Meet DoMoJOAT, Artist, Musician, and Performer

DoMoJOAT, short for DoMo The Jack of All Trades, is an amazing artist/performer from Brooklyn, NY. He dances, plays the steel pan and piano, arranges music, writes poetry, write songs, sings, and raps. What can't he do?

He used to perform with his backing music on cds or mp3s, playing digital tracks. Then he realized that the live sound always sounds better during a performance, and in time he formed his own band. They call themselves "Andefekt" (And-Effect). They have performed all over NY, and DoMoJOAT himself has performed all over the country. He and the band are seeking and working to expand.

Learn more about DoMoJOAT and Andefekt on Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter, and YouTube.

1. How did you first get started making music as a young man?

My first introduction to music was when I was in 6th grade and I learned to play the steel pan. I then started to write music in high school. I started with writing reggae music, then in college I started writing more hip-hop.

2. When you're composing music, what's your process like? Does the rhythm usually come to you first, or the words, or...?

When I'm composing music, the rhythm usually comes to me first. It's more of a feeling and mood that I get, and I express it through the music. The words usually come after.

3. Would you tell us a bit about Andefekt and the music that you create and perform with the band?

Andefekt consists of five members. DoMoJOAT lead vocalist and steel pan player, Jovii Linkz Lead Guitarist, Ryu Drummer/Keyboardist, Jabbsz Drummer, K9 Keyboardist. We're all from Brooklyn, NY. The music the band plays is DoMo's (my) original music, also some cover songs as well. We're in the process of creating new material as a band.

4. What are some of the key differences between digital/recorded sound and live music?

Key differences are freedom for the artist. When playing with a band, the artist has more freedom to do more and add more theatrics to their performance versus an artist performing to a CD that's just playing the track that was produced, mixed, and mastered. When playing the music live, it's a natural feeling that the artist knows they're creating for their audience which is a great experience.

5. Looking ahead into 2015, what do you see yourself doing over the course of the year?

I see myself creating some new videos for the year, touring with the band, working on either another mixtape or album, and always keeping working and never quitting.

Thanks, DoMo!

Introducing Casa Couture Furniture Designs

Based in Chicago but selling its wares online to shoppers everywhere, Casa Couture Furniture Designs is a store that specializes in furniture pieces which are created from redesigned antiques. The founder and creator of Casa Couture is Julie Gathman who hand-selects antique pieces from markets and other locations around the midwest, and then she redesigns the pieces to create unique items.

If you are looking for one of a kind furniture, check out Casa Couture. I enjoyed the before and after page on the shop's website to get an inside perspective on how Julie creates her pieces. Many of the creations have a light-hearted feel and would definitely enliven a room! I found many brightly colored pieces which maintain the lines of the original piece while infusing it with new life.

To keep up with the latest pieces in the shop and to read more about Julie's creative process, follow Casa Couture on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and Tumblr.

An Introduction to Vidicom

Since its beginnings in 1982, Vidicom has become a large and diverse company which creates and distributes media through a variety of media channels. Though the company is based in New York City, its reach stretches across the country (and around the world). If you have traveled for business or pleasure to big cities like Boston, Dallas, and Los Angeles, there's a good chance you've seen Vidicom's media while on an airplane, in a taxi, or in a hotel. Vidicom also shares content online through blogs, communities, and sites like Facebook.

Vidicom creates custom content and utilizes their 30+ years in the industry to find the right venues to maximize distribution. With so many types of media within their reach, they can help companies find the right viewers according to the viewers' hobbies, interests, history of media use, etc. What sets the company apart is the way they reach viewers when they are both at home and away from home. Through their in-flight media content, they read over two million viewers each month.

Over the years, Vidicom has worked with a solid roster of well-known brands, including Continental Airlines, Nestlé, Chanel, L’Oréal, and Ralph Lauren. Their more recent innovations include using QR codes in taxis to allow people to easily interact with media content.

For more information about Vidicom, check out their tumblr blog and flickr page.