Interviews

The Power of Perseverance: Interview with David Archuleta On His Book and Music

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You might know David Archuleta mostly for his soulful, relatable music, but did you know he also wrote an inspirational book that was on the New York Times Bestsellers List? The American Idol runner-up penned Chords of Strength: A Memoir of Soul, Song and the Power of Perseverance where he shares the unexpected journey from the competition to his successful singing career, and how he overcame obstacles like vocal cord paralysis to achieve his dream of being a singer. Dreamer ENT’s media partner The Valder Beebe Show spoke to David about the success of the book and of his recent music; read and listen to what he had to say below:


David On Writing His Book



quote
David On Writing His Book Chords of Strength
“It was something that I never thought I’d ever do because I just didn’t think I was capable of doing it… But I guess that’s kind of the theme of my life and it’s actually kind of the things I talk about in the book, just about going for things that you don’t think you’re able to do, you don’t think you’re good enough or ready for yet, but it’s about taking the chance when you’re given that opportunity and it’s amazing what could be the outcome of it.

“It’s been a really wonderful experience hearing the positive feedback from people on it and seeing how it’s been helpful to people who have read it. That was really the goal of it just being able to help by sharing experiences that I have had and hoping that it will be helpful to people when they read it – I’m really happy with the way it’s quoteendturned out.”

More About Chords of Strength

“In this personal memoir, David Archuleta reveals insecurities he felt about his voice-before he realized that he loved the way singing made him feel more than he disliked the way he sounded. He opens up about the strength he draws from his unshakable faith and unyielding family. He pays tribute to those who continue to inspire him davidalbumand through their example help him believe in himself, his talent, and his abilities.

“Intimate and uplifting, Chords of Strength allows a unique glimpse of the man behind the music and offers hope to anyone with a passion and a dream.” – Publisher’s Description

We love David’s song “Something About Love,” from his latest album The Other Side of Down. David says the song is more uptempo then what he’s been known to do, and that he was excited to get more involved with the writing process of on the album.

David On Making His Recent Album
The Other Side of Down

“I just wanted to show more of me and show more of the things that I believed in… allow people to relate to me more, kind of see my personality more in the songs.”


Watch the video for “Something About Love,” below:

David’s Blog

From David’s Website: “Check out this recent video blog from David, all about family, appreciating what you have…and a little bit about exercise. So make sure to give your family some love, and get out there and exercise a bit!”

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Interview: Alyson Stoner and Her Mom On Healthy Habits for Back to School

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Today’s tweens and teens lead busy lives, especially with school starting back up again. Sometimes in the bustle between classes, homework and after school activities they may not take the time to practice healthy habits.

17-year-old Alyson Stoner knows how challenging it can be to stick to a healthy routine, especially with a packed schedule. She began performing in dance at the age of three and at the age of six, she took modeling classes that eventually lead to her dancing and acting career.

alysoncamprockNow, Alyson can be seen in two new movies, “Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam” which premieres September 3rd at 8pm/7c on the Disney Channel, and “Step Up 3D.” She is currently on the road with her mother touring with The Jonas Brothers and the cast of “Camp Rock 2,” promoting the movie. Alyson has also been working on her music, including the inspiring song “Make History.” Her life has been anything but simple; but, with the help of her mother, they are able to keep up great health habits even on the road.

Fresh off the Camp Rock 2 premiere and in the midst of touring, Alyson and her mother LuAnne are spreading the word together of how young people can make healthy and smart choices. In this interview with Dreamer ENT’s media partner The Valder Beebe Show, Alyson and her mom discuss how to build strong healthy foundations when leading busy and active lives, from things like fitness, good hygiene, nutrition and proper oral health.

Listen to the full conversation below:


Introduction Music: Flying Forward by Alyson Stoner. Photo Sources: Crest Pro-Health & AlysonStoner.com

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Did You Know?

A few years ago Alyson launched The Alyson Stoner Project, which she called an “Original Dance Instructional Musical Fitness revolution!” Click here to learn more about the project.

MORE ABOUT ALYSON STONER:
Alyson Stoner is a multi-talented young actress, singer and dancer. She is well known as “Sarah” from the Cheaper By The Dozen franchise and was a main character, “Caitlyn,” in the Disney Channel hit original movie Camp Rock with the Jonas Brothers. In addition to being a diverse actress, she is also trained in many different styles of dance including ballet, tap and jazz. Her breakout performance was in Missy Elliott’s music video Work It followed by two more music videos and many live performances with her.
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Serving Up Style: Interview with Young Entrepreneur Raymond Lei Founder of ooShirts

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Entrepreneurship is all about fitting your skills and creativity to serve the needs of those around you. 19-year-old Raymond Lei is doing just that as he helps people everywhere customize their style through his T-shirt company ooShirts.com.

raymondtennisshirtThe idea for ooShirts was sparked in 2006 when a group of Raymond’s classmates needed custom t-shirts for their school club, “Monta Vista Tennis Club.” Then a sophomore in high school, Raymond took up the task of finding a company to print their shirts. He looked through both local and online companies, only to discover time after time that the Tennis Club couldn’t afford to have its design printed.

Disappointed at the poor selection of affordable services, Raymond vowed to one day start a t-shirt company that saved its customers money. He gathered up $2000, began planning and in March of 2007 the first ooShirts website was launched. The site allows anyone to upload their own design, pick a shirt style and color and have their t-shirt printed and shipped. Ever since, Raymond has been serving up personalized style a tee at a time. Check out what he had to share with Dreamer ENT about being a young entrepreneur:

Dreamer ENT: Tell us about you: How old are you, what school do you go to, your major and year?

Raymond Lei: I’m 19 years old and I’m a business major at UC Berkeley. I’m going to be a sophomore next semester.

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DE: Tell us about your company and the concept and mission behind it. Where did the name come from?

Raymond: The company sells custom printed t-shirts to groups. Typically, you need a large budget to get your shirts done, but my goal is to make this affordable by running a more focused and efficient business.
When I was 16, I saw that Google and Yahoo, two of the largest tech companies, had two o’s each in their names. “That must be the trick!” I thought to myself, and named my company ooShirts.

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Balancing Act – Interview With Chelsea Staub On Living Her Dreams and Her Role on JONAS

chelseastaubbannerChelsea Staub is living in her dreams. You’ll see her in that real-life reverie each week starring on the hit Disney TV show JONAS L.A. She plays the ‘Stella Malone,’ friend on-screen and in real life to the Jonas Brothers, and she says she loves being able to express herself through acting. Chelsea started doing theater when she was a little girl and since then has fallen in love with performing.

Recently Dreamer ENT’s media partner the Valder Beebe Show chatted with Chelsea about the new season of JONAS L.A. that recently premiered. In the interview Chelsea talks about how she connects with her cast-mates, whether there’s a little real-life romance in air, balancing her career while staying grounded, and how the acting bug bit her at a young age.

Listen to the full conversation below:



Below Are Some Highlights from the Interview:

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Read ALL About It: Interview with Adele Ann Taylor Founder of Adele’s Literacy Library

There’s nothing like a good book; you can immerse yourself in different worlds, share someone else’s experiences and ignite your own imagination to what’s possible in the world.

Adele Ann Taylor has such a passion for books and at the age of 13 decided she wanted to share her love for reading with other kids, to show them how much power it holds and how much fun it could be. This is why she founded her non-profit organization Adele’s Literacy Library™ (A.L.L.) in December 2008. The goal of A.L.L. is to “instill and empower that reading is not only fundamental, it is the key ingredient to success and through reading ALL things are possible.”

Throughout the past few years since founding A.L.L., Adele has already donated thousands of books and spoken to hundreds of kids about the power of reading. Her main goals are to donate millions of brand new books and bookmarks to schools, libraries and charitable organizations, and to “make a difference” in the lives of others through a book. She also wants to eventually offer scholarships to graduating seniors who want to pursue their educational dreams.

Adele was crowned Miss Heartland’s Outstanding Teen 2009, making her an official representative for the sister group to the Miss America Organization, and she was most recently crowned Miss Bonnie Blue Outstanding Teen 2010. She is also a featured Hero on the website Kids Are Heroes that shows that young people can make a difference in the world. Watch Adele in the video below from a Kids Are Heroes event, where she speaks about her organization and how other young people can become change-makers in their communities:


KidsAreHeroes.com Presents Adele Taylor

Adele aims to motivate people of all ages to develop a passion for reading and show them that “regardless of where you come from, you can go anywhere in the world by reading a book.” This inspiring teen spoke to Dreamer ENT about how she got started and what she’s up to now – ALL for the love of reading.

Dreamer ENT: Tell us about you – how old are you and what grade are you in, and a little bit of your background?

Adele Taylor: I am a 14-year-old freshman [will be entering 10th grade in the upcoming year]. I am the oldest of three; I have a younger brother and sister. I enjoy rock climbing, roller skating, ice skating, hanging out with my friends, dancing and of course reading.

DE: When and why did you start Adele’s Literacy Library? What sparked the idea and what did you do to get started?

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