuage an undeniable creative itch to write something other than corporate policy and emails chock full of legal advice.” Her choice of genre was inspired by her childhood passion for books, and particularly stories that took her mind far from the day to day dark reality. She wrote seven chapters in six months and received incredible encouragement from her long ago literature professor at Hunter College, where Brown earned her BA in Human Communications. But then, for whatever reason, she got a crippling case of writer’s block and shut down.
As a person of deep faith, the author has come to trust that God sets us on certain paths for specific, sometimes mysterious reasons. In Brown’s case, her creative output was on the back burner for years until a lawyer friend who was running a program at the DA’s office for youth development and community reentry of former felons, invited her to audit a writing program – some of whose attendees were formerly incarcerated felons. Though she attended as an observer, she felt challenged when the facilitator asked, “What is your ‘Day One’ story if you had to talk about a specific time in your life? What is the lightbulb moment your life was changed?’”
She felt prompted to share some of her experiences with the group, and the sense of catharsis she felt led her to write what ultimately became the first chapter of Gifts in Brown Paper Packages that night on the plane en route to a conference. After she had written four or five entries, Brown made the decision that she would develop it into a novel written from a third person perspective, telling parts of her story, with fictionalized elements, through Kyrie’s eyes. For a time, she was concerned about writing explicitly about the domestic violence she endured in her youth, but ultimately decided that the narrative could have tremendous impact on others. She felt it was an important part of her life, even though her life had not historically been defined as a domestic violence survivor.
“For many years, I felt a lot of guilt and shame associated with those stories and so felt like sharing them in my professional circles as a lawyer wouldn’t engender real respect,” Brown says. “Eventually, I realized that my truth is characterized by every aspect of my background, including the terrible, painful memories, which served a purpose and informed what I consider this fabulous end product. I acknowledged that strength and resilience came from my path. It’s not necessary for readers to know the real life experiences versus the instances where I employed creative license or drew from other’s real life experiences.
“The point of the book,” she adds, “is to motivate people to look at their lives through the proper lens, and allow those hard knocks and terrible experiences to ultimately work towards cultivating greatness in them as opposed to defeat. Those lessons don’t always show up beautifully adorned. Sometimes you have to dig through the ugly wrapping to discover the strength within the package. Everyone goes through difficult trials in their lives. The difference between a person who rises above them and succeeds and the one who doesn’t, is perspective.”
“I am proud of the story I tell in Gifts in Brown Paper Packages, and the way I was able to put it together,” the author says. “In line with all the musical references, I truly feel there is a melody in the way it was written. What will make me the happiest is if the book is exposed to the masses and people get something out of it and feel inspired. I am so grateful for all the wonderful feedback I have received thus far, and I want to put myself in the position where I have more opportunities to speak to people who need to hear it. I want Kyrie’s story – and ultimately my own – to touch people and make an important difference in their lives.”
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Building your business with Sara Troy and her guest Rich Owen (Richard William Owen, Jr.)
In the over 50 years of protecting information, Rich Owen has had some great opportunities and received much recognition. He created many computer security programs including the one for Mission Operations at Johnson Space Center, where the astronauts awarded him the “Silver Snoopy” award for protecting their lives. He is a member of the Information Security Hall of Fame and last year he was awarded the industry’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Now that he is retired, he is sharing his knowledge with individuals and small businesses. He is the author of the “Cyber Security Sam” series of books, which are about a high school student who helps the FBI solve cybercrime.
Rich Owen is the principal contributor to Johnny Security Seed, LLC. He began his cyber security adventure in the Army Security Agency (ASA). The primary customer of the ASA was the National Security Agency (NSA). In the ASA he performed the duties as an Electronic Warfare (EW)/Electronic Counter Measures (ECM) systems repair supervisor.
He has B.S. degrees in Management and Computer Science from the University of Maryland.
He developed several information security programs to include:
Mission Operations, Johnson Space Center, NASA
Texas, Office of the Attorney General
Early Warning Services
American Traffic Solutions
Cable One
Along the way, Rich was awarded the “Silver Snoopy” by the astronauts for the program that he created to protect the information and computer systems upon which their lives depended. He and his team were given a Continuous Improvement Award by the NASA Administrator, for doing so and avoiding over $25M in cost.
Rich has also contributed to the profession and information protection industry. He contributed to the creation of many standards and solutions that we use today. Accomplishments include:
Harold F. Tipton Lifetime Achievement Award – (ISC)2
Information Security Hall of Fame – ISSA
Past international president – ISSA
Distinguished Fellow – ISSA
Honor Roll – ISSA
Fellow – Ponemon Institute
Rich has the following certifications:
Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP),
Certified Information Privacy Technician (CIPT),
Certified Information Security Manager (CISM),
Certified in Risk Information Security Controls (CRISC),
Certified Protection Professional (CPP)
Note above where it talks about Mission Operations at Johnson Space Center. My boss was “Mr. Failure is Not an Option”, Gene Kranz. He was the real Flight Director who was wearing the white vest and was portrayed by Ed Harris in the movie Apollo 13.
Cybersecurity is not a one size fits all solution; therefore, security must be tailored to the needs of the individual. The purpose of this book is to provide readers with rational business processes by which they can understand what information is important, and why. “The Alchemy of Information Protection” was specifically written for: 1. The non-cybersecurity executive or business owner who wants to gain an understanding of their role in the protection of the company’s information assets. 2. The person in the company who is tasked with creating and maintaining a cost-effective program to protect the company’s information assets. 3. The Chief Information Security Officer who may be reminded of some points where they can improve their programs.
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“for the LOVE of Music” with Sara Troy and her guest Jon Landers, on air from May 10th
Music kept me from checking out from life back in 1999 after going through a divorce from a 29-year marriage. In the three years following my divorce, my mom was diagnosed with colon cancer, my dad tried to commit suicide as a result of my mom’s health and my brother was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. If I hadn’t walked into Circuit City and seen a keyboard and hit the demo key that played the theme to the James Bond movies, I would not be here today to talk about it. I simply purchased the keyboard, labeled the keys, and used the built-in loops to create my own music and lyrics.
I started as a stock transfer agent for what was then called The First National Bank of Boston back in 1969. I then went to work for my dad in his import-export business which led me to become the National Sales Manager for a British company and went on to help a German horticultural company to get established in the North American market. I then became a manufacturer’s rep for the lawn & garden and hardware industry being one of the first agencies to sell and service The Home Depots and big box home centers covering a territory from Maine to Virginia. I burned out in 1999 when I went through my divorce and switched to becoming a self-taught graphic designer purchasing a graphic design company, in 2001 that led me to move into the music industry in 2012 and started The Big Apple Indie Music Series aka TBAIMS to support independent music artists by providing a venue(s) for them to perform live in front of music, entertainment, TV and film industry executives including A&Rs. I studied networking prior to starting TBAIMS where I was attending an average of 4 networking events a week in the NY, CT, NJ markets. I also researched social media and found myself on most of the social media websites early on. I am in the top 11% of LinkedIn users and if you Google my name, I’m usually on page one with my profiles showing.
FREE GIVEAWAY.
Spotify playlist from most of the artists that performed for TBAIMS when in NYC:
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