It’s not too often I get to sit down and talk with the biggest celebrity on Nickelodeon so as I walked down the hallway backstage at the Tampa Theatre, computers lined up with information scattering across the globe on the happenings of this concert, I was feeling for the first time, a little nervous.
I was walking with the tour manager backstage to meet up with the teen that’s probably the highest paid actress on TV. (Yes, it’s common knowledge in the entertainment world that she makes over 3 times more than Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez combined).
But the nervousness went away the millisecond I met the star of iCarly, Miranda Cosgrove. Why? Because even though this 17 year old is a world megastar, she acts like you and me. Really!
Q. Staying grounded is important for kids but really tough for celebrities. How have you stayed grounded and what’s been the toughest to deal with to stay real and true to yourself?
A. “I think it’s hard because when your acting and singing all the time and being on tour all the time it can be difficult to finish your school work and keep up with your friends and all that so I think what helps me the most is I’m really close to my parents and my mom is on tour with me. She came and just being able to call my friends and know that I can tell them anything and having those people you really trust.”
Q. “I read recently that you’re nothing like your iCarly character, so if you have 3 words to describe yourself - what would they be and why?”
A.” 3 words to describe myself ,,,umm I think probably..determined, I guess-it was funny, I just did this for college because for my entrance exam they said describe yourself in 3 words! I cant remember which words I used. I think determined would be one because I’ve been in the entertainment business
since I was pretty young and I think when your young you’re trying to make a lot of decisions and that’s definitely one. and probably Dorky because I’m always doing silly things. I’ve been doing Wii dance on the bus. I’m not afraid to embarrass myself- (I guess I do a lot of)… and probably shy- like when I first meet someone ..than when I get to know them I come out more.
Q. “I interviewed “Boogie” in Atlanta (who plays the bagel guy) on Icarly and Big Time Rush[who did a guest appearance on the Christmas episode] and they all had great things to say about you! Are you a pretty easy person to work with?”
A. Yes, I guess I’ve been lucky because I’ve met a lot of people that I really like over the years like the Big Time Rush guys; are pretty cool and everyone on Nickelodeon and people that have been on my show I have become really good friends with a lot of those people…so I guess I was just lucky that way.
Q. I asked my face book friends to give me a question to ask and a little 7 yr old girl named Darian Swirka (who’s a big fan of iCarly by the way) wanted to ask, “Do you really like spaghetti tacos or did you just choke them down because you had to?”
A. No, I really like spaghetti tacos! I’ve mad them at my house before with my mom and also we had a big spaghetti taco competition on the set and I bought in my own spaghetti tacos and a bunch of other people brought in theirs and we had a tasting thing. But they are actually good! I like them with hard shells.
Q “You were in “Despicable Me”, (which is actually one of my favorite movies). Was that one of your first voice-overs? And what did you think about it?”
A. “Yes, that was my first time doing a voice over and it was different- I thought it was going to be in a room with everybody and we were going to go through the script or something. But everyone gets to do their parts alone and I didn’t even get to see what the movie was going to be like until at the premier so that was different! But I liked it! I felt like I could just watch like anyone. “
Q” Tell us about your tour”
A. “Oh it’s been really fun! I’m on my first tour, I’m on a tour bus going around the United States…there are bunks on the bus- like last night I stayed up till 3am drawing. We have been doing a lot of fun stuff like wii and drawing and making up songs- it’s really fun! It’s like a sleepover all the time!
Q “Your Cd called Sparks Fly has some great songs - do you have a favorite?”
A. “My favorite song I like a lot of them on tour and a lot of them live and that one is a song called “There will be Tears” and “Kissing you” and my new song, “Dancing Crazy” and it’s a good party song.”
Q. upcoming events
A. I’m going to be on tour for the next few weeks- I’m about a month in now and a few weeks left then I’m going back to filming Icarly then going to the UK for awhile.”
Miranda had a meet and greet to do before her concert, so I left her to finish getting ready in the makeup room. Miranda’s new EP called High Maintenance is coming out March 15th with 5 new songs with her leading single (co-written by Avil Lavigne) being “Dancing Crazy”. Her current CD, called “Sparks Fly” has “Kissing U” and “There will be Tears”, -two of her favorite songs. I thought Miranda Cosgrove was super nice. She’s cool enough for kids but she’s got her head on straight so she’s a pretty awesome role model too.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Petula Clark and Neil Sedaka
I recently interviewed 2 legends in music Petula Clark and Neil Sedaka And when each of them have such a long history and amazing career, I found the toughest thing about interviewing them is how to limit the number of questions. I talked to Petula Clark while she was getting ready to perform in Lakeland Florida.
She was backstage and it was naturally busy and being such a professional, she was able to handle it all while talking to a kid on her cell phone. I asked how she was and she responded that she was happy to be in warm parts after being in New York.
Q. When you were a kid- you sang on BBC during an air raid - that had to be a little scary. Were you scared?
A. I tell you what we weren’t. I had been living in London and i were used to the bombs and all that stuff going on and some of the kids - there were other kids who were scared about what was going on. Frankly, I was sort of used to it I suppose. But no, to answer your question, no I wasn’t scared ( she laughs).
Q. “You’ve performed for over 70 years…when you first started out, you were about 6 years old. Kids have all kind so f obstacles growing up - did you have an obstacle as a kid and how did you overcome it?”
A. “Well, quite honestly, I didn’t go to school that much. I was working, making movies and I was doing concerts and then started to do radio and started doing television. I was in and out of school and that became a bit of a problem because I was always a bit behind. It took ma a long time to catch up and I don’t think I ever really caught up. You know, I can’t do math or anything like that and my schooling did suffer.”
Q. I think the biggest thing people think of with child performers is how they sort of freak out from everything. Brenda Lee told me her mom and religion kept her grounded and Tony Butala (The Lettermen) said he just always loved what he did. How did you deal with performing as a kid through young adult and still stay grounded?”
A. “Oh my father was kind of my manager and he was very strict and he didn’t want to have a showbiz brat as his daughter so you know I took my work very seriously and I was never spoiled so I guess I always had my feet on the ground and I still do actually”
Q. “I love your song “Downtown” and “Don’t Sleep in the Subway” (because I love NYC) Do you have a favorite song ?”
A. “I agree with you about “Subway” and of course I love downtown. I love all of the songs Johnny Hatch wrote for me. He wrote “Subway” “Downtown” and many other big hits for me and I would agree with you about NY- I love it. You know I’ve sang so many longs in my career but they weren’t all hits and I’ve loved everyone one of them - it would be very hard to pick a favorite but I do love “Subway”.
Q. “John Lennon said you were his favorite female singer..did you ever tour with the Beatles or with John Lennon?”
A. “Well, I never actually sang with them but met I met them all individually and I saw Paul recently in London and I saw him at a railway station actually- right in the middle of a railway station and John - I met several times and he never told me to my face I was his favorite singer but that was a nice thing to say.”
Q. Pop superstar, Broadway, TV, Songwriting, composing..is there one are you feel really great about - like you didn’t think you could do it but you succeeded in it?”
A. “I’m trying to think, I can’t really say that I mean really there are things I do better than others. There are some people who think I’m an actor who sings; some people think I’m a singer who acts. What I really love to do I love performing with other people on stage and you know I’m doing concerts and I just have my musicians and I’m alone on the stage . I also like songwriting a lot and that’s something I’m doing more and more of. I don’t know if I’m getting better but I’m doing more of it.”
Then I asked her about the muppet show because I was watching it on dvd and she was one of the guests.
“Oh I tell you it was such fun! It was done in Englandactually. It took us about a week to do the show and after about 2 days- you were totally in another world! and the people who were actually producing it and the amazing voices and the actual muppets themselves - they are so real! I had conversations with them. It felt stupid but it was real fun! And it took about a week to do the show and after about two days to in other words and the people producing it- and they all do these amazing things!
Q. You’ve got a CD out that all the money goes toward an organization called Art Therapie. What made this organization special to you and the song “Butterflies in the Snow” was that inspired by something?”
A. Well, the title of the song is “Butterflies in the Snow” and you know, you never see a butterfly in the snow. These kids and people are very rare and unusual and many have been traumatized and they are in the hospital and being treated medically but they also are treated by art therapy which is music and art to help them get over their conditions and it really helps. The one that I’ve been working with in Geneva Switzerland I’m very proud to be a part of it!
Petula Clark says to me she’s in her dressing room and have people waiting for her. She apologizes for not having more time to talk to me but she has to finish getting ready for the show. The lady who has receives so many Grammy’s & other awards including medal from the Queen of England (Commander of the Order of the British Empire Award for providing so much joy over the years) is very gracious to me, just a kid.
She was backstage and it was naturally busy and being such a professional, she was able to handle it all while talking to a kid on her cell phone. I asked how she was and she responded that she was happy to be in warm parts after being in New York.
Q. When you were a kid- you sang on BBC during an air raid - that had to be a little scary. Were you scared?
A. I tell you what we weren’t. I had been living in London and i were used to the bombs and all that stuff going on and some of the kids - there were other kids who were scared about what was going on. Frankly, I was sort of used to it I suppose. But no, to answer your question, no I wasn’t scared ( she laughs).
Q. “You’ve performed for over 70 years…when you first started out, you were about 6 years old. Kids have all kind so f obstacles growing up - did you have an obstacle as a kid and how did you overcome it?”
A. “Well, quite honestly, I didn’t go to school that much. I was working, making movies and I was doing concerts and then started to do radio and started doing television. I was in and out of school and that became a bit of a problem because I was always a bit behind. It took ma a long time to catch up and I don’t think I ever really caught up. You know, I can’t do math or anything like that and my schooling did suffer.”
Q. I think the biggest thing people think of with child performers is how they sort of freak out from everything. Brenda Lee told me her mom and religion kept her grounded and Tony Butala (The Lettermen) said he just always loved what he did. How did you deal with performing as a kid through young adult and still stay grounded?”
A. “Oh my father was kind of my manager and he was very strict and he didn’t want to have a showbiz brat as his daughter so you know I took my work very seriously and I was never spoiled so I guess I always had my feet on the ground and I still do actually”
Q. “I love your song “Downtown” and “Don’t Sleep in the Subway” (because I love NYC) Do you have a favorite song ?”
A. “I agree with you about “Subway” and of course I love downtown. I love all of the songs Johnny Hatch wrote for me. He wrote “Subway” “Downtown” and many other big hits for me and I would agree with you about NY- I love it. You know I’ve sang so many longs in my career but they weren’t all hits and I’ve loved everyone one of them - it would be very hard to pick a favorite but I do love “Subway”.
Q. “John Lennon said you were his favorite female singer..did you ever tour with the Beatles or with John Lennon?”
A. “Well, I never actually sang with them but met I met them all individually and I saw Paul recently in London and I saw him at a railway station actually- right in the middle of a railway station and John - I met several times and he never told me to my face I was his favorite singer but that was a nice thing to say.”
Q. Pop superstar, Broadway, TV, Songwriting, composing..is there one are you feel really great about - like you didn’t think you could do it but you succeeded in it?”
A. “I’m trying to think, I can’t really say that I mean really there are things I do better than others. There are some people who think I’m an actor who sings; some people think I’m a singer who acts. What I really love to do I love performing with other people on stage and you know I’m doing concerts and I just have my musicians and I’m alone on the stage . I also like songwriting a lot and that’s something I’m doing more and more of. I don’t know if I’m getting better but I’m doing more of it.”
Then I asked her about the muppet show because I was watching it on dvd and she was one of the guests.
“Oh I tell you it was such fun! It was done in Englandactually. It took us about a week to do the show and after about 2 days- you were totally in another world! and the people who were actually producing it and the amazing voices and the actual muppets themselves - they are so real! I had conversations with them. It felt stupid but it was real fun! And it took about a week to do the show and after about two days to in other words and the people producing it- and they all do these amazing things!
Q. You’ve got a CD out that all the money goes toward an organization called Art Therapie. What made this organization special to you and the song “Butterflies in the Snow” was that inspired by something?”
A. Well, the title of the song is “Butterflies in the Snow” and you know, you never see a butterfly in the snow. These kids and people are very rare and unusual and many have been traumatized and they are in the hospital and being treated medically but they also are treated by art therapy which is music and art to help them get over their conditions and it really helps. The one that I’ve been working with in Geneva Switzerland I’m very proud to be a part of it!
Petula Clark says to me she’s in her dressing room and have people waiting for her. She apologizes for not having more time to talk to me but she has to finish getting ready for the show. The lady who has receives so many Grammy’s & other awards including medal from the Queen of England (Commander of the Order of the British Empire Award for providing so much joy over the years) is very gracious to me, just a kid.
Kenny Loggins
Q. You’ve been in music for over 30 years…when you were a kid growing up- did you want to be a musician? And what sort of inspired you?
A. Well, I had two big brothers and they were both really into music but really my brother Danny who’s 4 years older than me and he collected records back then and would turn me on to all the new music and so that probably started at about 6 yrs old. He was always inundating me on rock and roll and that was the beginning of my education of what was fun and cool and musically, I was way ahead of the other 5 year olds and one thing led to another and the next thing I know I was learning to play the guitar and that was about 9th or 10th grade and that just led to performing. But I never really thought of it as a career until my second year of college when people started to pay me to do it. It just sort of became a career and I just kept going.
Q. All kids have obstacles they have to overcome, When you were a kid what was difficult for you and how did you overcome it?
A. Well...braces, I would say that’s how I overcame it. I had bucked teeth even up through high school and that was a bit of an obstacle, but not a big one, it just made me very shy and that’s the real answer to your question is I was always a very shy kid and when you become a singer and perform you have to overcome that shyness and get up on stage in front of people and I found that that was the place I felt I was really comfortable for me and I discovered that I had a good voice and I could use it when I sang. I meet people I normally wouldn’t so it became sort of my passport out of shyness.
Q. When I Talked to performers their favorite songs seem to be the ones that people or fans really love the most..Is that with you too? And what’s your favorite?
A. You know songs like “Footloose” or “I’m All Right” can be favorite songs for me because the people love them so much and to me, “Footloose” is like an old time rock and roll song - it’s just a fun song but I also have favorite songs that I can connect with that are personally, that matter more to me in the history of my life or it could matter to anybody who adopts a song that’s the theme song .. That’s going on in their lives. A song like “The Real Thing” or “Conviction Of the Heart” that came from an album called “Leap of Faith and those would be some of my favorite songs as well. And I just started writing with some writers in Nashville and we sat down and wrote some new tunes and they are my favorites now so I’m very fickle. That way, my newest song is usually my favorite song.
Q. You were a guest judge on American Idol. Was it tough being a judge? And could you feel the singers fear or excitement? Are you watching this season?
A. It was tough only that it was a two day job and a lot of the people that came to audition were really horrible so the hard part is how to tell them how horrible they are without being so rude. Simon was an expert on being rude but I didn’t think that was my job you know, so most of the time I would try to tell someone that they weren’t good in the kindest way possible - that is sometimes draining. But Simon felt that it was his job to derail people who were delusional by thinking that they could have an easy ticket to stardom and were using that idea as a way to evade their lives. And he sort of had this idea in his mind that he was doing them a favor by figuratively “slapping them in the face” and saying “wake up you don’t belong in show biz - go get a job,” and I think in most cases I agreed with him. I thought that 90% of the time he was really doing that person a favor by getting them to face reality. But I’m not watching this season.
Q. In your CD, All Join In, and the videos (from the songs for this CD), your kids are a part of that project so working with Kenny Loggins (the parent), what do you think is the coolest thing about their dad and what do you think they’d say is the uncoolest or craziest thing about their dad?
A. I wish you could interview my kids (laughing), but all my kids sang on the record called All Join In and it’s not out yet. We have it on the website for a while but right now it’s on Disney’s shelf and Disney records but it will be coming out. My daughter Hana sang on it when she was 11 and she’s now 13 and it was a real joy for me. It was the first professional singing she’d done and all of her friends from drama class came and sang with her, so they were all very excited to be in a recording studio. They have never been in a recording studio before and you can feel their excitement in the record and Hana and I just love singing together and luckily I’m not so uncool..but even at 13, she likes to sing with me so we try to do a lot of that. And my daughter Bella is 23 and I’m very uncool to her so she never sings with me. I try to send her the tapes and let her sing her parts. She lives in NY and she will sing her part in a studio in NY and I just don’t get in the way.
Q. What do you tell your kids - since they’re in music now? What advice do you give them for being happy and successful in life?
A. The most important advice is to follow your heart…you do what feels fun…it should feel like this is the place I want to go and you get excited about this ..this feels to me (and as you may know).. doors open they fill your excitement and good things just happen. When you’re a parent you need to nuture the talents of all your kids and all of my kids, I need to help them get even better at what they are naturally good at. So like Hana, she has a good pitch. She’s a natural dancer. So it’s my job to help her get piano lessons…
to help those talents and let them grow into what can lead her somewhere really wonderful so if she wants to lead in “Footloose” [the broadway show], when it shows up in town and she auditions for it, she’ll have a better chance at it and that’s the same with all my children or whatever way they want to go. My son Luke is 17 & he’s a baseball player and so all his life I've helped pave the way to take the natural talents he had for baseball and give him baseball lessons & help him with special workouts so he gets big and strong.
Q. You do a super job with kid songs. Jack Johnson did the Curious George songs and told me after his tour he might do some kid songs again and Matisyahu did a kid Reggae song on a Disney album and you do cool kid songs- have you ever thought of putting a CD together [with them]?
A. Actually I’m thinking about putting together a festival…we’re aiming at green parenting and environmentally aware parenting..non-toxic parenting and bringing music to the core center of that. And I would love to bring Jack Johnson on that and Matisyahu - who I’ve worked with…he’s a great guy. My goal is to get artists in the adult market and who have shifted left for a minute and have made a childrens album, to all come together in a festival organization that’s surrounded with information about how new parents can green their home and green their lifestyle to become more environmentally friendly.
Q . What are your future plans and upcoming gigs?
A. Actually I’m writing and recording as part of trio. Her name is Georgia Middleman and his name is Gary Burr and we’re doing sort of a country rock thing and we call ourselves “Blue Sky Riders” and we’ve written half the record now and pretty soon we’ll start recording it and it’s very exciting to be starting a new band!
Besides working in Nashville with his new band, Kenny Loggins is also currently touring across the world (He’s touring nationally until May when he’s performing in Phillapeans and Singapore). It was great talking to him because he’s really great around kids and his touring group were super nice too. To be performing for so long and have so many successful songs for each decade, and so many awards for songs and songwriting, I’m sure he’s considered a legend. But as we’re sitting in the room backstage, and he’s wearing a plaid shirt, eating a doughnut, talking about his kids…can I call him a pretty cool legend?
Mike Huckabee
Hey everyone! December I got invited to be part of the Mini press conference as Mike Huckabee was touring the country on his book tour. That’s was a pretty cool invite so I traveled down to one of his tour cities in Jupiter, Florida to be part of the press conference in Florida. I've done interviews backstage, in hotel
lobbies, in VIP rooms, but never a press conference before so I wasn’t nervous but I was concerned about the procedure. Well, it turned out that I didn’t need to over-think it because I got an exclusive one on one interview with Mike Huckabee. So here’s my talk with Governor Mike Huckabee.
Good Afternoon Governor Huckabee, My name is Pavlina from Pavlina’s Kidz Place which airs on 91.5FM WAPN and 91.7FM and I’m a special reporter for various newspapers in Florida and Georgia.
Q. “You started in radio and you were about my age. How did it impact you life then and with what you do now?”
A. “It’s been a very big part of everything I do now. My first job in radio was when I was 14 and I did sports and news and virtually everything that could be done at the station, including sweep floors and clean windows and really anything they needed me to do. So it was a wonderful opportunity for me to learn. Not only did I learn to talk better but I understood really heavy duty responsibility because at a radio station, a lot of people depend on what you say and you have to say it right. It was a great, great, wonderful job that I had when I was a teenager and it also paid my way through high school, college and grad school. So if it hadn't been for that, I wouldn't have had an education so I’m really grateful!
Q. “What do you like best about Christmas?”
A. "I think the thing I like best about Christmas is being with my family. It’s one of the times we really get together and have some traditions that are very special to me. We always go to our church service on Christmas Eve and it becomes a wonderful thing. We anticipate and look forward to…and than after we leave church we all go eat Chinese food and it was nothing to do with Christmas whatsoever you know, but that’s what we do.
Q. If you could have one Christmas wish, what would it be and why?
A. Oh, I would love as a Christmas wish that our Congress would all cause their brains to function and would work for the best interest of the people and not for themselves and their parties, and if they did that they would be giving Americans and the world a good Christmas.
Mike Huckabee, besides being the governor for Arkansas, was also a presidential candidate, has written many books that are on the New York Times Bestsellers list, is a musician, and also hosts his own show the Fox News Network, so it was great talking to him. And when he said he’d put a good word for me at the Fox Network, well, that was pretty cool too.
lobbies, in VIP rooms, but never a press conference before so I wasn’t nervous but I was concerned about the procedure. Well, it turned out that I didn’t need to over-think it because I got an exclusive one on one interview with Mike Huckabee. So here’s my talk with Governor Mike Huckabee.
Good Afternoon Governor Huckabee, My name is Pavlina from Pavlina’s Kidz Place which airs on 91.5FM WAPN and 91.7FM and I’m a special reporter for various newspapers in Florida and Georgia.
Q. “You started in radio and you were about my age. How did it impact you life then and with what you do now?”
A. “It’s been a very big part of everything I do now. My first job in radio was when I was 14 and I did sports and news and virtually everything that could be done at the station, including sweep floors and clean windows and really anything they needed me to do. So it was a wonderful opportunity for me to learn. Not only did I learn to talk better but I understood really heavy duty responsibility because at a radio station, a lot of people depend on what you say and you have to say it right. It was a great, great, wonderful job that I had when I was a teenager and it also paid my way through high school, college and grad school. So if it hadn't been for that, I wouldn't have had an education so I’m really grateful!
Q. “What do you like best about Christmas?”
A. "I think the thing I like best about Christmas is being with my family. It’s one of the times we really get together and have some traditions that are very special to me. We always go to our church service on Christmas Eve and it becomes a wonderful thing. We anticipate and look forward to…and than after we leave church we all go eat Chinese food and it was nothing to do with Christmas whatsoever you know, but that’s what we do.
Q. If you could have one Christmas wish, what would it be and why?
A. Oh, I would love as a Christmas wish that our Congress would all cause their brains to function and would work for the best interest of the people and not for themselves and their parties, and if they did that they would be giving Americans and the world a good Christmas.
Mike Huckabee, besides being the governor for Arkansas, was also a presidential candidate, has written many books that are on the New York Times Bestsellers list, is a musician, and also hosts his own show the Fox News Network, so it was great talking to him. And when he said he’d put a good word for me at the Fox Network, well, that was pretty cool too.
Kris Allen
I met up with American Idol winner, Kris Allen backstage at the House of Blues in Lake Buena Vista, FL last week. It was a packed crowd out that was bouncing around, waiting for security to let them through so they could listen to Kris Allen and also performing that night were the Goo Goo Dolls. I was out front while I waited for the tour manager to escort me back stage for the interview.
Q. “Playing the viola was something you did when you were a kid and not really a cool thing to play but you played it for a long time…was that tough to do? Like to do something different around kids) and do you still play the viola today?
A. “It was something I had to work at and get better at. It was a little bit easier for me than for most kids but if I wanted to be good at it I had to work at it.”
Q. “Kids growing up have obstacles to overcome to succeed. Did you have something tough while growing up and how did you get over it?”
A “ I was pretty insecure as a kid - about different things, about personality - about everything so it was something I had to get over, especially in high school.”
Q. “I’ve talked to some cool singers that started out singing gospel music like Brenda Lee
Gloria Gaynor, Darius Rucker and even Matisyahu had some gospel music background… which was really surprising to me b/c I just hear songs they’ve made famous…so has gospel music influenced you?”
A. “Yeah I grew up in the church so I love gospel music and I used to play a lot at
Church and sing so it’s definetly part of what I do - part of my music.”
Q. “ You've met a lot of people when doing American Idol and then touring. Is there someone that was really memorable from American Idol or touring to you and why?”
A. “There’s a lot of great people - I toured with Keith Urban which was great - such a great guy and a great performer. I met Stevie Wonder which is pretty awesome and I feel like I can call Smokey Robinson one of my friends which is very cool!”
Q. “ Last week, I talked to Bo Bice and asked him if he was nervous performing or being around the Judges. Were you nervous?(because you always look really relaxed).”
A.”You know what,most of the time I think I was pretty relaxed but there was the very first night I was in the show - the live show with all the cameras - that was a little nerve racking because it’s just different in the room and it’s actually pretty cool but I got pretty nervous that day.”
Q. “What are you most happy about and have you expressed that in a song yet?”
A. “Oh wow! More than anything, I’m just happy that I get to do what I do. I’m happy that I have a great family and I’m able to play music for a living. It’s probably not expressed in a song yet but hopefully down the road…”
(Gee, that’s cool! I just felt a song coming from that question!)
Q. “One of my facebook friends, Courtney Bonin wanted to know, “What age did you start singing?”
A “I started singing when I was a tiny kid… music was always around the house and just singing to my parents old rock tunes when I was a kid or tying to sing along to Michael Jackson tunes. I always grew up singing since I was 5 or 6.”
Q. What are your future plans/upcoming gigs?
A. “We’re doing some radio stuff right now so we’re kinda all over the place. We’re flying to New York and then San Francisco.”
Talking with Kris Allen was pretty cool. He’s exactly like you see on tv: relaxed, very nice, sort of a no-big deal-type of person but as an American Idol Winner and top radio singer, he is a big deal type of person.
Q. “Playing the viola was something you did when you were a kid and not really a cool thing to play but you played it for a long time…was that tough to do? Like to do something different around kids) and do you still play the viola today?
A. “It was something I had to work at and get better at. It was a little bit easier for me than for most kids but if I wanted to be good at it I had to work at it.”
Q. “Kids growing up have obstacles to overcome to succeed. Did you have something tough while growing up and how did you get over it?”
A “ I was pretty insecure as a kid - about different things, about personality - about everything so it was something I had to get over, especially in high school.”
Q. “I’ve talked to some cool singers that started out singing gospel music like Brenda Lee
Gloria Gaynor, Darius Rucker and even Matisyahu had some gospel music background… which was really surprising to me b/c I just hear songs they’ve made famous…so has gospel music influenced you?”
A. “Yeah I grew up in the church so I love gospel music and I used to play a lot at
Church and sing so it’s definetly part of what I do - part of my music.”
Q. “ You've met a lot of people when doing American Idol and then touring. Is there someone that was really memorable from American Idol or touring to you and why?”
A. “There’s a lot of great people - I toured with Keith Urban which was great - such a great guy and a great performer. I met Stevie Wonder which is pretty awesome and I feel like I can call Smokey Robinson one of my friends which is very cool!”
Q. “ Last week, I talked to Bo Bice and asked him if he was nervous performing or being around the Judges. Were you nervous?(because you always look really relaxed).”
A.”You know what,most of the time I think I was pretty relaxed but there was the very first night I was in the show - the live show with all the cameras - that was a little nerve racking because it’s just different in the room and it’s actually pretty cool but I got pretty nervous that day.”
Q. “What are you most happy about and have you expressed that in a song yet?”
A. “Oh wow! More than anything, I’m just happy that I get to do what I do. I’m happy that I have a great family and I’m able to play music for a living. It’s probably not expressed in a song yet but hopefully down the road…”
(Gee, that’s cool! I just felt a song coming from that question!)
Q. “One of my facebook friends, Courtney Bonin wanted to know, “What age did you start singing?”
A “I started singing when I was a tiny kid… music was always around the house and just singing to my parents old rock tunes when I was a kid or tying to sing along to Michael Jackson tunes. I always grew up singing since I was 5 or 6.”
Q. What are your future plans/upcoming gigs?
A. “We’re doing some radio stuff right now so we’re kinda all over the place. We’re flying to New York and then San Francisco.”
Talking with Kris Allen was pretty cool. He’s exactly like you see on tv: relaxed, very nice, sort of a no-big deal-type of person but as an American Idol Winner and top radio singer, he is a big deal type of person.
Ringling Brothers & Barnum and Bailey's Circus
Who doesn’t love a circus? Especially the “Greatest Show on Earth?” Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey’s Circus?
Celebrating its 141st year, I got to be part of the media crew at the Amway Center, interviewing the performers Thursday morning before their first show called “Fully Charged” in Orlando scheduled for that night.
The new Amway Center opened in October 2010 but this was the first family show that arrived at the Amway Center so that was pretty exciting!
I talked to the clowns from clown alley, Kyle Barker, Rodger Fisher and Jeff Ryan and Rudy Wallrabe who are professional clowns that have required a lot of work, including going through Clown College! But they make clowning around look really easy and fun! I also talked to the more serious and amazing tight rope high wire walker Mustafa Abadan & his wife Anya.
Q. What is it like to be part of the Ringling Brothers & Barnum and Bailey Circus?
A. (Roger Fisher - Clown) “It’s amazing! It’s been a lifelong dream of mine and a dream come true. The traveling is great- we all love it.”
Q. How did you get involved being a part of the circus?
A. (Kyle Barker - Clown) “I auditioned in New York City in Madison Square Garden for our Clown College auditions about a two hour process. I didn't get the actual callback till much later. But this is something I've wanted to do my whole life. My first show was when I was 5 and I’ve never missed a show since…my life is full of joy and laughter…seeing the children on the pre-show floor excited. It’s great!”
Q. Did you have any training like dance, broadway or special skills when you started? And how high have you ever gone on the high wire?
A. (Mustafa Abadan) “Starting out, 20 years ago, training was 8 hours a day. Now it’s 45 minutes a day doing warm ups on the low wire before going to the high wire before each show. I just set the world
Record for going 220 feet higher and 616 feet longer. I set 2 months ago for Guinness Book of World Records.
Q. Being in the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus has to be the most amazing career - what is you favorite part of the circus and why?
A. (Kyle Parker - Clown)“Definetely traveling. It’s fun to meet different types of people. I lived in Chicago all of my life and then joined the Army and it‘s interesting to see how people interact with each other in different areas.”
Q. You travel by train, is that something you had to get used to?
A. (Rudy Wallrabe- clown) My room is 5x7. It’s super small! I sit on my bed, I can reach the fridge. If I need to wash my hands- I just sit up. It’s the coolest thing! Go from Tampa to Orlando, it just rocks you to sleep!
A. (Jeff Ryan -clown) Once you are there for a little bit, it feels like home.
A (Rudy Wallrabe) - yeah, I wanted to surf the top of it - but they said that was illegal.
Q. Do you have to have a good sense to humor to be in the circus?
A. (Mustofa Abadan - high wire walker) - “No you have to like it - because we have a danger act. Clowns have to be funny”
Q. If you look around in the circus, who do you consider really amazing, and why?
A. (Mustofa Abadan - high wire, tight rope walker) - “For me is Taba (Tabayara Maluenda is one of the greatest animal trainers of all time with his 12 Bengal and white tigers) he’s really amazing. Because he is speaking to the animals and he is with them, they are like his babies. It’s really amazing!”
Celebrating its 141st year, I got to be part of the media crew at the Amway Center, interviewing the performers Thursday morning before their first show called “Fully Charged” in Orlando scheduled for that night.
The new Amway Center opened in October 2010 but this was the first family show that arrived at the Amway Center so that was pretty exciting!
I talked to the clowns from clown alley, Kyle Barker, Rodger Fisher and Jeff Ryan and Rudy Wallrabe who are professional clowns that have required a lot of work, including going through Clown College! But they make clowning around look really easy and fun! I also talked to the more serious and amazing tight rope high wire walker Mustafa Abadan & his wife Anya.
Q. What is it like to be part of the Ringling Brothers & Barnum and Bailey Circus?
A. (Roger Fisher - Clown) “It’s amazing! It’s been a lifelong dream of mine and a dream come true. The traveling is great- we all love it.”
Q. How did you get involved being a part of the circus?
A. (Kyle Barker - Clown) “I auditioned in New York City in Madison Square Garden for our Clown College auditions about a two hour process. I didn't get the actual callback till much later. But this is something I've wanted to do my whole life. My first show was when I was 5 and I’ve never missed a show since…my life is full of joy and laughter…seeing the children on the pre-show floor excited. It’s great!”
Q. Did you have any training like dance, broadway or special skills when you started? And how high have you ever gone on the high wire?
A. (Mustafa Abadan) “Starting out, 20 years ago, training was 8 hours a day. Now it’s 45 minutes a day doing warm ups on the low wire before going to the high wire before each show. I just set the world
Record for going 220 feet higher and 616 feet longer. I set 2 months ago for Guinness Book of World Records.
Q. Being in the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus has to be the most amazing career - what is you favorite part of the circus and why?
A. (Kyle Parker - Clown)“Definetely traveling. It’s fun to meet different types of people. I lived in Chicago all of my life and then joined the Army and it‘s interesting to see how people interact with each other in different areas.”
Q. You travel by train, is that something you had to get used to?
A. (Rudy Wallrabe- clown) My room is 5x7. It’s super small! I sit on my bed, I can reach the fridge. If I need to wash my hands- I just sit up. It’s the coolest thing! Go from Tampa to Orlando, it just rocks you to sleep!
A. (Jeff Ryan -clown) Once you are there for a little bit, it feels like home.
A (Rudy Wallrabe) - yeah, I wanted to surf the top of it - but they said that was illegal.
Q. Do you have to have a good sense to humor to be in the circus?
A. (Mustofa Abadan - high wire walker) - “No you have to like it - because we have a danger act. Clowns have to be funny”
Q. If you look around in the circus, who do you consider really amazing, and why?
A. (Mustofa Abadan - high wire, tight rope walker) - “For me is Taba (Tabayara Maluenda is one of the greatest animal trainers of all time with his 12 Bengal and white tigers) he’s really amazing. Because he is speaking to the animals and he is with them, they are like his babies. It’s really amazing!”
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