Comedy is often the presence of the absurd in otherwise quite serious circumstances. Monika Smith is one of Hollywood’s comedic actresses that has become increasingly of note in this world due to her work on shows like Adult Swim’s Newsreaders. Newsreaders is the spinoff of Adult Swim’s Childrens Hospital produced by The Corddry Company (established by Emmy award-winning actor and comedian Rob Corddry of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, HBO’s Ballers, Hot Tub Time Machine, and Childrens Hospital). Many of the Corddry Company productions use an eclectic cast to add an impression of reality to their fictionalized comedy productions. Appearing in addition to Monika are personalities and actors like Dan Rather, Jane Seymour, Ed Begley Jr., Dave Foley, Conan O’Brien, Billy Ray Cyrus, David Hasselhoff, and countless others. This series requires actors of major presence and talent to perform with such recognizable faces and not become overshadowed. Smith more than met this challenge with her role as Cammie on Newsreaders.

Los Angeles may be a big city but the entertainment community is quite small for both the famous and those not as widely known professionals. Canadian born comedic actress Monika Smith had made a name for herself early on in Canada as part of Second City, the famous improv sketch comedy group. After moving to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career, she also became involved in LA’s Second City as well as the Upright Citizens Brigade and Nerdist. Possessing this background and her talents as an actress quickly gained her acceptance into the LA comedy community. She tells, “I felt very much a part of the community right away. When it came to my work on Newsreaders, every writer, producer and actor on that show is an exceptional comedian so the bar definitely was raised. The environment was accepting, every joke was yes-anded. The comedy world in Los Angeles can feel small at times, and this was one of those moments where I felt I got to be a part of something special.”

Being a part of the LA improv comedy world can mean that you sometimes work with the same people, whether onstage or on set. When Monika auditioned for the role, she was aware of the great writers, producers, and cast members, but did not expect to be working with Thomas Middleditch (Emmy nominated lead actor in HBO’s Silicon Valley). Smith reveals, “I had performed with Thomas before this at some improv shows, and on an improvised web show (Improvise Live), so working with him was easy as we already knew each other’s styles, plus we have the bond of both being Canadian. On Newsreaders I played Cammie who was doing an undercover interview with the lead of the show who plays the reporter. Thomas Middleditch played my boyfriend and we were supposed to be in school paying for our tuition using the bang bus. The newsreaders host was interviewing us in order to catch our boss, who was supposed to be using it illegally.”

One of the stereotypes that Newsreaders like to play off of is the idea that television news personalities are more possessing of pleasing aesthetics than the intellect to properly process the information they disseminate. With all of Monika’s success as a comedic actor, who also had a thriving modeling career with Ford and Elite modeling agencies (before focusing on her acting career), she proves that this stereotype does not apply to this actor. Commenting about this idea she states, “I don’t think looks are as important in comedy. Comedy is about the circumstances created and the reactions of the people within it. Being beautiful isn’t a trope of comedy. But, this is Hollywood, so looks always factor in.”

In the world of Prank TV shows, Monika Smith is one of the shining stars. This actress has numerous film and TV credits in her list of credits but made her mark early on with shows like Disaster Date (as the name implies, a program about horrible dating experiences) and Who Gets The Last Laugh (WGTLL). WGTLL pitted famous comedians against each other to see who can pull the most outrageous prank. Smith was one of the comic actors on the show who acted out the parts dictated by these comedians. Possessing a strong background in improvisation as well as being extremely confident and convincing was a necessity for the actors on WGTLL. Monika saw the show as a chance to challenge herself. She states, “I love pranking. I think it has helped me hone my skills as an actor and I am very fortunate for this experience. As I move forward in my career I am continually trying to challenge myself with the roles I play.” WGTLL, produced by Ashton Kutcher and Jason Goldberg for TBS, resulted in Smith working alongside household comedy names like D.L. Hughley, Alan Thicke, Tom Green, and many others. Smith concedes that she particularly enjoyed working with so many comedians whose work she has enjoyed for so long. Monika relates, “. It was so much fun to work with Cherie OTeri. I grew up watching her on SNL. She had made me laugh for so many years with her work so it was particularly fulfilling for me to make her laugh. Kevin McDonald from Kids In The Hall was the same for me. He was a celebrity guest and Kids in The Hall is a very famous Canadian comedy show that I grew up watching. That show shaped a lot of people’s comedy styles. To make Kevin laugh was thrilling. At one point he was complimenting me about how funny I was and I was thinking to myself, ‘I watched your show over and over at home in my pjs growing up!’ Those are the pinch me moments that a lot of us aspire to achieve.”  WGTLL Producer Nick Kriess adds his comments to Smith’s other admirers noting, “Monika struck me as an actor to keep an eye out for when she came in to audition for Punk’d.  She was incredibly captivating during the auditioning process, showing a clear sense of direction; she knew how to grab your attention and keep you mesmerized.  I brought her along with me on TBS show Who Gets the Last Laugh?, a hidden camera comedy television series that saw some of the industries’ most well-known comedians going up against three guest comedians to see who could pull off the most outrageous practical jokes on the unsuspecting public.  Monika was a series regular on the show.  She was critical to the project because she had to convince ‘normal’ people to do the crazy tasks that the comedians were coming up with.  There aren’t a lot of actors that can stay in character during insane situations and convince people to do absurd things, but Monika is one of those actors who can. Who Gets the Last Laugh? was a hit due in large part to Monika’s extensive improv background.  Monika has managed to make a strong career out of her fantastic comedic sensibilities and her amazing way of always knowing the best direction to take a scene in no matter what is thrown her way.  She went neck and neck with some of the biggest celebrity comedians in the game and stood her ground, sometimes even completely overshadowing them.  Monika’s leading role on the production catapulted her into being the fan favorite, directly resulting in the one million plus viewers Who Gets the Last Laugh? received each episode.  Monika is a very unique actor in that she can convince people of just about anything.  For example, on one of the most hilarious and popular episodes, Monika had to convince an unsuspecting person that her dance partner was cheating on her and was subsequently going after the person’s significant other.  This task would be a very hard one to accomplish for most people, but it was almost too easy for Monika.  She is a class act and has helped the series succeed as both a piece of entertainment and a showcase for what makes Monika such a professional and amazing actor to work with. Monika has accumulated many impressive credits in a number of major film and television productions in the global entertainment industry for several years now.”

Monika Smith has created a unique situation for herself in the entertainment industry. At a young age she had a successful international modeling career with Ford and Elite. Rather than make this her life’s work, she pursued her love of comedy and joined the Second City Touring Company in Toronto. Recognizing the opportunities available to her, she relocated to LA where she began performing on harold, maude and house teams at UCB, as well as Second City and Nerdist. She has taught improv at Second City, UCB, Nerdist, and even internationally in China. The unique combination of her physical presence, comedic instincts, and acting abilities made her the first call for shows like WGTLL. The programs lead performers needed to be eye catching, persuasive, fast thinking, and able to stay in character longer than almost any other actors. Smith explains, “Who Gets the Last Laugh, and the numerous prank shows I’ve done have made me a better actor. I was forced to be in character in front of real people for hours sometimes. With only a mic on my person, and an ear bud letting me know what was happening in the scene, I was able to convince real people that I was a crazy person. It was hard work and it was thrilling. There are no second takes as you have to have your ‘mark’ (the real people) believe you the first time. It’s a skill that I think has made me a better actor.”

Smith states that the X factor which makes her scenes so demanding but also so highly educational for her is the “marks.” She emphasizes that working with an unknowing participant, although similar to improv sketch comedy, can pull you in directions that are completely unexpected. Monika confirms that she is often relieved when her true motives are revealed to the “mark”, but the experience is well worth the small amount of uneasiness. It is often bewildering to witness what some individuals will allow her to do during the pranks. Recalling some of her favorite moments on WGTLL, she states, “On the show I played various characters and tricked real people into believing that this character and these odd situations were real. I played an intern that accidentally discovered classified government papers. I made people believe that the FBI was after us. On another episode I called a locksmith and had them open a jewelry store that I told them was mine. Once they unlocked the door I proceeded to steal all the jewels and leave them in the store. I had to convince these people not only that I owned a jewelry store, but I also got them to open the safe. You can discover whether or not you are truly convincing in the role you are playing in these situations. That’s the type of immediate feedback that confirms if your acting instincts are correct.”

Monika Smith can be seen in a number of films and television programs, most recently starring alongside Patrick Stewart and Adrian Scarborough in the STARZ series Blunt Talk (Golden Globe nominated). All of these opportunities are the reason she moved to Los Angeles. She feels confident that she has chosen the right environment here in LA stating, “I had thought about moving to NY, as I had worked there when I was modeling and loved the city. But, LA is where TV and movies are cast and I thought it was the smartest option. It’s a wonderful city where art is being created just about everywhere.”

It’s almost a certainty that anything which includes the phrase “polyamorous love triangle” will not end well. That’s the plot and the point to the film WANDA by the Canadian comedy troupe Tony Ho. Tony Ho is definitely a “they” and not a “he” but one of the stars of the film, Adam Niebergall, plays a man who is about as “he” as possible. Niebergalls’ character in WANDA is rough, tough, and definitely enjoys the company of other men; meaning all things masculine are on his agenda. That’s an odd character for a love triangle involving a woman named Wanda; even more odd that the character Wanda never makes an appearance in the comedy film. It’s one of the many not so obvious factors that makes WANDA surprising and unexpected. It’s the story of a situation you never want to be in leading to even more situations that you don’t want to be in; interacting with people you definitely don’t want to be involved with. If Stephen King wrote a romantic comedy after an evening playing the board game Clue, it would be WANDA. Uncomfortably funny in a way that makes you think about your own motivations in a relationship as well as the true motives of others, WANDA showcases Niebergall’s abilities as seen in his previous work in shows such as TV’s Man Seeking Woman, True Dating Stories, and films like JAPAN, Lottery, and Friend.

Taking the comedic approach, Tony Ho’s WANDA deals with the subject of an ex who just won’t leave you alone. Adam [Niebergall] and Roger [Bainbridge] clash with their lover’s ex-boyfriend who just can’t seem to get used to the idea that his [Miguel] relationship with Wanda is actually over. Niebesrgall’s namesake character Adam is tough and thuggish. He is openly aggressive and quickly provoked although a tender side does sometimes present itself. More than anyone else in the film, he wants to be done with Miguel. There is often the sense that Adam is on the verge of violence and a fair part of the action sees him on the precipice of (seemingly) becoming violent. He is the sleeping bear that we expect to get poked with a stick. The character couldn’t be further from the actor’s real-life disposition, although he often acquiesces to roles of this type. Adam confirms, “I was cast as Adam in WANDA because I naturally play weird bullies that have odd ways of speaking. Maybe it is something about my appearance or maybe a secret side of my personality that even I am not aware of but, it is fun to play characters that do things you wouldn’t ever find yourself doing. It’s a catharsis. I get to play and do weird things. I often find a weird way of talking. Sometimes I make up a language but say it with extreme confidence as if everyone who is imposing, powerful, or cool talks this way; which of course, they don’t!”

The plot of the movie shows Bainbridge as the well spoken, level-headed member of the triangle which includes Adam and Wanda. He is also the man of whom Miguel is most suspicious of in regards to “stealing” Wanda away from him. Miguel, overcome with jealousy, decides to poison Roger to remove him as an impediment to Wanda. The three main actors in the film are actually members of the Toronto comedy group known as Tony Ho. Tony Ho has spent years crafting their approach to live comedy and have most recently transferred the chemistry they created to the screen. Niebergall no doubt did his homework in sketch comedy (winning a Canadian Comedy Award in 2015 and was a member of sketch group Get Some which won Toronto Sketchfest Best of Fest that same year as well as Montreal Sketchfest in 2016) onstage and then transferred this to his approach in film. Miguel (Rivas) considers Niebergall’s portrayal a major achievement noting, “It’s surprising how convincing his tough guy character is. I know he’s played a macho guy in a few things actually, but he is so unlike that in real life; it kind of surprises you. You throw a neck tattoo on the guy and he becomes vicious! I’ve heard somewhere that more gentle mannered people play tough guys well because they have such an outsider’s perspective of it. It gives them an outlet for their pent up energy. Adam’s portrayal of that character in that movie is gold to me.” Rivas goes on to credit the success of WANDA in great part to Adam’s delivery stating, “It speaks to how important he is to our process. I guarantee we couldn’t have gotten lines like the “It sounds complicated but it’s strictly jungle” out of anybody else. It doesn’t work without him. He brings a really unique energy to that role that drives the whole scene.”

Roger Bainbridge, one of the writer’s and stars of the film affirms, “Adam was very central to the concept of Wanda. It was largely conceived based on how funny and interesting we thought it would be to see Adam charge into an apartment unannounced like an aggressive wild animal, and then have the audience follow along with Miguel trying to milk him for information as to what exactly is going on. The mysterious nature of why Adam is there grabs the attention of the audience immediately. His performance of this character is so amusingly menacing and it helps to establish a mood which is somehow both ominous and silly. Adam’s odd vernacular comes off so strange when he plays a tough guy, which is hilarious. I think it also works to show his range as an actor without losing his recognizable quality.”

Although still incredibly active as a writer and performer in the Canadian sketch comedy scene, Adam Niebergall is steadily appearing in television (as in the aforementioned Man Seeking Woman). His range and ability to draw empathy from audiences, as well as his comedic timing and writing skills are preparing him to become yet another of the well known Canadian comedic faces which includes greats like; John Candy, Jim Carrey, Mike Myers, Seth Rogen, Dan Akroyd, Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short, Tommy Chong, and Samantha Bee, and so many others.

Pablo Bendr walks down the stairs at LA’s Greek Theater after performing to a crowd of over 6,000 fans. This well known DJ makes his way to the car and heads directly to the studio where he will spend the night overseeing beats and melodies. He has just shared the stage with La Ley, one of the most popular Latin rock bands of all time (with multiple Grammy awards to their name), but Bendr is driven to be just as successful at his day job as a music producer as he has become at his “rockstar” gig as one of LA’s most in demand DJs. While others are content to bask in the fame of the moment, Pablo is committed to making his own hits to enable him to maintain a thriving career for many years to come. Bendr is highly different from the majority of DJs in the fact that he began his musical endeavors as a classically trained pianist, competing and playing concerts in his home country of Chile. The commitment and discipline he learned on the keyboards not only allowed him to compose his own music in the electronic world but also transferred over to his work ethic as a producer. While most of his peers are seeing the throngs of adoring fans, Bendr is seeing the future and his music’s place in it, as well as his ability to assist other artists in furthering their own careers. This duplicitous nature of Pablo’s career serves to make him even more sought out in the US music scene. A couple of nights after the Greek show finds him in San Diego playing for a smaller but equally energetic crowd of 1,200 Bendr gives the audience no less of himself and his abilities than he did at the Greek show, a level of energy matched in the studio again that night.

While Pablo is disproving the stereotype of the DJ who parties all night and sleep all day, he is also comfortable contrasting the idea that music producers are not adept performers. Producers such as the great Quincy Jones are too often overlooked when the public considers the person behind the hits; Pablo is working furiously to give producers/performers the notoriety he feels they so accurately deserve. He confirms, “There are a handful of us [DJs] that are producers. We have a dual job. We spend hours in the studio creating our own songs and then play them during our DJ set. Production is a big part of the equation that people are not always familiar with. Many people think that all a DJs does is push buttons, twist knobs, and clap their hands. While that might be true for some people in the profession, in my case, I am in the studio creating my own tracks. It would be accurate to say that DJing is the social part of my career while being a producer is the serious side of it.” Bendr is so “seriously” adept at music production that he has worked with some of the icons of the music industry here in the US, like Robert Margouleff. The Grammy award-winning Margouleff was co-producer on many of Stevie Wonders most legendary albums including; Innervisions, Fullfillingness’ First Finale, Talking Book, and Music of My Mind. Robert makes note of Bendr’s talent stating, “I have been working with Pablo Bendr as a music composer and music producer since 2015. He brings a high degree of professionalism to every project he works on. He is intelligent, sensitive, talented, and a productive professional in our music industry.”

Hearkening back to the story of his beginning days in music, Bendr begins most of his compositions on piano. While seeking inspiration at the keys, cup of coffee in hand, Pablo discovers the melodies that will be the center of his compositions. After creating the beats to accompany these, the process follows a direction which is unusual for most DJ/Music Producers. Pablo reveals, “I’ll spend a few weeks getting all of the sounds the way I like them on synths but then I bring in the vocals. My style is electronic but with a lot of pop elements. I add vocals to almost all of my tracks. This involves recording a live singer, editing the vocals, and mixing them in with the song.  Vocals are not always present in dance music. I feel that this extra step in my music makes it stand out. A lot of electronic artist/producers don’t go to this place.” This emphasis on vocals has not only resulted in Pablo developing his own sound and style but has also led to many artists seeking out his talents to produce and remix their work. Pablo recently did a remix for female pop artist D’Lannie as well as an original track with vocals from one of the members of the Glee cast. Many well known vocalists have become increasingly interested in Bendr’s style. Beto Cuevas is the lead singer of world-renowned, multi-Grammy award winning Chilean rock band La Ley, boasting more than 25 years of music trajectory and countless performances across the map. To this date, the group has released 10 albums and is currently signed to Warner Bros. Records. La Ley and Beto Cuevas are considered by many to be one of the most successful Latin rock bands in history to date, encompassing an immense following of fans from all across the Americas, Europe, and beyond. After winning 2 Latin Grammys, 2 MTV awards as “Best Latin Rock band”, the group triumphantly conquered global recognition after winning a World Grammy in 2001 as “Best Alternative Rock Band”. Beto declares, “Pablo is immensely talented as a music producer in the electronic dance genre. He is able to simultaneously create a captivating melodic storyline while also maintaining a strong dance beat. In an era with so many rising EDM artists, he definitely stands out among the crowd. He brings to the table a unique sound that leaves an impact both lyrically and melodically.”  Bendr is achieving success with composing and producing his own music as well. Chile’s Radio Carolina (one of the country’s most popular and established radio stations) has placed Bendr’s song “Couldn’t You Be Mine” in rotation.

There are many items on Pablo’s goals for the future; continued growth as an artist and producer, recurrent gigs, but most notably…working with some of the artists he has always admired. He notes, “I want to keep improving my production and crafting my sound. Some of the artists I most admire are Eric Prydz, Avicii, Calvin Harris and the Swedish House Mafia guys, and I’d love to be able to collaborate with them someday”.They are all amazing House producers with a strong pop component to their work- which is my style. There’s so much I’d love to learn from them, and I feel that we could make a good track together. When it comes to singers, I’d love to be able to write a song with Emma Hewitt or Christina Novelli. In my opinion, they are the best voices in the EDM world today, and are both insanely talented. Their voices just pop out from the speakers and penetrate directly into your skin, giving you the chills. I can never hear enough Hewitt or Novelli in a song.

Visionary is a strong word. If often conjures images of those with abilities to see into the future or those who impact the entire planet in some way. Without a doubt, the word is grandiose. Steve Jobs is the most modern example of this. It’s important to understand that the way in which Jobs excelled were his ideas, not the actual process of implementing those ideas. He was able to conceive of something that we would want before we even knew that we wanted it. It is this very concept that Adrian Puan shares with the former CEO of Apple Inc. This comparison makes Puan uncomfortable when it is mentioned but the fact is that the strength of both men in their chosen field is having the vision of greater things. Adrian Puan is a Malaysian songwriter; one who is unlike almost any songwriter you have ever heard of before. Steve Jobs had the foresight to understand how he would change everyday life for most people; one wonders if he understood that he would change the approach to songwriting that Puan is pioneering. To understand what is happening with Adrian Puan’s career is to understand how technology is increasingly changing human life. Rather than replacing the career paths of people, technology is working in tandem with it to increase the possibilities. Adrian’s story is an exciting glimpse into the symbiotic relationship that we share with machines.

Adrian is a songwriter. His career is a bit of a dichotomy. To begin with, Adrian doesn’t play any musical instruments. I don’t mean to say that he is not accomplished on any musical instruments. In fact, he does not play anything at all on a musical instrument. He doesn’t read music. He’s not a hobbyist who picks up an acoustic guitar around the campfire. He literally does not play a single note on any conventional instrument. The word conventional is paramount in this conversation because Puan uses his iPhone as an instrument. It is mostly utilized as a high tech recorder and it allows him immediate access and recall to his musical ideas, much in the same way that a pianist might sit down and work out an idea in their head and then write it down on staff paper. Purists scoff at this title for Puan. He acknowledges that some consider his unusual approach as unorthodox, even sometimes invalid. Before agreeing with them you might want to consider the notable achievements he has attained.

Although Adrian is not a band member of the Malaysian band Beat The System, the group asked him to move to the US with them as a part of the writing and recording process for their first major American recording. Puan has a five year history with the band with a large fan base and has been recognized with many awards in their homeland. With success topping the charts (with multiple weeks at the number one), Beat The System(BTS)’s recognitions since Adrian’s involvement include; Asian Voice Independent Music Awards – “Shine” won Song of the Year, Best Collaboration, & Best Genre Bender. In the same year, “Shine” won Song of the Year, Best Collaboration, and was nominated for best Vocalist at the Asian Bite My Music Global Awards. In 2013, BTS won Best Rock Song for “Hero” at the Asian Bite My Music Awards. The primary songwriting team in BTS is Gerald Sellan (bandleader, drummer) and Adrian. It was Sellan who first approached Puan about writing for BTS. “Shine” was a song which partnered BTS with Malaysian Idol winner Jaclyn Victor. When Gerald was having difficulty with the lyrics for the tune, he approached Adrian for assistance. The BTS bandleader was so pleased with Puan’s contribution that he again approached him in 2013 when he was composing “Hero.” The result of the songwriting partnership resulted in two of BTS’s most successful hits. Whatever the reason, Sellan recognized the power of the chemistry the two writers created and approached Adrian to be an exclusive writer for his band. Gerald confirms, “Adrian’s songwriting is exactly the direction that Beat The System is going for. His lyrics are deep and heartfelt while his melodies are undeniable. He is one of the main reasons that American labels became aware of us and interested in signing us. I don’t think there is any way we would have gotten here without his contributions.”

Adrian’s assistance to BTS and the proof of his talent are most clearly depicted in the band’s signing with Monster Hits Music by (A&R and CEO) Diana Meltzer. Meltzer is known for signing Grammy award-winning band Creed, Evanescence, Alter Bridge, Seether, Drowning Pool, and many others. Diana travelled to Malaysia to meet and work with the band after being convinced by ten songs the band recorded in hopes of interesting her. Gerald Sellan turned to Puan to compose half of these songs. The first of the songs that Puan wrote to convince Meltzer was “Last Lullaby.” Both Sellan and Meltzer confirm that the song was so strong that it was a deal sealer. “Last Lullaby” will appear on the soon to be released American debut by BTS. Adrian reveals, “The song is a love song but not the typical one. There are so many love songs about romantic love but a love song can be about the love you share in a family. I think one of my strengths is that I don’t approach every song lyrically or melodically as everyone else does. While others might consider my approach to songwriting a weakness; it has turned out to be my greatest strength. My songs are different because I don’t approach them like 99% of the writers out there.”

Adrian has experienced his share of resistance to his process. Both back home and in the US he has heard from musicians who consider his approach invalid. These opinions are overshadowed by the awards his compositions have achieved as well as the overwhelming recognition of music industry professionals both in Malaysia and the US. Mokhtza Ahmad (Head of A&R Warner Music Malaysia) states, “Working with Adrian was a great experience. The attitude and work ethic with which he approaches his craft has placed him in the top professionals here.” Diana Meltzer echoes this sentiment stating, “I’ve seen so many different approaches to songwriting in this industry. When you have it, you just have it. Adrian definitely has it.” So the next time you see or hear of someone like Adrian Puan doing something highly unusual in their approach, you might want to consider the fact that they are not only breaking the rules; they are pioneering a modern approach.

“Addicted To That Rush” is the first song off the debut record by American band MR. BIG. It’s about a romantic relationship but it’s also an analogy for anyone who feels the compulsion of an uncontrollable force in their life. It’s the way Gerald Sellan feels about drums. Even though Sellan is the leader of his band Beat The System (BTS) and a composer of many of their songs, he quickly confirms that he is a drummer through and through. When asked if he had to don just one role in his band, he quickly exclaims, “Of course I’d play drums! That’s what brought me to music. When I was going to church in my home country of Malaysia, I’d always watch the drummer. The band was playing music like Hillsong which is basically rock music but with a spiritual message. It’s funny because now I am living in New York and playing Hillsong music.” Truly a child of his generation, Sellan also credits YouTube with having a great impact on his abilities. The easy accessibility to watching amazing drummers (known and unknown) from around the world supplied a boundless curriculum for his education. Sellan’s story is truly a modern one which epitomizes the ever increasingly communicative global community. Being influenced by the music from the opposite side of the planet has led to Gerald and his band relocating to New York, thanks to talent and technology.

Gerald Sellan is not the norm for drummers. Ask any musician and they tell you that bands love to tell drummer jokes; the most common is “What do you call someone who hangs out with musicians? A drummer!” Tell this joke to Sellan and he laughs, partially because he has proven time and time again how incorrect this is. Gerald has been co-writer on many of BTS’s award winning hits. In 2010 BTS won the award for Best Rock Song for “Penipuan Berwaris”as well as Tipped to be the Next Big Thing. They quickly followed this with “Shine” (featuring Malaysian Idol winner Jaclyn Victor) which won Song of the Year, Best Collaboration, and Best Genre Bender at the Asian Voice Independent Music Awards. Gerald was involved up to this point as a co-writer but as the band started to make a move towards a mixture of pop and rock influences, he began to take a lead role in writing and the overall direction of the band. The dichotomous nature of Sellan’s musical tastes have always mixed well in his writing and drumming approach. He comments, “I’ve always loved both rock and pop music. I’m just as happy listening to Mariah Carey as I am with Iron Maiden. I remember the first time I saw Iron Maiden in concert in Malaysia. I was crying I was so happy. I’ve always loved visual and musical drummers like Nicko McBrain, Tommy Lee, Tommy Aldridge, Taylor Hawkins. I feel their excitement. As an audience member I want to be excited as well as enjoy how well they are playing. That’s important to me when I am performing as well. That being said, the music has to be catchy to me. If you can’t walk away humming that melody…maybe the songs aren’t that great. I can’t separate the two; melody and great drumming go hand in hand.”

The enthusiasm that is essential to Gerald’s approach is readily apparent when you witness him perform; it belies the fact that he has become the primary songwriter for BTS. Names like Phil Collins and Dave Grohl serve as well known reminders that these two vocations are not incongruent. The same spark of inspiration and emotion that creates an infectious groove can be applied to a melody. Sellan has proven this quite often recently as a writer of songs such as “Hero” and “Journey” which will be on BTS’s first US release, also entitled Journey. Songs like this are what convinced Diana Meltzer (A&R, Chief Executive Officer of Monster Hits Music) to sign BTS and convince them to relocate to NYC to work with her on the band’s American debut. Meltzer notes, “I have worked with many great songwriters and drummers from Creed, Evanescence, Alterbridge, and many more. Gerald has exactly what it takes to stand among these artists in the US music industry.” During one of their initial conversations, Sellan promised Meltzer he would deliver 10 songs in 30 days that would be better than the ones that initially peaked her interest. As proof of the results, BTS soon relocated to the US at Meltzer’s prompting. Being driven has always been a character trait of Gerald’s and an asset to his band. He confirms, “I always want to improve myself and be a positive influence to others. Rick Allen (drummer of Def Leppard) is so inspiring! He was in a car wreck, lost and arm, and pushed himself to get right back into drumming. He is as good as or better than so many great drummers out there. The world needs people like that who don’t let their circumstances dictate who they are.”

Often, the dream does not live up to expectations once you are there. In Sellan’s case, it’s even better than he had hoped. Journey will soon be released and another box will be checked off of Sellan’s list in becoming a successful musician in the US. The record was produced by Andy Anderson (four time Dove award-winning producer) and engineered by Grammy-nominated Damien Page Lewis. Gerald is especially happy about this revealing, “We were given several different choices as a producer and we all agreed that Andy was the best choice. A lot of the producers were great but Andy in particular has a real sense of modern sounds. We needed someone who is really on top of some of the more modern sonic approaches and Andy delivered extremely well on that.” Sellan states, “I typically use a 14 inch rack tom, 16 inch and 18 inch floor toms, and a 22 inch bass drum. Those are big rock and roll drums. I love that sound but the band also loves the modern sound that utilizes electronics. For most of the songs on the new record, we mixed my acoustic drums with loops, etc…so the approach to the parts I played was dictated by that. Most of the time, the drums are the last thing to go down when we are recording. As a songwriter who is also a drummer, that is ideal for me. It gives me more choices and a wider range of things to choose from. It also makes me push myself as a drummer to come up with a great drum part that serves to support the song rather than just my ego.”

Beat The system’s forth coming album JOURNEY will soon be released. The first two singles “Hero” and “Be Your Own” are currently available.

In the early 1800’s, people would refer to a railway steam locomotive as the “devil’s wagon” and proclaim, “You’ll never get me on one of those things. Who needs to go 20 miles per hour anyway? Nobody needs to go that fast.” This proves that things change. It’s better to figure out how to make new templates work than to accept defeat because you cannot acclimate. The latest version of this example might be the statement that print is dead. Although literal “print” does not fair well, the discipline of telling tales and delivering news is just as alive as it ever was; it has simply taken on a new form. As proof, you are reading this on a screen right now. Our current day writers, like Sarah Gooding, are more comfortable with a keyboard than a pen or quill (if you are from the 19^th century). Sarah and her peers cast a net as wide as any of the great auteurs of the past and with greater immediacy. That’s not to say that current day writers are necessarily more gifted, simply that they have acclimated to the pace and focus of society. The freedom of content is wider than ever and yet, there are limitations…you sometimes have to be brilliant in 140 characters. Sarah Gooding arrived at her career just as everything was changing.

Originally from New Zealand, Gooding has worked with a variety of publications. Most of these have been online and one of the most notable was Einstein Music Journal (EMJ). This award-winning site, devoted to music and art, is the place to which Gooding credits a great deal of her writing DNA, but she did not set out on that course originally. After studying communications at university, Sarah interned at Real Groove magazine in New Zealand. Writing for Real Groove (and its sister magazine Groove Guide), she interviewed artists such as; The Velvet Undergound’s John Cale, legendary singer Mavis Staples, Keith Flint of Prodigy, and (a somewhat grumpy) Ryan Adams. Interviewing these iconic musicians is an achievement in itself. Most importantly, she discovered the widely creative possibilities of writing based on her own interest and love of pop culture. But just as importantly, an article in the magazine covered a new music blog and its founder Nick Fulton. Fulton was looking for a writer and soon the two were working together. This venture morphed into Einstein Music Journal.

Einstein Music Journal gave Sarah the frequency and volume to hone her craft at a fast pace as well as the platform to reach a global audience. Gooding’s writing became so respected that many US artists premiered songs on EMJ (as on online publication, EMJ displays both written articles and video/audio) and many of her articles were syndicated on websites around the world like The Guardian and Art Rocker. The romanticism that surrounded record shops in the ‘90s was being realized in a new medium with EMJ. Writers like Gooding and Fulton were writing about things that they were extremely passionate about exposing. Gooding reveals a lesson which she learned at EMJ that still hold true for her, stating, “I really enjoy giving a voice to people that are doing really important and interesting work; work that might not otherwise get attention. It’s important on a personal level, but it also makes for valuable writing.” It’s that type of heartfelt sincerity that led to achievements like EMJ’s recognition as a finalist in Concrete Playground’s Blogger Awards and New York City’s Breakthru Radio’s Blog of the Week. In this new era, the music blog is what the original version of San Francisco’s Rolling Stone was in 1967; young passionate writers who felt music and social change intertwined.

EMJ was interviewing artist like St. Vincent, Vampire Weekend, and Beach House as they were just beginning to emerge onto the global scene, as well as developing a presence for New Zealand bands. At the same time, due to her writing with EMJ, Gooding’s career was having an inverse correlation to this. Major publications were noticing her ability to transfer her enthusiasm in an online format as well as her cross-genre relatability. REMIX magazine asked her to write the cover story (a lengthy eighteen pages) about New Zealand’s top fashion designers. This led to Sarah taking over the official onsite daily newsletters for New Zealand Fashion Week and eventually, a staff role with New Zealand’s biggest selling magazine New Zealand’s Woman’s Weekly. Giving further weight to her writing credentials and online presence, New York Times columnist David Carr shared an essay which Gooding wrote with his 250,000 Twitter followers. This archetype using the vehicle of Twitter validated Sarah to a young generation as well as possibly a more traditional one. Steve Duck of Complex magazine investigated Gooding’s writing skills by assigning her a story about a jacket; one that was created for pop icon Kim Kardashian. The content might seem mundane (with the exception of Kardashian’s noteworthy status), but the article presented much more than the obvious content. Duck notes, “I was particularly interested in the references to French philosopher Jean Baudrillard’s ‘Simulacra and Simulation.’ I was thrilled with the story. It did great page view numbers for us. I sent it on to my peers at Complex in the US, who republished it on their site, where it once again did great numbers. The piece was a perfect blend of accessible content, intelligent analysis, and fun storytelling.”

The application of writing in an online platform is commonplace nowadays. While Einstein Music Journal gave Gooding a foundation for her writing and approach, the proliferation of feedback online has created a new dynamic for modern writers. Rather than shying away from this, Gooding basks in it. She reveals, “There’s nothing better than being a part of a global community of readers and writers on the internet. When a US magazine published a response article challenging my essay on Medium, I didn’t expect that. I also didn’t expect to be contacted by an author in Las Vegas who wanted to quote my writing in his new book about business communication but that also happened.” It is serendipitous that so many writers and publications in the US are taking note of Gooding’s skills and achievements as she has a great affinity for American culture and writers. Sarah confirms, “I have always felt like the most exciting voices, publications, and organizations are in the US. I’ve always thought working there would be the pinnacle. I travelled there on holiday and instantly felt at home.” The original moniker of EMJ was “Einstein, Disguised as Robin Hood” taken from a Bob Dylan lyric. Perhaps the most widely know of Dylan’s lyrics is “The Times They Are-A-Changin”…which is also the most appropriate description of current day writers and Sarah Gooding’s role.