Coming-of-Age stories tend to be classic tales of personal strife and the overcoming of obstacles, to become better and richer for the experience. The traditional tale offers a protagonist of the mid-teen persuasion facing the brink of adulthood and the emotional turmoil that seems to ensue. Luckily though, the main character is more often than not surrounded by a group of faithful companions who help him/her through the confusion and ambiguity of morality and personal development.
Last Sunday, I heard Colton Jacobson sing Sand Castle on the Sky Kid Radio and, like many people, was impressed with this youth’s high clear voice and precise notes. It’s a song about disappointed love, childish dreams, change and disillusionment that has had almost two million views on YouTube.
It has touching, simple lyrics and a wonderfully soft ballad tune which goes down like honey, while being sung by a handsome blond boy whose style in front of the mic is that of a craftsman!
Each week Jeffrey – the host of The Mystery Artist Show on TheSkyKid.com Radio – introduces a young artist from somewhere around the world. In March 2011, we published an interview with the teen idol Alan Wheeler, titled Alan Wheeler: Monterrey Musical Marvel! A year later, Jeffrey contacted Alan for a follow up interview, which was aired on TheSkyKid.com radio in July, 2012.
Note: This publication is a transcription of the original interview aired on TheSkyKid.com radio. The clip included below features the whole interview and snippets of the songs that were played during the live broadcast. In this transcript, “TMAS” will represent the questions posed by the Mystery Artist’s Show and “AW” will be Alan’s answers. Jeffrey has also provided some post interview commentary that was not part of the interview as aired, but rather represent his impressions of the interview after the fact. Those comments will be shown as “Jeffrey“.
TMAS: Today’s Mystery Artist is none other than the one and only Alan Wheeler. Alan is originally from Monterrey, Mexico, but now lives in Los Angeles, California. Like so many artists before him were able to do Alan, who is fluent in English and Spanish, bridged the cultural and lingual barriers of two countries into one. Alan had auditioned for the X-Factor after he was recruited to participate in the contest. Unfortunately, he didn’t make it through, even though Simon Cowell gave him a “Yes”.
TMAS: You started your career as a member of the youth musical group The RUPPIS . How long were you a member of that band?
AW: Hmm. How long had I been a member of the Ruppis? Since I was eight until I was about 12, so something like four years.
Jeffrey: The RUPPIS, an extremely popular children’s band in Mexico and the Valley of Texas, performed at a variety of venues and has its own sitcom broadcast by the TV Network Multimedios.
TMAS: After watching videos on YouTube of the group, I couldn’t help but notice that your sister Chris was also a member. Was it difficult at any time for the two of you to work together and then go home?
AW: Yeah. My sister was also a member of the Ruppis. It wasn’t really difficult. I mean, it was just like having like another friend in the band.
TMAS: I know it’s often difficult for young people who get into singing or acting when it comes to their classmates teasing and bullying them. Have you had any problems such as this?
AW: A couple of people at school started teasing me like “Hey! So sing a song or something”. Then everybody started doing it and it got a little bit annoying, but it didn’t really affect me.
Jeffrey: At one point in time, Ala
n Wheeler was modeling clothes for the Fashion Shows Runway. This raised my curiosity…
TMAS: When we think of Runway models, we generally picture tall, sexy, skinny women or buffed hunks or even female beauty contestants of all ages, but we never really think of boys. Did this ever cause any problems as far as people calling you names or anything like that?
AW: Since there’s not that many Runways in Mexico, not many people noticed that I was a Runway model. So people didn’t really know.
TMAS: What kind of advice would you give other young artists such as yourself just starting out?
AW: What I would say to young artists is to never lose your ground. Always be as humble as possible. Always keep an eye on your dream. Never let anything come between it and you. Just be careful with people trying to bring you down.
Jeffrey: Each week, Alan hosts a USTREAM.TV broadcast, during which he and his sister, Chris, interact with their fans. Streaming media has been increasingly popular among young performers, so I had to ask what motivated him to devote his time to a weekly streaming event…
TMAS: What made you decide to start doing USTREAM broadcasts?
AW: How we started doing the Ustream broadcasts was sometimes we left Monterrey or we wouldn’t have concerts during a period of time, so people started saying things like “We haven’t seen you in a such long time”. We found out about Ustream and we’ve been doing live chats every Friday at 6pm Pacific time, which is 8pm Central time so you can check us out there.
Jeffrey: I try my best to watch artists when they do a Ustream, vidcam or any other kind of broadcast for their fans. Alan is by far one of the artists I like watching the most — not because of his great singing ability, but because he and his sister Chris make their broadcasts loads of fun. Even though the majority of the time I can’t understand what they’re saying because it’s in Spanish, I like watching because they make it so much fun and a pleasure to watch. From watching Alan and his sister, Chris, I can tell that there’s never a dull moment in their household.
TMAS: What is the one place in the entire world that you’d love to perform at the most?
AW: The one place in the entire world that I would love to perform at the most is probably the Hollywood Bowl, since it’s such a legendary place. Everybody has played there, so it would be an honor to play there one day.
TMAS: Has there been a release date set for your second CD?
AW: No there’s not yet a release date for the second CD, but hopefully it’s soon.
TMAS: Can you tell us anything about the CD as far as the songs that will be on it?
AW: As far as songs, it’s probably going to be a lot more in English then in Spanish this time because we are trying to balance out from the first one. While there’s going to be a lot more English, there’s still going to be a couple of Spanish songs though.
TMAS: Are any of them originals or covers or both?
AW: There’s going to be both originals and covers. Probably more originals than covers, because I really like originals. There’s probably going to be two or three covers on it.
TMAS: Is there anything you’d like to add before we go?
AW: I’d like to send a big shout out to all my fans and I’m very glad to be here.
Jeffrey: I’d like to thank Alan for taking the time to do the interview with me and I’d also like to thank Alan’s dad, Robert, for updating me on some of the information that I had about Alan. Be sure to keep up with Alan at any or all of the following links:
Based on a true story, the Finish Coming-of-Age movie Valo tells the story of nine-year-old Valo and his friend Ville who, observing the wrongdoings of the adults that surround them, decide to devote their youthful lives to the fight against evil.
The action takes place in Finland in the early 1900’s, when the country is still part of the Russian Empire. Valo and his father are caught by the police during Bloody Sunday, a demonstration march against the Tsarist regime in Russia.
The Mystery Artist Show is broadcast weekly on TheSkyKid.com Radio. Each week Jeffrey, the program’s host, introduces a young artist from somewhere around the world. In July of 2012, TheSkyKid.com radio aired an exclusive interview with twelve-year-old CJ Fam from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. A YouTube star and immensely talented performer, CJ Fam recently moved to Los Angeles, California in order to pursue her singing and acting careers.
Tear-jerker movies – you may love them or hate them – but you are unlikely to remain indifferent to the stories they tell. Some of the best emotional films in the Coming-of-Age genre were made in the 60’s and the 70’s, and the majority of them were filmed in Italy. Titles such as the 1978 Last Feelings (L’ultimo sapore dell’aria), the 1966 Luigi Comencini film Misunderstood (Incompreso) and the 1974 Last Moments (Il venditore di palloncini ) are just few of the many classic films that have touched audiences and inspired filmmakers through the years.
Undoubtedly the most popular film from that period – often used to define the genre – is the 1973 Raimondo Del Balzo movie The Last Snows of Spring (L’ultima neve di primavera). Starring the best known Italian child actor of the 70’s, Renato Cestiè, the movie tells the story of ten-year-old Luca who feels neglected by his widower father, Roberto. Roberto is a busy lawyer who is preoccupied with work and his own affairs and spends very little time with his son (who is also attending boarding school). He fears that Luca will not approve of Veronica, his newest girlfriend, but decides to give it a try by taking both of them on a seaside vacation.
Luca meets Veronica, a passionate woman who tries her best to convince the young boy that she is not trying to steal his father from him. They became friends and spend many wonderful moments together while the father continues to pay more attention to his work than to either of them – even while on vacation. One day Luca witnesses Veronica and his father kissing passionately. Shocked, he feels betrayed. When the vacation is over, Luka feels even more neglected. The father, who he idolized despite his shortcomings, has disappointed him. Observing Luka’s sulking mood, Roberto decides to make it up by arranging a ski vacation in the mountains – just the two of them. They have a wonderful time together – until an accident happens. Luca collapses and is diagnosed with Leukemia. The tragedy is that at the end of his short life, Luca finally gets what he always wanted – the love and affection of his father.
The Last Snows of Spring (1973) Original Poster
Despite the tragic ending, Raimondo Del Balzo’s film does not feel down nor depressing for the majority of its length. The vacation scenes, the funny dialogues Luca has with a girl classmate, the genuine love and hero-worshipping that the boy feels for his father are delightful to watch. Unlike some modern day films (one that comes to my mind is the 2011 drama Bringing Up Bobby), The Last Snows of Sping story goes through several transformations without losing its appeal and main focus. The young lead, Renato Cestiè, is not only a cute and adorable kid, but he delivers an excellent performance, which all fans of the Coming-of-Age genre are guaranteed to appreciate.
One of the most notable features of the Italian films are their soundtracks. Franco Micalizzi’s score is melodic and sentimental and really enhances the emotional value of the story in The Last Snows of The Spring. A unique combination of piano, guitar and strings results in a heart-rending and memorable soundtrack.
While some may call tear-jerker films manipulative, the stories they relate always manage to engage the viewer. In the Coming-of-Age genre, the majority of the films feature a terminal illness. And while the death of a child is dolesome to watch, films such as The Cure, Oscar et la Dame Rose and Matching Jack are cinematic masterpieces that everyone should see. The Last Snows of Spring is frequently considered the film that influenced the movies I just mentioned and is well worth your time.
The Mystery Artist Show is a weekly program on TheSkyKid.com Radio. Each week Jeffrey, the program’s host, introduces a young artist. In June of 2012, TheSkyKid.com radio aired an exclusive interview (conducted by Jeffrey) with Yatharth Ratnum – a promising young singer and performer from the holy city of Varanasi, in the north-east of India. He was first introduced on TheSkyKid.com in 2009. In June 2010 we featured an exclusive interview with him following his recognition as Outstanding International Vocalist at the 31st Annual Young Artist Awards.
Sometimes one is fortunate to get access to a promising short movie while it is still in the Festival circles. Most times, however, as in the case of Topaz Adizes’s film Boy, one has no other choice but to wait until the film is released to the general public on the Internet. The wait is not always easy, especially if the director has released exceptional production photographs on the film’s website prior to its availability.
Last year, I introduced Jaron Natoli to the readers of TheSkyKid.com. His first album, titled It’s You and Me, which featured two original songs and five amazing covers of bands such as Coldplay, MGMT, Leonard Cohen and U2, lighted up my interest in Jaron’s music. He has a style of his own.Nowadays, many young singers can’t resist the urge to cover the latest song of the teen icon Justin Bieber, Adele or Bruno Mars – a shortcut to get noticed and showcase their talent. While such an approach works, after a while one gets tired of hearing the same songs over and over again, regardless of their otherwise excellent interpretations.
A task: discover short indie films that capture the essence of childhood.
Discovering the movies of Nicholas Santos: mission accomplished!
Nicolas Santos is a film maker based in New York City. His movies first came to my attention when I discovered his short film Things I Don`t Remember on the open film website, which has proven to be an invaluable resource for amazing independent movies. Impressed with his film making style, I soon discovered yet another film he wrote and directed titled Kiddo. On both films he was assisted by Kyle Kelley- a cinematographer who left his unique mark on them.
Note: KiDz HuB(tm) has partnered with Kids Inc., and its new children’s edutainment brand, Safety BratZ(tm) LIVE! KiDz Inc. has an overarching vision to Empower Children with life skills and empowering messages of safety around the world and, through Safety BratZ(tm) LIVE! …carrying out its mission to Educate, Entertain, Inspire and Empower!
David Lestrick is President of Kids Inc., is an experienced evaluator of young talent and has offered to provide tips to young people who are seeking to break into the performing arts. This is the first of what may turn out to be a series of articles containing such information, dependent upon reader interest.
When I was 14, I recorded my first record that was made of vinyl! The younger generation would be familiar with albums used by DJ’s, but probably not the old 45’s used back then! LOL! Parents, of course, know exactly what I mean. The story is similar with most young artists. I had the dream, passion and desire but lacked knowledge, and unlike today, opportunity.
Can you imagine a time when phones were all hard wired in buildings and there was no internet?
Unlike today, when you can run a quick Google search and find out anything imaginable on any topic and with a little technology plus internet access, and you’re sharing your talents with the world! My company Kids Inc. is a 501c(3) Edutainment Company founded in 1990 and works with young talents through our divisions Hollywood Kids Talent, a division that educates parents while packaging and promoting youth to industry, along with our children’s development division, Safety BratZ(tm) Productions.
In casting our upcoming show, I spent over 14 months to hand select the honorary cast for Safety BratZ(tm) LIVE! – Ambassadors for Childhood Safety, Worldwide. http://SafetyBratZ.TV
SafetyBratZ LIVE 2012 Honorary Cast
You can imagine how many videos were viewed, emails and bios sifted through and the number of similarities many young artist have online. Here’s the first tip to really understand. Your videos are your calling card and should represent who you are…not how cleverly ‘auto-tune’ technology is used on your voice. So many young artists have natural raw talent, and if only properly coached, would quickly excel to a level where directors and producers would give them a second look.
When I’m looking for young singers, I’m looking for their real voice. Goodness knows, if you’re a young male vocalist and you’re in the 12 to 15 year old range….expect the unexpected! There is challenge during the voice shift and learning how to control and mold the voice would do all young artists well.
So, as a Producer, my first tip to all young vocalists…work on your craft and perfect it. When you depend on technology to adjust what’s already perfect about you, you’re sending a message that you don’t have confidence in your natural abilities. If you have passion, live out loud! When you wake up in the morning and all you can think about is singing, you are supposed to be a singer. Embrace passion and harness education, remembering it’s still an extremely competitive business driven by time and money. During my search, I did find 12 of YouTube’s most passionate and talented young artists from around the United States who are collaborating to produce a series of children’s safety music videos, public services announcements, interactive gaming, web series and host a safety club for kids around the world — introducing a line of branded technologies we’ll discuss later.
During the casting process there were certain things that made each individual cast member stand out. I’m sure getting tips on how to be discovered, along with tips on effectively using YouTube, and answering the many other questions parents especially have, would be of value to everyone. Myself and a few industry friends invite questions that we will answer for you in forums and in discussion on our upcoming live radio broadcast on the KiDz HuB(tm) Radio Network, where we will be broadcasting a series of short segments with industry tips, news, interviews, promotion and opportunity for young artists.
Here’s one young artist I discovered on YouTube in my search. Allow me to introduce Alex B!, a 12-year-old singer and Honorary Cast Member in the new Safety BratZ(tm) LIVE! production at SafetyBratZ.TV.
A funny story about Alex…
This morning I was on the phone with a colleague preparing the launch of our children’s radio station and he was demonstrating the ease of broadcasting live on the KiDz HuB(tm) Network of radio stations and I received an email from Alex. It happened to be a link to download his new vocal release, In My Head and, within moments, I forwarded the link to my colleague at KiDz HuB(tm) and within 10 minutes Alex’s release was played WorldWide and will now being programmed on KiDz HuB(tm) Network in the U.S. and Jamaica! Technology Rocks!
We’ll share more in our next brief. But, for now, here’s a little note I’d like to share from Alex:
“Hi I’m Alex, a 12-year-old from the Philadelphia area.
I’m just a normal kid who enjoys playing video games, skateboarding, hanging out with friends and of course the girls.
My goal in life is to share my music with the world and you know getting all “A’s” in school is pretty cool too.
My greatest love is being on stage! I’ve already performed in hundreds of shows around Philadelphia and the Jersey Shore with the band Lil Rock.
It’s been an awesome time.No matter the crowd size, big or small, I always bring 110% to my performance.
Please visit me and join my facebook and I’ll join yours! http://AlexB.info
Thanks Everybody!
Alex B.
Thank You Alex for your support of Safety for Children and for being part of Safety BratZ(tm) LIVE! 2012! We look forward to working with you.
That’s a wrap!
# # #
I’ll continue posting great tips and short stories if you’ve found this of value and invite your questions through email: info@hollywoodkidstalent.com
Tell us what types of things you’d like to know…especially parents who need to learn the biz to help your kids. We’’ll answer all questions and help however we can.
Be Well and Be Safe!
Kids Inc.
David Lestrick
President
http://YouTube.com/HollywoodKidsTalent
http://SafetyBratZ.TV
Stay tuned for more information on our collaboration as KiDz HuB Junior Broadcasters brings you live media coverage to keep you up to date with riveting highlights on the new Safety BratZ(tm) LIVE! Ambassadors’ for Childhood Safety, Worldwide. Please check out our partner Kids Inc. and Safety BratZ TV and sign up to participate in helping KiDz HuB to get the word out about kids safety across the world. Lets make the world safer for our kids, our future.
A guest article by David Lestrick
The Mystery Artist Show is a weekly program on the radio at TheSkyKid.com. Each week Jeffrey, the program’s host, introduces a young artist from somewhere around the world. In June of 2012, TheSkyKid.com radio aired an exclusive interview (conducted by Jeffrey) with Dalton Cyr – a young singing sensation from Florida , USA.
Note: This publication is a transcription of the original interview aired on TheSkyKid.com radio. The clip included below features the whole interview and snippets of the songs that were played during the live broadcast. In this transcript, “TMAS” will represent the questions posed by the Mystery Artist’s Show and “DC” will be Dalton’s answers. Jeffrey has also provided some post interview commentary that was not part of the interview as aired, but rather represent his impressions of the interview after the fact. Those comments will be shown as “Jeffrey“.