supporting local artist Archives

American Idol Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon Lead Aspiring Songwriters in Baltimore Workshop

Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon is an awesome talent to watch from Baltimore who once graced our television screen on season 17 of ABC’s American Idol in 2019. Now he’s back in town with the help of the Baltimore County Arts Guild to teach aspiring songwriters how to compose their very own successful ballads.

Jeremiah’s story touches my heart because of the personal connection I have with him growing up being once a part of the congregation his dad preaches. I’ve followed and supported Jeremiah for as long as I could remember. Way past the point of our grade school days as we both grew up in the same church community attending the same Sunday school, Awana Club Meetings, and Vacation Bible School services in Baltimore, MD since our wee single-digit years. I never knew what Jeremiah was experiencing dealing with the pressures of being the son of the pastor until his appearance on American Idol where he briefly shares his tribulations, and later in a documentary “The Mirror Will Take Us Home” that focuses on his life growing up as a pastor’s kid.

Despite whatever Jeremiah has been through, I remember him being the talented singer whose voice always shined radiantly Sunday mornings whenever he sang his solos before each sermon. Such a beautiful voice that has sparked an interest in my heart to keep up with his journey well into our later years, even in our bump in collaborations with Today’s 101.9. I’m here to lend my support as another artist in Baltimore proud of the odds that he still chooses to rise above. This is why Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon gets a shout out on Doc’s Castle Media.

Photo Source: Today’s 101.9 Entercom Baltimore

Jeremiah, as a contestant on American Idol, performed while his family rejected him in his desire to pursue a musical career. His story touched the hearts of millions, even pop star Katy Perry when she shared her experiences growing up as a pastor’s kid. His passion for music leads us now with a great opportunity to possibly have his musical genius rub off on us with the rare opportunity to participate in his songwriting workshop in Catonsville.

This isn’t the first time Jeremiah has gotten involved and shown his support for the Arts and performance district in Catonsville, MD. Jeremiah has contributed to donating to two arts and entertainment organizations, The Listening, Inc. and The Catonsville Clubhouse. He also teaches online using The JLH Songwriting and Vocal Scholarship Fund to help aspiring musicians “afford an opportunity at expanding their artistic abilities in his online community through songwriting workshops and one-on-one voice coaching.” During the mid pandemic, Jeremiah hosted the 1st series of virtual songwriters workshop with the Baltimore County Arts Guild in the Summer and Fall months of 2020. Wrapping up his first workshop, participants performed in a virtual recital during the holiday season sharing what they came up with while enrolled in the course. Now he’s back with another 8-week session that will conclude with another live recital of new music.

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Jeremiah’s dedication to pursuing his passions motivates me to share with my readers as a #PrayforLove message. I’m big on believing that God does things in people’s lives to show us how to define the true meaning of “love.” Jeremiah’s story is no exception. He should continue striving to share the talent that God gave him through any adversity. His story is inspiring and it’s important for other people to see. It speaks deeply to someone in ways unimaginable. Though his life may have some turn of events, God still provided him with what he needed, which is a positive and much larger community accepting of his gifts. But now also a gift along with a story of acceptance and encouragement for many others seeking inspiration. We actually need more #PrayForLove moments like this.

Listen to the new single “Mama, I Don’t Wanna Go to Nashville ” by Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon via all streaming services or at www.jeremiahlloydharmon.com.

http://www.instagram.com/p/CJ6dww2Bak5/?igshid=n5bxmmy73t5t

What do you think? Do you know any more Catonsville art natives? Share in the comments below.

Does Club 347 Even Have A $10 Spending Minimum? (Venue Review)

Last night, I attended the 2nd Recrd Breakrs event hosted at jazz club, restaurant and bar Club 347 for a networking event created specifically for local artists to meet with Baltimore bloggers and other media. I attended with my artist and we mingled with people at this event for a total of 25 minutes.

The night started off smooth with nice soothing jazz music. I jammed to lovely rhythms and live music from Lia Songbird & Fmajor and DJ Trelly Trell. The networking event was beautiful itself. But I wasn’t too pleased with the service from the waitresses or owner of the venue, that’s if he can be labeled as the owner because I’m not sure.

I sat down and started speaking with my artist about a possibility of using Club 347 as a spot for future performances, when it wasn’t even 2 minutes later that one of the waitresses walks up to our table and asks us, “Could she get us something?” We told her “no, thank you,” and that’s when the commotion began.

“There’s a $10 minimum because tonight the club is open for free,” said the waitress who looked to be only 5 feet tall, a little on the thick side, and had long blonde tracks of weave.

We replied saying that we weren’t told about the minimum and the flyer didn’t specify it. We knew that the event was meant for networking, and that’s what we were there for. We were there to participate in the cause of supporting local talent.

The waitress walked away from our table on a mission. A mission that would start a chain of events that was completely unnecessary and could have been avoided if things were communicated slightly different. Little did we know the waitress after leaving our table went to her supervisor on a snitching spree.

Five minutes later, a guy who looked as if he’s of another nationality, probably of somewhere of Eastern culture, like Middle East or Asia, walks up to my artist and signals with his fingers to follow him out the door. My artist follows him out of the club, where he is told there is $10 minimum and if he doesn’t have it, he’ll have to leave. Now heated, my artist walks back into the club to tell me we have to leave. I refused to budge because that night was not about the negativity. There was something positive happening around me, and I wasn’t for letting that guy ruining my night if the event was advertised as free. I wanted to be apart of the positive things happening. So we stayed inside.

We continued to mingle with a few folks. I met other artists who shared flyers for their event, which is below…

…and the same waitress approaches us, a second time, reminding us of the club’s $10 minimum charge. My artists look to me with an expression on his face that told it all. He was too through, ready to turn on his “niggerdom” trait, a characteristic I refer to as pure ignorance and disregard when someone feels they’ve been disrespected. So I told him we weren’t staying there long. Then I proceeded to continue enjoying the music of the band.

I moved around the club and started talking to some people, who I’ve spent time speaking to online but never officially met in person, as my artist mingled with the group of artists who were sharing their flyers with others. While I’m on the opposite side of the club, my artist witnesses those who were passing out flyers be told they couldn’t give them out at the event by the same Asian looking guy.

What?! This is a networking event, sir! This is how these artist are choosing to share what they do. How could they be forbidden of this right if the event was specifically for that?! Did this guy not know what was going on? Did he not get the memo that there was a live meet and greet event happening in front of him?

As the night continues, I sit back down at my original table. The waitress comes to me again to tell me, “My boss wants me to remind you of the $10 spending minimum.”

WTH! Am I the only one not buying anything?! This minimum wasn’t specified. How many times is this going to happen? To my surprise, this happened 4 times throughout the night. Look, I may be free loading from the experience happening in your club, sir and ma’am. But isn’t that what I’m there for, to experience a night of great music and meet some awesome people within the Baltimore hip-hop scene, (cough, cough) and for no charge?

The fourth time was our last time. My artist stormed out and went to the car before I caught on to his whereabouts. I had to call his cell to get the idea that we just weren’t welcomed by the owner. We had no money. We couldn’t be there. So I met up with him at the car 3 minutes behind him.

Even as I get home to share my experience on Facebook with my friends because some of them were still enjoying the atmosphere, they tell me that the event was absolutely free. They were lost, also, at the reason for why I was treated like that. It was twenty-five minutes; 25 minutes of a man showing me his pure greed.

Why were we singled out? Why were we followed around the bar continuously reminded about a nonexistent mandatory fee? Were we truly the only two who didn’t buy a drink? If so, well damn!

I’m upset because I felt like I was singled out for not having money. It was embarrassing. It made me more mad as I thought about why I couldn’t pay $10, even coming to the event straight from work. I guess, that damn 9-5 of mine can’t support me attending even the FREE events and that’s truly some genuine bs!

I’m on a come up, seriously. I budget the events I attend under Doc’s Castle Media often. The ten dollars in my pocket that night was actually to go towards my attendance to Baltimore Crown Awards this Saturday. I’ll still be in attendance since I didn’t break down to give into a greedy old man.

Instead of creating a scene, which I absolutely felt like doing after being treated that way, I chose to avoid any further embarrassment to myself and my artist by writing why I’m not going there again. I don’t want to be that one customer who the owner feels is okay to single out. I don’t want to feel ostracized. I damn sure don’t want to spend the same amount of time spent driving there inside of the club, again. So there you have it. My artist won’t have the venue for future shows, and I won’t be writing about this club in future post for other artists, either. So greedy guy, thanks for my first experience in Club 347 and bringing me out of my writer’s block.

And the New Member of Vivid Visions is…

Today is a special interview because you heard it first from Doc’s Castle Media. It’s an exclusive interview with Vivid Visions’ newest member Janai! She’s joined in with Vivid Visions as the honorary host for their popular vlog interviews on their blog site. R. Chance will be resigning from the position to focus more on business and web posting asset of the Vivid Visions site. We’ll surely miss him but don’t be too down in the dumps. With Janai’s electrifying attitude, she’ll be sure to spice up the interviews to ensure that viewers enjoy what they’re hearing. I can’t wait.

In our interview, Janai and I discussed her feelings towards being chosen as the host for Vivid Visions, who’s her favorite artist in Baltimore, what school she went to, and who’s her inspiration to do what she loves. I really loved chatting it up with her, and I look forward to talking with her in the future as host of the Vivid Visions. She’s definitely someone to watch.

Doc: I’m hearing that you’re the new host for the Vivid Visions Vlogs. How do you feel about being addressed with that honor?

Janai: …Just as it is. It’s an honor! I mean, it’s an up and coming blog, and we’re trying to put Baltimore on the map. You know how it is music wise. We’re trying to help the artists. Also, it’s dealing with things that I love. It’s definitely an honor. Hopefully, we do it the right way and we do it BIG.

Doc: Yes, we need that, too. So how did it really come about? Did you ask Ryan if you could be the host?

Janai: No, actually. (Laughs) Well, me and Ryan have been friends and known each other for a long time. He asked me before but I was doing other things, like something similar. So at the time, I was just like “nah!” (Laughs)

Doc: (Laughs)

Janai: But it came up again, and I was like “You know what; I think it’s a bit more structured now. I think we can definitely make some stuff happen.”

Doc: Okay! Do you have prior hosting experience?

Janai: In this aspect, a little bit. If anybody knows me, they know that I’m a talker.

Doc: I can see that. (Laughs)

Janai: (Laughs) I guess it’s just in me. So I could be hosting and not be hosting. I hosted certain shows like maybe a poetry slam and poetry night. But as far as blogging, nah! So this is a new thing for me.

Doc: This should be an experience for you then.

Janai: Yeah.

Doc: Have you been interviewed as a feature on another blog or is this your first time being interviewed?

Janai: Yes, this is my first time being interviewed. I did an interlude for Vivid Visions before, and it was just something random. We were in the store and I was being my goofy self. (Laughs) It just so happened that they posted it that way. As far as being interviewed, no. Not for another blog.

Doc: Oh cool! Is there anyone in particular that you look forward to interviewing?

Janai: Yeah…but they’ve already been interviewed.

Doc: Who?

Janai: Will!

Doc: Oh yeah!

Janai: Ryan definitely stole that from me. If it was anybody I wanted to interview, it would definitely be Will.

Doc: Later on, when he puts out another mixtape or when he gets really big, you could still interview him. You’ll always have the opportunity.

Janai: You’re right. There’s also this kid. I’m really, really close with him. He’s a young guy by the age of 16. His name is Tres’ McMichael. He does everything. He does art. He does dancing. He’s an actor and a singer. Everything! I really want to get cracking with him.

Doc: Oh yeah, he might want to submit to me or something. (Laughs)

Janai: I’m trying to put him out there. (Laughs)

Doc: So do you have a favorite artist in Baltimore, someone who you really support?

Janai: Oooh. In Baltimore? …Will. Yes, Will and Kaseo because I’ve seen where they’ve come from to where they are now. They’ve definitely grown with their craft.

Doc: And they seem to be real persistent in what they do.

Janai: They really, really are. It’s crazy to look at people who you know and be like, “Since when did you rap?” “When did you do these things?”

Doc: You went to Milford?

Janai: No.

Doc: Oh, you didn’t because you know a lot of people from there? (Laughs) I know Will went to Milford.

Janai: I know basically all of Milford’s class of 2009 and 2010. I went to Old Court Middle School, and then I moved to Pennsylvania right after so that’s how I know everybody. Also, you know how Baltimore be, when you know somebody, you know somebody else. (Laughs)

Doc: Right! (Laughs) So where are you hoping this Vivid Visions opportunity takes you?

Janai: I’m hoping that it opens doors for a lot of dreams that I have. I’m hoping that it is an outlet to a much bigger success for all of us. This is not just a blog. We’re a family. This is a community that we’re trying to build. So it’s a bigger picture that we’re all holding on to. I know a lot of people who are looking like, “Oh, they’re just featuring a lot of artists.” We’re really trying to tap in, and bring unity and support to a lot of talented people. Baltimore has enough strife and conflict. We just want to put the unity out there; put the love back out there.

Doc: I feel you. That’s what it needs to be in this city. Is there anyone in the industry that inspires you to do what you want to do already, like La-La Anthony? You know she started off just hosting.

Janai: Yeah, she sure did. You know what, that’s a good example. Actually now, Queen Latifah mainly because she started off rapping. Then she went into acting. She’s a wonderful actress. She’s a singer, and now she has her own talk show. She’s very influential. She’s breaking down a lot of barriers. She also worked for Cover Girl. She’s really well-known. She’s very inspirational to a lot of younger women. It’s not about what people see on the outside. But as far as what she is and what she stands for, she’s awesome.

Doc: I agree with you because she’s not doing one thing anymore. I feel like she kind of matured. She started off with rapping and then was like, “You know I’m a bit too old to be doing this. Let me find out what else I can do.”

Janai: Yeah. I see a lot of her in me. A lot of people don’t expect you to be a certain way. A lot of people expect me to be goofy and silly, which I am. (Laughs) But it’s also so many different sides of me that I’m pretty sure people are going to be surprised to see once we get out there and do a lot of things.

Doc: I mean a lot people may already be a little surprised of Vivid Visions already. It’s been a big turnaround.

Janai: It is. It really is, and a lot of people were thinking, “Oh, Vivid Visions, they’re about to do this again.” But it’s much more structured. So a lot of people are tapping in.

Doc: That’s the way it should be.

Janai: Exactly!

Doc: Well, that’s all my questions. Thank you!

Visit Vivid Visions at VisionsVivid.blogspot.com.

Read Doc’s last interview with Briana: Q & A with RebelliousRebel on Doc’s Castle Media.

Baltimore Is Too “Cliqued” Up To Have Supporters

“If we create a group of strong individuals who’ll support each other, then we’ll create a power house of people that will exceed all expectations. We’ll change this city for the better,” says every person who forms a group full of talented people, expecting it’ll change the turn out of their shows. Womp Womp!

Too many people have this philosophy but in Baltimore it does not work. Content is key. Content is what brings people to an artist’s show! When was the last time you’ve decided to go to Kanye show because he had a power group with him there? The Jay-Z and Kanye power house was damn near three years ago. He’s currently standing alone. People go because of the content of his show.

I recently read an article from Baltimore Blogger Malika Muhummad titled “Why Baltimore Artist Can’t Make A Deal.” Malika talks of how many Baltimore artist lack originality. Why strive to be the next Lil Wayne when artists should be working to make a name for themselves? They should be striving to be unique. She also talks of how people should seek opportunities in the city that allows them to give support. There are multiple open mic events that happen throughout the city all days of the week. There are very few supporters of these events. She goes on to name a few examples. I’ve actually been to a number of 5 Seasons open mic nights, which is one of the example that she gives, and the crowd was dry each time I went, meaning there could have been more people there but it wasn’t. Majority of the crowd were artists waiting for their opportunity to have their shine on the stage.

What I see in Baltimore is a sign of doubt from the people artists hope would support them. Listeners in Baltimore doubt if an artist will bring what they enjoy so they stick to what they know. What they know is what they hear everyday, 24/7, on mainstream media. If a person was to listen to 92Q for the entire day, they’d hear the same 10-15 songs, minus the 12 O’Clock Rewind and the occasional rap songs they play on Rap Attack. Do people ever get tired of that?

When it comes to the individuals who claim they don’t listen to the radio or mainstream music, they continue to support people who have a larger followership than the artists from their hometown. Those artists are clearly closer to mainstream radio than ever. Take the Weeknd, four years ago we would have never heard him being played on the radio. Since Drake featured him on “The Crew,” the Weeknd’s spotlight has been heightened. We hear of him more because of the major support people had for him after that song, seeking his music wherever they could find it and going to his shows. Baltimore artists could have the same happen for them if their supporters became educated listeners. If they’d realized how supporting good content produced here can make talented people from Baltimore be heard on the radio, it’d be a greater selection of music to listen to.

But how I see it is it all begins with the content creators and their attitudes towards this city. Baltimore artists need an opportunity to come together in support of each other first. They need to realize they’re all thinking the same. They must show each other that the outcome doesn’t always have to be the same way. If your purpose is to create a city who supports each other, live by it. Building a crew that supports only the people in that crew, shows selective treatment for that group, not for the city. That clique way of thinking will not work for Baltimore. It may work for other places but not with the unique listeners of this city. It’s better if we seek opportunities to help one another because on-lookers will see what we’re doing and want to be apart of it.

This is a message for every artist for all genres to hear. We must seek out those who deserve support and help them because it’s the only way to gain what this city needs; Artist for artist, blogger for blogger, or poet for poet. Then it should turn into blogger for artist, artist for poet, and poet for blogger. Etc., Etc.. Each time a creator finds someone making a difference in this city, they’ll feel enlightened to be apart of it and that exact feeling will bring in more supporters and a bigger audience for everyone. It won’t be easy, but nothing is that’s worth trying.

With everything being said, let’s stop this clique mess and build upon a new Baltimore city.

To read Malika’s “Why Baltimore Artist Can’t Make A Deal,” click here. To hear great music from Baltimore artist, check out Vivid Visions or AmirahRashidah. Both blog sites take submissions.

If you’re looking to be a music highlight on Doc’s Castle Media, send me stuff. Let’s change the city for the better.