1.18.2010

An Audition.








MY EXPERIENCE

time to blog again.

Yesterday was a very exciting day. But not because I was auditioning for one of the biggest stars in the music business. But because I truly pushed myself to do something I thought, up until 5 mins before the audition, I was too scared to do.

For those that know me well , know that I have battled with stage fright and insecurities of the stage for years. Even though it may look like I am cool and calm on stage most of the time I am flipping out in my head. It wasn't until very recently that I started really loving to preform. The nerves have definitely subsided.

Yet playing my own songs, surrounded by friends and supported/"hiding behind a piano" is much different than standing in line with strangers, waiting to be judged on an empty stage with a microphone. Three people in front of you,, staring at you. Let's be real. They're judging you. 100%

How you look.
How you sing.
You're energy.
E V E R Y T H I N G.

Meanwhile you are singing your heart out trying to convince them you are "good enough".
So after waiting for almost 2 hours, which by the way, this should be a new form of torture. It was agonizing and exhausting..

Over analyzing the song you are singing...
Sizing up your competition...
Making friends....
Or "making friends"....
I kept telling myself. I'm gonna get up there and nothing is gonna come out.
My voice is going to physically fail me.

Finally they brought us into the auditorium and one by one our fate was determined. I'm talking maybe you sing for 30 secs..... Maybe..... Suddenly you are frantically cutting your song in half performing triage to what part is most important and shows off your vocal ability best. The girl in front of me, right before she was about to go on turns to me and says. "what's the opening line to Speechless! " Brains are starting to fail...But I politely told her what it was. She owes me! As I got closer to the front, I dealt with my nerves. And when I got up there somehow nothing failed me. I sang as best I could and walked off.

In the end I wasn't what they were looking for. Who knows why....I think I may have worried too much about singing well then actually "playing the part" .....Being weird enough or fitting into the image of her....Either way I left a totally changed person. It was the most pressure I've ever felt. The most intense audition I've ever been on. And again not because it was for Lady Gaga but because it was such unknown territory for me. It became a battle within myself to perform as best I knew how. There was a point where I almost convinced myself to leave. That no one would know I didn't try. But I stayed and I handled it. And now I'm so ready for the next one. I'm gonna kicked it's ass. When one door closes another door opens. I hope 100 doors open! I'm ready to work hard. This experience has only reminded me that anything is in our reach but you have to try. Be scared. Put yourself in uncomfortable positions. Learn to love them. When we are scared that is truly the physical signs of our bodies learning. And once you get through it be proud of yourself!
xo


7.23.2009

THE MOLDY BIRTHDAY CAKE FROM FOOD EMPORIUM





Dear The Food Emporium,
I am upset with you.  Yesterday I surprised a friend of mine with the cutest cake ever.  It was vanilla with rainbow sprinkles and along the edges were what looked like ice cream cones! 
It was the ice cream cake that never melted. 
So we sing.
she blows the candles....
I cut the cake and 
IT"S MOLDY!!!!!!!! 

so I'm clearly upset and none of us can eat your CRAPPY cake even though it was sooo cute.
NOW,
I want my damn money back.  Not cool.  and frankly a little embarrassing since I made such a big deal of how fricken cute this cake was.  
BUT,
who saves their receipt when they buy a cake?  I mean should I plan to have to return a cake?  definitely not.  
so I have to drag myself back to your stupid store and explain the story of your incompetence.  And then YOU, the food emporium ask me for my receipt.  And the CAKE!? oh yeah I forgot to mention in my spare time I saved the cake, walked home with it at 2am. carried it to work.  then placed it on the treadmill next to me at the gym and surprise! HERE I AM to return it!  You are an idiot.  Give me my money back.  and as promised I told you I would blog.  And that I'm a big deal online.  ha....

you will pay!

6.26.2009

Sophie got POKED.


And off I go....
yup, I finally began working at POKE and I must say I love it.  I feel so fortunate to be a part of not just a company, but a group of people that give a shit.  I hear all these horrid stories about people working at huge, corporate agencies and spend years searching for a place like POKE.  and lucky for me I get to start here! Unfortunately my expectations for agencies are going to be out of reach now, I'm sure...

Great attitude.  Great ideas.  Great peeps.  It's pretty much about making cool shit on the Internet.  "they don't make advertisements, they make cool shit that just so happens to advertise.."  YES! a purpose.  how thoughtful.  

So it's very exciting, yet very overwhelming.  Starting out at the bottom is never easy but what's most important is to humble yourself.  I will try my very best to learn as much as I can and to offer as much as I'm capable.  I know I have good ideas.  I know it!  

in other news...I'm putting together my set with my drummer and violin player...Expect shows in a month or two! woohoo.  I will post video soon.

6.08.2009

UP

I saw UP tonite and it was so happy cute good.  It was in 3-D so I got to wear the "ultra-cool  3-d I'm so NOT hot glasses.  I loved the little chubby kid so much.  There was also a preview for a new movie based on one of my favorite children's books Partly Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs!  it's official. I'm a dork.

5.22.2009





Well I finally graduated from Pratt.  very exciting.  Judy Collins was the guest speaker which felt very fitting for me as I am a designer and songwriter. She was a trip.  But gave some very interesting insight on the world we live in.  I admired her demeanor and appreciate the words she gave.  so what's next sophie?

5.13.2009

Pratt Show



Tonite was the opening night to the Pratt Show! We all stood by our work, awaiting for some industry dude to change our lives:) FEED US. GIVE US JOBS. MONEY. STREET CRED? It was exciting to see all the work come together and really function as  a unit that represented the amazing creatives at PRATT. Stay tuned. We are all bound for success.

5.08.2009

just a paper bag

a little video I did inspired by a MOMA exhibit called Humble Masterpieces..

proud girlfriend.

5.02.2009

LAPTOP


so my computer got stuck in it's case. After about an hour of struggling with the damn zipper I had to take an exacto blade to it. RIP. ha

4.29.2009

My CD Design on Live Television

Today was exciting because Joey played on live television today ... and they did a shot of his cd packaging which I actually designed.  Shot the photo and did all the graphics for his new record "say something strong".....Check it out! 
PS Thanks to Alex for photoshopping& editing :)


4.28.2009

Twitter Girl




Today was exciting! Twitter Girl and crew got to do an interview with someone very exciting! Will reveal soon!   Here are some pics......more to come!

4.14.2009


okay enough about Tina! 
no but really, when your friend is on Perez Hilton you HAVE to blog about it.  
I can't believe it!

4.12.2009

my roomate's a star!


she just got a music supervision credit on the new movie "Fighting Fish".....

yay!

PlaNYC.









Went to the coolest exhibit at the Museum Of New York. Was very content heavy but the design of the exhibit was super powerful that it didn't feel like a statistical overload....full of beautiful type, real life objects, huge photos, and interactive stuff!

I'm not a super go GREEN person, not that I don't care, I've just chosen to be not as aware...but that will change now...We live in a city with millions of people. We can make a difference. As designers, it is our responsibility to not only create designs that are aesthetically pleasing but also sustainable and not wasteful.




4.08.2009

chris cornell






Last night I got to go to the Chris Cornell concert at Webster Hall. It was awesome. I was very inspired, and kind of want to be the female version of him....ha... His voice is so distinct, and there is a tone to it that you just become obsessed with.

and he sang Billie Jean, which is in my book, by the far one of the most successful covers anyone has ever done. He claimed that his wife kind of put him to the test by asking him "What makes a good cover?"....He tried explaining to her that it's all about taking something that is already good but redefining it as your own and bringing it to light in a totally different way. Choosing to do a Michael Jackson while trying to prove his point was almost arrogant because most Jackson songs are untouchable. But he did it with ease and hearing him sing that song is like hearing it for the very first time.

4.07.2009

tina parol




Tina Parol, a good friend of mine's first single hit iTunes today! and you can find the logo I designed for her there too! 
www.myspace.com/tinaparol

4.06.2009

"Mom?"


OMG.  my mom is doing a reality show...



what is going on!?
It's not everyday that you have a dream that you can remember so vividly but also makes you feel sick when you wake up because it was so scary and the moment you wake up you know it was just happening in your head.  This happened to me this morning....I had this awful dream that there was this rumor that the Empire State Building was on fire but no one believed it until everybody started feeling the heat from the sewer holes.  My whole family  was in NY and are they not overactors or panicers so it took some convincing from a friend before we decided to hop in a pick up truck and go upstate.  Good thing because as we were about to leave someone came running to the car telling us to run because aliens (I guess not terrorists) where releasing a toxic gas in the air.  According to my dream, if you were in a car you could drive fast enough to get out of there.  So we escape...but then they finally catch us upstate and we all ended up being gassed.  I remember trying to be as much of big sister to my little sister as I could but in truth I was scared too.  We were all about to die in each others arms and then I woke up.  FREAKED OUT.  I had to call my whole family of course. 

You would think I went to bed watching aliens or signs...but no....I was designing up until I went to bed....

creative minds can be scary.

4.05.2009

6AM walk.



after an extremely long night of bar tending by the time I got home it was light out. there is something so peculiar about the city in the morning...when it's really early...after a crazy saturday night. the streets you walk on everyday look just a little different. a little unusual....you notice thing's you might not take the time to notice while rushing to where you have to go next....

4.03.2009

POKE


Today, we had two people from www.pokenewyork.com come into my Senior Project class....and the words...
DONT
GIVE
UP.... are echoing in my ears....



it was inspiring. these people are beyond creative. it's like a whole new level of creativity. design is a lifestyle. and these people live it.

but the more I meet others the more I'm like HOLY SHIT. do i know anything? am i ready? I think it's important for your job to scare the shit out of you. mine definitely does. so now it's my assignment to brand ME....but it's not just branding myself but coming up with a strategic and innovative way to make people notice....to actually get them to look at my work...to take notice of me as a designer. I am now a starved for attention artist :) .....what can i do that no one else can? what will i do that gets me my first real job? what mark do I want to leave? all questions i'm pondering and are somehow bringing me back to kindegarden...."I AM SPECIAL BECAUSE...."

inspiring/exciting/scared shitless day.

2.11.2009

bitter blog

so walked away from an apartment today. 29th and 3rd!  a good deal too but I think i was being scammed. YEAH ok it's all i talk about right now....BUT FUCK.  i just wanna be done with this.  am I a bitter blogger?

Mommy & Daddy.

2.05.2009

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/01/31/fashion/20090131-street-feature/index.html

2.03.2009

1.31.2009

are people expected to sound smart in blogs? 

so here i am in the dreaded apartment search.  I'm hoping this is the last move i will do for years to come damnit!  

in the last 4 years i've moved from the willoughby dorms to the upperwest side to ghetto bed-stuy to east village to williamsburg to gramercy and now....?  i think back to the village.

so i'm looking and looking and looking...to find a shoe box to call my own...and can't afford.

yay.