Archive | April, 2012

Channeling John Lennon: Ralph Rich is a Musician You Ought to Know

30 Apr

It’s no secret that we Dames like music. Pop, rock, classical, hip hop, and even some rap. We’ve also had our personal experiences with music. Abbie personally knows Red Wanting Blue, Jeannette has touched Josh Groban’s hand, and I wish I had touched Josh Groban’s hand…

Much of my high school experience was spent surrounded by music. Particularly, during long hours of choir and theater rehearsal where for weeks on end we would try to get the harmonies just right — to the point that we were sick of the songs, sick of each other, and physically sick. So not only do I love music, but I’m pretty skilled at discerning good music.

One of my new favorite artists is someone who I’ve known for nearly my whole life — even longer than I’ve known Jeannette (and I’ve known her since I was six.)

My new favorite artist is Ralph Rich.

A Northeast Ohio native (from Hubbard, a suburb of Youngstown), Ralph Rich has been involved in the local music scene for about 4 years, performing both as a solo artist and as a member of various bands including Krave, The Fuzzy Dice, and Super Cheef. He has played at multiple venues big and small including The Lemon Grove, Cedar’s, O’Donold’s, and Barley’s Pub in the Youngstown area, The Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland, Red Hook, New York, and Sadie Rene’s in Canton.

Rich, 24, began playing drums at age 4 and has played guitar since high school. He cites his main influences as The Beatles, John Lennon, Dashboard Confessional, and The Killers. Rich’s sound, however, also evokes the spirit of artists like The Goo Goo Dolls and John Mayer.

Rich has been writing music since high school, using personal experiences as inspiration, and his hard work is paying off. Looking forward to an eventual move to Los Angeles, Rich has just released his first EP. Comprised of original songs written by Rich over the last several years, the EP features six acoustic tracks that capture all of Rich’s influences.

The self-titled EP highlights all of Rich’s talents and his promise as an artist. My favorite tracks off the EP are “For You,” “Gia,” and “Leaving You Behind.”

“For You”: (Sample)

“Gia”: (Sample)

“Leaving You Behind”: (Sample)

Equally as fantastic, are the EP’s remaining 3 tracks, “I Want to Know,” “Think Back-Remember Me,” and “Heartbreaker.”

“I Want to Know”: (Sample)

“Think Back-Remember Me”: (Sample)

“Heartbreaker”: (Sample)

The CD version of Ralph Rich’s self-titled EP is available now directly from the artist. It will be available for digital download on iTunes and Amazon.com on June 1, 2012. It will also be available on Spotify on the same date.

Make sure you check out his Facebook Page here: Ralph Rich on Facebook.

Rich’s new EP is truly excellent and a representative of the talent housed here in Northeast Ohio.

Abbie may have Red Wanting Blue, but I’m looking forward to the day when I can say: “You know Ralph Rich? I knew him in Kindergarten…”

DISCLAIMER: All images and audio included in this post are the property of Ralph Rich.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Fighting Imposter Syndrome and “Knowing Your Value”

29 Apr

As Abbie and Jeannette have stated in their posts this we Dames have been on a little bit of a hiatus. For myself, life has simply been unbelievably busy. I’m happy to report that my M.A. thesis is completely written and that I’ve passed my comprehensive exams. I still have to finish thesis revisions, but graduation is getting more and more tangible by the day.

I won’t lie, I have mixed feelings about graduating. I’m extremely happy to be moving on to something new, and I’m looking forward to exploring different job opportunities and just seeing what’s out there. Unfortunately, I will not be attending a Ph.D. program next year. I’m okay with this though. I’m a firm believer that things happen for a reason, and after going through the process of researching and writing a thesis, I’ve come to realize that I need a break. There are so many things I can do, there are so many ways to find happiness — and I can’t wait to find out what that might be.

I had some trouble getting my thesis started back in February. Unfortunately, when I write I have to start at the beginning. I can’t write the body of a paper first and then go back later and write the introduction. I have to write the intro first, even if it means completely re-writing it later. Once I did get going though, I wrote, edited, and re-wrote almost non-stop — to the point that I almost made myself crazy. I constantly second-guessed myself, stressing about every little detail, worrying that my readers would think I was a fraud, that my argument made no sense, that what I was saying was a bunch of crap. I’ve decided that I suffer from “Imposter Syndrome.”

Everyone has insecurities about a variety of things, but school has always been a major part of my life. I mean, let’s face it, I’ve been in school non-stop since age 3. That was 21 years ago. (God, I feel old — haha!) So, I forget sometimes that I’m not just a young student who has no authority. I have a Bachelor’s degree, I’m an adult, I have experience. I need to start remembering that and acting accordingly. Just because I’m still a student doesn’t mean that I don’t know things with relative certainty.

It’s the same idea with jobs. I’ve been looking around at different possibilities in between working on revisions. There are a lot of different jobs that I have the education, skills, and experience to do. But, I just need to remind myself that Ican do them. Yeah, they’re not “history” jobs — but that’s perfectly okay. They don’t need to be. I am not an imposter, in history or in terms of my other abilities. They’re not going to look at me immediately and say,  “You? Hahaha. We don’t think so.” I am not an imposter.

In addition to reminding myself that I am not an imposter, the process of writing my thesis also provided me with some insight on knowing my value. Even though I wrote almost non-stop for a month and a half, I didn’t write 24/7. In my downtime, I read a book called “Knowing Your Value: Women, Money, and Getting What You’re Worth” by Mika Brzezinski (co-host of Morning Joe with Joe Scarborough on MSNBC).

In her book, Mika Brzezinski discusses how she was re-hired at MSNBC in 2007 after losing her job at CBS. Grateful to have any job, Mika took what she could get — even if that meant only working a few hours a day for paltry pay and working the worst hours. A twist of fate resulted in Joe Scarborough singling her out as his desired co-host for a new morning show, but even with her new gig, she was still working on a host of other assignments for the network for far less pay than her Morning Joe co-workers. Upset with her unfair treatment and unequal (or, really in the same ballpark) pay, Mika when to her boss to ask for a raise. Her request was rejected.

This book, and my discussion of it, is not entirely about politics or the gender wage gap. Believe me, that gap is a real issue — but women’s consideration of their own value is equally as important in the equation. Mika, with the help of other famous friends, describes how many women (and some men too) lack the confidence of their own value in the workplace.

Instead of  asking for a raise in a confident manner,  Mika identifies that she went into the meeting with an apologetic tone — that she was sorry she had to ask, that she didn’t want to cause waves, that she understood money was tight and times were tough. She focused on the idea that she was so “lucky” to be on this program and to have a position at MSNBC — that she was grateful.

There’s nothing wrong with humility. But, at the same time, gratefulness isn’t confidence. Mika learned that she had to remember she deserved a raise. She deserved to be there. She was more than qualified for her job. She was valuable.

Here are some great quotes from the book:

“The problem is, a woman is socialized to accept that which she is given. So if somebody tells you that you can’t, you believe it. If somebody says you’re not worth it, you believe it.” - Suze Orman

“The key is to do your research. The most important thing that people don’t realize, especially women, is you can’t go in [to ask for a raise] expecting people to take care of you and that they’re going to be fair. They’re going to try to get the best deal they can.” - Lesley Jane Seymour, editor-in-chief of More

“Assuming power is everything. You have to assume it … [don't] wait to be asked.”  - Tina Brown, co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Daily Beast and editor-in-chief of Newsweek

“A lot of getting ahead in the workplace has to do with being willing to raise your hand. . . . If we as women don’t raise our hands in the workplace, we’re not going to get the same opportunities men do. Because men keep their hands up.”
- Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook

Imposter Syndrome and not knowing your value go hand in hand. I myself am gulity of feeling lucky or grateful for simply being given the consideration for something. For downplaying my own achievements or my own intelligence to not stand out too much. Even to my own eyes and ears now, these statements sound a little arrogant. But they’re not. Everyone has strengths. Everyone has weaknesses. But we are all valuable in different ways.

Don’t let anyone tell you you’re not valuable. You are.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

In Celebration: Public Radio Music Month

28 Apr

Like Jeannette mentioned in her most recent post, there has been quite a hiatus here at The Dish. April is always a busy month, and for me, that was no exception. I’ll be finishing up grad school in May, and it seems like many of my classes backloaded our syllabi with rather large projects (or busy work, depending on the class), and my projects and events for my internship have been consuming most of my in-front-of-a-computer time, which is ok with me since I definitely love working in Student Programming. Besides being a part time graduate intern, part time student employee, and full time student, I’m also serving as one of my sister’s maids of honor for her upcoming wedding, which kind of equates to another part time job. (I really like doing this, too — if Student Affairs doesn’t work out for me, I’m totally becoming a craft concierge!)

April is almost over, though, and I wanted to write this post while it was still relevant. Public radio stations across the nation are celebrating Public Radio Music Month, in recognition of these small, locally supported radio stations that aren’t afraid to take chances with their playlists and programming. These stations are able to bring a more diverse sampling of music to a wider audience than mainstream stations on the dial, providing tunes that don’t necessarily sound like anything else that’s out there right now. For classical music lovers that can’t make it to the symphony in person, public radio puts the listener right in the front row, and alternative music fans can have that small club right in their own car. According to NPR Audience Insight & Research, public radio stations play 4,797,660 hours of music a year. That’s a whole lot of listener supported music.

In Northeast Ohio, my public radio of choice is The Summit FM (91.3 Akron/Canton, 90.7 Youngstown), and that’s usually where you’ll find my radio set. Don’t get me wrong, NPR is great, too, but I just can’t get into classical music on the radio. I do, however, like to catch up on the news and listen to Fresh Air and Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me when I get a chance. (Can I please have Carl Kasell record my voice mail message?!) The Summit is an entirely listener-sponsored radio station, and has been for over 30 years. This allows them to bring you music for your drive home, minus all the annoying commercials that you get on other stations. Plus, there’s a wider variety of what you’ll hear, since they don’t play the Top 40 in a continuous loop. As I’ve traveled all over Northeast Ohio, I’ve discovered a lot of great music that I never would have heard on other stations. While some of the artists they feature are quite well-known (Bruce Springsteen, Adele, and the Black Keys, to name a few), there are others who are gaining more and more notoriety by being featured on these local stations.

Here are a few of my favorite finds that I’ve discovered listening to The Summit (which you can listen to right now, since they stream it online for free, and also through a free app for your iPhone!). Whenever the first two songs on this list come on, I tend to crank it up and rock out…  Support your public radio stations and tune in; you never know what you may find!

Other songs on the list:
Mat Kearney -  Hey Mama
Michael Franti – Subterranean Homesick Blues
The Head & the Heart – Lost in My Mind
Of Monsters & Men – Little Talks
Eric Hutchinson – Watching You Watch Him
Mumford & Sons – The Cave
Dr. Dog – That Old Black Hole
Imelda May – Mayhem
Wilco – Dawned On Me
Florence + The Machine – Dog Days Are Over
NEEDTOBREATHE – Drive All Night
Dave Matthews Band – You & Me
Red Wanting Blue – White Snow

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Channeling Stress Into Something Worth Sharing

27 Apr

It’s 6:58 a.m. on a Friday morning. The one day of the week that I don’t have to be up early to go to classes or be productive early in the morning. Why so Jeannette, you may ask?

It’s the last week of the semester. Finals weeks is right around the corner. Who could sleep knowing how much has to get done in the next few days? Oh, and my kitten was wide awake and in my face by 6:30 a.m., but we’ll just chalk it up to the impending doom that is finals week.

Finals week comes but twice a year (three, if you’re lucky ;) and it never fails to sneak up on you…or  maybe that’s just me. Perhaps it’s not finals week that is so stressful for me at this point. It may just be everything else leading up to finals week, particularly the last week of classes, that makes me question how I’m ever going to survive another 5 or 6 years of this. Stress levels are heightened, tensions are high, and people are cranky. Relationships are questioned, memories are replayed of how you possibly could have missed those two extra points that will now prevent you from getting that A, and all you want to do is take a quick break from the craziness around you.

At this point, some people may resort to doing something destructive. Drinking too much, gambling away your life’s savings, or even just completely shutting down and pretending the world around you doesn’t exist. Me? I bake.

I’ve often found baking to be a relatively stress free activity. With baking, you have the world at your fingertips. You can bake anything and everything you’ve ever wanted. You can try out that old family recipe for homemade apple pie, or you can test out your knowledge of how ingredients interact and end up with something really great (…or sometimes in my case, something that won’t be worth recreating). Whatever the case may be, I channeling my stress into bake. At the end, you’re left with a delicious treat that can be shared…or kept for yourself :) …and you’ve managed to make other people happy (hopefully) too. Perhaps that’s another reason I like baking so much. I like to share and it makes me happy when other people are happy.

 So, yesterday I was feeling particularly stressed out. This is the result.

 

Peanut butter cookies and fudge brownies.

I wish I had a takeaway message from this post. I’m not sure there is one, but I guess the point is that being stressed out doesn’t mean you have to cope with it negatively (oh my goodness, can you hear the psychologist in me coming out?). Bake and share. Take pictures and enter them in a contest. Go for a run and get in shape for that upcoming race. Whatever the case may be, you can find a way to channel your stress into something positive :)

Happy baking to you all <3

Tags: , , , , , ,

Making a Non-Milestone Birthday Count

3 Apr

I know this may come as a surprise to you.

In fact, it came as a surprise to me as well.

My father bought me the white house for my birthday. No, really-He did. He bought it when I turned four and we’ve been living in it for 19 years now.

Oh, you thought I meant this White House.

Sorry about the confusion. Although that would have been nice, I imagine that’s not even possible.

When I turned four, my family moved to a new house. Apparently I went around telling everyone that my father had bought me the white house for my birthday. Although I failed to see the humor in my innocent expression at the time, I now laugh when I think back on this memory.

Over the years I have received a plethora of wonderful gifts from friends and family.

Last week I turned 23.

There’s nothing especially exciting about turning 23-there’s nothing I can do now that I couldn’t do at 22 and it doesn’t represent a milestone birthday. It’s just-23. Seems pretty boring when you put it like that.

Sometimes I think we have to make our birthdays special for ourselves. Not because other people forgot about us. Not because we didn’t receive gifts. Not because anyone or anything failed to happen the way you imagined it would.

Just because. What makes one year any different than another is what you choose to do with it.

I’m a relatively shy and reserved person. Those of you who know me, know this to be true. Although I generally don’t have difficulty chatting with strangers, I’d say I’m more shy than not. I may have an idea about the way things should be, but may wait months or years to act on this idea. And by that time, I’ve probably already missed my chance.

I wanted this year to be different. I wanted to make 23 something worth remembering. It took me a long time to realize that being shy and reserved isn’t getting me anywhere. In fact, it’s overrated. Sometimes you have to take life into your own hands and see where that leads you. Whether it’s going after that special person you’ve had your eye on recently, or it’s finally having the courage to stand up for something you believe in, go for it.

A lot of people set New Years Resolutions and fail to stick to them past the end of January. I think this is a little different. Your birthday is the one day of the year that things really can be about you. Most of us probably receive loads of attention and gifts from others on our birthdays, but how often do you give yourself a gift? I know, it sounds silly, but you know yourself better than anyone else. Consider it a gift that will make you a better person and will be the one thing you can give yourself that no one else can. Make your non-milestone (and milestone birthdays, for that matter) count.

Make this year different.

Make this year count.

 

Tags: , , , , , ,

The Care and Keeping of Your Naturally Curly Hair (and Your Pale, Irish Skin)

1 Apr

I think they took this picture out of one of my mom's photo albums.

When I was a kid, my older cousins said I looked like the girl from “Curly Sue.” Having never seen the movie, I wasn’t sure what they were talking about, but it turns out they were pretty dead on in their comparison. I’ve always had very curly hair, and by the time I was about three or four, I resembled a very young Shirley Temple, complete with the precociousness and the need to perform for everyone at every chance I got. As I reached that super-awkward period from 4th to 8th grade, I found myself making questionable fashion choices and not really knowing what to do with my hair. For a while, I kept my hair shoulder length and would brush it out, leaving it all in a big poof, which I would push back with one of those headbands with comb-like teeth that clipped in the back. You know what I’m talking about. I think it was in the 10th grade that I discovered the power of the straightening iron, and spend a good deal of time trying to take my impossible-to-manage curly locks to poker straight. If you know anything about naturally curly hair, you know that even a little bit of humidity will lay to waste the hour or so it took to straighten your hair. Throughout college, I alternated between straight and curly hair, finally figuring out that I should blow dry my hair out with a barrel brush if I wanted to straighten it. (It became a multi-hour process.) It wasn’t until I started dating Brian that I really appreciated my curliness. Everyone had always said how lucky I was to have such naturally curly hair, but for the longest time, all I wanted was glossy, thick, straight hair. Brian told me that he loved my curly hair, and that I shouldn’t flatiron it anymore, so… I just kinda stopped. Now, I’ve more or less phased my flat iron out, and I can’t remember the last time I used it. Recently, I decided that I really want to own my curly mane. (Fun fact: I’ve never, ever colored my hair, either. I don’t want to until it’s absolutely necessary either, but I’ve got my own Stacy London growing in…) I want to take good care of my curls because I feel like they’re one of my most unique characteristics. Sarah wrote a fantastic post about ensuring that you always have a polished, professional look by warding off split ends, and she listed some great tips to try. I’ve scoured Pinterest for more tips on the care and keeping of fabulously curly hair — these are the best of what I’ve found:

- Never get your curly hair cut while it’s wet. 2 inches of wet, straight hair could equal 4 or 5 inches of dry, curly hair. Try to find someone who has experience cutting curly hair and knows how to cut it while it’s dry. Read this article before you get your next hair cut!
- Stop using a terry cloth towel to dry your hair. Use a t-shirt, it doesn’t have the rough texture that can ruin the structure of your curls. I’ve been doing this for the last couple of months or so and it really helps.
- This blog has the best tips by far. Curly girls shouldn’t use products that have sulfates in them, and like Joni, I’m paying a lot more attention to what I’m putting in my hair now. Also, don’t wash your hair every day. Full disclosure: my mom picked up a lovely floral shower cap for me, and I have used it.

After all of that, I thought I’d share my routine with all of you lovelies. Here’s what I’ve been using on my hair to work on my curls. It’d be nice if I could just use products from one line, but after years of hits and misses, I think I’ve found a good combination that works for me.

the dream team

From left to right: Pantene Moisture Renewal Conditioner for Curly Hair, Suave Kids Detangling Spray, Tresemme Bouncy Curls Extra Hold Defining Gel, and Suave Healthy Curls Scrunching Mousse

I use a basic cleansing shampoo to wash my hair, and then I follow it up with a healthy amount of Pantene Moisture Renewal Conditioner for Curly Hair. Before I get out of the shower, I use a liberal amount of Suave Kids Detangling Spray, which doubles as a leave-in conditioner, and then I comb it out with my fingers.

St. Ive's Naturally Clear Apricot Scrub with Blemish and Blackhead Control, Clean & Clear Deep Action Cream Cleanser for Sensitive Skin

While I have my hair up in a t-shirt, I break out my tried and true face products. I’ve been using St. Ive’s Naturally Clear Apricot Scrub and Clean & Clear Deep Action Cream Cleanser since high school, and I’ve never had a bad break out. After I’m done, I love how it leaves my pale, Irish skin looking smooth and glowing. The St. Ive’s scrub has repeatedly named Allure’s People’s Choice for Best Scrub, and it’s definitely a winner in my book.

Ah-tractive.

See that painting behind me? Brian did it. It's my favorite of his.

It's like I'm a brunette lion. I love my mane. (And yes, I know lady lions don't have manes.)

Before and after. The t-shirt wrap look is kinda cute, right? No? Ok, I won’t wear it in public. When I take it out of the t-shirt, I take a few minutes to arrange it, because however it’s laying when it dries is how it will look when it is dry. Curls are fickle like that. Sometimes I’ll use the Suave Healthy Curls Scrunching Mousse if I think my hair needs a boost, but I haven’t used it in quite a while. Usually after my hair is completely dry, I work a nickel-size dollop of Tresemme’s Bouncy Curls Defining Gel through my hair by flipping my hair over and lightly combing it through. Recently, I found another great product to help moisturize my hair: Pantene Curly Hair Series Deep Moisturizing Treatment. I use it once a week to help revitalize the shape of my curls after seven days of sleeping on it. I know I’m in need of a trim to get rid of some dead ends and add some shape to my hair. Curly hair needs layers to help create a lovely frame around your face. It’ll probably help tame my frizz, too. Until then, I’ll just flip it around till it looks ok.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 41 other followers

%d bloggers like this: