Where are the Legends?

Elvis Presely
Whitney Houston
Micheal Jackson
Stevey Wonder
Diana Ross
....are my top five artist who I reconize as a legenday singer. 

These singers will continue to be known 10 plus years from now because of the impact that their music has left on the society. I was not alive when Elvis was making his music and even though he died, his music was yet still alive. Micheal Jackson is another artist who was making music when my parents were children. Even until this day, his music that was recored 40 years ago is still playing all around the word today. This is the impact that artists need to have an iconic singer/musician. It is essestial that successful artists can leave the world knowing that they have left a possitive impact in the music world. 

As I look at the artists who are currently producing music, I begin to feel dissapointed. Many of the music artist are not iconic and the artist will become invisible at the end of their career. Trey Songs, Keisha Cole, Alicia Keys, Chris Brown, Usher, Rihanna.... and the list goes on. But the question is: "what are they doing with their music?" Their music is not as successful as it needs to be, because after one year their songs are considered "old". But when I think of Whitney Houston, her songs can never get old because the music and her voice is soo rich. Even though Whitney went through a tragic moment in her life, people seemed to over look that and appreciate the music that she made before her bad choices.  That is what I call a true iconic music artist!!!

The only current artist who I think is close to being an iconic singer is beyonce. However, she is yet soo far from the finish line because her music dies out after a year or two. Even though her voice is amazing there is something that is stopping her from being the legendary singer of today. What is stopping her?
I believe that there is no point of being a music artist if your music was only good to help the people of today. It is imporatant to me that those who enter into the music industry are aiming to change the lives of people for today and for tommorow. That is how you can become an iconic musical aritist.

Is someone a legendary singer because of their music?
or their voice?
or is it both?

Being Famous and an Christian...hmmm

Can you be a actress and still be involve in the church?

Is my religion still more important than my career?

Am I am able sacrifice my salvation for my big break?

Will God accept all of my excuses for not be in church?

My head spins when I start to think about the possibility of be an actress and still being active in the church. God is my first priority and I do my best to ensure that whatever decision I make God will be pleased with it. It is important to me that I stay faithful in my spiritually beliefs, values and expectations. I respect the rules in my church because that is what makes us more discipline in the church. Many churches rules and expectations are different from others therefore, people may question my churchs' rule about 'wearing skirts'. Others make think that it is not a big deal however, it is a big deal to me because its about obeying the rules of the church. What someone may wear in church or outside of Church doesn't dictate whether or not they are going to heaven. It starts to become a situation when one decides that they are going to be disobedient towards the rule of the church.


As an aspiring actress there are going to be hard decisions that I will have to make because my spiritual beliefs. The society is getting worst and it is becoming harder to find appropriate roles for an African -American christian women. There are a lot of celebrities who started out in the church however, fame was knocking on their door. They had to make a decision on whether or not they are going to be faithful to their spiritual beliefs. It is one's dream to be a famous walking down the red carpet but am I going to choice that over my faith? This industry will turn Christians into sinners because of the ungodly things that are expected from celebrities. I cannot let fame destroy my relationship with God. I will put God first because at the end of the day, acting will not help me get into heaven.


I am not saying that there are not celebrities who are Christians however, you will find most of them singing Gospel Music. It is ten times harder for a christian to be acting because there are limited amount of roles that will represent us well. Many people are going out for those half decent roles, plus we cannot rely on those few roles to put food on the table. If I decide to go into the entertainment field I must be in charge of the direction of my successful career. I will not want someone to make or change me into something that I am not!!

OR/ AND?

A Phenomenal Women

"No one raised me, " she recollected, "I just ran wild."


Ethel Waters was an awesome singer/actress in the 80's. She was known for her beautiful voice and presences that she brings to the stage. Walters was the second African - American to be nominated for an Academy Awards. In addition she recorded several of albums and had three of her recoding were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.


Was Walters Life too good to be transformed into a tragic Monologue?


Nope! Walter's life wasn't so glamorous before she entered into the entertainment industry. Walter became the result to the rape incident that her mother was involved in her teenage years. Unfortunately, the unexpected  birth of Walters caused her to have a rough life growing up in Chester, Pennsylvania. Her life was unstable and she had to move from different homes constantly through her young life. It was her own responsibility to take care of herself because her family was not there for her. In addition, she entered into a abusive marriage at the age of thirteen and was able to to get out of it when she got the chance.


Walter's life experiences did not end here, however I believe that I can portray this women well in my tragic monologue. The personality and struggles that Walter faced, challenges me to find a connection from my own life experiences.


I am excited to study the great wonders of this women and the tragic time that she had to face. Once I work hard and dedicate myself to Ethel Walters then I will be able to find the authenticity of the character. In the end I will work hard to dedicate myself to this great women, and be transformed into Ethel Waters.

Directors dont Direct!!

"Don’t make the mistake of assuming that the director is a jerk. He wants to be there for you, he just, probably, doesn’t have the time. He’s busy running a huge production…" Kirsten Tretbar from http://www.theactingroom.com/


Is it true that directors dont direct? According to Kirsten Tretbar it is true. In her article she talks about how directors have minimum time with the actors, that why the actors must be able to able to prepare on their own. In additions, she states that directors love and enjoy the time to work with their actors however, they have other prioritys that must be dealt with as well.
I personally believe that it depends on the type of director because there are some directors who will make time to be with their actors. It is the resposibility of the director to ensure that their vision is being fufilled because the last thing that they want is for the actors to misinterpit the goal of the performance. Nevertheless, it is the actors responsibility to learn how to work on the character without the director giving them every detail. It is important that they actor is able to find the connection and the essence of the character on their own time. The director does not have time to help the actor find that place of emotion and relationship to the character. That is why they cast people who can easily access the "box" of emotions because time is money. It is a waste of time if a director has to take a numerous amout of take for one scene just because the actor is not being authentic to the character. Film Productions cannot waste money because an actor cannot get into the moment. Therfore, the actor will be fired and they will hire someone else who can do the job correctly.


Directors do not direct the actor, they direct the scene.

How much are you willing to give up?

"An Actor must free to audition for roles and accept employment when and where it is offered." - Acting Professionally, Robert Cohen


I had an organic moment when I was reading the topic: Freedom From Entanglement and Inhibition in the book ‘Acting Professionally’ by Robert Cohen.
The writer was talking about how it is important for actors to be available for work at all times. Especially if we are just starting our career, it is crucial that we are easy to contact and are available at any given time. A lot of people are slacking off on other commitments because they are so focused and determined to be successful in this career. The book also mentions how actors who struggle financially are sacrificing their income to pay for acting classes, workshops and photos.
I was overwhelmed by how desperate actors can be when it comes to getting a job so they can pay off their bills. In this industry, we cannot rely on one movie income to support our family. Unfortunately, jobs are not consistent in the acting industry; therefore you have to be constantly going to auditions so that you can get a job. And there may be a lot of times where you cannot find a job when you need it the most.


Does it make sense to get married?
Would a husband/ or wife be willing to deal with the life of an actor who is constantly looking for a job? An actor has to understand that their spouse is relying on them to bring the income into the house. There may be pressure in a relationship if the actor cannot get a job that will help pay for bills, children and other expenses. An actor who is striving to be successful may have too much on their plate if they do not have a second job or their spouse doesn’t have a stable job. In addition, being away from the family for a long period of time can become very stressful in a relationship. I do not believe that a wife or husband wants to feel like a single parent even though they are already married to an actor. If a spouse is in a relationship and they feel like they are a single parent, then they might as well cut off the relationship and be a single parent. There is no point in trying to make everything seem okay when it is not okay.


At the end of the day, the actor has to make a decision; if being in a relationship will make or break their acting career.

My Dads Consecration in Montreal

I am proud to be the daughter of Pastor Barrington Smith!!
My father started his own church ten years ago called "Kingdom Life Ministries".

Our church began in the basement of my old house and within ten years we have grown to over four hundred members in our new building. God has truly blessed my father and mother to be the leader of this great congregation. Kingdom Life is an amazing ministry, it has put a great impact on the people in the society and to different assemblies across the world.

The PAW (Pentecostal Assemblies of the World) is an international pentecostal organization that Kingdom Life is apart of. Within the organization there are several of different councils across the world that that meets together and has there separate conferences each year. Once a year all the councils comes together to have a international conference in the summer.

My father is the Canadian Council Chairman for Canada and last weekend he was consecrated to be a Suffragan Bishop in Montreal. The Kingdom Life Family was more than supportive! It was amazing to see the amount of people who came down to witness the blessings of their pastor! I am so so so proud of my father, he has worked so hard to be at the place that he is at right now. He has put his heart and soul into his ministry, his family, the church, his job and so much more. It is definitely a great accomplishment and I hope that he will continue to grow and do the work that God has in stored for him!

 

"New Life Begins At Kingdom Life" - Suffragan Bishop Smith

An Iconic Actor

"Sometimes under-preparation is very good, because it instills fear and fear is galvanizing. It makes you break out of yourself. If you're prepared, then you think you're ready, and if you think you're ready, then you're not ready." - Meryl Streep


Almost anyone and everyone can be an actor... but what separates a regular actor from an iconic actor?


Meryl Streep is just one of those iconic actors that stand out above many great actors including Sandra Bullock, Will Smith and etc. Many people probably question "what is an iconic actor? And what makes Meryl Steep a iconic actor?" Honestly I don't think there is a correct definition of an iconic actor however, I believe it is someone who leaves a huge impact and can blow the minds of the audience.
Meryl Streep is one of the fewest actresses that is an icon in the acting industry because of her ability to transform and portray a phenomenal character. When getting into character she plays classical music to help build the personality, essence and emotions of the character.
Streep is well known for her outstanding performance in the movie "the devil wears prada". I personally enjoyed that movie because of the story line and incredibly character of Miranda who was portrayed by Meryl Streep. In this movie she had great nuances and an amazing running gag that is well known across the globe.

"I really, really depend on the other actors for the confirmation of who I think I am," she says. "And so it's important to me to work with good people that are not worried about how they look. You know. Real actors. They're your blood." - Meryl Streep

Just being Thankful!

My Top 10 List of Gratitude

I am thankful for:
1.Christ
2.My Life 
3.My Family
4.My Friends
5.My Home
6.My Church
7.My Education (peers, teachers)
8.Food
9.Clothes
10. Love


Thanksgiving is a special holiday which is celebrated by people all over Canada. We choose to reflect and appreciate all the blessings that has been given to us. In this society we do not realize how blessed and privileged we are today. It is unfortunate that we do not step outside of our home to look at the lives and struggles of others. Sometimes we take the things in life for granted, we don't realize that someone out there has it ten time worst then we do. It is important that we don't complain about everything because some people have absolutely nothing. There has been times when my parents buy me clothes and I don't like it , however I have to pause because there are other people who are wearing the same thing everyday. We are so blessed and we have to thank God for each blessing daily. Our generation doesn't understand the importance of giving therefore, we have become more selfish and greedy. We love to focus on our happiness and on our life however, we do not stop to think others happiness and needs. We need to come together to support one another and help those who are weak and struggling in life. In the end it would give us happiness because we thought of someone else.


"Give, and it shall be given unto you...." (Luke 6 vs 38)

Soul Visionary Productions!!!

Yes! Soul Visionary Productions is the name of our Gr 12 Academy Class!!!


The girls did an outstanding job and blew the judges and the boys over!


Branding this year went to another level, it was a bigger challenge usual! Being the winners of the branding competition was so important to us. We did everything in our power to create a stellar performance.
The boys asked us (the girls) to interact and do front of house in the morning of the comeptition. Most people would think that it is unfair, and that they should have their own people be front of house. However, I thought that it was an advantage for us because we can have the judges warm up to us from the begining.
"Infinity Productions" was the name that the boys brought to the table. I personally did not love it, and the logo would have to be changed because it wouldnot be strong enough for the company. The good thing about the boys presentation, was that they had amazing communication and presentations skills. Everything that they did on stage looked natural because they were comfortable doing it.
"Soul Visonary Productions" Was the name that the girls proposed. Unfortunetly our communication skills wasnt as good as the boys. However our Media Skills were amazing!!! And it was the perfect thing that helped us to win at the end.


Soul Visionary Productions, is going to out shine our past production names. We are here to work harder, climb higher to achieve greatness.
S.V.P is a group of talented students and we will rise above the rest!!

This year is our year!

"What is branding?"
Branding is when you create logo's, buisness cards, colors,etc to help establish and create a look for a company.


Why is it that the boys won two years in a row?
We dont know... but the girls were determined to win!!


Starting out last year of branding was very intence, because the girls knew that we had to take the trophy. This year had to be our year!
From the get go, we (the girls) were arguing, disagreeing and couldnt make a decision about everything. There was always at least one girl who did didnt like something and would not commit to the decision.
It took five days for us to decide on the color and the company name. However, after that we started to role out other ideas and get to work.
Juel Brown is from cycle one from the acting academy! I am so thankful that she sat in with our group because the way that we were originally working did not let us progress. Juel taught us how to do one thing at a time and discuss one issue at a time, and it was really helpful in the long run.
Now all i hoped was for us to win the branding competition.
It took tears and pain to get to here, so we girl want to accept what we deserve.