Gaby Del Castillo

Gaby Del Castillo is a multi-talented young performer from Salamanca, Spain. Singing, dancing and acting from a very young age, Caby has a lot of experience as an entertainer – and his resume boasts a lot of awards from various competitions in Spain. The whole country knows Gaby from his participation in the Spanish TV programs Veo Veo and Cántame Cómo Pasó. Gaby’s hard work has paid off as he recently landed the role of Gavroche in the musical Les Miserables, which will premiere in Madrid on November 18, 2010 at Teatro Lope De Vega.

Gaby was born in Switzerland and moved to Spain with his family. Besides singing and acting, his passion is football and his favorite team is Real Madrid. You can find out a lot more about him in Spanish at various sites and blogs. It was there that I was surprised to learn that Gaby’s father is Spanish, while his mother is from Bulgaria. Sadly, as is the case with the German band Apollo3, I was not able to find much information available in English about this young performer.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32-X68Ksj2c

Follow Gaby at YouTube

On 23rd of February 2012 Gaby Del Castillo released a video clip of his new song : Me convitere en Brad Pitt ( I will turn into Brad Pitt) . The song was composed by the Spanish singer Daniel Diges. His talent, good looks, and confidence are indisputable and it is unfortunate that Spain is not amongst the participant countries in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest as Gaby`s new song has a winning potential ( and we know Spain`s representatives were always top notch María Isabel,Daniel Fernández and Antonio Jose )

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-RkY_8oHnY

Quotes in Spanish :

“De padre espanol y madre bulgara, Gaby nacio en Suiza hace 11 anos y actualmente vive en Salamanca con sus padres.

Ademas de la musica, su gran pasion es el futbol y su equipo el Real Madrid. Tambien le apasiona tocar la guitarra electrica y en verano iniciara las lecciones de bateria. Su idolo era Michael Jackson y por el empezo a interesarse por la musica y el baile. Dentro del panorama espanol le gustan Bisbal, Bustamante y Chenoa, entre otros.

Es un nino educado, tranquilo, familiar, algo timido y conciliador. “

Swim Zack Swim (2002)

A few weeks ago, I reviewed a film by Sterling Productions called Emmett. My impressions of it were not too positive due to some failures in editing and shortcomings of directing. Still, the young cast was enthusiastic enough (and Matthew Rappolt gave the impression of a boy with colossal acting potential), all of which convinced me to watch and review another of that studio’s productions. In the meantime, the website of Sterling Productions was renewed – which gave me hope that the studio will keep producing films. As the saying goes, “Practice makes perfect” which has given me high expectations for future productions from the studio.

Swim Zack Swim is a 26-minute short film written, produced, and directed by Sterling Johnston. In the movie, the viewer is introduced to the young Zackary Thompson (Evan Phillips), who becomes interested in swimming after talking with his best friend, Christopher (Robert Mc, who used to be on the local swim team of Toronto. The nearest pool is 15 kilometers (a little more than 9 miles) away. But that doesn’t stop the two friends’ determination to break their daily routine and spend the day hanging out by the pool.

Once there, Zack observes his friend’s excellent technique and decides that he wants to learn how to swim that well too. He has to overcome several obstacles and the distance to the pool is only one of them. His father insists that they can not afford the swimming lessons Zack needs because every cent is to be saved for his further education. Yet, Zack doesn’t give up and secretly finds a job as a helper in a local store, which allows him to pay for swimming lessons.

One of the funniest scenes in the film results when Zack decides to use some of the earnings from his job to get himself a real swimming suit. I was on my town’s swim team for several years and still find it ridiculous to see people swimming in shorts. One could hardly walk in them, let alone be on a swim team or even just have fun at the beach (but the fashion now dictates that shorts are cooler – for whatever reason).

The story of the film is simple yet fun to watch. The camera work is better than that in Emmet, especially in the underwater scenes (especially the excellent opening scene). The musical score, by KYN, also enhanced the film’s overall mood and makes it more enjoyable to watch. Don’t raise your expectations too high, yet if you are up for a refreshing short story, Swim Zack Swim is your film.

Film’s official web page

PS. Although theskykid.com does not have any affiliation with the production company, I would like to finish this review with a quote of their mission as published on their website:

Sterling Productions is a not-for-profit production house dedicated to helping local youth fulfill their dreams and goals of starting a professional acting career.

Kicking And Screaming (2005)

Many coming of age films about sports has a similar theme – boys on a team who are last in the standings and who are motivated to succeed by their coach. The coach mentors them and, as they get better, they become determined to succeed.

So that by the end of the story, one can hardly recognize the once wimpy team – a miracle happens, and they reach the finals and sometimes even become champions. In the meantime, the young players (and the film viewers) learn valuable lessons, such as the importance of believing in themselves and that nothing is impossible ….

All sports films are alike, right?

Wrong!

Kicking & Screaming won’t surprise those who have seen films such as Carlitos y el campo de Los sueños and Teufelskicker. This film is just as entertaining as those good flicks, with tasteful humour, jokes and situations that will make you laugh out loud. The film is a bit harsh on the soccer skills of American boys. But in America, as is the case everywhere else, there are some outstanding players.

In Kicking & Screaming, though, in the beginning, the team is made up of all American boys, and they are dismal, to say the least. Then the coach spots a couple of boys who are to become the “Tigers” team stars. They happen to be two Italian brothers, who don’t even speak good English, but who seems born to play the game. At the first practices, they easily outperform everyone else on the field.

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Looking for Miracles (1989)

Looking for Miracles is a made for TV film released in 1989. The movie is based on the memoir of the same name written by A.E. Hotchner.

It tells the story of sixteen-year-old Ryan Delaney (Greg Spottiswood) who has a dream to attend a university, but cannot afford it. Looking for a solution, he manages to get a job as a camp counselor (after overstating a bit his knowledge and experience). His mother is a hard working woman, but despite the long hours she toils at her job, she is unable to take care of her youngest son Sullivan (Zachary Bennett). He had been sent away to live with relatives. However, just when Ryan is getting ready to head to camp, Sullivan is brought back to the family by the relatives who find themselves in bad economic conditions. Having no choice, Ryan takes his kid-brother along to camp. From this moment on, the story combines two major plot lines – Ryan’s attempts to impress the camp’s director despite his lack of experience (he can’t even swim) and the poignant relationship of the two brothers who, previous to this, hardly knew each other due to the separation.

Looking for Miracles has achieved classic status over time and it’s a perfect family flick while, at the same time, having excellent coming of age value as the brothers learn about each other, themselves, and what they can do together in the course of the summer. An interesting fact is that the novel on which the film is based is actually a sequel to another book written by the same author, which has also been adapted to the screen in the film King of The Hill . Both are based on the boyhood memoirs of A.E. Hotchner.

Film title: Looking for Miracles
Release year: 1989
Director: Kevin Sullivan
Cast: Greg Spottiswood, Zachary Bennett, Joe Flaherty, Patricia Gage, Patricia Phillips, Noah Godfrey, Paul Haddad, Dean Hamilton

Moritz (2003)

The made for TV Swiss film Moritz (2003) focuses on issues that society still fails to address – the prejudice and misunderstanding that surround the lives of same sex couples. Similarly themed is the Spanish Cachorro, released in 1993.

Moritz’s mother is an epileptic who seems to be the only person taking care of the boy. She doesn’t want to leave her son alone and ignores the severe headaches, until one night she feels so bad that she has to go to the neighbors to ask them to keep an eye on Moritz (Jonas Rohr). The neighbors are two men living together. At first, they naturally try to find a relative the boy can stay with while his mother is in the hospital. They are able to locate his grandmother, but the boy hardly knows her and prefers to stay at his neighbors’, which of course raises the interest of the other neighbors. “Two men and a little boy” – seems scandalous for some of the neighbors haunted by their own prejudices. The rumors spread fast and Moritz’s choice to stay with his neighbors results in some name calling and bullying at his school as well.

At the same time, the village is preparing to meet the President of the Swiss Republic, and the grandmother of the boy insists that the boy be placed in a “decent “family. Shall the worst happen….?

Moritz is a touching film, which stands for issues such as tolerance and accepting people for who they are. Directed by Stefan Haupt, the film is enjoyable while at the same time a serious social drama and I don’t hesitate to recommend it.

Film title: Moritz
Release year: 2003
Director: Stefan Haupt
Cast: Lilian Fitz, Jonas Rohr, Stefan Rutz , Rudolph Straub, Anatole Taubman

Meet the Hall Brothers

Justin, Spencer and Tyler are a trio of brothers who are multi-talented and who appear together and individually in a whole variety of entertainment formats. Together, they call themselves the Hall Brothers. They live in New York near New York City, so they very often travel to the city for acting and dancing classes, or just to see a show and meet with friends. This article will serve as an introduction to each of these talented brothers.

Justin Hall

Justin (12) is the middle brother of the trio. This past summer, he was in the summer program for the Joffery Ballet School and was just recently accepted into the New York City Ballet where he attends classes after school.

A great dancer, this young lad is also an accomplished actor. He performed as “Michael” in the Chicago touring production of Mary Poppins and was asked last year to be “Michael” in the 10 Tony Award winning show Billy Elliot the Musical in Chicago. It was a great opportunity, but he decided not to accept it and to stay at home in New York because he wanted to be with his family.

Justin has been in many short films, such as The Counterpane Fairy, The Amazing Christopher and Fishbowl. He also was in a music video for the band Freelance Whales for a song titled Hannah.

In his spare time away from classes, workshops and rehearsals, Justin likes to listen to music, play his bass, go swimming, spend time with his brothers and see Broadway shows. Justin, also known as J-man with some of his friends, is in 7th grade as of the school year of 2010-2011.

Justin Lawrence Hall will be performing in Connecticut starting on October 21st in the role of James in Goodspeed Musical’s newest production, James and the Giant Peach!!! He is very excited to be in this production and is having a blast in rehearsals.

Spencer Hall

Spencer (10), the youngest of the brothers, was also accepted into the New York City ballet school like his older brother Justin, and in addition, he attended the Joffery Ballet School’s summer program in 2010. Spencer also sings with his acting coach, who coaches all three boys in New York City.

This little fellow played “Bert” in a recent production of All My Sons in Manhattan and enjoys acting. Spence, along with his two brothers, also appeared in the short film, Fishbowl. He also has been in many local school productions and will be in the lead role for his fourth grade holiday musical.

Spencer is a great musician and enjoys playing the piano in his spare time. He performed for the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) competition for the first time in April 2010 and got a very high score. He enjoys playing new pieces and also loves to sing. Spencer enjoys singing Opera and classical songs and people say he has a “million dollar voice”.

Spending quality time with his two brothers and their mom, swimming in the pool, playing sports, watching Broadway shows, and hanging out in Central Park are all other leisure activities that Spencer loves to do. Spencer is in 4th grade as of the school year of 2010-2011.

Tyler Hall

Tyler (13) is the eldest of the Hall Brothers.

Tyler performed in an off-Broadway production of A Chorus Line as the director’s assistant and also was the lead in the short independent film Paxil, about a young boy who is dealing with depression. Because of the depression, Tyler’s character is given Paxil, a medicine used to stop depression and anxiety. But the medicine only makes the boy dizzy and he cannot pay attention. The intention of the short film was to educate the public on the side effects of Paxil and how dangerous the pill is. He was also in Fishbowl as Spencer’s (who is the main character in the short film) older brother.

This young teen also enjoys playing instruments and is proficient on both the guitar and the saxophone. In the spring of 2010, Tyler James Hall performed with his saxaphone for the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) competition and got a very high score. He also enjoys reading and could spend hours in a chair reading a good science fiction or mystery novel, hanging out with his brothers in New York City, and playing tennis. For the 2010-2011 school year, Tyler is in the 8th grade.

On October 21st, 2010, the The Norma Terris Theatre will be debuting the new musical James and the Giant Peach. Ruth Gottschall , Chelsea Kromback, and others will be performing alongside Justin Hall, who will be portraying the main character, James Hunter. The show runs until November 21 and tickets are being sold now! Good luck to Justin! You get ’em boy!!!

Let Me In (2010)

I often visit the foreign film rack at my local video rental store because some true treasures can often be found there. About a year or so ago I came across a film that had been released in 2008 directed by Swedish Director Tomas Alfredson, entitled Let The Right One In. The movie was produced from the novel and screenplay written by John Ajvide Lindqvist, and what I witnessed was a true cinematic experience which was not soon forgotten.

While horror films only take up a small portion of my ever expanding DVD collection, this was one that I considered to be a true cinematic experience. In 2009, when New Moon released the first of its series, I could not help but think of this Swedish film. While the film and story were totally different, they had one common thread with retrospect to falling in love and allowing the wrong person, or should I say “being”, into your life.

This past weekend, the American remake of the original Swedish film was released and I could not resist going to see it, wondering if they had done it justice. Much to my great surprise I really enjoyed the movie from its opening scenes to the conclusion of the movie.

The first thing I noticed was that Director Matt Reeves knew exactly what he was doing by staying with the original screenplay. By using flash backs and additional sequences, while short, he brought much more meaning to the story that had been so subtle in the original movie that they were missed in my viewing. The camera work was well done, using a variety of close-ups and creative lighting, thereby creating a masterpiece without having to rely on a lot of special effect work afterwards. The musical score was also well done. It didn’t detract from the film but rather enhanced the especially intense scenes which, even though I knew the story well, brought more excitement to the viewing.

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An interview: Tommy

In my on-going quest to find sites, blogs, and forums that support young performers, I have met some extraordinary people such as Tommy from Stars2Come.com. When I first met him, he had an idea of setting up a website about young singers and performers. Back then, he had a killer title Stars to Come and, as he began to work on his idea, I witnessed the development and growth of his site. Tommy never ceased to amaze me with his devotion and desire to make Stars2Come.com a family friendly website having as its core reason for existence to support talented boys and girls on their way to stardom. Almost a year later, Stars2Come has received recognition, both online and offline, and the Stars2Come magazine began to take shape just as Tommy envisioned it when it was just a project. Tommy has conducted many interviews with young talent that have appeared on his site and I am honored that he agreed to be interviewed himself for www.theskykid.com

Skykid: I remember the enthusiasm with which you spoke about establishing a new website focused on musicians from all over the world. But for our listeners, can you tell us when it all started and what you have achieved since then?

Tommy: Well, it all started after writing a few articles for you. Probably the biggest thing was that I had met Jordan Jansen quite sometime before, and he later came out with a song he wrote called I Wish, which was a very touching song for someone so young. After that, I began finding other young talents like him from watching various talent shows such as America`s Got Talent and Britain`s Got Talent and searching for more information on them. So, I decided that I would like to help in some way. The idea was to try to find, from sites like YouTube, as many young artists who I felt were really good, and put them into one location. By doing that, I felt that it would make it easier for people like producers to find them.

I do have people from all around the world, both girls and boys, featured on the site — about 70 artists in all. I have a large volume of people coming to me from different places. Unlike your site or Rivenmaster`s, to be different I added girls, in order for people to have variety. I think because the three sites are different, it will be of bigger benefit to the kids. Whichever of the sites someone visits, they will find different artists, as the sites contain very few that are the same. I post three to four new artists a week, plus updating information on artists already existing on the site.

Skykid: How do you pick the young singers you’ll write about? Do you approach their parents, management, the singers themselves? Or do they approach you?

Tommy: At first, I spent many hours searching YouTube to find the ones I thought were the best. When I started, I would contact them through YouTube, usually asking permission from the parents to write about the kids. But most of the time now, I speak to the kids themselves. I find it hard to write about someone when I have not spoken with him or her. I like to know who they are, as a person as much as an artist. Most people now come to me through their parents or a manager. But either way, most always I speak to the kids once I have permission. Now I also have two TV shows that send me young artists, a talent agent, among others, with a couple screening them prior to sending them to me.

Skykid: What is the most rewarding aspect of maintaining a site such as Stars2Come.com?

Tommy: It has to be the kids and the parent’s reaction after the articles are posted. They are always very happy and flattered that someone took the time to write about them. For a lot of these people, it is the first time anyone has written anything on them. So that would be the reward.

Skykid: What kind of audience would you most like to reach with your blog?

Tommy: I hope it reaches all age groups , but I think it would benefit the kids very well to see what others their age or a little older have been achieving in order to help them keep the dream alive in themselves. The ultimate goal would be to have producers and writers from all parts of the entertainment field be regulars at the site because, after all, that was my intention — to help get these kids noticed. I’m happy to report that some of that is happening. There have been a few producers who have come forward and I would like very much to work with them to find what they are looking for — for either music or film.

Skykid: Talk about the physical act of your writing process. Bloggers don’t have the luxury of time when they compose, so your process is a lot different than, say, someone who writes only for print. Do you outline, or just start writing?

Tommy: You’re right. I have very little time. I rarely know what I am going to write until I start. Some of the articles I do, the ones that are special to me in some way, many times I will figure out the article in my head while at work. It’s not always the same. Sometimes it just depends on the information that I receive and sometimes the information can be very touching or very impressive in some way. Or the artist may have a certain song that I like real well, and my emphasis will be working towards introducing the song.

Skykid: You have been doing frequent trips to Nashville this year. What kind of events have you been attending there?

Tommy: Well, I’ve been doing several different things there. One is that I have an open invitation to attend the Nashville Spotlight TV showcases. I am a good friend of the producer of that show, so I go film a few artists each time plus write articles on them. The producer has turned over all the kids to me to write about. So when I go, I meet with a few kids and their parents and get things set up for the articles. I have already posted a few.

But I don’t go only for writing. I also have a couple of friends there. Back in August, I met a little girl at one of the competitions that I cover here in Kentucky, which is connected to Nashville as well. I went to Nashville in early September. When I went, I found out one of my friends was in town. The little girl that I had met before had really clicked with me as someone special. So, when I discovered my friend was in town, I called the girl’s mom and set up a surprise meeting with my friend and I introduced them. When the girl found who my friend was, she was so happy! Since then, my friend has things lined up for this girl to be on a national TV show. So a lot of good things are fixing to happen with her. I have also introduced another young boy to my friend and, starting after the first of the year, my friend will begin recording the boy’s original songs to promote him. Many a big name artist has recorded at the studio where this will take place and my friend has a very well known band that is going to back the boy up when he records.

So this is what I’ve been doing a lot in Nashville. I’ve been taking things to a new level and helping a few young artists and this is why it is so rewarding — just to see the smiles on their faces when this happens. I wish there was a way for me to do this for a living, as it is the most awesome feeling that I have ever known. I believe fate had a lot to do with that little girl’s case — everyone being in the right place at the right time.

I also now help recruit for Nashville Spotlight and I have been talking with a few kids hoping to get them started next year.

Skykid: What vision do you have for your site? What would you like it to become in 4 or 5 years time?

Tommy: You and I have talked about it becoming a magazine. As far as Nashville is concerned, they already call it the stars2come magazine. I hope it will at least double in size and in readership. The readers are the key to getting these kids noticed.

Skykid: Would you share with us the names of some of the young artists you’ve helped become established in the music industry?

Tommy: The only name I can give is of the little girl — Abby Ekas. She is being prepared for a movie and looking at a new TV show. Sorry I can not give more details. The name of the boy, however, I will have to wait on until a later time.

Skykid: Your blog is music oriented, so what music plays most frequently on your stereo, computer or mp3 player?

Tommy: Well in the car I listen to country music. At home, I listen to many different young artists.

Skykid: I am sure that many people like your blog and want to contribute to its success. How can one support stars2come?

Tommy: The best thing is to just keep visiting and supporting these young artists. Comments are always the best. Every young person and their parents read these and it truly does mean a lot to them.

Skykid: Is there anything you would like to add ?

Tommy: I would like to say something, on behalf of producers, be they music or film producers. I know there are a lot of kids who will read and hear this. Please — when an opportunity comes to work with a producer, please keep in mind that they are people too. Make sure to be respectful and considerate, as these people truly do want to help. The reason I bring this up is I once introduced a young artist to a producer. The producer was so amazed by this young person’s music and was making some special arrangments and called and talked with the parents. The parents changed like flipping a light switch and became rude and demanding which turned the producer off. This young artist lost a great opportunity as a result. So my advice is — just because someone is willing to work with you does not mean that you are automatically a star or that you should demand anything. The producers know what they are doing. Allow them to do so. So please give them the same respect that you would want someone to give you. To be contacted by a producer is very exciting but please remain who you are….

Teufelskicker (2010)

“I don’t need a TV; I need a football field.”

Already attracting a lot of interest in both Germany and overseas, Teufelskicker (Devil’s Kickers) is the new sport-themed film starring all the popular German band Apollo members 3. Henry Horn plays the lead role as the young Moritz who is addicted to football just like so many boys (and girls) worldwide. (For American readers, the film features the game known to you as Soccer — not the game played by the NFL.)

He trains at SV Hulstorf – the local football team coached by his father. Life seems to be perfect ….well, almost …. as Moritz has a tenancy to slip into his own dream world of the big football game, just when his attention and concentration are most needed on the field. One of these lapses causes him to miss a chance to score a goal, and his team loses an important game. His mother, who promised to attend the game in the morning, manages to reach the stadium when the game is already over, but just in time to catch her husband cheating on her. Shocked – she immediately takes her son, quits her job and leaves for her father’s house.

The move is tough for Moritz, who has to attend a different school in a new city where the only football team, VfB Eichstädt, refuses to accept him. Desperate, Moritz decides to form a team on his own, aided by some new-found friends. His new friends include Catrina, the Turkish brothers Mehmet and Enes, and a band of playground acrobats Alex, Shadow, Sleepy and Co. Together, they decide to sign up for the approaching tournament against all odds (such as the lack of a proper training field or a coach ).

The film aims at the younger audience (twelve and under, that is) who will appreciate the exciting effects and moves — mixing football with Parkour (running through urban areas while performing various gymnastic maneuvers over or on human-made obstacles as walls and buildings). Yet, compared to some other coming of age films focusing on sports, such as The Mighty Ducks, Angels in the Outfield or The Sandlot, it fails to really engage the viewer. Some hardcore football fans may still enjoy it – although the Belgian film Buitenspel does the sport much more justice.

Yet, the groovy soundtrack (which includes a song from Apollo3’s new album) and the modernized and urbanized version of soccer are guaranteed to win the hearts of many kids around the world. Another attractive feature of the film for the kids is that real-life football stars Lukas Podolski and Philipp Lahm have a cameo appearance in the movie). Like in many other films that feature a gang of kids, some of the characters in Teufelskicker are rather stereotyped – a girl that can play soccer better than most boys, a bully captain of the enemy team and even the Turkish brothers (though this is more related to German reality, as it is likely that most international viewers won’t note some of the cliches).

The acting in the film was quite average – yet Henry did a good job in Moritz’s role, and the rest of the kids, although cast in a film for the very first time, did OK. The cinematography and editing are fine – especially when it comes to capturing the acrobatic performances of the young players.

Despite its shortcomings, Teufelskicker has some entertainment value as a family film as most of the scenes are funny and filled with action. As was mentioned, youngsters are going to like it especially.

Film title: Teufelskicker
Alternative title: Devil’s Kickers
Release year: 2010
Director: Granz Henman
Cast: Henry Horn, Marvin Schlatter, Dario Flick, Ben Breternitz, Finn Ehlert, Ben Breternitz, Tim Troeger and others

Teufelskicker (2010)

In short

3

Our rating

Pappersväggar (2007)

Vampires – those mystical creatures who have been living in our minds for centuries. Ever since Bram Stoker wrote his novel Dracula back in 1897, the cine industry recognized the considerable opportunity it had to exploit the beliefs and fears of the audience and create films that make the viewer look around and listen to every noise after he gets away from the comfort of the local theater and strolls on the streets of his neighborhood.

The Swedish film Låt den rätte komma in (Let The Right One In) is the best coming of age vampire film, receiving recognition by both critics and fans alike. A year later, a US remake was released under the title Let Me In. It is yet to be seen if the remake will disappoint or entertain.

This review will concentrate on a short childrens horror film based on a short story by John Ajvide Lindqvist – the author of Let the Right One In. Its original title is Pappersväggar (or Paperwalls in English) and it was released at the beginning of 2007. While there are no vampires in this film, there is a large cardboard box. It’s a box so big that it soon captures the imagination of the twelve-year-old boy whose father brought it to him. The box becomes a place for the boy to dream and fantasize. In a sense, it becomes the kingdom he rules and shapes. But it turns out that the box also becomes a point of contact with something unseen and unknown …

I have seen a variety of short films, but I’m unlikely to remember Pappersväggar for anything more than the light bursting scene which at least played the role of grabbing the attention of the viewer. The film purports to focus on youthful imagination, creativity and determination, but I wouldn’t really recommend Pappersväggar unless you are up to the 18 minute challenge of attempting to grasp its meaning.

Film title: Pappersväggar
Alternative titles: Paper Walls
Release year: 2007
Cast: Hannes Eriksson

An interview: Rod from Rivenmaster.com

I met Rod from Rivenmaster.com several months ago, after he contacted me with a comment on a young singer featured at theskykid.com (Brendan MacFarlane). Then I found out that he maintains a blog about young musicians and I was able to recognize several of the performers featured on it. We exchanged a few emails and Twitter messages and it was not long before we held a long conversation on Skype. At that time, I was sharing some tips with him on blogging and search engine optimization. We became good friends as we shared the same passion towards treble music. I asked him to help around the newly launched site radio and, if you ever listened to it, you would probably be familiar with his audio recordings and live interviews. Then I had an idea – inviting him for an interview with theskykid.com, thus giving the readers of the site a better idea of who he is and why he got involved in blogging in the first place.

Skykid: Hello Rod and thank you for agreeing to this interview for TheSkyKid.com. Usually you are the one who asks the questions, but today the “hot seat” is reserved for you. Are you ready to shine under the spotlight?

Rivenmaster: Yeah, if this is the spotlight I’m ready.

Skykid: Your nickname is Rivenmaster. How did you choose that and what does it mean?

Rivenmaster: That is kind of unique. I guess I would have to say it’s a hangover from a past presence on the web. Years ago I was really into a game called Riven, which is a sequel to the first game that came out called MYST. I was heavily into IBM and computer gaming back then. I got rather proficient with that series of games and as I would go out to different message boards looking for ideas and answers for some of the questions that I had, I would end up running into some young people who had more questions than answers. Then I met this young man who was from Australia and he gave me the nick name Rivenmaster, because I knew more than anybody else on the boards. He told me that I should start a website surrounding the game — Riven — which I did, and that gave birth to Rivenmaster.com. I did that for probably about six years until the game kind of lost popularity and EXILE came out and all the sequels to it. Eventually it went away and I dropped the website for awhile. When I started the new website, I just kind of hung on to this old domain. So it’s a little bit confusing for some people and maybe someday I should change it. But because I was so well known in the web community as Rivenmaster, I just retained that.

Skykid: You are the chief editor of http://rivenmaster.com . Tell us a little about your present blog and why you started it.

Rivenmaster: Rivenmaster.com, as it is known today, was birthed only a little over a year ago. I desired to do a little more of what I was already doing currently to help promote young singers. I created my YouTube account probably six years prior, but never really did a whole lot of friending or subscribing. It was more for a collection of all of the unique young singers that I had on my site. I am really fond of treble music and the young male voice as opposed to a lot of other music. I like a variety of genres, there isn’t much that I don’t enjoy as far as music is concerned, but I really like the young treble voice. I saw many of these kids struggling, trying to get their name out there, and trying to get known by competing in various contests like SoundCheck etc. I just got the idea that maybe there would be something more that I could do in regards to having a web presence and helping them out at the same time. It was through that desire that Rivenmaster.com was born.

Skykid: I’m sure that you will have a hard time picking a single article from your blog, but statistically what is the most popular article on your rivenmaster.com site right now?

Rivenmaster: I would have to say 2Boys from Norway has become the most popular of all the articles presently.

Skykid: What makes your blog unique from others?

Rivenmaster: Probably the fact that right now I am still featuring only young male artists. Young male artists are a lot more difficult to find than female artists, especially the ones that are just starting out. There is probably about ten female to every male singing performer or artist. Finding a good, ample supply of young talented male singers, and featuring them all on one site and in one place, is quite unique in itself.

The second thing that I think makes the site rather unique is the fact that I am in direct contact with the parents of every single young artist for whom I do a feature article. I am not writing anything that someone has already written. There is no hear-say involved; it’s directly coming from the parents. In addition, we have opportunities every now and then to actually conduct a live interview with that young star. It’s very unique, in retrospect, that everything is coming personally from the parent or young artist.

Skykid: Your blog is music oriented, so we are bound to ask: What music plays most frequently on your stereo, computer or mp3 player?

Rivenmaster: Well, I imagine you will find the same type of music on my mp3 player, computer…etc as you will find on my blog. It’s going to be 95% young artists. Billy Gilman, for example – I have every one of his CDs. I also have a lot of the recordings that are recorded by the youngsters on the site. Some of them are professionally recorded, some that they have just captured at home with their own equipment. I love Libera –as a singing group. As far as a choir – I have the albums of the Vienna Boys Choir. I love treble music, so that would naturally be on my mp3 player. I like Country and Pop. Up until meeting MattyB, I didn’t care for rap music much, but that kid has made a believer out of me – so I even probably have a little rap if you want to include Matty, Matty’s style of rap that is!

Skykid: Do you find being a parent and a husband makes you more disciplined as a blogger/writer, because your free time is more precious?

Rivenmaster: That is true. We do have a lot of things going on. I have five sons of my own and there is another young man that has come into my life that I am mentoring – he is kind of like a son to me. So I guess I could say I have six. I also have four grandchildren currently, and one on the way. Two of my grandchildren are handicapped, one severely handicapped, born with multiple birth defects, who I spend a lot of time with in and out of the hospital. So, yes, my life is full in a variety of different ways. Aside from being active civically as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate), a volunteer for children that end up in abuse cases and things of that nature, I’m also active in church work and similar organizations. But yes, my life is very active and that is why I haven’t thought seriously of making a career out of blogging. It has been a rather fantastic hobby that has become a passion.

Skykid: Aside from personal satisfaction, are you also receiving a monetary income as a result of your blogging efforts?

Rivenmaster: My reward is just the joy of seeing someone actually be discovered and recognized, while helping them get a leg up in an industry that is really hard to crack into. I don’t charge anything! My site is strictly on a donation basis – I have had a donation tab on it for some time. We do not request any of the young artists to contribute in anyway. What I do, I do exclusively as a help. I never set the blog up, or even started it with the thought of making a living with it. It really is more of a hobby than anything. Of course, now that we have been doing it for a year, it would be a dream to actually turn it into a full time profession. Because I have been unemployed this past year, I have had a lot of time to dedicate to the blog. However, I am still not seeking, necessarily, to turn it into a full-time business. One needs to understand that it takes an awful lot of time to actually produce one of these web sites and keep it current.

Skykid: What kind of audience would you most like to reach with your blog?

Rivenmaster: The main objective to the blog is to give these young talented musicians a real extra media push towards producers (record producers, movie producers, anybody in actor guilds — just anyone of influence who is looking for a talented young person). It’s not always that I discover them. They are quite easily found on YouTube and MySpace and sites of that nature. But many of the ones I have on the site are just starting out. Some are now past that or long past that or even very closely approaching being signed or have just been signed. We see them at all points in their career at the blog. So I would say that the audience I am really pursuing are talent scouts and producers, in an attempt to help these kids really get a leg up into the industry.

Skykid: I am sure that many people like your blog and want to contribute to its success. How can one support http://rivenmaster.com ?

Rivenmaster: I appreciate you asking that question. Again I don’t really solicit donations, but I do have donation tab that is on the site and if anyone enjoys what I’m doing and appreciates the site’s efforts in trying to help the kids, I can guarantee that anything they donate will be appreciated and will be used for the continuation of the blog.

Skykid: And last, but not least, if I was a young performer, musician or singer (or a parent of one), how can I contact you? What kind of information do you usually request in order for you to begin work on an article?

Rivenmaster: The approach that I usually take starts when someone contacts me via the contact form on my site or writes me direct at writemeone@hotmail.com. Once the parents contact me and let me know that they would be eager to have their son appear on the site, all I ask is for a few pictures and maybe a biography written by the parents, a producer, a manager or someone who might be working with them. This gives me a little insight about that particular young artist. I usually ask them to start when they first noticed the unique talent of their child, whatever it might be, and progress through their early childhood development through school and bringing us up to date to what they are actually doing now. They should also include any notable performances, radio interviews or television appearances. Some of the kids are quite advanced in their careers already and have had television appearances and radio appearances; others are still making video clips in their basement or bedrooms with their own recording equipment and are quite rough and unpolished. Again, it’s all about helping them advance their careers.

Skykid: Is there is something that you would like to add?

Rivenmaster: A way that you can support the site, if you can’t do it financially, is by leaving comments on the articles. Every comment that is left on the article helps propagate that article throughout the web. Google also picks it up and consequently the kids get more attention. It’s not necessarily for the blog to gain the notoriety, the articles are written for the young artist and every comment helps to carry them one step closer to being discovered by a professional producer.

Skykid: And where can people find you other than Rivenmaster.com? Twitter, Myspace, Facebook maybe?

Rivenmaster: Oh yeah I am everywhere. If you just take a look at the bottom of my site you will find links to about ten different websites where you can find me.

Skykid: Thank you very much for joining us today and we will be looking forward for more interesting and exciting articles at rivenmaster.com

Rivenmaster: Thanks for the opportunity Skykid! I really enjoyed being on the other side of the interview table for a change.

The Boy Cried Murder (1966)

Children often make up stories to gain attention. Sometimes, if they do it too much, they are eventually ignored. But when this happens to one small boy, he gets into big trouble. Will anyone be there to help him?

While on vacation, Jonathan (Fraser MacIntosh) is accompanying his parents on a cruise to a resort in Yugoslavia where they intend to spend a second honeymoon. Angry that his parents are not paying attention to him, Jonathan makes up stories to attract their attention to him. Once they arrive at their destination, he shows his mischievous nature by setting free one of the dancing bears that a gypsy family was showing as an attraction. Of course, this causes major chaos in the small seaside resort. He is punished for that. Later on, when his parents leave on a boat trip without him, he accidently witnesses a terrible crime – a murder. But who is to believe him – except the killer himself…?

The film is an adaptation of a Cornell Woolrich story of the same name, The Boy Who Cried Murder, and is a coming of age criminal drama that received a lot of attention at the time of its release due to the excellent performance of its young lead, Fraser MacIntosh.

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