DreamPath Podcast

In this week's episode, Bryan and Jason talk about the take-aways from last week's interview with Jere Shea. They also give a preview of next week's episode with New York-based, multiplatinum voice coach Claude Stein.

What you will learn:

• If you haven't listened to Episode 16 with Jere Shea, you should.
• If you are curious about the connection between voice training/singing, charisma, and speaking authentically from the heart, you should check out next week's episode with multi-platinum voice coach Claude Stein.

Jere Shea was nominated for a Tony for his lead role in Steven Sondheim's Passion on Broadway. Jere went on to act in films and most recently was a series regular on the Showtime series City On A Hill with Kevin Bacon.

What you will learn:

• What steps Jere took to learn the craft of acting.
• How he got the lead role in the Sondheim musical Passion, which earned him a Tony nomination.
• Why he left acting in the late 90s.
• Why he returned to acting after 20 years.
• How he landed the role of Hank Signa on the Showtime series "City On A Hill" with Kevin Bacon.
• What it was like growing up in Boston in the 80s and 90s and then, 30 years later, playing a Boston police detective from that same era.
• What upcoming films and projects he can be seen in, including Jungleland, which will be hitting the film festival circuit soon, and "Blue Bloods" on CBS.

Additional resources:

• http://www.jereshea.com
• @jereshea on IG and Twitter
• https://www.facebook.com/jeresheaofficial/
• https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0790286/?ref_=nv_sr_1?ref_=nv_sr_1
• https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7187044/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_2
• https://www.sho.com/city-on-a-hill

Richard Patrick was the touring guitarist for Nine Inch Nails before founding the multi-platinum selling rock band Filter. With hits like Hey Man, Nice Shot" and "Take a Picture" Filter sold millions of albums and are about to release their 9th studio album.

What you will learn:

• How growing up in Cleveland affected Richard's outlook on music.
• How his move to Los Angeles opened up opportunities musically.
• The parallels between Richard's and his brother Robert Patrick's (Terminator, True Blood) careers in entertainment.
• What musical influences inspired Richard when he first entered the music scene.
• The physical and emotional toll of touring with Nine Inch Nails.
• Why Richard left Nine Inch Nails and started the band Filter.
• What sobriety has meant to his personal, professional, and creative life.
• How the music business has transformed from the late 80s/early 90s to today.
• The challenges rock musicians face today.
• What new bands he listens to and is inspired by, including electronic dance music performer REZZ.
• Why Trump sucks ass and needs to be impeached.

Additional resources:

• https://www.officialfilter.com
• @filter_richard_patrick on Instagram
• @officialfilter on Twitter
• https://www.facebook.com/Filter/

Host Bryan Smith and editor/producer Jason Moore talk about how the podcast started, the challenges they have faced, and the direction they want to take the show.

What you will learn:

• How DreamPath went from an idea to a reality.
• Why Bryan started the podcast and what he hopes to accomplish through interviews of creatives from various industries.
• Why Jason joined the project and where he sees the podcast going mid- and long-term.
• How the legacy of Bryan's father, who passed away in 2003, has influenced the direction of the show.

Hollis Wong-Wear is a Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter, spoken word artist, public speaker, and creative consultant. When she's not writing and composing her own music, she collaborates with individuals and organizations to develop their creative voices and amplify them for social change. Hollis is a member of the Seattle-based, electronic R&B trio Flavr Blue. She also works with other artists, including Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, and was nominated for a Grammy with them for her songwriting and vocals on their 2012 album The Heist.

What you will learn in this episode:

• How Hollis went from Academia to rap and hip hop music, and how her family reacted to this change of trajectory.
• How spoken word performances helped her grow as an artist.
• How she got involved in the making of the album The Heistwith Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.
• How she helped Macklemore write the song "White Walls".
• How Hollis wrote the hook for White Walls and was chosen to perform on that song.
• The importance of living and working in Los Angeles as a musician and artist.
• How her mother's work ethic and support influenced her education and career trajectory.
• How being nominated for a Grammy helped her career.
• Advice she would give to young artists trying to break into the arts.

Additional resources:

• https://holliswongwear.com
• https://www.theflavrblue.com
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvjTHsgOGNs
• https://www.facebook.com/holliswongwear/
• @wongweazy on Twitter and Instagram

Ricardo Frazer emigrated from Costa Rica to New York as a child, but he has spent most of his career in the Pacific Northwest, where he has been a pioneer of the music and arts scene for decades. Ricardo is currently Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Seattle Theater Group (STG), which operates multiple historic performance venues in Seattle, including the Paramount and The Moore Theaters, which have formed the backbone of the live music and theater scene in Seattle for decades. Ricardo's got his start at STG cleaning the floors of the Paramount Theater. Over time he worked his way up within the organization and in the arts community, getting to know every aspect of that business until finally being invited to serve on the board of directors. Ricardo is also Sir Mix A Lot's longtime manager – a relationship that has spanned for almost 30 years. You know Mix from iconic rap and hip hop songs like Baby Got Back, and Posse on Broadway. In addition to music management, Ricardo is the co-founder of Zaki Rose Media, a full service creative agency, production and entertainment company. Ricardo has worked in conjunction with Universal Music Group, Sony Music, Warner Bros., and Rick Rubin, as well as the Seattle Arts Commission, and numerous other arts organizations in Seattle, helping to make Seattle one of the top music and arts communities in the country.

What you will learn in this episode:

• Ricardo's unique approach to artist representation as it relates to the musical and video content created by the agency.
• Ricardo's experience working for the Seattle Theater Group (STG), first cleaning floors and ultimately rising to become President and then Chairman of the Board of Directors of STG.
• How Ricardo learned the business of music management in his early 20s, which helped him manage Sir Mix A Lot, one of the most popular rap artists in the 90s.
• Ricardo's tips for young people thinking about making a career in the arts.
• Ricardo's perspective on the challenges facing artists in tech-driven cities like Seattle.
• The importance of networking and connecting with the right people to help the artists you represent obtain fair compensation for their work. Ricardo's experience working for the Seattle Theater Group (STG), first cleaning floors and ultimately rising to become President and then Chairman of the Board of Directors of STG. How Ricardo learned the business of music management in his early 20s, which helped him manage Sir Mix A Lot, one of the most popular rap artists in the 90s.

Additional Resources:

• Ricardo's website: http://www.zakirose.com

Bryan Gregory Smith is a trial attorney, musician, world traveler, promoter of the arts, and creator of DreamPath Podcast. DreamPath explores the journeys of writers, musicians, filmmakers, painters, performance artists, and others who have forged a career in a creative space. What inspired them to make the leap from their day jobs to a career in the arts? What hurdles did they overcome? What did they learn from their failures? What advice do they have for those who have not yet made the leap? Tune in to find out the answers to these questions and more during what will hopefully be thought-provoking and inspiring conversations.

• What led Bryan from life as a victims' rights attorney to that of a podcast host and explorer of all things creative
• Patterns Bryan has observed that help young artists and creatives get their starts and what to do if you don't have the available support
• The importance of persistence and tuning out the negativity and doubt that many creatives encounter
• The effects of strong partnerships and community on a creative's journey
• How having a passion can guide creative people through troubling times and motivate them to never give up
• Advice for creatives to continue to find success personally and professionally
• The universal human story and how it applies to our individual lives

• Bryan's Website: https://www.dreampathpod.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dreampathpod/

Bettina Gilois is an award-winning screenwriter and author, whose awards and nominations include the Humanitas Prize, the Black Reelz Award, the Movieguide Award, an ESPY Award, and a nomination for an Emmy. After acquiring an art history degree from Columbia University and working at Andy Warhol's Factory, she began her writing career with Joel Silver and Warner Brothers, and has since collaborated with such notable artists and producers as Jerry Bruckheimer, Joel Surnow, Norman Jewison, Michael Mann, Martin Campbell, William Friedkin, Richard and Lili Zanuck, Queen Latifah, James Coburn, Kevin Costner, Christian Bale, and many others. Her films include Jerry Bruckheimer's GLORY ROAD for which she was nominated for the Humanitas Prize, MCFARLAND, USA starring Kevin Costner, as well as BESSIE for HBO, starring Queen Latifah, for which she was nominated for an Emmy for Best Screenwriting. She also wrote THE LOST WIFE OF ROBERT DURST for Lifetime Movies. Her other produced projects include uncredited work on THE HURRICANE for which Denzel Washington won the Golden Globe, and THE MISTS OF AVALON with Anjelica Huston. In addition to writing screenplays, Gilois has authored several books, MI VIDA LOCA: THE CRAZY LIFE OF JOHNNY TAPIA and BILLION DOLLAR PAINTER: THE TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY OF THOMAS KINKADE, both of which are being made into movies. She writes about Arts and Culture for the Huffington Post. Her current active projects include her writing and creating the series MUSCLE SHOALS with Johnny Depp producing at ABC, as well as the series LAST CLEAR CHANCE with Chelsea Handler, also at ABC, the television movie MAHALIA about the life of Mahalia Jackson for Lifetime Movies, as well as writing the movie A MILLION MILES AWAY for Netflix and Mark Ciardi, about the first Mexican American migrant worker to end up an astronaut on the international space station.

What you'll learn about in this episode:

• Bettina's experience working in a variety of creative endeavors, including alongside the likes of Andy Warhol and other famous people
• Bettina's interesting perspective on stories, the life trajectories of humans, and the energy that ties it all together
• Bettina's tips to aspiring screenwriters and the story of how she broke into the industry
• Bettina's approach to storytelling and character development, supported by evidence from her own body of work
• Important skills for all creatives to have if they want to ascend to the top of the field
• Why you need to be thinking about your brand as a young writer
• The risks and rewards of sticking to genres and how to carry your brand through your characters
• How Bettina cooperates with the other members of film or TV production teams to construct coherent and meaningful stories

Additional resources:

• Bryan's Website: https://www.dreampathpod.com
• Bettina's recommended resources: www.scriptcity.com
• Bettina's Website: www.bettinagilois.com

Greg Mariotti has been working in Los Angeles, California with Cameron Crowe's production company Vinyl Films for the past four years. Prior to producing the documentary David Crosby: Remember My Name, which premieres in theaters on July 19, his most recent projects include Showtime's Roadies and the Jerry Maguire 20th Anniversary Blu-ray and DVD. Prior to joining Vinyl Films, Greg had a prominent career at some of the leading financial institutions in Seattle, Washington.

What you'll learn about in this episode:

• Greg Mariotti's journey into the film industry
• The challenges Greg encountered with the creation of his film, David Crosby: Remember My Name
• The many roles Greg Mariotti plays at Vinyl Films
• How Greg Mariotti and his partner developed the concept and format for their movie
• Why it takes two and a half years to get a film into theatre
• How Greg Mariotti made a jump from banking to the film industry
• The best places to start a film career
• Greg Mariotti and Cameron Crowe's television series, Roadies
• The different challenges of television and film production
• Licensing and music clearance in film
• Why there has been a spike in demand for music documentaries in recent years

Additional resources:

• Twitter: @GregMariotti

Seattle artist Alfredo Arreguin has exhibited his work internationally, most recently at the Museo de Cadiz in Spain (2015). He has exhibited solo shows at Linda Hodges Gallery since 2001. Arreguin has a long and distinguished list of accomplishments. In 1979 he was selected to represent the U.S. at the 11th International Festival of Painting at Cagnes-sur-Mer, France, where he won the Palm of People Award. In 1980 he received a fellowship from the National Endowment for the arts. In 1988, in a competition that involved over 200 portfolios, Arreguin won the commission to design the poster for the Centennial Celebration of the State of Washington (the image was his painting Washingtonia); that same year he was invited to design the White House Easter Egg. Perhaps the climactic moment of his success came in 1994, when the Smithsonian Institution acquired his triptych, Sueno (Dream: Eve Before Adam), for inclusion in the collection of the National Museum of American Art. A year later, in 1995, Arreguin received an OHTLI Award, the highest recognition given by the Mexican government to the commitment of distinguished individuals who perform activities that contribute to promoting Mexican culture abroad. More recently, success has been cemented by an invitation to show his work in the Framing Memory: Portraiture Now exhibition, at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. One of his paintings included in this show, The Return to Aztlan, will remain in the permanent collection of the gallery. Thus, Arreguin's work is now in the permanent collections of two Smithsonian Museums: The National Museum of American Art and the National Portrait Gallery. In 2017, he was awarded to the keys to the city of Morelia, an honor only shared with Pope Francis. In 2018, he collaborated with Doug Johnson for "In the Shadow of the Master" in Tacoma and had a solo retrospective at the Bainbridge Island Museum of art. It was so popular, the show was extended.

What you'll learn about in this episode:

• How Alfredo's incredibly successful show at the small Marmot gallery in Spokane, Washington came to be
• How Alfredo's artwork came to be shown at the Smithsonian, and how his art has been displayed in more locations in Washington state than any other artist
• Why Alfredo had some of his paintings turned into line art to be given to kids to color, and how his paintings have drawn in viewers from all over
• How Alfredo's process of painting works, and how his style for his current triptych project uses a method akin to pointillism
• How Alfredo uses a "meditative state" to paint without thinking about it, and how he did a portrait of the first black Justice for the state of Washington
• Why doing portraits of people is an intimate process for Alfredo, and why he believes it would be difficult to paint a portrait of someone he does not know
• Bryan describes the in-progress piece that Alfredo has been working on for around six weeks, featuring orcas
• Alfredo shares the story of doing a painting for writer and poet Ray Carver after his lung cancer diagnosis
• Alfredo shares how he first met Ray Carver and Tess Gallagher, and he shares how his friendship with them influenced him
• How Alfredo decides when a piece of artwork is "done", and why he has always struggled with that
• Alfredo shares stories of his childhood struggles and the challenges he faced as a young boy in Morelia, Mexico
• Why Alfredo moved to Mexico City to escape his mother's husband, and how Alfredo first met his biological father
• Alfredo discusses his alcoholism, and he shares why he chose sobriety in an effort to help himself quit smoking
• How Alfredo made ends meet while he was pursuing his artwork, and at what point he realized he was successful enough to support his family with his work
• How Facebook has provided Alfredo with a great opportunity to connect with educators and schools across the country
• Why Alfredo is branching out into other mediums, and how Alfredo feels a connection to Frida Kahlo through his mother's interest in art
• Why Alfredo believes that pain and suffering can create beautiful artwork as an outlet to process it
• What advice Alfredo would offer to young people looking to express themselves through art and other creative work

Additional resources:

• Website: www.alfredoarreguin.com