ONOFFON

[davewalton]

Quote:"Harry Babasin's Jazz In Hollywood" is a sponsored project of The New York Foundation for The Arts (NYFA).Hey Von,Pardon me if I'm dense about this kind of thing, but you've been sending out letters looking for funding/sponsors, etc. Is this what it sounds like, that you've receive a response from one of the letters and that NYFA is your new sponsor?If so, that's great! If not, I'm confused. Give us the inside scoop,Dave

[onoffon]

No problem, Dave. It is a little confusing... NYFA is my fiscal sponsor. They are not funding it - they are allowing me to raise funds through them, using their non-profit status to present to other foundations. Whereas, a foundation like, say, the Ford Foundation, wouldn't simply write a check to an individual like me because they wouldn't be able to benefit from the tax shelter since I am not a non-profit corporation, they would write a check to the New York Foundation for the Arts and, in turn, NYFA would then re-grant the money to me.So, I passed the audition with NYFA - now I have to present it to these other foundations with the recommendation of NYFA. It's still a lot of work - but NYFA has given some very prominent artists their starts in the same way.I am very excited about the possibility of a Guggenheim Fellowship. They are so prestigious and they work with NYFA artists quite frequently. They just have to see my vision.Hope that helps clear it up...

[davewalton]

Quote:No problem, Dave. It is a little confusing... NYFA is my fiscal sponsor. They are not funding it - they are allowing me to raise funds through them, using their non-profit status to present to other foundations. Whereas, a foundation like, say, the Ford Foundation, wouldn't simply write a check to an individual like me because they wouldn't be able to benefit from the tax shelter since I am not a non-profit corporation, they would write a check to the New York Foundation for the Arts and, in turn, NYFA would then re-grant the money to me.So, I passed the audition with NYFA - now I have to present it to these other foundations with the recommendation of NYFA. It's still a lot of work - but NYFA has given some very prominent artists their starts in the same way.I am very excited about the possibility of a Guggenheim Fellowship. They are so prestigious and they work with NYFA artists quite frequently. They just have to see my vision.Hope that helps clear it up... Very cool and very interesting. Yes, that's a definite step in the right direction and really good to hear.

[onoffon]

Quote:Very cool and very interesting. Yes, that's a definite step in the right direction and really good to hear. Thanks again, Dave. Here's some more info about the process.I send my letters of introduction to the foundations that support arts and culture. They have people that specifically read these letters to determine what fits their mission statements and individual criteria for funding. The ones that don't fit pretty much send immediate letters of rejection. The ones that do fit, then get sent on to the foundation's board of directors for funding consideration, or they ask for additional information before sending it along.For example, another interesting aspect to my father's story, his father, my grandfather, Yervant Haratune Babasinian, was an Armenian immigrant who escaped the genocide of the Armenians in 1915. He was a graduate of Anatolia College in Turkey and was teaching when he barely escaped with his life to America. Settling in Texas, he married and raised a family through the depression as a dentist in a small town near Dallas. Last year, I was contacted by a jazz journalist and DJ in Yerevan, Armenia's capital, when he read in my father's story that he was of Armenian descent. He sent me copies of a newspaper and magazine he had published articles about Harry in Armenia. He found it extremely significant that a first generation Armenian-American was so important in American jazz.So, I submitted a letter to an Armenian family foundation and the person who screens the letters of inquiry found his story also significant. She requested I send more information - my qualifications and more specific budgetary info.I did and now I've received another letter from them, thanking me for the additional info and informing me that she is submitting the project to their board for consideration.This, of course, is still no guarantee of funding. It's a slow, arduous process that can take months, or even years, to accomplish. And, even if I get funding from this foundation, chances are almost certain that it will not be the entire amount I need. I will still need to continue the same process with a few more, maybe even several more, foundations to raise the total amount necessary.NYFA has told me that once you receive your first grant, others are more inclined to follow, and the process becomes much easier. Of course, if I qualify for one of the Guggenheim Fellowships, that would bring tremendous recognition and legitimacy to the project - as if it really needs to have more integrity. At this point in time, I have received five different positive steps forward with five foundations. Again, no guarantees, but if they all came through, I would have my entire budget.In the meantime, I've got 18 more letters of inquiry to prepare...

[onoffon]

More interesting information...I have now met with and had extended conversations with Scott Willis, Music Director of KKJZ-FM, 88.1, "America's Jazz Station". He has told me he would like to help in any way he can to see that this film gets made. He has tremendous respect for my father’s accomplishments and for the mission I’ve taken upon myself to make sure recognition comes to the entire west coast jazz community. He has consented to let me include his name in any capacity in regards to the production of this film, including listing him as a personal reference on the application for the Guggenheim Fellowship. Being the Music Director of one of the highest rated jazz stations in the United States, Scott will be an important ally in this project.It is extremely gracious of Scott to lend his support in this way and I can't thank him enough...

[onoffon]

Back to an ONOFFON SSP of the Day -A wonderful review of our new CD, Bridge to Presage, just went live on the progressive rock site, Music Street Journal.Here's the link and the overview -MSJ - OnOffOn - Bridge to Presagehttp://www.musicstreetjournal.com/onoffon3rd.htm"This is OnOffOn's third album and these guys never fail to produce a quality musical exploration. This one, as all their discs, combines a strong jazz texture with prog rock leanings for a unique and captivating sonic structure. While not all of this instrumental music can be appreciated on the first listening the disc is certainly worth the time to take it all in properly. This is possibly their strongest and most diverse yet."Our sincere thanks to Gary Hill for his excellent review of our music!

[onoffon]

In regards to personal references - in addition to Scott Willis, I have just received a second endorsement for the Guggenheim Fellowship application from a respected, retired professor from U.C. Irvine, Jim Harrod -James A. HarrodCEO of Jazz ResearchAuthor, currently writing - "Pacific Jazz - A History of the Label, 1952-1962"Member -International Association of Jazz Record Collectorshttp://iajrc.org/Association for Recorded Sound Collectionshttp://www.arsc-audio.org/Jazz Journalists Associationhttp://www.jazzhouse.org/Los Angeles Jazz Institutehttp://www.lajazzinstitute.org/We first met Mr. Harrod while he was researching for his Pacific Jazz history. In his studies, he discovered how instrumental Roy Harte and Harry Babasin were in the inception of Pacific Jazz - they worked extensively with Richard Bok, the producer of the original label, and Roy had told me in conversations that the original bossa nova recordings could have easily been released on the Nocturne label but it was a twist of fate that they were released by Pacific Jazz, instead.Mr. Harrod has graciously consented to assist me in any way to see this film come to fruition...

[onoffon]

Thanks Nomi!!! I deeply appreciate your support, as well as the support of all the other wonderful people who care about this journey... I know I'm on the edge of making something truly historic here.Nomi - I can see the film in my head. There's so much information, I'm going to have a hard time editing it down to an acceptable length. But, in art, it's better to have more than not enough.On the promotional front, I have a nice little quarter page feature coming out in the August issue of a local magazine, Studio City Lifestyle. It's in a column they call Media Zone - unfortunately, they don't have an online presence to provide a link, so you have to have a copy to read it. Or, I could just print it here -"Fifteen year Studio City resident, Von Babasin, is a musician, composer, producer, and director, as well as the son of one of the greatest bassist/producers in jazz history, Harry Babasin. Von has been accepted for fiscal sponsorship by the New York Foundation for the Arts to produce “Harry Babasin’s Jazz In Hollywood,” a documentary film about his father and west coast jazz, with a focus on Harry’s specific contributions to the artform. After submitting a 20-page proposal to NYFA, their quoted response was, "we agree that this is a film that needs to be made".Born in Hollywood, CA, and influenced by his father, Harry, and grandfather, respected A.C.E. film editor, Russell Schoengarth, Von has been literally surrounded by the entertainment industry all his life. Himself, an award winning bassist/composer with his critically acclaimed jazz/rock group, ONOFFON, Babasin brings an extraordinary insight to the struggles and successes facing today's musicians and filmmakers.You can contact Von Babasin by email at: von@jazzinhollywood.com "They circulate the magazine in Studio City - Universal City - the NoHo Arts District - Toluca Lake - and Sherman Oaks - pretty much the heart of the entertainment industry around these parts. I don't know if it will lead to anything, but, as they say, any publicity is good publicity, and good publicity is even better...

[onoffon]

How cool is this!!!!!!Who remembers Magnatone - here's an ad from 1958 with Harry Babasin endorsing Magnatone amplifiers...Woody Herman, Benny Goodman, Gene Krupa, Charlie Barnet, Stan Kenton, and Bob Crosby all listed in Harry's credits... and that's just to name a few...

[onoffon]

This is worth posting again - this is the link to my page over on the NYFA website -They just updated it with more info and a couple of pics -NYFA Artist - Von Babasinhttp://www.nyfa.org/nyfa_artists_detail.asp?pid=5613I'm in the process of preparing three major proposals that will go into the hands of three individuals that could simply make it happen. I'm putting everything I've got into these... they are the most complete and concise proposals I've put together to date...Wish me luck...