Tag Archives: Canadian Made

David Usher’s Pink Elephants & Music

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Let the Elephants RunDavid Usher is many things, a musician, artist, author, public speaker, entrepreneur and activist. David is a British-born Canadian, and CanadianMade Audio talks with David about his new best-selling book, Let The Elephants Run.  Listen to our interview here. 

More About His Book: Do you allow for creative play or outrageous creative thought anymore? Well, David’s new best-selling book is all about letting our creative pink elephants run wild. Let the Elephants Run shows us how to reignite creativity whether in the head office, the home office or the artist’s studio.  He says in our latest podcast interview with Rita Rich that in today’s world with the Internet, five people are working on the very same idea you are at the same time.  But, it’s not so important about being the first to come up with a creative idea anymore, but in fact, being able to deliver that creative idea.

Life tends to stifle all the creativity out of us. David believes creativity is in our DNA; it’s in everyone, not just the creative class. We all start our lives as very creative beings, but for many that spark becomes lost over time. How do we jump-start our creative process as adults? What does it means to be a creative person? How do we follow through with our ideas and turn them into tangible outcomes?

David will be doing a book signing March 29th. Montrealers! Get your copy of signed by on 03/29 @ 2pm. Info:

Interested in reading his book? Well it’s published by:House of Anansi Press (English) and Québec Amérique (French). To order the book in Canada go through   Indigo,  Amazon, or  Librairie Drawn & Quarterly (order by phone or drop by). To order the book in the US go through IndieBound, Barnes and Noble, or Amazon.

For any questions related to David’s book please contact:

About His Music: David UsSongs From The Last Day On Earthher is also musician he has sold more than 1.4 million albums and performed all over the world. He has had number one singles singing in English, French and Thai.  His band, Moist launched in Vancouver during late 1992; the alternative rock band played for the first time in January of the next year and recorded a self-titled cassette in February. Vocalist David Usher, guitarist Mark Makowy, keyboard player Kevin Young and bassist Jeff Pearce still needed a consistent drummer, though; they finally found Paul Wilcox, just in time for a date at Canada’s Music West Conference in April 1993. After several regional tours, t EMI April Music (Canada) signed the band in October and to Chrysalis (U.S.) in May 1994. Chrysalis reissued the band’s self-released album, Silver, in August of that year. Creature appeared in 1996. After a four-year hiatus, the band released Mercedes Five and Dime in 2000.

About His Business.  And, when David is not making music, he is equally passionate about using technology to build new and interesting businesses. His company, Cloudid Creativity Labs and projects brings together artists, designers and programmers to work on a vast range of pioneering projects, from building web platforms to creative consulting.  David sits on the advisory board of McGill University’s Institute for the Public Life of Art and Ideas and is the founding director of Amnesty International’s Artists for Amnesty.  You can explore more of David’s projects at: www.cloudid.co

David has a degree in political science from Simon Fraser University. When he’s not on the road he’s found in front of a computer dreaming up something new to create.

Fashion, Lux Oscar Soirees & Backstage

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Producer Rita Rich of Canadian Made Audio chats with Canadian designer Lisa Drader-Murphy about some of the behind the scenes work that goes on before and during the Oscar parties, and some of her charity work as well.

Lisa Drader-Murphy has gone to the Oscars to get celebrity endorsements. And, this year she’s been asked to endorse the work of other fashion designers and artists!   For instance, American Radar Watches is on its way to Turbine shops.  Her fashions are a hit in Halifax and in Hollywood. She’s the total package when it comes to her innovative style, entrepreneurship, and of course, fashion design. Lisa is the president and owner of the Turbine and the Lisa Drader-Murphy labels.  Here’s a link to some of the famous celebs she’s hung out with, while in Hollywood.

From what we hear, she will be working with the Easter Seals of Nova Scotia, as a partner and presenter for its March 11th Evening with Easter Seals fundraising gala. Lisa Drader-Murphy will produce a fashion show for the gala. The program will include models who are clients of Easter Seals Nova Scotia’s programs that promote mobility and independence for Nova Scotians with disabilities. There will also be music and a silent auction. For more information and tickets please click here.

You can get in touch Lisa and follow the latest news and updates about Turbine Fashion via,           .      

Written by: Alice M. Fisher

We Are on Itunes

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Just click on either black box to download our stories.
Canadian Made Audio

And, our sister project is also on iTunes as well.
Patriot-Made Audio

In need of a podcast or media support? Learn more about our team @ http://bit.ly/1K9vz46

Tale of the Toonie Tails

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Did you see the news?  A new 2015 Canadian Toonie was released in January, it’s a new two dollar coin. Have you gotten it yet in any change you’ve received?  The commemorative two-dollar coin features the 200th anniversary of the birth of Canada’s first Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald on one side, and, as always, Queen Elizabeth II on the other. Is anyone else wondering what “heads” and “tails” is on this coin which features two heads? Which side do you think is the head or tails?  And, would you look at Queen Elizabeth? She’s resembling actress and Dame Helen Mirren more and more these days!  Sir MacDonald still looks like his colonial self.  Well, to be sure the Queen is not the backside of anything. So, heads you get the beer and tails I’ll get the chips.

You can obtain these coins at the Canadian Mint.

So what is “heads” and what is “tails” then? The Mint has the answer.  “The side which features the effigy of Her Majesty is called the ‘obverse’ in technical terms and has always been considered the ‘heads’ side of a coin,” a Mint spokesperson wrote in an email.  “The opposite side, officially called the ‘reverse,’ is always considered the tails side as it features a design different from the bust of the Canadian sovereign.”

The coin’s reverse image was designed by Canadian artist Glen Green and is inspired by archival photographs of Sir John A. Macdonald. Limited to a mintage of five million coins, Canadians can start looking for this coin in their change, attend coin exchanges at special events in select locations across Canada and at the Mint’s Ottawa, Winnipeg and Vancouver boutiques, or obtain limited quantities through an online coin exchange at www.mint.ca/canada150 (limited to Canada only).

To further commemorate this milestone anniversary, related numismatic coins are also available to order now on www.mint.ca/canada150 and will be available at Mint boutiques as of January 13th:

•  A $10 silver coin with selective gold plating featuring an original
portrait of Sir John A. Macdonald by Canadian artist Joel Kimmel ($69.95);
•  A $20 ‎silver coin featuring a striking portrait of Sir John A. Macdonald
    by Canadian artist William Lazos, against the backdrop of the original
Parliament Buildings ($89.95); and
•  A $100 14-karat gold coin featuring an original portrait of Sir John A. Macdonald
by Glen Green along with one of Macdonald’s achievements,
the completion of the Canadian Pacific railway ($599.95).

So there you have it.

Nikki W Slept With a Towel

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Nikki W WritingThis is a final segment of our four part series of podcasts featuring the 16 year old London, Ontario recording artist Nikki W.  Nikki reveals to CanadianMade’s Rita Rich about a poor decision she made not too long ago, and lived to tell about it, in a high crime area of London, Ontario, Canada.  Listen to our latest podcast about her here. All parents should be aware of this sort of story and the potential decisions their own teens could be making while at a party, when staying overnight somewhere else.   Nikki’s songs reflect the youthful decisions many teens make, who are finding their way in the world, and in hindsight they could have or should have made a different decision. This is life. This is the life of being a teenager. This is learning and Nikki’s songs reflect all of this and more.

Our many thanks to Nikki W for letting us dip our pens and our voices into your world and for the great music you are making.  Good luck and we hope to hear more great music from you in the next few years to come.

If you visit her Facebook page you can see she is starting to get some traction and pick up from others.  So, where can you find Nikki W and her music?

 

 

Nikki W (Part 3)

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Embedded image permalinkThis is our third in a four part series of personal interviews with Nikki W.  Listen to our latest podcast about her here.  Nikki explains to CanadianMade Audio producer Rita Rich how the song ” Superman” came about.  Superman is quite amazing and we love the words. It’s  relevant and timely for all young teens, and more importantly it seems to be able to transcend generations of listeners ranging from those who are juggling their day to day insanity of doing it all…like work, school, commuting, relationships and/or family and the kids.

Nikki has toured southern Ontario and select cities in the U.S. Learn more about how she’s experienced some dark days and is now enjoying being in the limelight.  Nikki is full of stories, like how she can’t even get into any clubs because she is so young.

Nikki Spaced  She has had some gigs, and tells CanadianMade Audio that she even got to play at Disney!

If you visit her Facebook page you can see she is starting to get some traction and pick up from others. For example,

  1. She was nominated for 2014’s CHRW 94.9 FM / chrwradio.com Local EP of the Year.
  2. Sleepingbagstudios also commented about her song Superman.  “I bet if you sat down with the creators of Superman and asked if they thought their superhero icon would become a literal metaphor for strength in our pop-culture they’d say ‘no way.’ Yet, here we are countless years later with countless artists & bands, speakers and writers referring to the man in the red-cape in comparison to our strongest moments…and our weakest as well. In “Superman,” from Nikki W., I was shocked to find that even here at this point in the EP she was able to heavily impress me and my eardrums; this is another absolute standout for her performance and delivery”
  3. And, she is noted in another podcast series called, Women of Substance Radio & Podcast, along with some great female musicians! Episode 59, @ 22 minutes in!
  4. Canadian Beats Blog also interviewed her last summer, where she explains some of the things she likes best

So, where can you find Nikki W and her music?

Soulful Sweet 16-Nikki W (Part 2)

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nikki w2Nikki Whitehead (NIKKI W) is a London, Ontario based singer, songwriter and pop recording artist. This is Canadian Made Audio’s second podcast of a four part series about Nikki W, Take a few minutes to hear the perspective of a very honest sweet 16 year-old, right here.  This London, Ontario high school student explains in this personal interview about the trials of coping with the stresses of being at the bottom of the food chain, when she entered eight grade. Her powerful, yet vulnerable voice touches on love, doubt, sex, self-harm, and alienation – all themes common to Nikki and her peers.

“Transparent Hands” is her impressive debut single. Her songwriting is strong, with lyrics like, “Don’t know who to trust and who to doubt” and “Someone like you is much too wonderful, lovely for someone as sad as me.”  She voices her generation’s anxiety with honesty and poignancy, as can be seen in her video “Transparent Hands.”

This 16 year-old Canadian artist’s full length Extended Play (EP) album is called “Sad Generation,”, (produced by Gavin Brow) and it is out now.

She’s been compared to British pop singer Adele, with the soulful way she sings her own compositions.  Her big voice also harkens back to the day of women with guitars like Joni Mitchell, Stevie Nicks or Patti Smith.

She speaks on behalf of “gypsies, wallflowers, and those without a voice” about love, doubt, sex, self-harm, and alienation. Nikki describes her music as “pop music with cuts, tattoos, and honesty. Nikki projects an emotional honesty and wisdom beyond her years.

If by some small chance you missed Part I of this series of interview series with Nikki W, the following is a link to that first interview.

We are now on iTunes!

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Canadian Made Audio Productions PodcastThis is just a brief announcement to all of our wonderful Canadian Made Audio followers, subscribers and friends everywhere. We are proud to announce that our Podcasts are now listed on iTunes for you to listen to from your Apple iPhone, iPod or iPad or iTunes from your desktop.  Here is the iTunes direct link pointing to our podcast about Canadian Made products and services.

We appreciate all our followers and friends and look forward to bringing you more great Canadian Made Audio stories in 2015! We simply love the Canadian entrepreneurial spirit of survival, hard work and endurance to make a difference in peoples lives. Give us a call or you can even text us if you have or know of a great story to help market Canadian businesses at (301) 404-9609 or (323) 939-08254. Emails can be sent to ritafrich (AT) gmail (DOT) com  &  dgcreative (AT) mindspring (DOT) com

 

Jazz Pianist David Braid

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David Braid-Improvisation Artist-Pianist-CanadianJuno Award winning Jazz Pianist David Braid chatted with CanadianMade Audio Productions about growing up in Hamilton and when he became obsessed with music and composition.  You can simple click the link below and listen to the entire story we produced as part of our CanadianMade Productions podcast which is heard on board 80% of Air Canada’s flights, right here.

Hailed by the Canadian press as “A jazz genius to call our own” (Macleans Magazine), two-time Juno Award winning pianist David Braid has performed concerts of his original music and improvisations across The United States, Europe, Scandinavia, Asia, Australia, Brazil and Canada.  Combining harmonies fundamental to European classical music and the spontaneity of American jazz, Braid’s fusion of art music engages audiences with a style that has been described as “refreshingly uncategorizable” (Paris Transatlantic), “brilliant” (Montreal Gazette), “wide-ranging, exploratory” (South China Morning Post), “une force poétique” (Le Soleil) and “hauntingly beautiful” (The Globe & Mail.)

Recently awarded Jazz Pianist of the Year in Canada, Braid is also a recipient of SOCAN Composer of the Year, recognizing his output of over one hundred works including compositions for solo piano, jazz ensembles chamber groups, and symphony orchestras. He has released nine recordings, garnering six Juno nominations and two Juno awards; he is also a multi-National Jazz Award Winner and a recipient of the Canada Council for the Arts’ “JazzID Award”.

 

“Celebrity Name Game” Inventor Laura Robinson

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Laura-Robinson-headshotEnjoy Laura Robinson’s chat with us via our latest CanadianMade Audio interview   Laura launched a new game, called ‘Identity Crisis: The Funniest Game About Famous Names’, in 2008.  She recently sold the 1-hour prime-time television game show based on her game “Identity Crises” to a major U.S. television network.  “The game show is based on the board game Identity Crisis, where Celebrities are teamed with contestants.

Thom Beers, CEO, FremantleMedia North America, commented, “Celebrity Name Game’ is a hilarious and innovative rapid-fire game show. It combines the best of pop culture with the best of comedy. We’ve had incredible success bringing world-class comedians to the world’s most successful game shows with talents such as Drew Carey, Steve Harvey and Wayne Brady. We are delighted to add the ultra-talented and witty Craig Ferguson to our family as he drives the competition and brings nonstop laughter to viewers at home…”

As further noted by Hollywood Reporter Article,  “Celebrity Name Game” was developed by Courteney Cox and David Arquette’s Coquette Productions along with showrunner Scott St. John, Laura Robinson and Richard Gerrits. Robinson and Gerrits, who will serve as producers on the series, run North 44 Productions. Executive producers are St. John, Thom Beers, Jennifer Mullin, Cox and Arquette…”

In 2009, Laura was a guest author for the bestselling book Chicken Soup for the Soul: Count Your Blessings, all about the transformational power of gratitude, and co-created an inspiring family board game of the same name. She was featured in the book Women Invent, and has been a keynote speaker at numerous events.

In 2008,  She invented of the popular parlor game Balderdash which is CanadianMade!  By the way, that single board game ‘Balderdash’ has sold more than twenty-five million copies, worldwide.

Laura also consults and advises inventors on the trademark/copyright process and on creating cohesive brand strategies.

Laura Robinson is a Canadian actress, inventor, producer and mother of two. She has enjoyed a successful and varied career as an actress with many roles in film and television, both in Los Angeles and Toronto. She was a regular on the long-running CBS show Night Heat (1985), played the title character in Lifetime Television’s original detective drama Veronica Clare (1991), and guest-starred on many hit shows like Frasier (1993) and Cheers (1982). She has appeared as a guest on Entertainment Tonight Canada (2005), The Gill Deacon Show (2006) and “Rogers Ottawa Daytime”, on CBC TV.

You can follow Ms. Robinson via Twitter @balderdashgirl

Blackberry’s Passport Design Inspired by TD Building

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The New Visually Pleasing Blackberry Passport

The New Visually Pleasing Blackberry Passport

The Toronto-Dominion Centre, (TD Building) is one of the  inspirations behind the Blackberry Passport’s design. Listen to our Canadian Made audio report about the BlackBerry to learn what else inspired this new device, with the classic push button QWERTY keyboard.

BlackBerry Limited, formerly known as Research In Motion Limited (RIM),is a Canadian telecommunication and wireless BlackBerry Logoequipment company best known to the general public as the developer of the BlackBerry brand of smartphones and tablets, but also well known worldwide as a provider of secure & high reliability software for industrial applications and Mobile Device Management (MDM).