Almost Our Time

Just want to give a shout out to my friend Rob Stam on the release of his new book "Almost Our Time: Generation X Takes On America's Challenges".

Rob shares how "Generation X grew up with Star Wars, prepared to deal with the problems of a fantasy universe... but that it is assuming leadership of a very different country than the one they grew up in. Even so, if the Star Wars generation will learn and apply classic American principles they can defeat the "Debt Star" and other real world problems and pass on a better nation to their children". It is a great read and challenges us to live realistically and within our means.

Session work for Othello Productions

I laid down some electric guitar parts this weekend for Othello Productions in New Jersey. Used my Eleven Rack for it and can't say enough good things about the unit. Finally, a virtual guitar amp that feels like a real amp, and instant recall of all my settings! Love the fact that I can collaborate with people around the globe too.

Michigan Film Office's 2009 Annual Report

"Michigan's film tax incentive created more than 4,000 Michigan jobs for crew work, and another 4,000 jobs for Michigander actors and extras, according to the 2009 Michigan Film Office report made public today. The bulk of the crew jobs average $30 or more an hour..... " by Jackie Headapohl

For full story: Click here.

Startup Weekend

This past weekend I was part of what is called a "Startup Weekend". Here's how the website describes it....

"Startup Weekend recruits a highly motivated group of developers, business managers, startup enthusiasts, marketing gurus, graphic artists and more to a 54 hour event that builds communities, companies and projects. It is known for its quick decisions, inventive problem solving, unique facilitation technique and letting the founders show what they can do. The program has already met with success in over 52 cities and 12 countries and growing! The participants that attend a Startup Weekend decide what they want to tackle over the weekend and come out at the end with several developed companies or projects. Startup Weekend provides an unprecedented level of networking, team building, learning, and life changes for its attendees and their communities."

It was a great experience to be around such smart, highly motivated and skillful individuals and watch them do their stuff! One more reason I'm glad that I live in West Michigan. To find out more about the event, follow the link below.


Startup Weekend

Rock Your Addy Off!

What a great three days of celebrating advertising here in West Michigan. On Tuesday, the Creative Crawl allowed anyone interested in the ad industry to tour companies and meet creatives, a great way to network and find out what is going on locally. Wednesday morning offered an engaging presentation by Bob Fish, founder of Biggby Coffee, and was followed by three seminars focusing on marketing and emerging technology. Finally, Thursday night capped the week of events with the Addy Awards. Once again, I was blown away by the talent that is here in West Michigan. To find out more about the winners, visit the AAF West Michigan site.


AAF West Michigan

Third Annual Ad Fair

This will be a busy week. It is the third annual Ad Fair, celebrating world-class advertising and design products created in West Michigan. AD Fair ‘10, is a series of social, educational and celebratory events slated for February 23-25. It's Grand Rapid's version of New York’s Ad Week–celebrating the best of what the advertising and design industry brings to West Michigan. Events include the Creative Crawl, an Advertising and Marketing Workshop, a Media Auction, and finally, the Addy Awards. Looking forward to some good networking and hearing about the exciting and creative work that is done in West Michigan.

Website Goes Live!

I'm pleased to announce that the new DP Creative Audio website went live this weekend. It looks great! I'm indebted to the talent and hard work of my friends Luke Daab, Greg Smith, and Rob Stam. Thanks guys! Please take the site for a spin and let me know what you think. Better yet, spread the word about DP Creative Audio with your friends and colleagues.