Daniel Pak Featured In The International Examiner

Photo Credit: Avi Loud

Check out the International Examiner article entitled "Musician Daniel Pak goes solo: See him at the Crocodile on April 20" written by Alan Chong Lau.

Below is a snippet of the article:
"Totem Star has been a big part of my life for the last eight years. After our first program in 2010 working with young people released from juvenile detention, it dawned on Thad and me that this was truly our calling. We had to do whatever it took to make sure young people had a safe and encouraging space to take creative risks, tell their stories, and build a supportive community. Today we have mentored over 1,500 young recording artists, offering them free studio time, performance opportunities (including shows like The Crocodile), and bringing in guest touring artists and music industry professionals to inspire them.

Totem Star is all about amplifying youth voice and mentoring the next generation of leaders. I think singer-songwriter Monica Elenes says it best: 'What people need to understand about Totem Star is that, more than a record label, first and foremost we’re a family. Before you’re an artist, you’re a human, and Totem Star teaches you that. You can be an artist and not be a role model but Totem Star teaches you to be both.'"

Check out the entire article at iexaminer.org

King Cobb

For the second installment of The Song, our new monthly artist spotlight, we welcome poet/lyricist/visual artist King Cobb. In his interview, King Cobb offers the following advice to young artists: "truthfully do what makes you happy, and don't stress or worry about anything else. You've only got this life. Make it count." Click here to check out his new artist profile page and show him some love on her SoundCloud!

The Makings Of Royalty

Royalty. L to R: Jawzilla, Jayla Nickens, Jewelz Cypher, and King Cobb. Photo Credit: Amber Zbitnoff

It was July 2016 and we were sitting in a social justice workshop led by Henry Luke as part of the Arts Liberation and Leadership Institute. The partnership between Arts Corps, Youth Speaks Seattle, and Totem Star brought twenty talented youth together from all over the city for a week-long intensive arts summer camp featuring pathways in music, spoken word, and visual art.

Henry had posted quotes in the space and encouraged us to walk around the room, reading the quotes, and forming impromptu collaborative arts teams based on what quote spoke most strongly to us as a means of getting to know one another. Jayla Nickens (Cleveland High School) and I found common interest in a quote with the theme of "standing together" and decided that our impromptu collaborative project would be to co-write a hook for a song. I grabbed a guitar and put some chords together while she wrote:

"If we stand together, it'd be harder for them to tear us apart. It'll only get better. Don't let them break us down."

In just minutes, Jayla had an amazing melody to go with her lyrics and we performed it for everyone. Enthusiastic applause, screaming, and shouting ensued.

Immediately following the workshop, we broke out into our first session as a music pathway, while the poets and visual artists went off to their rooms. Jayla knew rapper King Cobb from Cleveland, but was just meeting rapper/producer Jawzilla and rapper Jewelz Cypher for the first time. The three rappers were all inspired by the hook that Jayla wrote, and they decided right then and there that the best way to get to know each other was to write a song based on the hook.

Jayla and I started to work on the beat and in no time she was in the vocal room laying down the hook while the other three started writing. You could feel the intensity of the creative energy flowing through the room. By the end of the two hour session, we had recorded a rough arrangement of what was to become "Stand Together," released in June 2017 on the Resistance Mixtape.

Royalty would go on to perform "Stand Together" live at the ALLI showcase, Columbia City Beatwalk, and Winter Magic. The song was recently licensed by local documentary filmmaker Devon de Lena for a film she will soon release on the Seattle Channel. Seeing them bond as a newly-formed group, discover collective joy, and develop their live performance skills on stage was truly magical.

Check out "Stand Together" by Royalty - living proof of the power of community building and collaboration.

- Daniel Pak