The misadventures of a multifaceted human
2020 Sacramento Youth poet Laureate sat down with CharRon and had an interesting interview.
Facebook and Instagram: Signed Cloudy
Her book: Receipts of Ungiven Gifts on sale at Amazon.
CharRon talk to Heather Roegiers. A stunning Trans woman who writing has produce 2 chapbooks, news articles and, now, Humor.
www.reallifepretendpsychic.blogspot.com
www.heatherontherecord.wordpress.com
Instagram: @reallifepretendpsychic
I talk to Sacramento Renaissance man, AndYes. His work is pretty extensive: 9 chapbooks, full length Book, 2 albums, 3 one man shows. His media presence on Good day Sacramento, NPR radio, Sac News and Reviews, Submerge. We discussed:
His website: www.andyespoetry.com
I visited Len Germinara’s home to conduct an interview for Iambic Podcast due to Gallery portrait additions being placed at Sacramento Poetry Center for Second Saturday. Beside his dog’s infatuation for attention., we discuss about several topics:
To view his work and accomplishment: www.lengerminara.com
For more podcast episodes: www.Iambic.podbean.com
My first love for hip-hop was Emceeing. I enjoyed writing poems and prose in school about nature and personal things. But, I was a 10 years old kid with cable TV. MTV was one of the most watched channels in my house. Â While I enjoyed watching Brit-pop and Heavy Metal, it was Hip-Hop that grabbed my attention. Â I found vocalist who did not sing but spoke in rhymes. I thought it was the greatest thing!
I started changing my poems into rap lyrics to be more involved in the Hip-hop culture.  I started making tapes and doing shows at 13 years old under the moniker, RES or Resolution.  I would be involved with several rap groups and bands over the next 25 years.  Most of these groups became local acts in different counties like Mr. Know-It-All and The Essence Of from Washington State.
I was mainly influenced by East Coast style due to their lyrical content but Emcees on the West Coast and South started getting more of my attention as I got older. Emcees (Rappers) would be blunt, offensive, passionate, and articulate. I wanted to be in that position in music and life.
By 2000, there was a shift in performance art. Poetry Slam started to emerge nationally. Poetry slams were used to eliminate the boredom of poetry recital and create an interactive show. Local coffee shops and performance stages became hosting areas.
Poets would bring their poems to either read them out loud or perform them to an audience that would judge their performance. Poetry Organizations started holding poetry slams nationally with cash prizes. These slams were used to provide open mic shows.
Now, Rappers and street poets started leaving the street corners to participate in coffee shops. They knew their style of poetry would resonate with other poets and the audience. Poetry slams and Def Poetry Slam started a new chapter in Hip-hop. Poetry was embraced as urban.
My first poetry appearance was in 2002 at the Anywhere Cafe in Stockton. The show was called the H2O poetry slam. It was run by a couple from Oakland and held weekly. I would become a regular attendee performing my rap lyrics for 3 years. Then I started rewriting my rhymes into poetry forms and performing them with different emotions and without music.
Now, I have gone onto perform rhymes in bars and stages and poems in front of cafe patrons. Â So I created this full circle of my Emcee side. I evolved from a poet to an Emcee when I was young, but now, I have returned to my roots.
It is the year 2020. I have been hosting at Sacramento Poetry center for 1 year now. It has definitely been a interesting experience. I thank Wendy Williams for asking me to do it. I bring local and distance poets to share their poetry and sell their merchandise. But I do recall when I also had a zine to give to people. My literary zine called Iambic. So, what happen to Iambic? Well, I ran out of money. From printing cost and no sponsorship, it did not take long to see diminishing returns. So, I stopped the presses after the one year anniversary. Evil. Iambic was not being utilize so, I donated a volume of zines to Sacramento Public Library and maintained the website.
But in January 2019, I became the new Poetry reading host at Sacramento Poetry Center. This action brought me back into having an outlet to introduce poets and rappers into the Sacramento Poetry Community which was the mission of Iambic. So, Iambic became a show pamphlet but it was hard to maintain. But I still hosted shows under the Iambic moniker. Then I realize that I could make a podcast instead. So I had recorded a podcast introduction episode with the help of BYLO podcast group in August 2019 but I released the first two episodes in January.
So I started a podcast to give more depth to my feature Poets who have graced Sacramento Poetry Center. I started to notice that a lot of poets are not given an in depth interview after performing at Sacramento Poetry center. They sell books and talk to people but it is a short time. I figured I have the opportunity give them as much exposure before they say their first poem. Plus, it is what Iambic was about: making people aware of local poets. So, my first episodes will introduce Auntie Vice and Jorge Quintana:
But check out the new Iambic Podcast. The link is the Logo in the Sidebar.
So national poetry month is over but it doesn’t have to stop for you, poet. You need to take what you learn and build on it. Plus, these prompts are always there to be reused for future poem ideas. So speak, poet. Speak.
The month of May has a different feeling my life. Since being terminated on Star Wars Day (May 4th) last year, I changed my direction from being unemployed to being unemployable. I started to rebuild A Serious Production from a music production house to a mobile DJ service and podcast production house. I was fustrated with working for companies that I didn’t care about completely.
This constant struggle to push myself just for a paycheck was insulting. I wanted to build my accounting career to experience all categories of accounting but I realized that will never happen in a single company. The accounting profession is greater than what is used in business. I started to feel a distaste to office politics. So, I redirected most of my time to build a DJ career than accounting.
I have been performing as a DJ / turtablist with a band, group, and solo in clubs, parties, festivals, bowling lanes and sandwich shops for 12 years. I have several recordings of music that I have performed on. I own a CDJ and turntables and still carry a collection of records, CD, and mp3s(I used to have a backpack of cassette but I got rid of them.). So, it occur to me, that I could this for poetry slams, comedy shows, events, and conferences.
So I invested my unemployment money into my own company and purchase the necessary items: a sound system, controller, wireless mics, par lights, insurance, licensing, and start-up fees. The mobile DJ business was to be my calling card to interact with different people who had different taste in music. This is a sure fire way to hear different genres of music that I would not hear on my leisure.
So, I am a official business owner of A Serious Production in Sacramento. Plus, I got hired to DJ/MC with an entertainment company called Firehous Entertainment for 5 month now. I am, also, the show DJ for Comedy Burger and Sac unified Poetry Slam. So, I can add to my resume the title: professional freelance DJ. I do have goals that I am striving for and will acomplish soon.
I also produce podcasts. I have done my own podcast, RES on the GO, on Soundcloud. But I am highly regarded for producing the growing podcast called Fat Chicks on Top with my partner Auntie Vice. I am working with other potential client with their idea and planning on making them a reality.
Pretty good for an unemployed accounting clerk turn DJ / business owner. Check out my company, A Serious Production, by clicking the link: here. Plus, I will give a 20% discount on all services by informing me about the blog post.
Happy New Year and welcome to the first hump day of 2019. Wow! same planet, different time. So, I am starting a journey as a independent freelancer and business owner. I have a least 2 events each week in January.
I have several talents: Poetry, DJ/music, and Podcasts. Each share a different category in my business and I am, definitely, going to be tested with a several gigs this month. Making money doing gigs is going to be an interesting feat everyday.
Here’s what is going in January:
First, I am the new monthly monday host for Monday Poetry reading at Sacramento Poetry Center. The show is great. Plus, it has an open mic part that I enjoy. (I am taken over for Wendy Williams. She definitely believe in me and I appreciate it. Thank you, Wendy.) My first show will be the 7th at 7:30pm. My feature is Khalypso, a profound poet who was just appointed Sacramento youth poet Laureate.
Next, I am still the resident DJ of Comedy Burger at Momo’s and Sac Poetry Slam at Luna’s Cafe. I am grateful for both shows But I do have to sell my show tickets to live. Plus, I have new events: I am the DJ for Erica Ambrin at Holy Divers on the 13th and a feature poet for Brandon’s new poetry show: Spittin at Channel Brewing in Stockton on the 25th.
Advertising needs to be active. I have several places where I perform. I entertain a lot more than serve. So, I need to advertise heavy because I need to monetize each gig. Marketing has become my new obstacle. I have never needed to do it because most of my jobs never expected me too. But now, I need it to make money for my business. I am not afraid to talk to people but I never wanted to become a salesman: Never see people as new targets. My life mission is bigger than that.
Finally, I need to expand into the podcast community. I have produced a few shows and work on Fat chicks on top podcast currently. I will record my Monday Poetry readings for future use. I have a few ideas that seem lucrative. But, it all comes down to active engagement with the community.
Well, my month is going to be busy. If you want to check me out and you live near or in the Sacramento area, then go to my website and check my events listed with my social media platforms.
If you want to hire me for DJing your event, recording your song, creating your podcast, hosting your show, or performing poetry; then go to A Serious Production or call 707-867-1411.
I like Christmas but I notice that they play the same songs all the time. These songs have become a commerical money grab for the artist or music label. Singers just sing a list of well known songs and put out a christmas album. Simple. But what about the songwriters that want to make a new song, where do they go? Ah, the misfits that create a new song for the masses that only a few know about because radio does not play them. So, I created a mix that features a few of unnoticed songs from the Christmas Misfits.
So, I was given a challenge that led to a unique journey. My girlfriend’s friend is a judge in Weed expo. He was bewilder on how much reggae was played at the expo. So, could I find weed songs to keep the vibe without the Reggae aftertaste. I believe so. Check out my company: A Serious Production for other mixes and DJ or Podcast service needs
Res Wonderland 