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Red Ribbon Campaign
April 2003
Justin is Creative Director of VoiceImage Productions, the Orlando, Florida-based creative services agency that provides voice talent and complete production services to the broadcasting media. He has over 25 years of broadcast and related industry experience. Justin and VoiceImage Productions are multiple award winners for their efforts in creative imaging, voiceover, and production techniques.
Metro D.C. audiences know Justin as their Afternoon Drive Air-Talent on Smooth Jazz-WJZW 105.9, Washington, DC-ABC Radio and host of Smooth Jazz Concerts and Events, including the Capital Jazz Fest from 1998-2001.
"Smooth Notes and News" feels Justin’s exceptional talents and creativity will bring light to the creative processes in the Smooth Jazz genre, broadcasting and multimedia.
www.VoiceImage.com
“The arts are just a way of living, and however one lives, one can, without
knowing, prepare for it; in everything real one is closer to it…”
April 2003
WAR GAMES
It’s most probable that, like you, every time I see and hear of war, I am greatly saddened. Unfortunately, most of the passengers of this planet haven’t quite figured out how to totally resolve disputes without ultimately ending up creating a violent confrontation. Or have they?
This months “Smooth Grooves” is not about what’s right and wrong. Its not about war and peace. It’s about the power inside all of us to cause change on a small scale, and on a very large scale.
When I was a child and didn’t quite understand war and its conflicts, I did however understand music. Music made me feel wonderful and visions of war made me feel sad. Then one day, I (as so many others did at the time) bought a Monkees album.
Contained on that album were songs that were perfect for the times. Hit songs, love songs, happy songs, sad songs … and a war song. No … not the “Cisco Kid” guys … but a song about real war. A real conflict between two leaders complete with marching snare drums, horns, violins, and vocals.
Now one would think that the leaders of two entities would have the power to check … and checkmate. One would also think that the little guy would not have any power at all to cause change. But this is music. Music can make things happen. Music can go places where real life may not ever take you! Music can cross boundaries of race, creed, geography … anything.
Now imagine how powerful we can be if we just united as people. Plain old human beings doing good things and living well. It’s a nice thought huh? Don’t think it will ever happen, but I love to dream. And I love my music. In fact, I took out that old Monkees album and found that the same ONE song that I liked so well back then, still had an incredibly powerful message in it.
Time to share. RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, California. January 7, 13, & 18 and February 14 & 17, 1968. A song written by Bill Chadwick and John Chadwick and sung by Mickey Dolenz. It even had a guy by the name of Harry Nilsson on the keyboards. The song was called “Zor and Zam”. A name I thought to be quite unusual at the time, but could actually be anyone. I’ll leave you with this:
ZOR AND ZAM
The king of Zor, he called for war, And the king of Zam, he answered.
They fashioned their weapons one upon one,
Ton upon ton,
they called for war at the rise of the sun.
Out went the call to one and to all, that echoed and rolled like the thunder.
Trumpets and drums, roar upon roar,
More upon more.
Rolling the call of "Come now to war."
Throughout the night they fashioned their might, With right on the side of the mighty.
They puzzled their minds plan upon plan,
Man upon man
And at dying of dawn the great war began.
They met on the battlefield banner in hand. They looked out across the vacant land.
And they counted the missing, one upon one,
None upon none.
The war it was over before it begun.
Two little kings playing a game.
They called for war and nobody came.
And nobody came.
*JT*
ps: If you’d like to hear the song:
http://www.geocities.com/monkeesmp3spg11/sounds/ZorAndZam.mp3
Send your questions and comments to: justin@smoothnotesandnews.com
© April 2003 Smooth Notes and News
