Deep Rivers Run Quiet

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Deep rivers run quiet.
Its the shallow waters 

Making all the extra noise,

Churning and gurgling over stony passageways
And narrow tributaries,
Growling their liquid disdain;

Reaching and scratching for their place in the dark of the moon.
Ebbing waters with their soft tides
And their waxing gibbous swell

Toil the night away,
Trickling and scrolling their rippled reflection,
Reflecting reflection.

Swaying crests and streaming tides in their living water currents
That lap and languish along to our thought patterns

Spark positive when our heads hang high,
Sag a negative droop when our eyes and our mindfulness treads low.
So keep your head to the sky.

Shallow streams run noisy, but deep rivers drift quiet.
Gently flowing their essence through the depths of the cool waters,
The soft breeze in the shadow of the tree.

A current brimming with wisdom
That moves with ninja stealth
Through dew dropped shores,
Glistening in the early morning sun.

Deep rivers run quiet.



Copyright Julian Thomas 2018

We Matter

So, it was the morning of my third day of studio recording for my brother Etan Thomas' book "We Matter; Athletes and Activism".  An audiobook is a large endeavor, and I'm just hitting some stretches and face warmups and chugging some water and mint tea, and I decided to write something for the blog.

First of all, big thanks to Akashic publishing, and John Marshall Media for allowing me this opportunity to bring such a prolific project to the airwaves.

Where to begin. Well, they say it takes about 2 hours for every 1 finished recorded hour of audiobook material. So I knew this 320 page book would be a large endeavor. What I didn't anticipate was how much of a full body work-out it would be. You have to use your whole body for voiceover, and you should be tired at the end of the day, like you just came from the gym or a really intense yoga class.
It's basically a one man show, and if we took video of me recording in the booth it would certainly be an entertaining segment. My arms are going everywhere, gesticulating each section of dialogue, and moving with the voices on the page.

This book is especially engaging. Most of the text is comprised of interviews that Etan had with all sorts of famous people from the sports and news media world. From Russell Westbrook, to Mark Cuban, Jamele Hill to Chris Hayes, Michael Bennet, Carmelo Anthony, even sports legend Bill Russell is interviewed in the book. Not to mention the family members of some of the victims of police brutality from the past few years, along with current activists picking up the torch. So I wanted this recording to be something special. I want to honor these incredible voices (and hopefully show them that I can do their audiobooks too). This experience has been amazing for me.

I was fortunate enough to get to workshop with the great voiceover coach Zach Campion, (www.voicecoachdc.com certainly look him up before your next audition of any kind, the session was amazing) and I learned some valuable warmups and vocal exercises for achieving maximum preparedness. The body is an instrument, and the voice is a tuning rod. And so you have to stretch, you have to work out, you have to warm up and be in tune. If I were a sax player i would do many things to keep my instrument properly shined and polished. That is what you must do for your body.

As far as booking the part, I want to say a word about preparedness and always being at the ready. I got a text from Etan around 8 in the morning, on a Thursday. Luckily I've taken to waking up early these days and stretching and hopefully getting some writing done during the early morning hours. He asked if I could send him some v/o samples to forward to his publisher, and right away I knew this was a big opportunity. I have been amassing a collection of submission material for some time now, from a handful of websites; acx.com, voicebunny, and voices.com. So I had to only pick and choose my favorite ones to pass along. If I didn't have those on hand and ready to go, I'm not sure if I would have secured this gig. My point is just to say that you never know when that opportunity may arise, and if you're moping around like "oh I can't get any auditions right now," then you're not going to be ready when one pops up. Always have a reel ready to go, always have some voice samples in different genres, commercial, movie trailer, audiobook. You never know when it might be your big shot.

And most of all, always know the you that you want to show your would-be employers. Your style is your calling card, and it is singular to you. We can't guess what a casting director wants to see. Show them the you that nobody knows. The you that makes you smile. It's not about being cocky or even over confident, it's about being genuine. It's about being authentic in a way that is new and exciting and engaging to the text. That's the true art behind the industry gig.

Peace in the Paradox

Profound words are not clever.

Clever words are not profound.

Wise people are not quarrelsome.

Quarrelsome people are not wise.

Those who are intelligent are not ideologues.

Those who are ideologues are not intelligent.

The enlightened never hoard anything.

They share their possessions.

The more they give,

the greater their abundance.

The Great Integrity is the physician of the universe

who heals without harming, and how acts without contention.

This quote has been on my mind for some time. And I suppose, I use this concept to navigate the perils of pilot season. The way to stand out is by letting your inner light shine, not by forcing yourself upon scores of managers and casting directors. 

I was recently invited back to 30 Rockefeller Plaza this month to participate in a sketch for the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. It was unexpected, but extremely fun. And while I can't say for sure the reason why I stuck out to their casting lady, (a very gracious and pleasant studio rep) I can say that somewhere along the line I made a favorable impression. Sure, I try to be gracious and crack a joke here or there if something occurs to me. But I never go out of my way to try and appear witty or 'on' so to speak, something that I notice a lot of the other actors spending much of their time doing. 

First and foremost, the way to make a good impression is professionalism. That is hands down the best tool an actor has at their disposal. They have to know that you're reliable, and they have to know that they can depend on you and your word. This is a very fast paced business, and trust me, if you do not understand the concept of a time sensitive work environment, then you will struggle to make it anywhere in the entertainment industry. 

Often you can stand out the most by simply being efficient. And thats not to say that casting people don't like charismatic people, everyone does. But thats not enough, and I'm not even sure if thats the main thing. Being prepared, being reliable, but most of all being on time; these are things that make you stand out. If everyone does their homework, then the process is extremely fun and exciting in its fast paced work space. But when actors show up concerned about the wrong things it makes the process a headache for everyone involved. 

Better to fill in the demands of a scene, than to look 'sexy' on camera. Better to be profound in a handful of words, than to be clever in a diatribe. That is the Tao of the industry. 

The Rebirth Of The Cool

in the beginning, 

God created the funk, and the cool

now, the coolness was chaotic, and without form 

and discord covered the face of the deep

and God said

let there be peace

sparkling like diamond

gentle as the ray of the sun

an interstellar drum

with a cosmic heartbeat

and yes, there was the blues

that blacker than 1,000 midnights blue

eternal blazon of endless nothing

that chasm between reason and dream

the place i call home

and the cool was with me

the cool was in me

the cool was me

the cool knew me

the way i know

my very own name

sweeter than the taste of fresh cut sugar cane

we walked the yellow brick paths

of each and every dimensional plane

i sing a song for the cool

that melodic thumping in my ears drums

that comforts me just before i fall asleep at night

the gentle tap taps on the outskirts of my slumber

that whisper sweet nothings of peace and light

i sing a song for the cool

boogalooing jazz hall droplets of sweat

that glisten on brows of every color men

the mutated mind emissions

of castrated time transmissions

searching for a light wave

a loose-leaf page

and a pen

i sing a song for the cool

a post-modern influx

where faith is a crutch

hobbling thru fears of the day

our passions grow slender

but children remember

life is what unfolds along the way

syncopated sound waves

that sparkle like a moon ray

seeking out river bank reflection

resonant and free

we struggle not to be

sissified by delusive introspection

before there was ever any such thing as a wino or a junkie

we were cool

before there was ever any such thing as homelessness or aids

we were cool

before there was ever any single parent homes or halfway houses

or so-called holy wars

we were cool

me, i sing a song for the cool

Method Living

So, someone asked me the other day, what is Method Living?

In short, to see the world through the eyes of a true artist. Nothing more, nothing less.

Traditional method acting employs a tactic of what is called "sense-memory techniques" to draw upon real life experiences from the past and use them in your current character. It's sort of an 'imagine me if I grew up this way' technique, which is the basis for most of modern acting. 

What many people mistake for the whole of method is the whole thing where you are in a character for weeks on end and acting all weird on the set as that character. That is only 1 singular method technique, and it gets a bad rep for the whole Daniel Day Lewis thing. And then there's the method exercises that can go awry in acting class where they do psychology games to "break down" an actor's psyche and get closer to some Id form of the creative process. I don't mess with those in my workshops or my classes. If you want to get broken down to pieces psychologically, there's lots of free ways to do it.

My technique is Method Living. True method living is training yourself to see the world, the people in it, and your own damn self, freely and unabashed, and without judgement. (As the late great Colonel Kurtz taught us through the eyes of Marlon Brando, "it is the judgement that kills us"). For many of my students the hardest part of reaching their potential is allowing themselves to act freely and without embarrassment.

Some of the most creatively expansive things I've ever done on stage took place in my acting class at Northwestern University. I was fortunate. I was honored to have the great David Downs leading my class for 3 years, and the environment he created was one of discovery, and freedom. He encouraged us to reach for new and abstract ways of relating to a character, whether bringing in an observation from an animal at the zoo, or choosing a music number to emote fully and unhindered. One of my favorite exercises we did was when Professor Downs gave out the assignment of going to a statue park and working up a silent story (essentially a mime short) that would lead up to the pose of the statue. 

Although I didn't fully realize it until much later, these types of exercises garnered the state of mind to observe and report the essential ethos of story telling. In most art forms, this can viewed as some heady, intellectual, abstract thing. But acting burns away all of that. And not to say that acting isn't an intellectual sport, but first and foremost, it IS a sport. It takes athleticism. It takes a oneness of mind, body and soul. (And like good music or dancing, it does help if you have soul).

An actor (on stage or screen) gets to be the maestro of moments. It is the stringing together of instances of clear lucidity that pulls an audience in, or makes the character "fly off the screen" so to speak. Too many people think that you have too try hard to emote. It is largely the opposite. If anything you have to try hard during your homework. By the time you get to the set, everything must look effortless. This is only achieved by an extremely high level of preparation.

When I was in the jazz band in high school our music director Mr. Kirk, (we should've called him captain) he had a great saying that has stuck with me to this day. He said that "when we go up in front of the school or at competition, that is a performance. What we do here during class, that is a rehearsal, and what you do at home to prepare for class, that is called practice."

Your homework is your practice. Make sure and put the time in by yourself or you will wasted the time of your fellow actors when you go in for scene study. All of this becomes easily apparent when it is time to actually do a tech week in a theatre run, or heaven forbid, the inescapable table reading. Seeing the world in a constant state of creativity (and keeping a good actor's journal along the way) is the best way to be constantly practicing, constantly taking in new ideas and modes of living and ways of seeing the humans around you. Take notes, but no judgement. Just observe, and let it soak. But you have to put in the time. And you have to want to get better, every single day.

(for bookings for acting workshops and motivational speaking events, 

please send all queries to blackaugustent@gmail.com)

Tao Poetry

Ikkyu said it best:
writing something to leave behind is another kind of dream
when i awaken, i know that there will be no one to read it

the true master lowers himself into illusion every time he speaks
what is there to be said for the natural born teacher?

your genius must remain as hidden as your pending insanity,
a cerebral solar flare that eclipses the icy caverns of neptune
          runs circles round mantras

shimmering mellow tones of grey luminosity
reach up the stratosphere and cry freedom
          sometimes in silence,
          sometimes aloud

the true master lowers himself into illusion every time he speaks
what's there to be said for the natural born teacher?

sisyphean griot destined to translate the circumference of pi
into astronomical units that the people can consume

bring the people together, and watch what comes forth

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sometimes the most refreshing things in the world can be
to just sit outside in the sun and sweat

rejuvenating elixir of early summer pheromones
that broil the skin to cool down the core

we wear our emotions like the shadows at our feet
ignoring and disbelieving the silent wisdom they contain

pressing the suppressing the proverbial inner voice
wringing the dirty laundry out

neglected impulses stretched taut
like kites shifting from one breeze to another

turning and turning in the midsummer air
the way of the samurai is silent immediacy

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a single moon clear and bright
          in an unclouded sky
yet still we stumble in this world's darkness

how simple and chase were the words of the ancients
calligraphic star charts of mystery and sage wisdom
mapping out the middle passage
                    from the square to the circle
                    the chaff to the grain

inspiration poems are the best
not to take anything from those complex ideas
that curve along like a twisted valley carved
from years of weathered toil and erosion,
setting the boundaries on our mental tributaries

its the impulsive trips downstream that bring us closer to home
          the next step is always right before the eyes
obscurity
          passion
                    brutal honesty
                              that's a good place to start

There's Only One You

     As a working actor and professional coach, I try to keep several handy things in mind when it comes to navigating the treacherous waters that are the acting life. First of all, this is going to be hard, I mean really hard. The craft of acting study is rigorous enough. But when added to the labyrinth lifestyle that is the entertainment industry, it can be the most frustrating endeavor out there. Simply put, there is no way to luck into an acting gig without being more than prepared in the first place. Too many agents will tell you that in this day and age social media and brand marketing are the end-all be all. That will only get you part of the way there, at best. Take the time to learn your craft to the best of your abilities. You never know when that big opportunity is waiting around the corner. Often the part picks you, not the other way around. One thing I always tell my acting students is that there is no big break without first acquiring big skill. 

     One of my current acting roles is on a crime drama slotted for cable network called "10th Ave". We just got our IMDB page, I have to admit, and the whole process is very exciting: https://www.facebook.com/hellskitchenstory?fref=ts

The tapings are going exceedingly well, and mainly its just nice to finally take advantage of a pilot season. I, myself, only got the part when another actor had to drop out of the show. If it wasn't for a theatre friend thinking of me and mentioning me to the director I would have never found out about the gig at all.  I went from literally submitting to the director on a Thursday to filming on that following Sunday. And I bring this up just to hammer home the concept of marketing vs. skill building. If I hadn't performed well in my theatre run, then my friend would never have recommended me for the tv role in the first place. And I certainly would not have been able to keep the part if I had not been already prepared to step on to a set.

     Secondly, becoming an actor is becoming an entrepreneur. If you aren't prepared to be your own business CEO for the commodity that is your artwork, then you might as well step out of the game now. Too many sit back and wait for that ever elusive some-thing to happen. It doesn't work like that. Especially if you are an aspiring musician, you have to be even more business minded than your counterparts. Know your business goals, and what you expect from the next fiscal year. Have a foundation in marketing and branding techniques so that you don't sound like a total novice when you do get that all important meeting. This is a business. So you can't expect anyone else to do the homework for you. And if you don't do the homework, you will loose out. 

     And thirdly, be prepared to dare to be different. Remember, your lifestyle as a professional artist will be vastly different from 90 percent of the people you come across. Blending in is a way of the past. You have to dare to be different, and dare to be You. Even at auditions, too many people I come across are trying to play a type, or play the guessing game of reading the casting director's mind. You are not a mind reader, (and if you are, that should be your professional act, not pilot castings). You never know what that director has in mind for a role. If you've done your homework, and the headshot/resume is on point, then your best bet is always just to be yourself. There's a million types out there. There's only one you.