Spoken Dreams

C-zar Wisemen is a rapper, poet, and aspiring actor from Charlottesville, Virginia. To escape the turmoil of his life at school, C-zar found refuge in music. He also began writing poetry as a way to articulate his feelings. Influenced by the programming and artists on BET, MTV, and VH1, C-zar's writing eventually evolved into rap. He began to pursue a rap career in Charlottesville, and would eventually make his way out to Los Angeles. Full show notes available at http://ktla.com/SpokenDreams.

Jacques Derosena is an actor, hand model, and voice over artist working in Los Angeles. While Jacques was born in Boston, he was raised in Haiti and France. Jacques learned to speak English by watching American television programs. T.V. instilled in Jacques a magical sense of wonder and awe for America and the entertainment industry. When he finally arrived in the United States, Jacques had no doubt he wanted to pursue a career as an actor. Full show notes available at http://ktla.com/SpokenDreams.

Kyla Garcia is an actress from Hoboken, New Jersey. As a young girl, Kyla never had any doubt that she wanted to be an actress. As a performer, Kyla exhibited confidence and focus, never straying from her dream of being an actress. With a strong desire to tell stories and create art within her community, Kyla seemed to always have control over her own destiny. However, at the most important point of her career as an actress, Kyla began to wonder if the path she had set out before her was the one she was meant to be on. Full show notes available at http://ktla.com/SpokenDreams.

The Urban Renewal Project is an L.A. based big band that is blurring the lines between music genres. Their influences include jazz, soul, funk, hip-hop, and pop. With a large horn section, a singer, and a rapper, The Urban Renewal Project is out to set new trends in the world of music. This episode features saxophonist and band leader R.W. Enoch, and rapper Elmer Demond. Full show notes available at http://ktla.com/SpokenDreams.

Dom Marcell is a Wall St. banker turned Hollywood singer-songwriter. Dom was born in Puerto Rico and raised in New Orleans. he discovered his love for performing when he was in high school, and found that music helped him break out of his shell. He decided he would continue to pursue a career in music, and positioned himself closer to the industry by attending college at USC in Los Angeles.When his music career didn't seem to be taking off, Dom shelved his dreams for a while and decided to focus more on business. Full show notes available at http://ktla.com/spokendreams.

Mimi G is a fashion and lifestyle blogger, and DIY expert behind the blog Mimi G Style. Mimi G was born in Puerto Rico, and spent most of her childhood growing up in Chicago. In her early teens, Mimi made her way to Los Angeles to escape a troubled family life that included physical and sexual abuse. She chose to leave for Los Anegeles not becasue she had Hollywood dreams of stardom, but for California's sunny climate in case she ended up homeless. Mimi G continued to endure many challenges in Los Angeles, but with hard work, persistence, and talent, she was able to turn her life around into a true and ever-growing success story. Full show notes available at http://ktla.com/SpokenDreams.

Danielle Jones is a Los Angeles native pursuing her dreams of being an actress and a model. As a kid, Danielle was shy and had trouble fitting in in school, but a chance circumstance led her to being cast in her first commercial when she was 9-years-old. Ever since then, she was hooked. Danielle discovered that being on set and performing in front of the camera was where she found true happiness. Danielle eventually found herself attending a performing arts high school, and despite her parents’ hesitance, she knew she would commit her future to pursuing a career in the entertainment industry. Full show notes available at http://ktla.com/SpokenDreams.

Danny Salay is an actor from Kenmore, New York. The only real experience with performing he had as a kid was acting in home movies shot around the neighborhood by his cousin. Growing up, Danny's life was Baseball. After growing restless, Danny joined the Peace Corps and helped with clean water projects in Zambia. It was there that he realized he did not want to waste the opportunities provided to him in the United States. He decided to head to Los Angeles and pursue his dream of being an actor. Eventually his journey lead him to China, where he would spend over six years working as an actor to try and achieve his goal of working on a film with action star Jackie Chan. Full show notes available at http://ktla.com/SpokenDreams.

Jodi Adler is a writer, comedian, and actress from Los Angeles. After grad school, Jodi began pursuing a career in broadcast journalism after her previous job as a financial analyst left her feeling unfulfilled. She began working as an anchor and reporter in L.A. radio, and it was then that Jodi’s sarcastic and witty sense of humor really began to take hold. With the encouragement of several coworkers, Jodi began exploring the world of standup comedy, and eventually pursued acting and voice over work. Jodi’s versatility as a broadcaster, comedian, and actress helped her create a new character and persona: Auntie Jodi. Full show notes available at http://ktla.com/SpokenDreams.

Julia Aks is an actress and opera singer from Los Angeles. Performing has always been a part of Julia’s life since an early age. By the time she finished college, she had seized a number of opportunities to perform and grow as an artist, and at just 23-years-old she was even offered a contract with the LA Opera. At certain point, though, Julia hit a wall, and realized talent alone would not get her to the next phase of her career as a performer. After having a bit of a breakdown, Julia found herself at a crossroads: She should either give up, or pick herself up and fight even harder for the things she wants most. Full show notes available at http://ktla.com/SpokenDreams.

Gabriel Zapata’s childhood in San Bernardino was heavily influenced by television, cult films, the arts, and pop-culture. These served as an escape for Gabriel and his siblings from the dangers of their community at the time. After leaving college, he began performing drag as Jean Decay. With her drag performances, Jean Decay addresses important topics like race, sexuality, and other sociopolitical issues, but she is also a celebration and tribute to the women that have protected and influenced Gabriel throughout his life. Full show notes available at http://ktla.com/SpokenDreams.

Chandler Juliet is a recording artist and singer-songwriter from Los Angeles. The daughter of renowned jazz trombonist Bob McChesney and jazz singer/violinist Calabria Foti, Chandler has been around music all her life. By age 9, she was writing her own original songs on her mother's old guitar. After performing an original song for a group of girls at her job as a summer camp counselor, Chandler began to really push herself to pursuing a career as a recording artist. Chandler's successes as an independent artist are a  direct result of her drive and hard work towards pursuing her dreams. In this episode, she shares how she was motivated to achieve her goals, and some of the lessons she learned along the way. Full show notes available at http://ktla.com/SpokenDreams.

Eric Modyman is an actor and theater director in the Orange County and Los Angeles areas. As a kid growing up in Whittier, Eric found that his ability to do voices and act out movie scenes served as ways to keep him from being bullied by his classmates. He eventually joined the drama program in his high school, where he excelled at performing over-the-top comedic characters. When he continued acting beyond high school, however, Eric discovered that  the world is full of tough critics. With his confidence challenged, Eric swore off acting. But he wouldn’t stay down and out for long. Full show notes available at http://ktla.com/SpokenDreams.

Kenny Lee is an actor, singer, dancer, and comedian from Los Angeles. Kenny has been performing since he was 5-years old. The grandson of a church minister, Kenny would travel around with his family putting on music and dance performances. As he got older, he continued to find opportunities to perform. When it came to chasing his dreams, there was no stopping Kenny. But a few years ago, something completely unexpected happened to Kenny that would change his life forever. Full show notes available at http://ktla.com/SpokenDreams

Tanya Hreiz is an aspiring host and personality. She grew up in a small suburb of Philadelphia, but always believed she was destined for a future in a bigger city. While she always felt she wanted to be in the spotlight, Tanya struggled to pinpoint exactly what it was she wanted to do as a career. After a traumatic car accident, Tanya discovered acting as a way to channel her emotions and let them out on-stage. She made the decision that she would come to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting. Full show notes available at http://ktla.com/SpokenDreams.

Zack Golovan is an actor in Los Angeles. Originally from Illinois, he grew up in the Chicago suburb of Buffalo Grove. As a kid, he enjoyed entertaining close friends and family, but he still considered himself to be  a shy person, so a life on stage didn't seem likely. However, once he reached high school, Zack decided to give acting a shot. He found that being involved in the communal act of putting on performances helped him overcome his shyness, and empowered him to pursue the things he enjoyed. Full show notes available at http://ktla.com/SpokenDreams.

Hector Chavez is a voice actor from Orange County. Growing up, he never anticipated he would be pursuing a career in show business. That changed when a celebrity guest speaker visited his school and inspired Hector to pursue acting. He began finding opportunities to perform, and developed a love for entertaining audiences and capturing their attention. As time went on, however, Hector found himself putting his dreams on hold. A fear of rejection, and the uncertainty of being able to provide for his family led Hector down a more traditional path. It wasn't until a near-death experience that his perspective changed, and he realized he felt unfulfilled in his career. He discovered voice acting, and vowed to commit himself 100% to pursuing his passion. Full show notes available at http://ktla.com/SpokenDreams.

Michael NOMAD Ripoll is an artist, composer, producer, and session musician who has worked with some of the biggest  names in the music industry. A guitar virtuoso, NOMAD is fluent in dozens of music genres, and has worked with artists such as Barbara Streisand, Aretha Franklin, Colbie Caillat, Celine Dion, and Justin Bieber. He has also worked on numerous film scores with iconic composers such as John Powell and Danny Elfman. Additionally, NOMAD also serves as the musical director and guitarist for Grammy-Award winning artist and songwriter, Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds. Full show notes available at http://ktla.com/SpokenDreams.

Michael O'Brien is a professional magician in the Los Angeles and Orange County areas. Like many kids, Michael grew up fascinated with magic, even learning how to perform several simple tricks for friends and family. As he got older, his enthusiasm for magic waned as he began to focus on other things. It wasn't until watching a sleight of hand magician performing on Hollywood Boulevard that Michael's interest in magic was reignited, and he set out to achieve a dream of becoming professional magician. Full show notes available at http://ktla.com/SpokenDreams.

Evan Rogers is an aspiring storyteller who grew up in San Jose. Imaginative from a young age, Evan wanted to figure out a way to bring the same joy he experienced from immersing himself in stories to other people. After finding no sustainable work in the Bay Area’s film industry, Evan decided to pull up stakes and move to Los Angeles. Once he arrived in L.A., Evan would discover just how difficult breaking into the industry really is. His first experience working on a film project evolved into a bizarre web of lies, mystery, and drama. Full show notes available at http://Ktla.com/SpokenDreams.