PRODUCTION MANAGER
An epic tour experience and well-oiled machine.
I had the pleasure of working with some of the top people in live entertainment today. Q prime - RHCP's hardcore management team at the time - brought the power behind the machine.
We produced concerts internationally in many different styles of venue: stadiums, arenas, huge festivals, small clubs and countless appearances in odd T.V. studios and spaces. I was part of the top-notch team, coordinating all aspects of tour logistics for the huge crew and band party.
PROJECT MANAGER
Worked as a production and project manager for a series of NFL related broadcast and sponsorship events with Performance Environment Design Group.
EVENT PRODUCER + MANAGING DIRECTOR
GINGA ASSOCIACÃO DE CAPOEIRA was founded in 1972 in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil by Mestre Itapoan, one of the few living and practicing students of the revered Mestre Bimba, founder of Capoeira Regional.
Mestre Itapoan’s lifetime devotion to capoeira’s study and practice makes him the preeminent authority on the history of Capoeira, and in particular, the art we practice, Capoeira Regional.
Mestre Itapoan has passed the legacy to carrying, preserving and practicing the teachings of Mestre Bimba, down to Mestre Kiki Da Bahia, who operates Ginga Capoeira in Brazil and the USA.
As a martial arts practitioner myself, I began working with Mestre Kiki Da Bahia, first, producing all events and training seminars internationally, eventually finding my way toward my own practice of this Brazilian martial arts form.
My first International tour was with the BEASTIE BOYS “Pageant,” in support of their record “To the 5 Boroughs”.
While touring professionally is a challenging task, working with the Beastie Boys made our days hardly seem like “work.” Jokes, goofiness and constant creativity abounded. We were able to be expressive, all the while running a professional outfit. Our stage manager dressed like a pirate, the camera operator a clown, and collectively we devised a completely new theatrical theme to open each show.
Touring with the Beastie Boys was ridiculously fun, and a memory of a lifetime that I cherish always!
ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR and PROP STYLIST
Patron Tequila “Hero as a Bottle” Ad Campaign
Produced by Alma Mater
When I was offered the chance to work with a production designer in motion picture & television, I jumped at the opportunity.
I started working in the art department, which allowed me to pull from my days of art school in Olympia, WA. I had a great time testing this new medium, taking my vast production knowledge, and my art background and putting them to the challenge. Live action production is a lot like touring, with long intense days, yielding the reward of our collaborative efforts.
TOUR MANAGER + TOUR ACCOUNTANT
Working with R.E.M. was a revealing and enlightening experience. They are absolutely a band that cares about the world, using the stage as a platform to help raise awareness and create change. Besides my everyday tasks as production coordinator and teleprompter operator, I was also was given the responsibility to take care of the human rights groups, Amnesty International and Oxfam, to whom the band gave a platform to raise consciousness at every show.
I spent quite a bit of time working with the Foo Fighters during the launch of their “In Your Honor” album. Besides some day-to-day live shows, we had a hardcore run of promo events. We literally "hung out" for 24 hours at the MTV studios in Times Square, N.Y.C. and then traveled, along with 500 of their closest fans, to Roswell, New Mexico to celebrate the bands 10th anniversary and record release.
In Roswell, we set up an exclusive performance in an airplane hanger on the site of the former Walker Air Force Base, where allegedly the U.S. government stored evidence from a crash of a mythical UFO in July 1947. Eerie place, yes, fun, absolutely. The Foo Fighters are a great lot and sure know how to throw down!
TOUR MANAGER & TOUR ACCOUNTANT
To support Natalie Merchant's "Leave your Sleep" album, we traveled in two tour buses and one truck. This tour was the perfect size to manage after coming off the monstrosities I was used to; with those tours, most of the time, we travelled in fourteen trucks and eleven tour buses.
Natalie's band was filled with amazing musicians who would play music whenever awake with moments of time to spare. We had a game we played on long bus journeys. When the bus stopped to fill up with gas, troops would rally with instruments in hand and pile off second line style...guitars, banjo, flute, violin, viola, percussion; with anything that made sound. We would play and sing and dance our hearts out for the people filling up their tanks and buying snacks and supplies. It was an extraordinary and uplifting experience to behold. Most of the time the gas station patrons seemed confused, though with smiles on all faces (including ours), loving the madness of our impromptu jams in their "middle of nowhere". So magnificent!
TOUR MANAGER + TOUR ACCOUNTANT
As one of the most renowned songwriters and producers in the world, working with David Foster offered quite a unique experience. This, primarily due to the nature of his business as a high level producer involved in many industries, including his own charity The David Foster Foundation.
As well as assisting David to organize intimate concerts and galas, we took his well acclaimed Hitman: David Foster and Friends PBS special on the road to Asia a number of times. This tour involved several top billing artists traveling together; so not only did I have to manage the typical day to day logistics of an international tour, in arenas and concert halls, I was also the point person for all artist relations, PR and stage management.
TALENT MANAGER
The Los Angeles music community came out in full support for DROP IN THE BUCKET, a non-profit organization that builds wells and sanitation systems at schools throughout Africa.
I was called to production manage this star-studded fundraising event in the heart of Hollywood. The musical improvisation created a once-in-a-lifetime experience of major song mash-ups.
It was a lively, anything-can-happen kind of night hosted by Henry Rollins. The performances were led by Corey Taylor (of Slipknot) who brought many musicians along including Scott Ian (Anthrax), Dave Navarro and Steve Perkins (Jane’s Addiction), Boots Electric, Dave Lombardo (Slayer), Scott Shriner (Weezer), Dos (Mike Watt, Kira Roessler), and many more. All of us showed up to help raise awareness for this great cause.
For Rufus Wainwright, I organized all pre-production & tour advance for his EU/UK tour supporting his album release for All Days Are Nights: Songs for Lulu.
TOUR MANAGER & TOUR ACCOUNTANT
Working with Charice was a unique opportunity to further explore the Asian pop music industry. I spent 2 fascinating years primarily in Asia working with both Charice’s manager Marc Johnston and the Warner Music Group.
With a powerful voice, singing on par with the likes of Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion, a returning role on the hit TV show “Glee,” Charice began to cross over into the USA markets.
ART DEPARTMENT COORDINATOR - Celebrity Apprentice Season 13 Promo Film Unit
My concert management and touring skills--being able to put it all together, great attention to detail, problem solving on the fly, collaborating with co-workers and knowledge of payroll and budget--make a perfect segue into television production and design. Here I get to utilize my skill set and be a part of a team, helping to produce creative live action content.
TALENT COORDINATOR - Televised Live Events
Producer: Automatic Productions / a Division of Sony Music
Helping organize Christmas in Washington, the annual event for the White House, was juxtaposed to all the Rock and Roll events I was accustomed to. A very conservative, yet warm environment gave way to wonderful holiday performances. Even the Secret Service had smiles on their faces-- well, kinda-sorta...
TALENT COORDINATOR - Televised Live Events
A&E LIVE BY REQUEST
Producer: Automatic Productions / a Division of Sony Music
I was a part of the team that handled talent for the A&E series Live By Request, an interactive concert series involving listener call-ins and audience participation. This provided me a great opportunity to expand my knowledge of the intricacies of production for live broadcast performances.
LINE PRODUCER & ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR
Our intention for the Café series was to produce a sensory experience for the viewer, much like the experience one has with live music. We wanted the observer to be part of the coffee-drinking ritual--the sounds, smells, tastes, beauty and richness associated with the product. Likewise, for live events, the primary goal is to transport and engulf the audience into the realm of the senses.
PRODUCTION MANAGER as Promoter Rep AEG
Lord of the Dance
Perhaps one of the most theatrical performances I have worked on, Michael Flately’s Feet Of Flames was one of the top-selling tours of its time. I was the production manager, as the Promoter Rep for AEG, for the entire run of shows at Madison Square Garden.
Summerstage was where I first I honed my production and management chops for live events. I began my time working there as the production assistant and soon advanced to become production manager.
Each show day provided a deep cultural exchange of musicians, performance artists and dancers. I loved the opportunity to help produce an amazing spectrum of free summer concerts over several years in my hometown.
www.cityparksfoundation.org/summerstage
I worked with Weezer for a few weeks while they were on a Promo run. They were incredibly nice and instantly included me as part of the Weezer family. This being a promo tour, involved an exceptional number of live broadcast performances.
Worked as Project Manager for Performance Environment Design Group, the event and technical producer, for the Robin Hood Foundation Annual Benefit and Investors Conference.
HBO series ROME
WRITER / RESEARCHER
I did extensive research and wrote facts for the interactive historical guide that would accompany the HBO boxed set release of Rome.
Produced by Etnies and Birdsong 3
2006 - Beastie Boys + 2007 - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
A weekend filled with the spirit and soul of skateboard culture at the Etnies Skate Park in Lake Forest, CA. Pro skaters from around the world compete for $ prizes teaming up by which foot they skate, goofy vs. regular. The music is the last hurrah of the weekend.
It was raaadical, seriously though, it was a lot of fun!
Produced by Imaginary Forces
ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR and FOOD / PROP STYLIST
When I was offered the chance to work with a production designer in motion picture & television, I jumped at the opportunity.
I started working in the art department, which allowed me to pull from my days of art school in Olympia, WA. I had a great time testing this new medium, taking my vast production knowledge, and my art background and putting them to the challenge. Live action production is a lot like touring, with long intense days, yielding the reward of our collaborative efforts.
My first introduction to the sports industry was when I was called in to work on the production of the NBA All-Star Game ceremony concert. It was really great to watch some of the best athletes of the NBA from a courtside vantage point, kind of surreal considering I stand at just 5’ 3” tall. This all-star weekend was the first of a series of projects working with the NBA.
Short film for Canon produced by MJZ
ADC, SET DECORATOR and FOOD STYLIST
For the short film “Bart” produced for Canon by MJZ, I worked closely with the production designer curating a specific image for the director. My responsibilities included researching all design assets, prop shopping, on-set decorating and food styling. We had two days to shoot 90 set-ups, and on the second day Hurricane Sandy was fast approaching New York City, leaving us very little time to load out before the storm hit. When we wrapped, it was around 4am. The whole city had spent all day preparing for Sandy’s arrival, and, exhausted from a long week of dedication to our craft, we, too, had to hunt for water and supplies.
ART DIRECTOR
