Hey guys.. It's RK.. Long time no post huh? Hah! Well I am back!! With a new interest!!! DRUM ROLL PLEEEAASE!!!! *Drum roll* PHOTOGRAPHY!! I am going to start a new blog with photos I have taken. I hope you love it!! You should come check it out. I havent made the blog yet but I am going to make it in like... 5 minutes. :) Also, remember the drawings I posted last year? Well I have gotten so much better at drawing.. Im still an amature, but way better then before :D Well bye for now!!!

Keep it Nurby! ~RK

Drama Camp

A couple weeks ago, I went to a drama camp at the Orlando REP! It was called 'How Do I Get That Part?' and it was instructions on how to do an audition. We learned a lot of stuff that I knew nothing about. What I learned was:

Slates:
   Introducing yourself. Slates consist of your full name (f and l), what you are performing, and (usually) what production, book, etc. it is from. Example: 'My name is Connor Doohicky and I am presenting a monologue from 'Romeo and Juliet.''

Monologue:
   Your monologue is what you would present. It is a paragraph or two from a play, book, movie, etc. that is only one person talking (you). Some auditions have a one-minute time-limit. To be prepared for that, make sure all of your monologues are a little under one minute.

   Make sure your monologue is not too common. 'To Be, or Not to Be' is probably the most-done monologue. Choose something that shows off your talents, fits your type, and is a bit uncommon. (e.g. I did a monologue from 'Holy Musical, B@man!'. How many of you have heard of that? Ah-ha. Thought so.)

   Be sure to ground yourself (or follow the stage-directions you have blocked for it), and DO NOT FIDGET. If you stand straight and confidently with your hands at your sides, you will look like the great performer you are!

   Don't bring any props. For some reason (which I TOTALLY don't get! ;P) props are a big no-no if you want to get the part.

Ending:
   Your 'outro' is just a simple 'thank you' and maybe you can state your name one more time.

Dress:
   Dress up, but not too fancy. Just look nice and professional. DO NOT WEAR A COSTUME!!! It just doesn't work.

Cutting a Monologue:
   What if your monologue is over one minute? Then you trim it down! Read through it several times, marking off sentences that are unnecessary.
   Example monologue (crossed out is red): 'I love cotton candy. It is very yummy. It is so good. Yum, yum, yum. I love the taste of it. And so many colors! Pink and blue and red and orange and green and purple and dark green! I love cotton candy so much! One[ce] day I was at the carnival and I saw some cotton candy for sale. Some guy was selling it. It looked good. I said I want some! A[a]nd I really wanted some. Yum yum yum! I love cotton candy!'
   So, bad monologue all together, right? Don't use that. But the point is that it repeated itself or gave useless information or information that we could already figure out. Like if you love cotton candy, then you probably like the taste of it. Anyway, unnecessary info, useless info, unnecessary sentences, repetitions. Those are a few of the things you can trim out of a monologue.

Types of Directors:
   These are a few kinds of casting directors:

Regular: Will pay attention to you, and be polite.

Welcoming: Very friendly. This can sometimes throw you off, but just keep going. They LIKE you!

Stone-Cold: No laughing at your jokes. No expressions. No feedback. No nothing.

Disrespectful: Texting, maybe. Just not paying attention. If they aren't going to pay attention to you, you don't want to be in their show! BUT STILL BE RESPECTFUL. They might know people that could get you further into the business. ;)

Audition Bag:
   A survival kit, basically. What might be in this bag:

Extra resumes, head-shots, etc.: You never know how many you'll need!
Tape, Staples, Stapler, etc.: What if you need to keep together some resumes and head-shots?
Repertoire binder: A binder that has all of your monologues, songs, etc. Maybe a journal to mark which monologues got you a part or went well, or a list of the auditions you attended.
Gum or mints: Garlic smells bad.
Things that help you memorize: If you learn by ear, a tape recorder on which you have recorded your song or monologue. If you learn by sight, make sure you have the paper with your presentation on it. If you learn by smell-- umm.... huh?


Callbacks:
   If the director liked your audition and wants to narrow down his choices for who the cast, he might hold callbacks (I am using 'he' generically). If you are given a callback, it is probably a good sign! Callbacks are usually a cold reading, where you are given a script you have never seen before and asked to perform it. You will be given maybe 10 minutes to look over the script. Sometimes you will have another auditioned reading the other lines with you. If so, be nice to them and laugh with them (you don't want to act in a scene with someone you don't like, so why not act in a scene with someone you DO like?)! Other times, the director might read the other lines, and he might read them stone cold. It gives your awesome acting a chance to shine!
   Just read it with emotion and make sure to pay attention so you don't lose your place. Even if you have memorized it, don't just not use the script. You don't want to risk realizing you really HAVEN'T memorized it, or even just losing your place.


So that's that! It was really fun and the teachers were amazingly nice!

Random + Writing,
CB

To Artists That Don't Feel Like Artists (A post to help you feel as amazing as you are)

On my ukulele post, I got a comment from Anonymous. This was their comment:

Sup' I'm the guitarist she's talking about.
So far I'm still not to good but slowly getting somewhat better. :P
I wish I had a blog. But I don't think I'd be allowed. Plus, I doubt I'd get taken seriously. Maybe when I'm older.


I was not happy. You know why? Because they thought you had to be older and taken seriously to be an artist. That is definitely not true. Here was my comment back:

Taken seriously? Are you comparing yourself to us? We aren't taken seriously at all! Far from it! We just have a few people from around the world that either keep stumbling across our blog or maybe just enjoy our ideas and craziness. And no matter how old you are, people can take art seriously. One of the famous composers (Beethoven, I think) started when he was four. His dad and friends had a strings band or whatever you'd call it, and during practice they took a break and went into the kitchen. They heard beautiful violin music coming out of the room they had just left. When they came back in, it was Ludwig van Beethoven. How do you think they reacted? Half probably dismissed it. Didn't take him seriously. He went one to be one of the greatest musicians in history. Half of them did take him seriously and realized his work as music. So no matter how people react to you, taking you seriously or not, you can definitely go on to become a musician. What am I saying? You can definitely be a musician right now. Never give up your art, your feeling just because of how someone reacts to it. Art is not about the way people react to it. It is about the feelings behind it, the journey you took to create your work of art. And if art has that definition, everyone is an artist because life is about the journey, too. So everyone's life is a masterpiece. You better treat your life like one.

That commenter probably won't ever see this, but I want them to know that every single artist stands behind them. There are billions of artists that feel just like them somewhere out there. Every single artist supports them in their journey on finding their artwork. Every single artist gives their love to every other artist. Artists feel how connected one another are, so we give love and strength and wisdom to each other. If you ever need someone to lean on, any of you, not just this commenter, just look at a painting or listen to some music, or watch a play, read a book, anything! Just something artistic. Through our art, we can feel the feelings that the artist put into the art, the feelings they had on the journey to creating it. And one of those feelings is always love. So feel that love through the art. And please, please, please know that you are NOT ALONE. You have the entire world standing behind you and holding your hand. Because everyone is an artist creating their life's story. And they will help you on your journey. Because not only is your life journey art, but art is your life journey as well.

I want every artist to stay strong and never stop fighting. RK and I, and every single person in the whorl, give our love to each and every one of you.

Wishing you safe travels on your life journey,

CB

Ukulele UPDATE!

I can now play Dynamic Duet from Holy Musical B@man pretty well!!! :D I have played it through about 6 times (it is an awesome song!)! It is helping me practice switching chords during the song. I thought singing while playing would be hard but it is really helpful to the rhythm and tune! :D

As you can see, I am NOT in love with the ukulele, and I am NOT excited and happy about it.

Haha. I bet I fooled you! I AM SO HAPPY AND EXCITED AND I AM IN LOVE WITH MY UKE! It is just so much fun to sit and play music!

Random + Writing + Updates,
CB

Ukulele

Yesterday I went to a thrift store with my grandma and behind the counter was a ukulele. Now, for a while, I had been wanting to start playing it, and when I saw it I wondered if it was my chance to get it! I asked the lady about it and she said it was 8 dollars! Keep in mind, new ukuleles are usually around 100 dollars. This one was in pretty good condition (for a thrift store uke) and it could easily have been 50 outside of the thrift store. 8 dollars was a great deal! So, of course, we got it.

Later, when my dad came home he helped me tune it. This morning I set out to learn the main notes! It is really fun! :D

Now my three school friends and I have the two main musical talents: Voice and instrument! In our group we have Uke and voice, drums and voice, guitar and voice, and violin and voice.

RK, you play guitar right? How long have you been playing? 'Uhhh... Blackbird?' was really good! :D


I LOVE MUSIC!

Random + Writing + MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS ROCK!!!,
CB

P.S. Does anyone have any ideas on how to make or buy (a cheap something to use as) a Uke shoulder strap? I kinda need one so I can stand and play. :) Thanks!! If you have any suggestions just write them in an email to me at itsbumpybackhere@gmail.com or as a comment below! :)

New Artsy Shtuff

Hmm... I am thinking of doing some more videos. A while ago (around the time of Callous in Blunderland) I wrote a silent movie. About a minute long. I might film that soon. I want to to a comedy song! My friends at school and I have been into singing and music lately. I Amin loooooove with performing and I am in love with the acting troupe starkid! They are amazing singers and actors. They have done five musicals so far (A Very Potter Musical, A Very Potter Sequel, Starship, a very dirty one that I will not name, and Holy Musical B@man!) and six productions in all if you count Little White Lie. They are all on YouTube and you can search them if you want! Anyway, we did medleys and bits of some of the musicals and my drama friend Alpscirl and I might do a medley of HMB!!! So I might write another song like the tofu song. A different style perhaps. Ooooh!!! Maybe I could write a funny song and sing it in all different styles? Could be interesting. My gosh, I've missed the Art Drawer. Random + Writing, CB

Uhh... Blackbird?

New years resolution and uh.. other stuff? :D

So I know this is my excuse every time, but I have been soooo busy with middle school... Well at least i have good grades :D. One of my new years resolutions is to get better at the guitar. My second is to post on this wayy more.. I mean come on! The last post was in like what? December? I suppose everyone needs a break now and then! Well I have gotten better at the guitar which is amazing! I will post a video of what I know of Blackbird by the Beatles so far! (which isn't the entire thing!!) Hey and did you know that the Beatles is a play on words? The Beat-ls? :D Welllll I also figured out that Lavender Soda tastes reallly good!!! :3 Yumm! Sorry It's been so long!!

Keep it Nurby!~ RK

The Art Drawer is Back

The Art Drawer will be returning soon. We are treating its injuries in our HQ, but it will be as good as new in a few days. We cannot explain the circumstances or events that occurred having to do with the Nerds or the Art Drawer's disappearance. We did operate under secrecy, as we should have the entire time. We regret posting the beginning of the Art Drawer's plight, for it gives much information to our HQ's location. But so many of you have undoubtedly viewed it, that there is no point in taking it down. We will be unable to tell you the goings on regarding the Art Drawer or the nerds until its full recovery, or until the facts are unclassified.

Contest: Who can gather the most facts or almost-facts from 'Searching for the Art Drawer' first? We will post the facts you all come up with once you email it to us at: itsbumpybackhere@gmail.com

Thank you for your understanding in this time of loss. ;)

Random + Writing,
CB

P.S. The Art Drawer is completely safe.

Searching for the Art Drawer

Something strange has been going on here. The Art Drawer and RK are missing, and there are strange informants. Can CB, P.I. save the Art Drawer and the world?

Random + Writing,
CB

Rating: G
Style: Film Noir (1920's film style (detective movie))
Run time: 19:09*

*Fast forward 4 minutes. There is accidental black there.


Random + Writing,
CB