Let’s Be Realistic

We are currently having to let go of the idea of creating podcasts and/or open mic mix cds for the moment. Even though it would be tons of fun and worthwhile, it is a time consuming task for one person.  After working really hard on Door Stop for about 10 days straight, I got sick.  Nothing like laying in bed for a few days that makes one slow down and reevaluate an unhealthy work ethic. I hope to continue with this project as soon as more help is available. As always, please contact US if you are interested in being more involved.

So, what is realistic for Door Stop at the moment?

We have decided to pursue non-profit status and have started fundraising for this process.  We are still continuing our Laugh Out Loud community outreach project and are open to others that emerge.  We are also planning to start organizing showcases to help promote our performers and provide room for their growth. And hopefully, very soon, we will be introducing several new hosts of our weekly open mic.

That’s the plan so far. As always, we will keep you posted!

Laughing Out Loud

OK. We have a better name for our new community outreach project visiting a veteran with a Traumatic Brain Injury.  As the comics pointed out, “Bed-Side Visits” is creepy. Agreed!

Someone called it, “Laugh Out Loud” and we thought that was much better.

Joe, Trevor, and J.B.

So meet Trevor. Trevor is a retired veteran in his twenties, who suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury  in 2009 while on active duty. Currently, his mobility is severely restricted and he can not talk, yet. But he can laugh and loves to.

Last Tuesday two of our comedians, Joe Riga and J.B. Ball, started off the first of our Laugh Out Loud project and visited Trevor and his family at their apartment.  We had never seen Trevor laugh so much or so hard. I think it was good for him to just hear some guys talk.

We’ve already set up a date for two more comedians to come out next month and are trying to connect with more TBI patients at the VA.  Stay Tuned!

First Bed-Side Visit Tomorrow

Tomorrow evening is the first of our new community outreach series, Bed-Side Visits. At least that will be the title until someone suggests something better. Suggestions?

Two comedians from our open mic and I will visit a young veteran paralyzed by a gunshot through his brain. He has a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and is an out-patient of the Veterans Hospital. Despite his severe condition, he is fully conscious and loves to laugh. So that’s just what we are going over to help him do.

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This is a project of ours that benefits from the donations of our supporters. Our volunteers are taking time out of their busy schedules to shine light in a place that needs it most.  It is Door Stop’s mission that volunteers of this nature be awarded a small honorarium for their presence and crafts.

Volunteer Positions

As Door Stop moves forward in becoming what it can, there are several new volunteer opportunities. Each position can definitely be filled by more than one person.  If you have some time to donate and are looking for a way to give to DSP, this is how to do it.

• Advisors: Individuals that can meet on a monthly basis and have a strong commitment to DSP and our continual growth
• Audio Reviewers: Individuals that can listen to at least 4 hours per month and make note of times and noteworthy moments to help with podcasts/quarterly CDs
• Graphic Design: Design flyers, promo material, etc.
• Web/Tech Support: General help with website and technology, to varying degrees
• Community Outreach: Bedside Visit Performers; Future fundraising event coordinator
• Photography/Videography: Someone(s) who can regularly take and upload pictures and videos

More positions will be formed as time rolls on! But first we will have to fill these. We will also be running an online fundraising drive to help support our projects.

Please contact us at doorstoptampa@gmail.com about volunteering for any of these positions.

Slice of OM: Josh and Kenny play Foo Fighters

Here’s the second slice I’ve been able to get online.  I think I’ve figured out why the podomatic player won’t embed in the post right here, and it won’t get revolved until I get help from my web person in a few weeks.  Unless there’s another web person out there who’d like to help…

Anyways. Here is the end of the open mic on 01.05.12.  Kenny and Josh are playing and we all start clapping along. Loved it. Hope you do to.

LISTEN HERE.

Our First Sponsor

We owe the Arts Council a big THANK YOU! They have become our first sponsor!  The Arts Council is donating $100 to us to help keep open mic running and start on our new projects. We are so happy that there are organizations like the Arts Council working hard so they can help out small projects like us.  We hope we can pass it on.

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For a donation of $100, you or your business can become a sponsor of Door Stop Productions and be recognized on our website, promotional materials, and quarterly showcases.

Our First Donations!

Our donations last night with our new donation jar and sign designed by our fiction writer, Jamie Jones.

February is the beginning of our first time collecting donations. We’ve collected donations in the past for things like our first Performer Grant and Metropolitan Ministries, but we’d like to move forward on a few projects so now we are collecting for us. There are some projects we are starting and won’t be able to complete without funding.

Since the beginning of the year the open mic has been recorded. There are so many awesome moments that occur, even in a single open mic, and we believe that some of this is captured on our audio recordings.  We want to use some of these recordings (with performer’s consent, of course) and promote our performers and the open mic through creating podcasts and quarterly mix CDs.

Last night at open mic, Cafe Hey donated a jar for our fundraising.  I started to draw a sign to put on it when I looked up and our performer was showing us a bunch of drawings he did. So I asked Jamie Jones if he would draw our donation jar sign. Look’s great, don’t it?

Last night we raised $10.50.  We always exchange the small bills with Cafe Hey, since they can always use them, and they even rounded up our change to an even .50! Every cent counts.

Slice of OM: Joe Riga on Down Pillows

Here is the first of our Slice of OM series. We are splicing out some of the great moments of the Open Mic. Hopefully it will entice you to make it down more often.

This is one of our regular comedians, Joe Riga, making a joke about down pillows with a little surprise in it.
http://nyssahanger.podomatic.com/entry/2012-01-31T06_26_12-08_00.

Laughter to Heal By

We’re beginning a new community outreach project.  Some people know that I make my living mainly through therapeutic massage, and work with several Traumatic Brain Injury clients. One of them is a very young veteran who s right now without the ability to talk, walk or move much on his own.  Despite this, he is very conscious of the world around him and has a great sense of humor.

I started to think about how he is essentially surrounded by women most of the time.  When I spoke with his mom about this she said that yeah, besides his doctors, the only other guys he sees are also in the hospital and can’t talk.  This guy was in the military, he has got to miss his time with the guys.

Why not see if any of our comedians at OM would be interested in coming by and telling this guy some jokes?

They were. We’ve now set our first date. Can’t wait to see that guy smile.

 

Podcast Reconsiderations

In discussion with some of the hosts, we’ve decided to adjust our podcasting plan.  The reason being is that one of the best things about open mic are the raw moments, where someone steps into that space of open vulnerability and shares a deep part of themselves. We realize that though we are explicit about recording the open mic, we have not been explicit about what will happen with the recordings.  Putting out a Best of album with consent from each performer is one thing, but putting up a recording available to the public without notifying everyone on it is another. We will maintain the sacredness of the space.

BUT, what about a “Slice of OM” series? The intention now is to take a short clip out of the open mic and post it. You know, kind of like Jon Stewart’s, “A Moment of Zen”?

Now if I can only figure out how exactly to do this…