Tag: Music

Posted in entertainment, LA, Music, Uncategorized

If You Don’t Believe Me, Believe Him

Posted on by Jaimee T

Most people who follow me, actually let me rephrase that. Most people who know me don’t know I’ve worked on a couple of documentaries and film work. My most recent work was a commercial for CMT Music Awards. So if you enjoy your show Nashville, I’m sure you will see Opie Williams on the commercials.

It’s not that I’m not interested in it, I guess I never got introduced to it until later in life. Strange because most of the time people are introduced through reading the school news or making their own music videos in middle school and high school. I was more interested in being the cool kid and a rock star.

My friend Kyle Olson and I didn’t really become good friends until after college. We went to high school together, but I was in the band, choir, and sports. He was the AV, smart  guy. Our worlds collided, but I guess our paths didn’t cross.

Long story short, he works out in LA on a ton of different shows. He made his break with America’s Next Top Model and his most recent project is The Twins: Happily Ever After. After being beaten up in high school, and breaking all the “typical rules”. Dropping out of college and leaving his hometown for his dream. I finally asked him the question that most people who want to work in entertainment want to know.

I said, “If you were someone that wanted to break into the film industry, what would you tell people and how to prepare for it?” Because let’s be honest, that’s what we are all here for. To make it.

His answer was spot on and I couldn’t agree me:

“Preparation, Patience, Persistence, Perseverance, Practice, and Pro-activity

You have to do the hard things. The things that no one else is doing. The things that scare you. The things that make you wonder how much longer you can hold on.  Those are the things that define you. Those are the things that make the difference between living a life of mediocrity or outrageous success.  The hard things are the easiest things to avoid. To excuse away. To pretend like they don’t apply to you.  The simple truth about how ordinary people accomplish outrageous feats of success is that they do the hard things that smarter, wealthier, more qualified people don’t have the courage — or desperation — to do.  Do the hard things. You might be surprised at how amazing you really are.”

And truly, I have to agree with him. I’ve been through some tough times in this industry and he has personally seen that. So if you don’t believe me, believe him.

Follow Kyle Olson to know his adventures in Hollywood:

Twitter: @HollywoodTinman

Instagram: @hollywoodtinman

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7k0a5hYnSI
Posted in Music, Work

Worth It

Posted on by Jaimee T

Whether we are fighting for the next position, the next #1, the next move, the next dude, or the next war, we are constantly fighting for something.

The artist I was on tour with, she will more than likely hit #1 on the country charts within the next couple of weeks.

I was watching the ACMs tonight and I saw my friend playing drums for one of the bands on stage.

This stuff does not happen overnight, it takes a long time.

My friend who plays drums has been playing for the past ten years in Nashville.

The artist who I used to work with has been on stage since she was 16.

So whether you like them, hate them, or don’t care for them, I hope everyone can appreciate the dedication, the time, the money, the effort it takes to get there.

While life may be great and glamorous from the outside, on the inside it can be rough and dirty.

I want to take this time to say in my blog to say congrats to everyone who is making strides in their career. To those who are making leaps and bounds in life. And most importantly, staying true to who they are. You deserve it.

Posted in Music

Find Your Spot

Posted on by Jaimee T

I understand for a lot of people, it’s hard to pick up your life and move for something you want. Whether it’s nice weather or a job, it’s hard if you are close to your family and friends. Because what beats something that has been there for your whole life.But one of the best things I did for myself, is moving away. I learned a lot about myself and I pushed myself to a lot of limits… A lot of limits.

It started when I moved to Australia, I had to learn to be extremely independent and aware of my surroundings. Unfortunately, in Nashville, I’ve had a lot of mishaps happen while I was here. And it’s made me learn how to grow, adapt, and change to imperfect scenarios.

So if you are reading my blog and find myself somewhat helpful, read the link below and pick the best city for you in the music industry. The only thing I find “wrong” with this article is they forgot New Orleans and Miami. While they aren’t necessarily conventional music cities, you shouldn’t discredit them. I have a handful of friends that live in New Orleans.

 

http://substreammagazine.com/2017/03/living-working-music-cities/

 

Posted in Music

PopSound: Nashville, TN

Posted on by Jaimee T

So, I put on my very first event with Brick&Ivy, Do615, G7 Marketing and The Back Corner in Nashville, TN. Needless to say, we need to work out some kinks, but I have to say, I was very happy with the outcome.

All the artists were wanting and willing to play… Did I mention they were all on time!

On top of everyone being awesome and super cooperative, when the crowd started to show up, the place was out of this world.

The Back Corner is a new venue in Nashville, but it’s more like a lounge meets music venue meets a club I’ve never go to. I have to say though, I really do like the layout. It’s different.

We put on an event called PopSound: With Drawing North, Daphne Willis, The Foxies and The Nightly. Overall, I thought the music was great and everyone enjoyed themselves.

I’m not going to lie, I never thought a day like this would come, where I’d be able to say “I’m an event producer” but I’m truly believe I’m getting there.

 

 

Posted in LA, Music

LA isn’t Bad

Posted on by Jaimee T

So I just got back from LA. Most of the time, I’ve spent there, it’s been for layovers and hangovers. But I never really spent a good amount of time over there. Because everyone pretty much told me how awful LA was. Traffic, people, traffic, how expensive everything is, people, traffic… You get the picture.

I have to admit, the time I spent over there, was pretty awesome. I didn’t spend that much time in West Hollywood, but I also really don’t want to either. I want to see what tourists don’t see when I travel. I want to see the reasons why people actually live in big cities like that.

It just so happens, I have a lot of friends over there, so it’s great to have people you already know. And it doesn’t hurt to have cute guy friends over there.

Here’s what I know about LA and entertainment:

Everyone has some sort of affiliation to it.

There are a ton of festivals, studios, and venues for people to play.

I truly believe that you can make it in LA, you just have to be smart about it.

 

As much as I love Nashville, if someone offered me a job in LA, I would move.

 

Posted in Music

“So Kiss Me Hard”

Posted on by Jaimee T

I love getting excited about shows. I love that excitement of the band getting on stage. I love when the lights just go out and you get the sudden chills before they walk on stage.

Because I’ll be completely honest. After working so many shows, a handful of different festivals, you lose your concert innocence. Same thing when you figure out that Santa Clause isn’t real.

To anyone ten and under, I’m sorry you had to read that. But eventually, you figure out when you look under your parents’ bed.

Getting that excited for a show for me is rare. I absolutely love Dashboard Confessional. They have been one of my favorite bands since I was about 12.

I’m not sure why I gravitate towards them in but their music is catchy and very poetic at the same time. I’m not quite sure what that means, but it is.

I think it’s amazing that Chris the lead singer still has his voice after all these years.

Hell, I get a sore throat after a night of talking loud.

 

 

 

Posted in Uncategorized

Leaving Bad Reviews

Posted on by Jaimee T

As most of my followers know, I like to write about artists and their shows. I like to write about my personal experiences in the industry. But I’ve also written reviews about music good or bad.

I will be the first to admit, I hate to be that person that leaves a bad review about anything. I feel like a troll. I hate writing them so much, I left two bad reviews in my life. One was for Airbnb when I went to Memphis. My host was just a hot mess. The other one was just now and I feel bad about it, but here’s my point of view.

I called about a medical bill because I was thinking to myself “why am I getting another medical bill, it’s like it never stops.” Long story short, I wanted to know when I had my last appointment. The woman on the phone was talking down to me and made me feel stupid. I went on my health insurance website to see that I was wrong about the bill and I do need to pay.

But what I was upset about is the woman on the phone. As someone who works with artists, bartenders, promotions; I know how important it is when you are working to be nice to people. It’s something I’ve learned way over time.

She was not nice to the point that I won’t be coming back. And I hate the fact that one person can ruin the whole experience really sucks.

I’m writing this article because I want people to know I try to stay super objective when it comes to leaving reviews and writing about my experiences. Because artists can have a bad show, a server can have a bad day. As a customer can I get frustrated, yes absolutely. But people need to be extremely careful when talking to people and how they talk to people.

As someone who blogs, here is some advice about writing reviews about music or anything in general:

  1. Be professional- You look really stupid when you have spelling and grammar errors everywhere.
  2. Write clearly- Explain why you are writing it. Otherwise, refer to number three.
  3. Don’t be stupid- Reviews can ruin a business or a person. Please be sure to do it because you want people to know what your experience was like.

 

Posted in Friendship, Love, Music

Over It

Posted on by Jaimee T

Here we go again with the guy issues.

I’m really sick and tired of the excuse of “work” getting in the way. Sure when I work festivals and shows, I get super busy. Life gets busy, we are busy people. But if I really need to make a phone call, I’m sure to actually make a phone call to the person I need to. Whether it’s work or relationship.

I truly believe, if you want something bad enough, you’ll do whatever you can to make it work.

Yeah, it didn’t happen with this last one. I’m not saying he’s a bad person, but if you’re not into me, just tell me.

It beats having to play the guessing game so I can move on with my life. So with that, I’m just going to move past it myself and move along. He’s not worth my time, especially when my dad is in the hospital. Dad just got out, but he had meningitis, not going to lie, life was rough these couple of weeks.

But like always, I get through it and get over it.

 

Sorry this wasn’t music related at all, but I really needed to get this off my chest.

 

 

Posted in Uncategorized

“Yeah Boy”

Posted on by Jaimee T

I went on my first real trip with a guy I like. I know, this is pretty new to me too.
Because who would want to hang out with me for extended periods of time… well let’s be honest, I can be pretty cool too!

We went to Arizona for warmer weather… the weather wasn’t warmer.But I enjoyed our hikes and our conversations. He’s extremely intelligent like high tech could break into your computer kind of smart.

The thing I liked about him the most, is that he is really open to the idea of me working in music. Most of the time, it scares a lot of guys away. Apparently, it makes me into this party girl.

Here’s what I’m excited about, the more I like guys like him, the better I understand sappy happy love songs. Maybe that means I can start truly writing songs again. And just become a better writer as well. I just hope this streak continues of just meeting awesome guys like him.

 

Posted in Music

“You Never Needed Me”

Posted on by Jaimee T

I’m not going to lie, I met this guy in this band. And I thought he was really sweet, nice and cute. We actually exchanged numbers but it turns out, in the words of his song, he never needed me.

Am I upset about it? Not really. Am I upset that it didn’t go anywhere? I mean it would have been cool to see a couple of dates out of it, but no I’m not upset.

But I’m very happy to see his band is doing very well and I’m very happy for him as well. I think they all deserve it even if he wasn’t interested in me.

The Middle Ground, is a rock band based out of Nashville. The guys are originally from Milwaukee.

*Side Note* I actually met them at a show in Nashville but they happen to be from Milwaukee.

I’m not sure why, I guess I just really dig their music. I think they are extremely talented and their sound is unique. I think this is a band to watch in the next coming years.