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YouthTube Trends: Promoting Inner and Outer Beauty

March 2, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Integrity of the Self and the Environment

In her astounding new music video, Lindsey Stirling performs her newest song, “Crystallize,” as she navigates majestic ice castles. Stirling, the winner of “America’s Got Talent,” ingeniously blends her stunning violin solo with dubstep, an electronic dance music originating from South London. She was inspired by new findings of Dr. Masaru Emoto, who found that human vibrational energy from thoughts, words, ideas, and music largely influence the molecular structure of water. That is, words of gratitude and love can foster beautiful crystals, but pessimistic and negative messages often result in ugly amorphous masses. In line with these findings, Stirling performs her newest single almost as a tribute to nurture and maintain such natural beauties.

We must understand the ways our choices and behaviors can cultivate or stunt critical ecosystems, especially as each of our activities may contribute to noise pollution and undermine even the most fundamental unit of life, water. Stirling interestingly points out that since we are 90 percent water, embracing positive messages and thoughts can literally shape our inner beauty. We wholly support musicians like Stirling who create and perform beautiful music to support a healthy relationship with herself and the environment.

Oscar Frenzy

With the recent showing of the Oscars, it wasn’t too surprising that many young people caught up on the most memorable moments from either the Oscar ceremony or Jimmy Kimmel’s humorous post-Oscar show on Youtube. Just yesterday, Ryan Seacrest’s interview with Sacha Baron Cohen as “the Dictator” on the red carpet went viral. The punchline moment featured Cohen spilling Kim Jong Il’s ashes all over Seacrest. Kimmel’s show also popularized a skit in which the biggest Hollywood actors and actresses ridiculously lampoon all the biggest blockbusters and celebrate the confusing conglomeration of these genres. (It is as absurd as it sounds.) The episode’s main guest, Oprah Winfrey, also showcases her flair for comedy, especially when it comes to making fun of her own show. Kimmel suggests the craziest remakes of Oprah’s most popular segments.

What counts as art?

Some cynics may say that art has declined, but we would beg to differ. There is just such a huge proliferation of unconventional yet fascinating art, and it’s just a matter of sorting through the different works to find what resonates. With 15,000 multicolored push pins, Brusspup created a large portrait (approximately weighing 40 pounds) of a young woman. This short clip features his self-composed background music, titled “Time Catcher.” The modern age invites us to create beautiful art out of even the seemingly most mundane, everyday objects.

Home of Covers and Meshes
Not surprisingly, YouTube is the go-to place to find works from talented and opinionated people. For some reason, we’ve seen a lot of satirical videos involving Russian politicians. Currently, three out of the ten most viewed videos fall into this category. While I did not understand their messages, it was a little reminiscent of the political satire videos from Jib Jab a couple years ago. Despite cultural and linguistic differences, the international community seems to concede that satirical videos can be an interesting outlet for frustrations and laughs.

Currently, Carlos Van Hoose’s cover of “One Thing” is topping the charts among youth. In just two days, the video has accumulated nearly 300,000 views. It isn’t surprising that YouTube has become a very popular avenue for self-promotion and potential future record labels. Youtube’s also the perfect venue for comeback stars such as rap artist and songwriter Kasha Rae, who is regarded as a socially conscious and positive force in the music community.

Filed Under: Transformational Entertainment, YouthTube Trends Tagged With: , , ,

Support Ground Breaking App and Earn 54% Profit

February 18, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Greetings Superheroes ~

Would you like to learn about Mobile Game Apps, earn a whopping 54% in several months and support a groundbreaking app that moves children into action on critical environmental issues? Don’t miss this limited opportunity. You can get started for as little as $100. Secure your spot as a “backr” today. Profits are distributed on first-in, first-out basis.

BACK NOW

How You Can Make 54% Return in Several Months

The team at BALANCE Edutainment is working with Appbackr, a digital wholesale marketplace for mobile apps, to fund the development of our new interactive game-app, Nature Superhero. Nature Superhero is the companion Mobile Game app to Pacha’s Pajamas, a Transmedia Experience Platform about a little girl who becomes a Superhero for Nature by organizing the world’s biggest festival with wild animals and plants! In the coming month, Nature Superhero will debut on the Appbackr marketplace as a $4.99 IOS (iPhone/iPad/iPod) app. Appbackr has agreed to make Nature Superhero “App of the Week”, help optimize our raise, drive sales and promote Nature Superhero through their networks.

Through Appbackr, a “backr” (a financial supporter) of the Nature Superhero app purchases pre-sale App units and makes a profit of 54% when the units are sold!  If you buy 600 units of the app at $1.75 wholesale price for a total of $1,050, when the units sold through the Apple App Store (starting in April 2012), you will receive $1,620.  That’s a 54% return on investment.

  • You do not have manage inventory, sell or distribute product
  • You buy units wholesale and help promote through social media/web
  • You receive a disbursement after sales occur at the Apple App store
  • You get paid based on a first-in first-out basis whether not you drove the traffic to the Apple store

54% in months is an amazing return for for buying wholesale units of a groundbreaking app before it is publicly available.

Filed Under: Crowdfunding, Ventures Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Put a Lil’ Green UNDER Your Tree with the Pacha’s Pajamas Book & Music

November 30, 2011 By 1 Comment

Tis the season for gifting green!

While most of the STUFF that goes under Christmas trees this season will not likely be earth-friendly, YOU have options for greening the gifts under your tree with Pacha’s Pajamas. Our softcover book, Pacha’s Pajamas: A Story Written by Nature, is made with recycled paper and soy inks. It is the story of a little girl who dreams of uniting the planet with a music festival starring a host of singing plants and dancing animals. The story teaches kids about our impact on nature, cooperation and balance. Our brand-new musical EP, featuring Mos Def and Talib Kweli of Black Star, is available online or on CD.

We are NOW accepting orders for the book and pre-orders for the musical EP through our Kickstarter store. For $10, you get the Pacha’s Pajamas soft-cover, illustrated book, plus a download link for the musical EP; book-only orders will be sent within 2 days. For $15, you get the book and a CD of the EP. Orders with CD will be sent First Class mail by Dec. 15th. Give more, and you get cool prizes like an Associate Producer credit on the next printing of the book or on the album.

And to top it off, your orders/contributions will support environmental education for the masses by seeding a culturally relevant educational entertainment platform that has the potential to engage millions of young people and families in a conversation about our interdependence with nature. Lets Occupy Pop Culture together!

How to order today:

Thank you for gifting green this holiday season!

In appreciation,
Team Pacha

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/meliaspapa/pachas-pajamas-a-story-written-by-nature-childrens

Filed Under: Edutainment Tagged With: , , , , , ,

What has BALANCE Edutainment been up to?

November 23, 2011 By 1 Comment

Here’s a quick update from Dave and Aaron on what BALANCE Edutainment has been up to recently: networking with movers and shakers at the L.A. and SF Green Festivals, connecting to Mos Def and Talib Kweli at their Black Star show, and a big performance at the Get Connected Fair put on by the Alameda County Office of Education. Pacha continues to inspire hearts and minds!

Filed Under: News Tagged With: , ,

Rap Stars Mos Def And Talib Kweli Bring Their Voices To Environmental Hip Hop Album, EP Released

November 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Mos Def and Author Aaron Ableman

Rap stars singing about butterflies and saving the environment isn’t something we hear about everyday.

And that’s precisely what BALANCE Edutainment, LLC had in mind when they approached rap stars Mos Def and Talib Kweli to participate in their upcoming children’s hip hop album about the environment, Pacha’s Pajamas: A Story Written By Nature.  The EP, which features Def, Kweli, and others, is available as a free digital download for a limited period starting today at http://www.pachaspajamas.com/music. The full album is due out Spring 2012.

The Pacha’s Pajamas CD features Grammy, Emmy, and Golden Globe nominated hip hop artist and actor, Def (also known as Yasiin Bey), who narrates the fictional story of Pacha, a girl who dreams of uniting the planet via a music festival starring a host of singing plants and break dancing animals.  Kweli, a popular

lyricist and hip-hop artist wrote and performs an original song on the album from the perspective of a butterfly.  The duo, who previously collaborated on the late ‘90s album Mos Def and Talib Kweli Are Black Star, have received acclaim for using their artistry, talents and notoriety to raise public awareness about myriad social issues.

“We’re extremely grateful for Mos and Talib’s involvement and truly believe we can influence social, economic, and environmental change in a compelling way through the telling of powerful stories, by creating music people are inspired to listen to and with the help of the world’s children,” said Aaron Ableman, accomplished musician, social entrepreneur and co-founder of BALANCE Edutainment.

“It’s important to impart the message not just to children but to all human beings, that we have a
responsibility to our own humanity and to the one who has created all, to treat this creation with
care and respect,” said actor and hip hop artist, Mos Def.

“The idea that you have to be mindful of the environment, or pay attention to the environment, is
something people should grow up with.  It’s not something that you should have to convince an
adult of,”  added hip hop artist, Talib Kweli.

“The story of Pacha’s Pajamas is spreading the information early (to kids), so it becomes like a
cornerstone or a foundation.”

In addition to Def and Kweli’s participation, the BALANCE team of musicians and social
entrepreneurs are in the studio with other soon-to-be-announced musical artists completing the
album.  The BALANCE Edutainment team will also be making live appearances to perform the
story and songs from Pacha’s Pajamas: A Story Written By Nature throughout the United States
this Fall and in Spring 2012.

For more information, please visit www.pachaspajamas.com.

Filed Under: News, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

National EP Launch and Positive Local Story: Pacha’s Pajamas at San Francisco Green Festival 10th Anniversary Celebration

November 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment

A special Pacha’s Pajamas reading takes place at the San Fransisco Green Festival 10th Anniversary celebration this Saturday, November 12, 2011 at 2:00 pm. As local Oakland-based group BALANCE Edutainment launches thier promotional music EP nationally with soon-to-be-announced celebrity musical artists and talented youth, co-founders Aaron Ableman and Dave Room connect positive messages through storytime in the San Francisco Green Festival Green Kids’ Zone.

In a recent CNN ireport interview at Los Angeles Green Festival, Ableman is asked, “When kids read this book or have this book read to them, what is your hope that they will get out of it?”

“If children can walk away inspired with a connection to the earth and each other, that would be a victory,” Ableman answers.

Pacha’s Pajamas: A Story Written by Nature, a hip-hop musical story about a little girl named Pacha who saves the environment with the help of the world’s plants and animals, is both a children’s book (www.amazon.com and www.pachaspajamas.com) and an upcoming hip-hop musical album, designed to bring music and storytelling together to share important messages about the environment and inspire positive action.

“If we want to deeply engage youth, perhaps the most important space to occupy is pop culture, as expressed in music. In the last century, music played a pivotal role in many of the world’s most important social movements,” Room states in a recent article in the Washington Times Communities.

“We are at a critical time to manifest real change, but we need to find solutions inclusive of all,” Ableman adds.

“We believe that catalyzing change can happen in a fun way through socially-conscious music, stories about interdependence and by amplifying the voices of children. Human Rights and Nature’s Rights are key issues that Pacha’s Pajamas aims to popularize through the project, a tale of a little girl with big dreams for unity on planet earth. We are thrilled to share Pacha’s message at Green Festival’s 10th Anniversary Celebration, and with all global movements calling for peace, health and justice in the world,” says Ableman.

For a limited time starting on 11/11/11, the promotional EP is available as a free digital download by signing up at http://pachaspajamas.com. The full album is due out Spring 2012.

The BALANCE Edutainment team will be making live appearances to perform the story and songs from Pacha’s Pajamas: A Story Written By Nature throughout the United States this Fall and in Spring 2012. For more information, please visit www.pachaspajamas.com.

After Pacha’s Pajamas reading, join BALANCE partner Destiny Arts Youth Performance Company for a Main Stage musical performance on Saturday at 3:45pm. Then, head to the Ben & Jerry’s Community Action Pavilion at 4:30pm for an interactive workshop exploring social issues through movement, theater games and group building exercises. Come prepared to move your body, speak your truth and act from the heart.

Additional Green Kids’ Zone activities include crafts, stories, music and much more throughout the weekend. Green Festival is an eco-friendly marketplace with over 300 exhibitors, live music and spoken word, yoga and movement classes and cutting edge film screenings. Ten stages and pavilions host more than 125 enthusiastic speakers offering in-depth presentations and short talks on the issues and practices for adults and children of all ages.

Green Festival takes place at the San Francisco Concourse Exhibition Center, 635 8th St. at Brannan St.

About BALANCE Edutainment, LLC BALANCE Edutainment, LLC (www.balanceedutainment.com) is an Oakland, Calif.-based company that creates cause-related entertainment products – books, musical CD’s, curricula, mobile apps, and more. Their debut children’s story and hip-hop album Pacha’s Pajamas: A Story Written by Nature are the brainchild of Balance Edutainment Co-Founders Aaron Ableman, musician, and social entrepreneur, Dave Room. The team’s aim with Pacha Pajamas and future products is to educate children and the masses in a fun and entertaining way about important environmental and other social issues. A portion of the proceeds of Balance Edutainment’s sales will be donated to like-minded nonprofit organizations.

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BALANCE Edutainment Performs on Main Stage at Los Angeles Green Festival

October 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The live storytelling and musical youth workshop and performance led by Pacha’s Pajamas creators BALANCE Edutainment and an up-and-coming local youth star takes place on the Main Stage on Sunday, October 30 at 3:45 pm after “Celebrities for Social Change in Action” with Ed Begley Jr., Rachelle Carson and Esai Morales, and before Reverend Lennox Yearwood Jr. of the Hip Hop Caucus.

Pacha’s Pajamas performance and workshop will also take place in the Green Festival Green Kids’ Zone on Saturday, October 29 at 1:00 pm. Additional Green Kids’ Zone activities include crafts, Halloween adventures, stories, music and much more throughout the weekend.

Pacha’s Pajamas: A Story Written by Nature, a hip-hop musical story abouta little girl named Pacha who saves the environment with the help of the world’s plants and animals is both a children’s book (www.amazon.com and www.pachaspajamas.com) and an upcoming hip-hop musical album, designed to bring music and storytellingtogether to share important messages about the environment and inspire positive action. The new album features well-known, soon-to-be-announced celebrity musical artistsand talented youth.

Joining BALANCE Edutainment on stage at Los Angeles Green Festival is local youth, Miles Ananda McAliley. Miles was born in Los Angeles in May of 1998 to Raye Dowell and Ira McAliley.  Always having a bright personality, Miles started modeling and acting at the age of 3, booking jobs for Tommy Hilfigger, and Disney.  After appearing in the Will Smith Black Suits Comin’ video, for the movie Men in Black II, Miles decide to retire to pursue his life a kid.  For several years, Miles explored soccer, baseball, tap dance, and martial arts, before falling in love with drawing and basketball. During this time he also developed a love for music, with a particular passion for Rap Music.  At the age of 10, Miles wrote his first lyrics for his math class.  The positive response inspired him to spend the next couple years continuing to develop his skills as a writer and performer.  Miles has performed with the Lil’ Big Ups, a free youth arts project and musical variety show, The Pico Youth and Family Center All-Stars, a Santa Monica non-profit that promotes Peace, Unity, and Social Justice, and Gerald C. Rivers, an LA artist with a show that features the works of the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  Miles was also recently chosen as a finalist in California State Assemblyman Mike Davis’ 28th district talent search. Miles balances his life by focusing on being a good student at New Los Angeles Charter Middle School, and training for and playing basketball.  His is also a loving older brother and son, who looks forward to going to college and making a positive contribution to society. Watch Mile’s audition video now:

 

“We believe that catalyzing change can happen in a fun way through socially-conscious music, stories about interdependence and by amplifying the voices of children,” says Aaron Ableman, musician, educator and co-founder of BALANCE Edutainment, the creator of Pacha’s Pajamas.

“Human Rights and Nature’s Rights are key issues that Pacha’s Pajamas aims topopularize through the project, a tale of a little girl with big dreams for unity on planet earth. We are thrilled to share Pacha’s message with the GreenFestival, and with all global movements calling for peace, health and justice in the world!”

Green Festival is an eco-friendly marketplace with over 300 exhibitors, live music and spoken word, yoga and movement classes and cutting edge film screenings. Ten stages and pavilions host more than 125 enthusiastic speakers and teachers offering in-depth presentations and short talks on the issues and practices for adults and children of all ages.

Green Festival takes place at the Los Angeles Convention Center, South Hall G.

In addition to the Green Festival performance, the BALANCE Edutainment team will be making live appearances to perform the story and songs from the Pacha’s Pajamas ebook andalbum throughout the United States this fall and through 2012.  For more information, please visit www.pachaspajamas.com.

Filed Under: News, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,