This is Orlando

Instead of me trying to introduce you to Edan let me pull straight from her website.

Archer's swampy sensibilities come through loud and clear in the grooves of Journey Proud, her voice is sultry as sweet tea and crackles like the ever-present heat lightning of her Everglades upbringing. All moonshine and honey, she gets gritty with dulcimer magic and casts spells with intimate ballads and fingerpicking, alternate tunings, and rich effects. As she pulls from her varied influences--Appalachian folk, country, and rock, she creates music that's familiar yet fresh, music that reflects the listener's life experiences back to them.

There are swampy songs, honky-tonk tunes, alt-country cruisers, and a samba-tinged nod or two to her Cuban heritage on Journey Proud, woven together with her direct lyrical challenges to society's idea of gender roles and femininity, her throwback vocal vibrato, and fiery fingerpicking. She sings of heartbreak, rebellion, substance abuse, hard work, and spirituality--a micro-verse of American life told through American musical styles. Journey Proud encompasses tales of addiction, death, and even a bank robbery (a true story)--the subjects may be tough, but it's a beautiful listen.

Archer has performed at Stagecoach, SXSW, Americanafest, Canadian Music Week and more. She plays both solo and with her band.

Cowboys & Indians
"A poetically candid impression of everyday struggles and life milestones, the album covers emotions and moments that everyone can relate to..."

Americana Highways
“If you don’t feel something when she sings...you might be made of stone”

Miami New Times
"Eagerness to challenge modern expectations of femininity in her art... willingness to place gorgeous, harmony-laden country ballads alongside smoky dive bar riffs"

Parade Magazine
"With beautifully shot Southern footage and a mournful story, ['Six Wing Angel'] takes Archer's swampy sensibilities and rolls them into a fingerpicked fable"

Wide Open Country
"Come for the punky riffs, stay for the lyrics"

American Songwriter
"Growing up in Gainesville, Florida, Edan Archer had no choice but to be influenced by the city’s favorite musical son, Tom Petty. Petty’s influence has made its way into much of Archer’s music, which blends country, Americana, and heartland rock"

AXS
"Archer serves fans country tunes with punk attitude"

I hope you enjoy the episode. Be sure to watch the video version for the video to Six Winged Angel or visit her website for more info. Her LP Journey Proud has proven to be a favorite of mine this year so check that out as well. It’s also available at her website.

Carlos did an amazing job on the video and the sound….as always. Also want to thank Ed Agudelo for helping to make this happen and of course thanks to Edan herself for taking the time to sit down and chat.

a Carlos Ivan Joint

To say there is a lot of passion in our community is an understatement. When it comes to igniting the flame of passion there is no one better to feature than Jesse James. As Editorial Director at Orlando’s Falcons Creative Group (see This Is Orlando Episode 16) he helps steer their creative vision. Known for there immersive interactive experiences (check out the link, you will be glad you did), this alone would content mere mortals. Not Jesse, you will find him involved in projects using all media, audio, visual, interactive. Basically his passion is for telling stories and he is not reluctant to use whatever medium helps him accomplish this task.

In addition to being one of the nicest guys you will meet he is always looking to collaborate and expand his vision so be sure to hit him up at the links below or find him on Linkedin. I want to thank him for taking the time out of his crazy schedule to share some thoughts and work with us.

For a closer look at some of Jesse’s work be sure to check out his Vimeo and Youtube channels. Audio versions of the podcast can be found here or your favorite podcast app. The video version is here or on my Youtube channel. Thanks Carlos for dealing with some challenging audio issues on this and for sprucing up the video. You continue to amaze me brother.

He’s The Man!

I recently had the pleasure of meeting an incredible and passionate voice in the Career Services field right here in Orlando a few weeks back. Justin Nguyen graduated from UCF in 2018 with a degree in finance. While working his way through school he quickly realized that an education was only a part of what he needed to succeed once in the real world. His instincts told him that his professional skills and network were just as important. He watch his fellow students struggle in the areas and started offering advice to them through the hashtag #getchogrindup. From small things big things one day come!

GetchoGrindUp has catapulted into a huge movement among current and recent college graduates. It has spawned the podcast and the newsletter. His linkedin posts average over 200,000 views each month. He is currently working on a new ways to present job fairs and is making some huge waves advancing and disrupting an industry and making it the go to place for the next generation college students.

Everything you need to follow, listen and subscribe is available at his Linkedin page here. For a more complete overview of Justin and GetChoGrindUp be sure to check out the podcast and be sure to drop Justin a line and say hello.

I hope everyone is hanging in there during this difficult time. I try to remain positive and stay busy. If anyone needs a chat or anything at all you know where to find me. Thanks as always to the man behind the curtain Carlos Ivan. Check out some of his work at the link below.

It was so good to get to sit down (virtually) with Tom this week and catch up. In addition to being a great ambassador of sound he is also an incredible teacher. Although many of his stories come from the world of audio his lessons are transferable to all disciplines. His message mush like my own, Get Involved, be creative and never give up.

It’s a total bummer that we are not able to sit down in person these days but thanks to the folks at Zoom we are able to record these episodes and present not just the audio podcast but video as well. I know everyone out their is extremely excited to watch two dudes talk to each other through their computers for an hour, right? Good times!

We have more episodes in the can and hope to bump up the frequency of new episodes during the crazy times we find ourselves in. Be sure to find us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/RobCobleThisIsOrlando/ as well as Twitter - https://twitter.com/TIOrlandoShow

Be safe y’all. I’m standing by.

Carlos once again provides the secret sauce to bringing these episodes to you so be sure to show him some love. As always, we want your suggestions and thoughts, ideas too. Be sure to reach out to me at [email protected] .

Well, here we are. March 2020 and everyone is somewhat locked down and trying to make the best of things in dire circumstances. I miss getting to hang with Carlos and we wanted to keep the podcast alive so we decided to try our hand at remote podcasting through Zoom.

Episode 36 is our conversation and it seemed to work out pretty well. In fact we have already recorded episode 37 with EA Director of Audio, Tom Todia. Will publish that one soon enough but for now here’s a little filler episode for you.

I know times are tough and my offer stands. Those of you in the service industry or others who have lost their job due to this virus and would like a resume review I am happy to give your resume a tune up. You can email me at [email protected]. Let me know what it is that you want to look for and I will get back to you asap with any pointers that may improve your chances.

I know it’s pretty crazy out there but let’s try and look out for each other. Make good use of all the social media tools we have to stay connected and be nice for God’s sake. Carlos and I will continue to bring episodes as quickly as possible. We welcome comments and feedback.

My extreme gratitude to Carlos for all of his continued efforts with This Is Orlando. He’s the man! Much love to Chad and the gang at the Game Space. We would be there if we could. You guys be safe. To those out there helping to fight this thing Godspeed. We appreciate your efforts and your selflessness.

Game Developers and technophiles in general. Do you know about the Global Game Jam and it’s impact on the gaming community? Game Jams in general are ubiquitous and a great way to advance and sharpen your skills. They are also a great way to network and pad your portfolio.

On episode 35 we sit down with long time pal Chad Hoover from the Orlando Game Space to talk about the recent GGJ and upcoming jams and opportunities here in Orlando for you to get involved with.

We are fortunate to have such an active community here in Orlando and hope you will take advantage of these and other events. Spread the word and get involved.

Much love as always to the always evolving Carlos Ivan. You make the podcasts sound great. Thanks also to the Orlando Game SPace for making room for us each month.

Happy New Year. TIO took a small sabbatical to enjoy the holidays with family but we are back, loaded and locked for 2020. I have been sitting on this episode for longer that I hoped. There is nothing I enjoy more than going to see a band that delivers way beyond expectations. Not that I had preconceived ideas or expectations, I had only heard of the Conglomerate prior to attending their record release party at the Blue Bamboo. However, after two incredible sets of their blend of Jazz Fusion, Funk, R&B and even a bit of rock I knew I had to have them on the show.

This band loves to play and I guarantee you will feel it. The energy and vibe is one of joy. It’s obvious that these gentlemen love what they do. It’s difficult to define their sound in one category, Jazz Fusion would come closest however they bring the funk so get ready to shake your butt. 3 keyboards lead the way ranging from synths to a blistering hammond B3. Excellent guitar work and a solid rhythm section hold it all together.

Their CD “Merger” is available now through their Facebook page, Website, or any of their upcoming live appearances. They will be appearing again this year at the St. Pete Jazz Fest and once more at Winter Parks Blue Bamboo on Feb 4th. We will be on hand Feb 4th and the Blue Bamboo and would love to have an onslaught of listeners show their support.

Here’s the blurb from their web site for a little more insight -

Enjoy the episode. I hope to see you Feb 4th at the Blue Bamboo in Winter Park. In the meantime my thanks as always to Carlos for all of his hard work and time in helping to make these shows a reality. Check out his work on his web site below.

The best thing about hosting a podcast is that you get to meet some awesome people, case in point Kalley Dunn / Director of Development and Strategic Initiatives and Monica Sakurai / Director of Marketing and Development at AmFund. AmFund has been working with and supporting Non Profits locally and nationally for 20 years now. In fact watch for their 20th anniversary Ribbon Cutting to celebrate their new digs sometime after the new year. Here’s a bit more background -

The American Fundraising Foundation (Amfund) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a Platinum rating from Guide Star.  It has been serving other nonprofit organizations for over 20 years and has distributed over $33 million for worthy causes. 

Each year Amfund’s Board of Directors carefully selects organizations to support through sponsorship of their events. 

In recognition of its 20 year anniversary, Amfund unveiled a new logo that includes its signature tree and a Golden Pear. The tree has always stood for growth and deep roots. The newly added golden pear is symbolic of the extra touch that Amfund brings to each of its nonprofit partners. 

The history of the pear is extensive and best described as symbolizing wisdom, good health, longevity, and prosperity — all the things Amfund sees in the organizations it serves and the causes each represents. 

And behind every golden pear is a great story. It may be the story of a child receiving special literacy assistance, or a woman finding shelter from an abusive relationship or an animal being rescued. 

Every time Amfund helps an organization it is helping others. Each person has a “golden pear story” to share. That’s Amfund… The nonprofit with the golden pear

Thanks Kalley and Monica for all of your hard work and benevolence. We are standing by to help in any way possible. If you would like more information you can email Kalley Dunn - Director of Development and Strategic Initiatives [email protected]

Hey Listeners, A call to action. Please be sure to subscribe to This Is Orlando at your preferred podcast provider and like us on Facebook and Instagram. Every click counts and we appreciate your support. I am also interested in hearing from you. Drop me a note here or directly at [email protected]

Carlos, you are the man! In addition to working full time, being a great Dad and Husband he has somehow found time to travel to NYC to the debut of the movie he scored and sound designed. More about this later but in the meantime congratulations my brother.

Be sure to check out some of his work here -

On the second edition of Hylant Presents Corner Office Rachel and I sit down and catch up with a guest many of you are already very familiar with. CEO and Founder of local Tech powerhouse Fattmerchant, Suneera Madhani. 

Suneera and her crew continue to grow this local Orlando success story into one of the largest and most successful payment platforms nationally, now employing over 100 at her downtown offices.

In this episode we hear about where Fattmerchant is today, the daily juggling of being a CEO, Mother, Wife and Community cheerleader (be sure to check out her blog Mom Boss to learn more) and her thoughts on the recent disbandment of the Central Florida Tech Alliance. We appreciate you Suneera, thanks for taking some time out of a very busy schedule to sit down with us.

My thanks to Rachel Dobbs of Hylant for co-hosting and supporting This Is Orlando. Corner Office is a monthly feature focusing on the view of Orlando through the eyes of local executives in the community. You can find out more about Rachel and Hylant by clicking the links.

Thanks as always to Carlos Ivan who has been busy scoring and sound designing a feature film, working full time, producing This Is Orlando and raising two kids. Just another day in paradise right amigo? Be sure to check out some of Carlos work by clicking the photo below. How he finds time I’ll never know.

You can find This Is Orlando wherever you get your podcasts. Please subscribe and find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram too. We welcome comments, suggestions and episode ideas. Just email me at [email protected]

The Conglomerate at their Record Release party

My quest for music in Central Florida has proven quite fruitful. Meet Chris Cortez, Musician and proprietor of Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts in Winter Park. An Orlando native, Chris founded Blue Bamboo 4 years ago and has created a room that is all about the music. A cozy and comfortable environment with incredible acoustics and a welcoming vibe that features a variety of homegrown and touring acts in Jazz, Classical and the occasional Pop, Soul or Funk group.

From the outside it is deceiving. From the street you find an old warehouse. Once inside you will find a home to a world class venue, recording facility and record label. Touring acts like Nicholas Payton and Dr. Lonnie Smith have played here and Chris himself plays frequently in a trio that changes names and styles each month.

We do indeed have some world class musicians here in Orlando and our thanks to Chris for providing a room for them to showcase their talents. Check out their web site for a calendar of events and be sure to bring a few extra bucks with you to pick up one of the many CD’s by Chris and the roster of Blue Bamboo.

Got an idea for This Is Orlando? Be sure to drop me a note. Thanks as always to the Orlando Game Space for their support as well as Carlos Ivan for the sound. This Is Orlando Podcast can be found on your favorite podcast app or here at robcoble.org