Today I Visited The Mothership.. Oh, And I Saw Steve Too
So I’m in San Francisco with my mother & sister for a few days, visiting my other sister and newborn nephew. Today, they decide to join me on a geek excursion to 1 Infinite Loop (aka. Apple headquarters.)
After a 45-minute drive to Cupertino, we arrive at the campus then proceed to spend quite a bit of time (and money) in The Company Store – it’s like an Apple Store but with exclusive clothing and merchandise with Apple logos plastered all over them.
I take some pics outside and we’re just about to leave, but I decide that I may as well see how far I can walk into the campus building before being confronted by security. So I walk up to the front entrance, open the door, take a step inside, and unsurprisingly there’s a security desk just steps away. Without walking further, I stand and look up at the architecture of the building. As my head makes its way back down, something else appears right in front of me…
It’s Steve Jobs.
You know how people do a double-take? I probably do a hundred-take, staring at him, gradually realizing that Steve was actually standing five feet in front of me. His demeanor and appearance was surprising in that it was exactly as you would expect.. Almost ‘cliche’.. Flashing his charismatic smile while decked out in his trademark black turtleneck, jeans and white sneakers.. as if he had just walked off the stage of his latest keynote presentation.
Steve was chatting with what appeared to be an Apple employee and they both passed me then exited the same door I entered through. Of course I followed, and as soon as I got outside, I pulled out my Flip cam and shot this video:
In this short clip, you can see my mother and sister in the background waiting for me on the sidewalk. What you can’t see is me behind the camera, desperately trying to grab their attention to let them know that the CEO of Apple is walking right towards them.
Once Steve and the employee reach the sidewalk, I put away my camera. He finishes up his conversation then starts crossing the street by himself. I’m just about to yell out and ask for a picture but he pulls out his iPhone and gets on a call. I’m already hesitant to stop him for a photo, there’s no way I’m going to interrupt him on a phone call to do it. So my courtesy allows him to turn around and pass right by me again, then walk away continuing up the campus sidewalk.
Anyone who knows me is all too familiar with my appreciation — okay, adoration.. okay, borderline obsession — for Apple’s products, the company, and its head honcho. I was already stoked to be visiting the Apple campus, and needless to say, seeing Steve was icing on the cake; in fact as my brother-in-law extended the metaphor, the icing was in a big dump truck that swallowed the cake whole.
You can’t ask for much more from a visit to the Mothership.
UPDATE: My story was blogged by 9to5Mac.com
[video] ‘Unthinkable’ piano
I brought the 88-key weighted full keyboard into the studio today.. which called for another piano video!.. Naturally, I’m playing ‘Unthinkable’ because it makes use of the lower octaves. Oh, plus I love Alicia, so….
[video] Straight Skills
This past Thursday I competed in the ‘Straight Skills’ DJ competition at Bar None in Vancouver, BC.. Big THANKS to everyone who came out to support! Here’s video of my set:
Toronto
MARCH 29, 2010 – APRIL 5, 2010
It’s hard to believe it had been 8 years since my last (and first) trip to Toronto, which was only a 2-day visit for Canadian Music Week in 2002. Needless to say, I was long overdue for a return to the east coast. The reason for this trip? To play a show in Hamilton with Vancouver hiphop supergroup, The Boombox Saints, on the third stop of their ‘Hometown Tour.’
The other reason? To party in the T-Dot..
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‘Over’ (DJ Hunt Remix) – Drake
A couple weeks ago, Drake released his *debut* single ‘Over’ produced by longtime collaborator Boi-1da.
The track’s fire.. but the very first time I played it out I quickly realized that within a club setting, it leaves much to be desired. The slow, spastic marching rhythm coupled with the unfamiliarity of the still-new track seemed to consistently provide a very compelling opportunity for party-goers to escape the dancefloor.
So what do you do when you have a hot artist with a hot new song that no one can dance to?.. You make a remix!
Click below to listen to and download my remix to Drake’s ‘Over’!
[video] This Too Shall Pass
Hey look! Music videos can still be interesting.. Who knew
The video was shot by a single Steadicam, but it took more than 60 takes, over the course of two days, to get it right.
Read Wired’s article on the making of the video here
Promote To Strangers, Sell To Fans
If you’re a new artist, do not waste your time and energy convincing strangers to purchase your music, whether it’s a CD album or a digital single on iTunes. Your first goal should NOT be money, it should be gathering an audience.
Let your music distribute freely. With the amount of music saturating the market, it’s hard enough to gain attention and have someone care about your music enough to listen to it much less pay for it. You need fans first. And then when you have a product or service of exceptional value, you can ask your fans (very politely) to invest their hard-earned cash.
Who’s more likely to spend money on you: someone who’s never heard of you, or someone who knows all the words to your song?
Why Are You Still Trying To Sell Your Music?
If you are trying to make money selling recordings, or producing them you are selling into a market that is auguring into the earth. – David Kusek
Recorded sales over time since 1999 (source: Future of Music)
Searching for Salvation – David Kusek
David Kusek’s article clearly re-inforces my thoughts on the future of the recording industry. The money is NOT in the ’sales’ of recordings anymore; the bulk of the revenue has to come from other places. I don’t know the magic answer.. and there probably won’t be just one answer. It will be multiple streams adding up to an artist’s overall income.
[video] Scratch (the Roots) afterhours @ Fortune Sound Club
End of the night.. lights are on.. place is nearly empty.. Scratch keeps beatboxing with his looper through the Funktion-1 sound system @ Fortune Sound Club (Vancouver)
Vancouver battle MC ‘Aspire’ jumped on the mic at the end of the night and started freestyling w/ Scratch
‘Runaway’ / Kat Glavas on Virgin Radio
i’m very excited to announce that an artist i’ve been working with for the past year and a half, Kat Glavas, has just been selected as Virgin Radio’s ‘Best Of BC’ featured artist!.. tune into Virgin 95.3FM all week long to hear her debut single ‘Runaway’ that i produced and co-wrote with her!
please SHOW YOUR SUPPORT by calling Virgin Radio Vancouver (604-280-0953) and request ‘Runaway’ by Kat Glavas
*the more you request it, the more they’ll play it! 
a free MP3 download of ‘RUNAWAY’ is available online at http://katglavas.com
you can also join Kat’s brand new Facebook fan page here
‘Runaway’
performed by: Kat Glavas
written by: Kat Glavas & DJ Hunt (Hunter Pearson)
produced by: DJ Hunt (Hunter Pearson)
mixed and mastered by: Ovidiu Bistriceanu
guitars: Joe Cruz
