User:Urielmusico/sandbox

Action Required Now - Heal our world with a song
Philanthropic world-fusion band healing our world one song at a time, creates a culture of mindful, proactive people who inspire others to support goodwill organizations. Action Required Now (ARN) partners with nonprofits and sponsors to produce cause-related songs, which supporters download for a small donation, to be shared between the band and the nonprofit organization.

Mission:

Whether it’s finding a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, rescuing a dog from the streets, abolishing child abuse, supporting education and environmental protection, or saving animals that face extinction, causes need action. Through the power of music, Action Required Now aims to propel people to support the causes in which they believe.

Uriel Vázquez

Founder / Music Director / Composer

Born in Mexico City, Uriel learned to play the guitar at the age of 7. Then he learned organ and music composition at the Yamaha Academy of Mexico. By 10, he was awarded 3rd place in the Yamaha International Composition Competition. Later, he would form his rock band “Sentido Contrario,” touring for a decade.

After graduating from Universidad Intercontinental with a Bachelors Degree in Communication Sciences, he moved to the United States to start a career in advertising. With over 16 years of experience working for national and regional clients, he opened his own advertising boutique, “Alebrije,” in 2005, where he developed award-winning campaigns for Toyota Golf States, JCPenney and McDonald’s. He has been recognized for his work with ADDY’s, Telly Awards & Se Habla Español awards, including one Silver ADDY for his broadcast campaign for the Humane Society of Bexar County in 2004.

Uriel has the ability to play several instruments, including piano, guitar, bass guitar, drums and percussion. His inspiration comes from his passion for film scoring, as he refers to his composition style as “I score feelings. I evoke positive emotions… I score my own life.”

“I always wanted to inspire people with my music and when I got the idea of this organization back in 2007, I knew this would be the right way.”

– Uriel Vázquez

Leslie Hamilton

Founder / Producer

Leslie Ben was born and reared in Dallas, Texas. The baby of the family, she explored the wilds, poetry, and music. Her pets were her buddies, teaching everyone they met that fighting like cats and dogs was generally due to someone’s neglecting proper introductions.

At Rice she majored in Sociology and spent time between classes behind the proscenium: directing, designing, or crewing. Junior year, she cast herself in the role of foreigner, taking flight to Spain to dance with gypsies, interview day laborers, and study with locals at a tobacco factory-turned-university. Weekends, she’d wander Moorish gardens by day, play at festivals by night.

In the quest for a career in her field, Applied Sociology morphed into Advertising. General, Hispanic, and urban markets offered Leslie training grounds from agency to production company to post house, TracyLocke, Lopez Negrete, Fuego Worldwide, and Post Asylum among them. “Book It!” quickly became her favorite spot, promoting children’s literacy and winning her team their twelfth award. “Production used to be solely fun for me, affording scant opportunity to give back. I’m delighted that my experience is now supporting wonderful causes! So I can do more for the environment than buying alternate fuels and more for animals than being vegetarian. I’m lucky to be part of Action Required Now, located at the intersection of creativity, anthropology, and philanthropy.”

- Leslie Ben Hamilton

Musicians:

Ayinde Castro

Born in New York City, Ayinde Castro toured Portugal as a child, then brought the beats of Cuba, Honduras, Martinique, and Brazil back to the US. He’s played world percussion with some of the best musicians globally, and makes a difference in others’ lives through music and words from any of his five languages.

Chris Panich

Chris Panich has been writing and performing in bands since he was 13. Crop Circle was the first, then Sound Mind Studios, the Sever Display, and the Hillbilly Orchestra, affiliated with Pantera drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott’s Big Vin Records. Gigs have taken him to the famed Ridglea and Lakewood Theaters, among others.

David Hopson

The bugle boy at camp, David Hopson moved on to trumpet, guitar, piano, and finally, after thirty years of award-winning Creative Direction, harmonica. He paints, shoots photography, drives a graphics computer, and plays Chicago Blues every day, the harmonica tucked in his pocket for spare moments’ practice.

David Rosenblad

President/Owner of DRM: sir reel sound, David Rosenblad is an award-winning sound designer, composer, session musician, sound editor, and mixer. He leads the multi stylized kirtan music ensemble The Sound and The Meaning, where he brings positive spiritual intention into all the music he writes and performs.

Dion Pride

Dion Pride started singing and playing guitar by the age of five, piano at eight, drums at ten, bass at twelve, then hit the stage at fourteen. His demos are legend, playing and singing all the parts. He’s performed in Panama, Honduras, Guantanamo Bay, Antigua, England, Ireland, Scotland, Canada, and the US.

Jason Cook

Jason Cook sang at the Dallas Symphony Center while in high school. He’s written over 30 songs and performed at The Door, White Rock Coffee and The Palladium. Expanding his capabilities beyond voice, he’s learning djembe and piano. His plans are to release his first music video and solo album in 2012.

Mauricio Rocha

Young Mauricio, has been playing his cello half of his life literally.

Soul Dynasty

The lead operatic sound and a member of the “Lab Singers” while at the Arts Magnet, Soul Dynasty has been the background singer for many artists, including Amon Rashidi and Rashani. Her “Kissed by a Stranger” was touted best song from the entire movie, “Uninvited Guest,” by its executive producer.

Uriel Vázquez

Born in Mexico City, Uriel Vázquez took 3rd in the Yamaha International Composition Competition at the age of 10. He toured for a decade as “Sentido Contrario” before moving to the US for advertising. The ADDY for his Humane Society ads in ’04 propelled him to found ARN in ’08, to inspire with music.

Yolanda McDonald

Yolanda McDonald became a professional singer with Kirk Franklin and the Family, receiving gold and platinum albums. She’s since founded Brok-N, her own gospel group, performing with them, ARN and solo. She’s recorded one of her original compositions, which she refers to as “songs from the heart.”

Additional song writers:

Matías Carrasco

A young Matías Carrasco discovered a link between art and business, which he’s enjoyed as an entrepreneur, ever since. Steeped in visual arts and writing his whole life, he dipped into poetry after moving from Mexico to Dallas. He now heads up a company, writes lyrics, and will publish his first book this year.

Paul Nadelman

By thirteen, Paul Nadelman was recording, performing live, and teaching. He studied music composition, jazz, fusion, classical, Latin and rock at Dallas’ Arts Magnet. Among the groups with which Paul’s played is the Dallas Symphony. When not composing or playing, he helps new artists break into music.

Producers:

Leslie Hamilton

Leslie Ben Hamilton played piano and cello as a pup. Rice brought sociology and theater her way, which fed splendidly into advertising. She now produces jingles and spots, her favorite an award-winning PSA. Weekends, she sings in a choir, plays with four-legged friends, and reduces her carbon footprint.

Alejandro Vázquez

Alejandro Vázquez, producer and videographer, holds a Bachelors in Communication Sciences. His entrepreneurial spirit supports Action Required Now through filming, editing and developing the Action Required Now TV channel, online. He is non-stop… “Everything for the cause,” he cries.

PR and Community Outreach team:

Dora Tovar:

eihfebfeb ifeijf ejnf jnf jenf ijef iejf iejnf iejnf ienf

Itzel Vega

Itzel Vega has nineteen years of experience in PR, with a degree and honors in International Relations. Executive producer and host of her radio show “Conexión con Acción,” she’s also an advocate for good will causes in our community. Itzel brings knowledge, passion and commitment to ARN’s mission.