THE GGN JOURNALS - A Mid-Day & Night Summer’s DREAM …

It’s been a few weeks since my colorful dream of electronic sounds, fashion forward thinkers, and killer beats from all the EDM genres past and present. This sunny backdrop set the emotional stage for my first electronic music event of the summer… Digital Dreams. I was blown away by this year’s event, the way it was run, the line up, the mood of everyone, it was truly a definition of the word PLUR. I’m excited I got a chance to bring my film crew and capture some moments, which I plan to showcase in an upcoming webisode of GGN presents - ‘Life is but a Dream’. Digital Dreams is going into its third year and I felt this was a great time to examine the festival and make a doc-episode about it. Knowing that most of the coverage would be about the DJs I thought it might be a lot more interesting if we went behind the scenes. I wanted to get the festival perspective from the people who actually bring this event to life. 80,000 people attend this each year and it continues to grow. The people I focused on were some of the Toronto scene party facilitators such as Ryan Kruger, Mark Russell, Gavin Gerbz, and Brent Hayward to name a few… What does it take to be the person who is able to wrangle the talent, the space, and the people to attend something like this? I’ve thrown parties in the past and I must say I hated it. I was always stressed about it – Will people show up? Will this be something noteworthy? Is all the work that you’re putting into this worth it??? The amount of bullshit that you usually have to go through to throw a party is mind-boggling. I always ask myself that question because it honestly leads to some of the worst anxiety I’ve ever faced… Watching it done on the level that Digital Dreams is done – as well as seeing how they have extended their creativity to bring a great event to it’s participants – is certainly a university degree achievement in my books. I’m excited to introduce the audience Electronic Nation Canada’s staff and some of the other worker bees behind Digital Dreams… This is truly a team effort. Being someone who has been witnessing and documenting the EDM scene in Toronto and around the world for the last decade for my film, I’m excited that I’ve been able to be one of the lucky one’s to witness a real evolution of what electronic music’s power can represent. Since my time in the WOMB to NOW - the grown adult I’ve become (closing in on his 40th birthday) - I’ve realized music has been a guide and history indicator in my life. I’m a lover of all music but the last 8 years I’ve been really focused on the electronic music scene and have watched from the sidelines, recording my thoughts for the film and future web episodes, and getting familiar with what seems to connect with people musically. I pride myself on understanding the power of music based on my hours dedicated to it for my work but in reality I never really think of it as work. I’m a creative person who thrives on what his environment can provide for inspiration. I’m always listening … Every task in my daily routine usually has me plugged into some sort of dance beat in the background and as I get older, it’s really starting to tie in with the memories I’m creating with my everyday life. Digital Dreams was one of those moments and I’m excited I got to capture in the way I like to be creative. As a filmmaker we thrive on the idea of telling a story or giving our audience an informal education through imagery accompanied by sound. I like to inform people with video through music and visuals … I try to be someone who doesn’t hit its audience over the head. I’m one piece to the big puzzle of information that is out there. As I get older I feel I have more to say and I’m grateful that people have made the time to watch and listen. I think we all have a voice and I’m always excited to hear those around me and learn. As I sign off I think of when I started this BLOG 8 years ago… I don’t really know who reads it but I still get inspired to keep writing it. I recently looked back at some of my past entries and I couldn’t help but feel warm and fuzzy inside. It’s nice to witness a change in my own life. I’m happily married – I still love House Music – and I’m still passionate about the path I’ve chosen in the film industry. Life can be tough but what doesn’t kill us – makes us stronger. I borrowed that … when someone has it right; Someone has it right! Until next time … Be Happy!

The GGN Journals - When You Wish Upon a Star!

The beginning to the New Year has been exciting in many ways for the Global Groove Network. A film journey that has taken 8 years to bring to a global audience has finally started to become a reality. I’m excited to announce that my DOC – a passion project about music and the soundtrack to our lives - has found a broadcaster in Canada – THE CBC. We have a scheduled release of the documentary happening this May on Canada’s national television network before it hits all the major ON DEMAND services like ITUNES come June 2014. What excites me beyond the accomplishment of actually making a DOC like this is that I’ve managed to put together a film with many incarnations. The CBC version of the movie is a shorter broadcast version while the directors cut will hit ITUNES and ON DEMAND soon after. Having the opportunity to tell such a personal story on so many levels, have the themes reflect the power of music that I’m passionate about, and be available to a global audience to rent and buy this year, has been truly a rewarding end goal experience as a filmmaker. I get really excited when I have the chance to tell a story to an audience – no matter the size. The inner burn I get from creating a journey from reflection is truly inspiring to someone like myself who needs to be expressive. This passion that burns 24/7 inside me is something I don’t quite understand but I’ve grown to love and hate as a storyteller. I’m finally getting some conviction as a growing artist, I’m beginning to believe on my end in my abilities, and when you finally get recognition from your peers through a sale and finally your own self understanding of the accomplishment – it’s truly a magical feeling. I was starting to wonder if what I had to say had any importance? I think every director, writer, or producer wants to affect its audience with the stories they choose to tell. The real excitement for a filmmaker like myself comes from the pipe dream of actually making a film from scratch – no interference from an outside source - that a broadcaster or theater deems worthy of support and financial compensation. It’s not about the price tag but more about the validation. My attempts to make a career since I knew I wanted to devote my life to the film and television industry has been a dream blinded by waiting tables, selling weed, odd jobs, set work from the bottom of the ladder, and working my way to understand how to succeed in this crazy industry. Doing whatever it took to make my dream a reality has been an important factor to my resilience and success. I was never sure if I could attain this dream on any level but I chose not to give up and deal with the consequences later… This might be something that never truly happens to an artist because of the way the industry is set up. You can’t give up… The stories are true when it comes to success and fulfillment – If you build it, they will come! I’ve had the fortunate opportunity to find my wish and make it come true. I was 10 – watching ‘BACK TO THE FUTURE’ at my local theatre in 1985 with my dad, absorbing the Marty McFly magic that Michael J Fox brought to the screen. This movie made me truly understand the power of big story ideas and my passion for making films was heightened to a sense that still consumes me. I turned 38 years old this year and I feel like I’m 10 all over again thanks to my 8 year GGN experience around the globe… This moment for me has become something that I was reminded of when I saw a selfless act of charity and magic created this holiday season for a boy with a dream. I was blown away when I first saw this and for whatever reason given the memory recall of what a dream can mean. I really related to this story on many different levels and just wanted to share the idea of a dream and perseverance. Mind you this tale I’m about to highlight certainly means a hell of a lot more then my tiny dream as a 10 year old. The ‘MAKE A WISH’ BATBOY story was something I found inspiring and wanted to share. The idea of dreams in general are all about finding the things in your life that keep you moving forward. When I heard about this dream and a city that embraced making it come true for a young cancer victim – I couldn’t help but be reminded by what the human spirit represents. Here is the story in a nutshell - A young leukemia patient realized his dream to become Batman for a day as an army of volunteers transformed part of San Francisco into ‘Gotham City’ for a day. 5-year-old Miles Scott from Siskiyou County traversed the city in November 2013, maneuvering through huge throngs of admirers, as a superhero named “Batkid,” fighting crime with the help of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Volunteers, businesses, the San Francisco Giants, and even the city’s mayor and police department all pitched in to make the adventure as realistic as possible. Miles has become an Internet sensation as the project took on a life of its own through social media. The 5-year-old was diagnosed with leukemia when he was 20 months old and ended chemotherapy treatment this past June, with his cancer now in remission. The Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area executive director Patricia Wilson said - “He already battled a villain in real life. He fought cancer and won!” I wanted to share and acknowledge a story like this because I feel the way we express ourselves in this day and age can sometimes not have meaning based on the way we are forced to deal with day too day activities. The world, the people who live in mine, and the organizations that inspire me to want to be a better person, have truly made me want to inspire the globe through my artistic work. I know I have only a short time to share my perspectives and as I grow as a filmmaker and make personal films and fun generic stuff too – I hope I can bring inspiration to someone the same way MAKE A WISH did it for Miles. The Global Groove Network (GGN) as a brand – I look to showcase and expose the power of music through electronic music. My hopes are that I can create future ideas and messages that reflect a change to the listeners and viewers that happen to experience us. My plan is to ‘MAKE A WISH’ come true for the people who come into my life that need it. The awareness of this organization is a goal I’ve chosen for the Global Groove Network. I want to affect people through music and try to use my resources I’ve garnered through this experience to give back. 2014 is a special year in my life and I plan on sharing this feeling in a bigger way… Until we chat again … Lets turn that dial to #LoveLife … LIKE US on FB and FOLLOW US on Twitter to stay up to date with the network - @groovetheglobe