I amthe
quintessentiall Jack-of-all-trades.
According to so many people who have toldme
such. At least I believe that is what they are calling me as usuallythey
get about half of it out.
But true to this nature I have pursuedso
many artisitic avenues neglecting to settle down with any one of them.
This is why I am not independantly wealthy. Let's have a pity party.
Go!
These are my interests in order of size.
-
Coffee
-
Traveling
-
Politics
For posterity, here is a breakdown of my interests.
Don't you die on me, ya hear?
TECHNOLOGY
Once, I got my hands on a home built XT,a
screaming 4.7 box without a turbo button. Two flashy 5.25 floppydrives
and a deluxe amber monitor.
Since that day, I have thrived in InformationalTechnology.
Have written applications, utilities andgames
ad-nauseum. A selection of these are available on the Freewareand
Games pages..
My first "grown up" job was at the Boardof
Trade in Chicago and led to managing Operations, Data Entry and Programming.
It was a fun first job.
Years later I contracted with a publishinghouse
for a gold CD project that led to writing a program that stream-linedthe
process so anyone could handle it. It was good. So it basicallymade
my contract obsolete. So I hopped on full-time and in 18 monthswas
managing Telcom, Desktop Services and Networking under the plume SiteCoordinator.
I developed there for years till they outsourced everyone. It was a fun
second job.
I now consult for medium and small businesses.
Designing and building startups from the ground up and provide maintenanceand
pleasantly take those frantic emergency calls. I also provideweb
services and over time have designed advertising material for theatersand
small businesses.
It's a living. And affords me to enjoythe
swath of arts I am emmersed in. (Lol, I hate that last sentence butleaving
it for now)
MUSIC
Like everyone else, I turned to musicwhen
I was younger. I acquired a Hofner "Beatle" bass and a matchingHofner
6-string violin body guitar. Awesome.
I learned to play on a three day car tripto
California. Third day, at the Grand Canyon, I wrote my first song.A
few months later I returned to Chicago and did my first solo gig at aRogers
Park coffeehouse. I was horrible. They didn't care, I was back homein Chicago.
But I got better and soon did the bandthing.
A selection of studio tracks can be found on the music page. Harrowingly,
we managed to escape any sort of success by employing ourcunningly sharp
cluelessness ambiance. Dodging two offers of localproduction contract
by relentlessly trying to control everything and givingup nothing. Note
to future clueless musicians: It works well.
But we were tight. Managed to showcaseat
some notable affairs including Cook County Jail, (we followed Sinatraby
a couple months), "Mother's" night club, (for a DJ convention for chrissakes.),
Old Town School of Folk Music and the Mayor's Month of Sunday's festival.
Stories to follow.
Last few years I have been creating digitalmusic
scores. Some call it cartoony .. I call it digital music scores.
I still play instruments everyday. My new passion is ukelele, but guitarand
piano are still favorites. Since the age of 16, I've written nearly15 good
songs out of hundreds of attempts. Hey, that's still an album.Let's do
lunch, babe.
THEATER
I am an improvisation actor. Yet alsoan
actor. Depends if I am reading or speaking. When I was 17I
took a class at Second City. A good 12 years later I worked therefor
five years. Back when everybody dropped in to see where the Belushi'shad
made good. I met just about everybody and worked with the funny halfof
today's Hollywood.
Sure, you're curious as to whom I referto,
but let's get this straight - I'm not a name dropper - case closedso
that is that. Name dropping is just crass. Yes it is. Crass
and obnoxious and only practiced by bores. How do I know this?This
I've learned this from my good friends Steve Carrel, Stephen Cobert,Bonny
Hunt, Nia Vardalos, Jim Belushi and Chris Farley. And I'm prettysure
it was mentioned as well by Robin Williams and Brooke Shields whenthey
passed through. Either way, it was a lesson well learned andI shan't
do it.
I spent lots of time in improv groups beforesettleling
in for a decade with The Illegitimate Players. We went fromImprov revues
to full length plays, with one midwest television seriestossed in.
Our plays are published through Broadway Publishing anddo well enough.
It's a good feeling. Even when those who producethem get ti wrong.
For our writing and acting efforts, we have collecteda shelf of awards
including a Joseph Jefferson Award, a couple WIC awardsand a coveted ACE
award.
The Illigitimate Players also incorporatedas
The Comedy Option where we wrote, performed and filmed for corporationsat
various corporate functions. It paid for all our theater endeavors,
L.A. trips and salt products. We were as 'darling' to Fortune 500companies
as we were to local theater critics. It was good. See more in the
Theater section. I promise I won't drop names.
ART
Always drew. Always will. Dabblein
acrylics. Loved Pen and Ink. Watercolors when I am traveling overseas.Now
I mainly create digital drawings. I have designed t-shirtsand
show menu's, adverts and such for Second City. For a time I wasart
editor for a Chicago based Theater magazine. And hey, I once won aneighth
grade poster contest and got my pic in the school rag ...is thatanything?
:)
FILM
Looove film and video. In high schoolI
worked at a local movie theater. (Back when you didn't have to cleanup
after each showing) I got the job as they were changing owners. My first
three weeks there the theater was still contracted to show pornomovies.
Did I mention I was 16? Guess I just wasn't a complainer.
Since acquiring a toy crank projector (Brunswick)at
the age of 6, and closely studying the two minute Popeye cartoon thatcame
with it, I was totally facinated and started making a mental listof what
I was going to film when I grew up and got a real movie camera. That day
came when I was about 13. (Got a 'camera', not 'grew up') I made 105 8mm
films. Ten are brilliant.
I won awards in high school in film studyfor
city wide competitions. But frankly most schools just weren'tbringing
it. Our school's first year offering film study andeligibility
to attend the city competition, and we walked out with a thirdof the awards.
Out of our five winning entries, one was mineand three others I lent
assistance to. Where is my five projectmovie deal now?
Pffft.
Hmm ....
Did I mention I'm a great cook?
Seriously I never know whether I shouldpile
it on or self deprecate writing these things. I'm good at selfdeprecation.
I'm also good at cooking. Oh I did?
I hope this site isn't too indulgent, buthey,
I'm paying for it so ....
Enjoy.
Keith.
|
