We are excited to announce that our bilingual children’s book, Bella The Caterpillar, was selected as the winner of the 2017 New Mexico – Arizona Book of the Year! 10 year old Author Marisol Paramo becomes the youngest winner in the history of the awards program! Illustrated by Acey May with illustration contributions by Ms. Paramo, the book also features a sound-track, narration in both English and Spanish! Read more about Bella The Caterpillar below and/or visit www.communitypublishing.org/btc
Marisol was born and raised in Albuquerque, NM. Marisol is an enrolled member of the Navajo (Diné) Nation (Native American). She is also of New Mexican Hispanic and Colombian American descent. Marisol wrote Bella The Caterpillar at the age of 7. She studies the Violin, and loves to sing. She performed with the Albuquerque Public Schools Honor Choir in 2017. Marisol loves to draw, paint and conduct science experiments. Her goals are to continue writing, while pursuing a career in Singing and Science.
Marisol is also the Star of the Take Me Away Video by Reviva. Reviva will release its first single and video off its new album “Equanimity” and perform on January 14th at Duel Taproom located in downtown Albuquerque at 606 Central Ave. SW from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. The title of the single is “Take Me Away” and the video paints a real life picture of a young girl who loses her family because of immigration policies in place in our country. This release will be sponsored by Humans of New Mexico and other immigration groups, and all money raised will be donated to them. The video was produced by Production Outfitters and Directed by Gary Marsh. More info click here
Reviva is a band with seven members who were born and raised in New Mexico. Reviva’s mission over the last eight years has been to inspire through the power of music. Their lyrics, in both English and Spanish, are positive and many of their songs speak to important issues such as Immigration, the Environment, and the need to have compassion and love for one another. Fans are moved to sing and dance to their original reggae/rock songs and embrace this message of caring and compassion for others.Reviva’s hope is that by sharing this song/video, it will highlight how our current policies are adversely affecting families and the need to take immediate action on their behalf. This belief is supported by all major religions in this country and is the foundation upon which America was formed. There are currently 1.9 million immigrants who live in the United States and meet the rigorous requirements of DACA.
These people are teachers, doctors, military personnel and laborers. They work hard, pay their taxes, and support their families. Unless Congress takes action in the next sixty (60) days, they will be deported.In addition to DACA, there are millions of other immigrants who live in, work, and contribute to their communities and our country. They deserve to have a rational immigration policy in place rather than to be used for political purposes to promote dissension, hatred, and
exclusion.
Bella The Caterpillar
From the imagination of 7 year old Marisol Paramo, the creative talents of Lead Illustrator Acey May, contributing illustrations by Ms. Paramo and Music from recording artist ChristianO’s Concepto Tambor, comes a bilingual, multimedia children’s story: Bella the Caterpillar.
Narrated in English and Spanish by recording artist Raquel Z. Rivera, this is a wonderful coming of age tale utilizing the vocal talents of 5 child actors. This book is available in print and digital formats visit www.communitypublishing.org for more info.
Author, Kellogg Foundation Fellow and Albuquerque’s Inaugural Poet Laureate Hakim Bellamy states, ‘In the very first sentence of her story is a caterpillar named “Bella.” Immediately, we drawn to Paramo’s freshness of perspective. Challenging the existing notion that caterpillars are not beautiful until they become butterflies. From the very beginning, Paramo acknowledges the inherent value of a 16-legged protagonist … while foreshadowing Bella’s eventual metamorphosis. As a dad, I’ve read my fair share of children’s books and I can say with some certainty that there are a significant number of adult children’s book authors who don’t execute the foreshadow with as much skill.”
Set in a tropical backyard, the soundtrack, composed by Christian Orellana, contains tropical rhythms. Mr. Orellana featured the talents of Harpist Dave Hoover, Bassist Gilbert “Ad Lib” Uribe, vocalist Carrie-Ann Maes and Audio Engineer/Musician/Actor Nick “Furious” Myers of FuriouStylz Entertainment. Regardless of a child’s reading level, they will enjoy this brightly colored story about a caterpillar wondering about her future within her present circumstances!. More info by clicking here. Purchase your copy below!
I have written several times about the importance of exposing and teaching all of our children to use current technologies. Children from all backgrounds need to have hands-on experience with the learning tools of today and tomorrow. Contrary to the trending meme about limiting your child’s exposure to “screens and monitors” I encourage the use of technology by children.
People seem to conflate, confuse and associate technology and video-games. The purpose of this article is not to bash video games (I do not endorse violence-based games/media) but rather to promote the use of technology to promote literacy/learning and support/endorse collaborative local arts. Let us all remember that the medium is not the message. A book printed with terrible messages, like those found in Mein Kampf, is no better because those messages are on paper as opposed to a tablet/screen. Our brains are constantly evolving and changing to suit the changes in our environment. Our preoccupation should be with promoting positive message rather than on the medium messages are promoted on.
Collaboration
Multimedia Books allow for artists of all mediums to collaborate in the at of story-making. For my book, Princess Marisol & the Moon Thieves, we brought together an illustrator (Audrey McNamara), talented musicians (Matias Pizarro, Juan Ramirez, Christian Orellana), Voice Actresses (Jackie Zamora, Sofia Zamora and Marisol Paramo) and an author (Me). We also utilized the talents of Audio Engineers to help tell our story.
For my latest Multimedia Book writing endeavor, the Grand Fantastic Life of DJ Flo Fader, I am collaborating with Alex Lopez (Photographer), DJ Flo Fader (Music), and an armada of local artists such as Xian Bass and Hakim Bellamy and legendary figures from the music business such as Masta Ace and J-Live. Here is a track from the forthcoming project called appropriately enough, Elevate Your Mind (by DJ Flo Fader).
Multiple-Media
Today our children are being bombarded with messages from multiple-media outlets: TV, Videos, Games, Books, Multimedia Book, eBooks, Blogs, Radio, Internet-Radio etc. Unlike yesterday where the “traditional” Book/Radio/TV industry was monopolized by a few and we had no alternatives, today we have the power to create our own content. Content that promotes our true values, and embraces our collaborative vision for tomorrow.
Those of us who have access to these new learning tools have a responsibility to share them with those that do not. We need to like, comment and share in order to create the world we have been longing for: a just and equitable world where we can all flourish individually and prosper as a whole.
*DJ Flo Fader produced the music for our 3rd multimedia children’s book Samuel’s Story. Available in print and digital formats get yours today!
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Growing up during the 1980’s and 1990’s I admit to listening to the radio a fair amount. The radio with its weekly top forty countdowns and coast to coast talented gene pool gave me a sense of what a lot of great artists were up to. And of course you still had to suffer through the commercials but somehow even that was tolerable. You could slide along dial and engage a real culture in a very efficient way. The radio was the first World Wide Web, the first means of sharing information with mass amounts of people throughout the world. It was generally wholesome and promoted mostly good music…
Then along came Clear Channel. A company that quickly absorbed the radio industry, made radio its’ b%#&h thus degrading the very fabric of that once brave beacon.
Now that once green pasture has become a barren wasteland of talentless hacks, info-morons, blowhards, studio gangstaz, mediocre entertainers and commercial interests. This egregious misuse and misrepresentation of the radio waves has sparked a nationwide debate. This social movement is defined by the power to #KTR, or #KillTheRadio.
Bandwidth No Name
Fast forward to 2015. A talented funk-hip-hop-soul group called Bandwidth No Name http://www.bandwidthnoname.com also known as #BNN began working on a new song. A song that would one day change the face of history, a song that would spark the movement leading the people away from corporate greed and cookie cutter boy bands. This was bigger than disc jockeys, bigger than global warming (sort of) and it all began with the idea that we should kill our radios and stop the evil frequencies from penetrating our minds. The radio has become a symbol of conditioning and mediocrity and it must be stopped.
In June of 2015 released the single for the song “Kill the Radio” https://soundcloud.com/bandwidth-no-name/kill-the-radio which has become a prophetic anthem of the people. Kill the Radio is both a well composed social diatribe and a rootin,’ tootin,’ funky good time.
Following the release of the single, the MUSIC VIDEO for Kill The Radio has become a huge success reaching near cult status in a short span of time. See the MUSIC VIDEO here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjIouRqpR0g
This video was conceived and developed conceptually by Bandwidth No Name with a singular goal in mind to spread the word world wide that we must all sever our ties and stop the negative radio influence by using some force.
Nick Speak To Radio
BNN front-man/emcee Nick Furious had this to say about the radio and the culture surrounding the radio:
“Yo I came out and said it, and do not regret it what goes on the airwaves is fully pathetic filled with bad rhetoric and no real aesthetic, it’s a bad epidemic in need of a medic disc Jockeys are monkeys, corporate spoke models, selling a product to increase them ad dollars. The songs are all pointless like A Little Wayne banger, we like substantive music that doesn’t breed anger confusion and pain are the aim of their game, I support NPR but the rest are so lame put a flame to your boom box, smash your receivers, it’s time to take back from you under achievers no more Toby Keith or Justin Bieber, catch the fever, fear the reaper surround all stereos, murder your radio, let art catalyze naturally in local groves.”
The video for Kill the Radio was fortunate to have director of photography Tim McClelland to bring their thoughts to life in a way that is visually stimulating and also story telling. The video had an excellent editor in BNN band member Alexander Wilson, who worked tirelessly, and for free, to piece together a fabulous story. Lastly, the video was directed by Band member and front man Nick “Furious” Meyers in attempt to truly convey frustration in an artful and intelligent way. Meyers directed this masterpiece, his second directing attempt, with a Tarantino esque ferver. The final product is a video to die for, so to speak. This video is one worth watching a few times and sharing with your circles.
So get out there, take back the underground and help Bandwidth No Name #KillTheRadio for once and for all by supporting your local powerhouse music makers.
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Nick “Furious” Meyers
Nick “Furious” Meyers is a longtime veteran of the New Mexico Music scene. Nick has worked with Community Publishing in the past, having served as the Audio Engineer on the multimedia children’s book, Fiona the Funkadelic Freckile Fairy. Nick is currently working working as the Audio Engineer on the Animated multimedia book, Bella the Caterpillar (written by 7yr old Marisol Paramo) to be published in the late Fall by Community Publishing: From the Community For the Community!
People often comment to me that they notice my work with Community Publishing. I take that as positive commentary since the point of Community Publishing is to get people noticed. Community Publishing is much more than multimedia books (they are quite important), Digital Marketing (Indigenous Grafix) or Blogs but rather the creation of a media platform that will eventually become open access and free to use. Why would I embark on a project of such magnitude?
Taking Back Democracy
“If the public forum is not fully open, then those who control access become gatekeepers. If they charge money in return for access, then those with money have a greater ability to participate. Good ideas in the minds of men and women who cannot afford the price of admission to the public forum are then no longer available for consideration. The conversation of democracy then comes untethered from the rule of reason and can (is) being manipulated.”
The field of Media Studies provides countless examples of how the “main stream” media has fallen into the control of the hands of a few. Those countless few control what we view, hear, experience and ultimately shape how we perceive the world. These few are corporations controlled by the extremely wealthy.
This is one slide of a great infographic used in an Business Insider article. While this information is common knowledge the gravity of the situation seems lost on us.
Alternative Media
Alternative Media provides an outlet for regular folks like you and I to gain access to media from folks that have different viewpoints from folks from the ultra-wealthy corporate heads that currently control the majority of the media. Furthermore it allows for a diverse group of people to voice their views and concerns. It is crucial that we have as many viewpoints to generate more ideas and allow for greater creativity in our society.
Video Blog (Vlog)
With the idea of diversity of thought in mind, Community Publishing‘s Community Spotlight series strides towards promoting locally based artists of all mediums that are serving the interests of their community. The Community Spotlight Video Blog (Vlog) brings these artists and their ideas to audiences using video. Video is arguably the most effective type of media to engage audiences with. Here is our first installment utilizing the resources of our partner High Def Entertainment | Affinity Music Group.
Join the Movement
Our Community Spotlight Vlog is broadcast using our YouTube Channel (please subscribe). Please consider subscribing to Community Publishing – No Ads, No Spam, No Charge. Run a google search on Alternative Media and subscribe to them or start your own! Thank you for supporting local independent media and publishers like us. Spread the word, the power is in your hands.
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Curated by Mary Ann Gilbreth, Ed.D., Department of Teacher Education, Educational Leadership and Policy, at the University of New Mexico. This collections includes the work of her students from several of her Reading Methods Classes, promoting cultural diversity in the classroom.
We are excited to announce that our bilingual children’s book, Bella The Caterpillar, was selected as the winner of the 2017 New Mexico – Arizona Book of the Year! 10 year old Author Marisol Paramo becomes the youngest winner in the history of the awards program! Illustrated by Acey May with illustration contributions by Ms. Paramo, the book also features a sound-track, narration in both English and Spanish! Read more about Bella The Caterpillar below and/or visit www.communitypublishing.org/bt
Colombian American descent. Marisol wrote Bella The Caterpillar at the age of 7. She studies the Violin, and loves to sing. She performed with the Albuquerque Public Schools Honor Choir in 2017. Marisol loves to draw, paint and conduct science experiments. Her goals are to continue writing, while pursuing a career in Singing and Science.
Pizarro, Juan Ramirez, Christian Orellana), Voice Actresses (Jackie Zamora, Sofia Zamora and Marisol Paramo) and an author (Me). We also utilized the talents of Audio Engineers to help tell our story.
