[Work It] Ramp Up Your Resume

February 18, 2016February 18, 20161 Comment

From the moment we’re thrust into the world of academia, there’s a lingering air left over us that we’re destined to pursue our dream career and land our dream job. For some of us, that’s a tried and true reality; but that reality comes with sacrifices that tend to not be talked about: the fiscal rewards seem inversely proportional to the facets of our life that we sacrifice. Friendships, from familial to romantic, are thrust onto the back burner while deferred dreams evolve into the norm.

But then, on the flip side, there are others like myself included that are still passionately prowling for what makes sense to them. We’ve watched as hobbies and skills learned vocationally have developed into tangible career path, and our academic degrees have signified less and less, eventually fading away into obscurity on a wall in your home office as resolute proof of a life once lived. Regardless of your career choice, one truth I’ve learned about the working world is you should always be open to the variety of options out there, because you simply don’t know what doors of opportunity you might be knocking on in the future.

Over the last month, I’ve migrated roles in my part time position into a interim Human Resources guru and I’ve seen a lot – I mean a – LOT – of resumes fly my way. Some are stellar and some not so much, but it’s made the wheels of my mind work in new and different ways. I’ve found that whether it’s a do or a don’t, each and every resume has valuable insight – from elevating my syntax or word choice, adjusting my work history, delving into my skill set or omitting prior experience that has little to nothing to do with the new role. Beyond now owing myself an actual resume refresh with some of the new skills I’ve learned while taking in the hiring process, I finally have some wisdom to impart on the topic. Whether you’ve had your job for a month or a year, having an up to date resume that you can send out on a whim is clutch – and could land you the opportunity of a lifetime.

Style

‘Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak.’

– Rachel Zoe –

Granted, I don’t think Rachel Zoe was referring to reviving your resume – but for all intensive purposes, for now – let’s just pretend she was. Even though the proof of the pudding is your content, the style and formatting of your resume are the first impression, and you know what they say about first impressions: it’s best to make a good one. Your resumes style should say as much about your personality as the words on the page, not to mention – it’s your first foot in the door with an employer.

I’ve found that a resume with an elegantly simple yet beautiful style will get passed on 9 times out of 10 over a plain text resume, while a standard plain text resume with proper margins and headers sounds ideal compared to a one haphazardly strewn together, without margins or any form of structure. But let’s back up a bit and get to the basics of resume formatting.

Traditionally, your resume should have the most important information on the top and left side, while the less important information is left for the right side and the bottom. This is because of two schools of thought – one, is that only the first few words of each line are even read – so those need to be the most important; the other is that resumes tend to be folded in half, and sometimes they stay that way – meaning anything ‘below the fold’ goes unseen.

The crux of your resume itself should be single spaced, with a 12 point font for the body. Mind your margins and as a general rule of thumb, leave at least .5″ on the right and left sides, and you can go down to .25″ for the header and footer margin.Keep in mind that too much text is overwhelming and having some white space is pleasing to the eye. Bullet points for positions and professions should be limited to two lines maximum, but one if possible. Whatever you do, please use proper case for your resume – take it from personal experience, a resume in all capitals is anxiety inducing and can basically guarantee that your resume will be sent to the bottom of the barrel. When it comes to style – consistency is key, make sure the body of your resume is all in the same font, size and color. And last, but certainly not least – use spell check and be careful not to jump between tenses.

Like your Cover Letter, your resume should stick to one page – if you’re a creative, you can use the second page for projects and publications, but for your resume itself – it shouldn’t be one page and a paragraph – not even one full page and a trailing sentence on the next; one page, and one page only. If you need a place for overflow information, try an online supplement like an About.Me page or LinkedIn profile. For those that consider themselves slightly more web savvy with a lot to say – try your hand at building your own webpage, not only is it a phenomenal reference point for any future employer but now you’ve already added new skill sets like Website Development, Search Engine Optimization, Google Analytics and Google Adwords.

Benefits of a Visual Resume

For anyone who’s pursuing a more creative avenue like Graphic Design, Photography, Public Relations or Videography – you know how to best represent yourself, and it’s not in the old humdrum way you’re used to. You deserve pizzazz, you deserve some pomp and a you deserve nothing but the best of circumstances. A visual resume is incredibly befitting and will show employers that you’re prepared to bring your A game to the table at a moments notice.

If you’ve got a friend in graphic design, grab’em – because their resumes are honestly instantly more creative and competitive than the rest of us. From simple additions like adjusting the flow of information or using columns to organize individual sections to more complex ones like including graphic images, social media icons and infographics to represent quantitative data – I’ve been blown away by how crafty some applicants are. Word to the wise though, always save these types of resumes as a PDF – that way, the text doesn’t run a muck and lose formatting when it’s uploaded to your employers website.

Content

Now that we’ve got your resume looking good and feeling great, it’s time to conquer the content of your resume – because when you get down to brass tax – the content is the product. For your resume less actually is more: with less fluff you give the reader a chance to focus on what’s important. Let’s start at the top of the resume and work down to the bottom.

Header: Your full address isn’t necessary, but your city and state are valuable to the employer – as is a link to a variety of different digital media profiles, from Twitter to Facebook and LinkedIn. Just remember, these will be checked – so best to keep them clean!

Objective: Unless you’re making a drastic career shift or have just graduated from college or university – the ‘Objective’ statement on the top should either be eliminated or simply moved over to your cover letter.

Work History: After a certain point in your career, you don’t need to tell your collective work history – you can start piece by piece, picking and choosing – including only the professions that apply to the new job. Move anything that’s not pertinent to a ‘Master Resume‘ that chronicles your entire job history, including remedial internships and part time gigs. However, for the resume you ship around to prospective employers, it’s best to keep off any short term job that spanned for less than four months.

Each employment experience should have between 2 and 4 key notes, including key learnings, moments of growth, and acquired skills – all driven by powerful verbs. If possible, use numbers to drive your points home – not only are they a simpler way of determining value, but quantitative figures will make you stand out. Your history doesn’t necessarily need to be in a linear order – this segment should tell a story and read with your strongest applied skill set for the job at the top, then descending on downwards by rank of importance. Omit your salary history – that’s a conversation for later down the road.

Education: Now that we’re finally out of college, our GPA and graduation date don’t matter as much as our degree itself, the honors and awards we received and the organizations we belonged to. Did you go Greek? Work on the school newspaper? Have an hour segment on the radio station? Graduate with honors? Volunteer at a local shelter? All of these qualities are foundations of well rounded employees with a variety of brain stimulating hobbies.

Skills: In 2016, there are some skills I just hope you have under your belt and believe you me – I’ve seen it all: Myers Briggs Personality Types, ‘Fluent in English’, ‘Smart Phones and ‘Googling’. Though I’m actually a fan of the first, what I realize is that all of these facets can pigeonhole an employee, or even prevent them from moving along in the hiring process. USPS isn’t difficult to navigate, neither is Facebook. But Facebook Page Analytics and Insuring International Shipments are two completely different stories.As a general rule of thumb, if you have to ask – you should probably just leave it out.

Posting and Hosting

Before you save your resume, convert it to a PDF and preserve any creative or graphic elements. Save the file using your name + ‘Resume’ and the Date, and save it into a master directory with all of your old resumes. That way, you’re ready to send on the fly moving forward. As far as posting your resume online, there are several free options – including Monster, Indeed and LinkedIn; or, store a text version of your resume on About.me and a graphic representation on Visualize.Me – the possibilities are endless! Now go on, get out – and get hired!

[Oh, Snap] Eagle Rockin’ and Eagle Walkin’ v9

February 16, 2016February 16, 2016Leave a comment

Over the last few days, the air has been vibrant with floral fragrances and the coquettish dancing of birds, bees and butterflies while temperatures have sky rocketed back into the 90s. No, Summer isn’t quick on our heals and Spring isn’t exactly just around the corner – it’s simply another mid-February heat wave in Los Angeles. Half my mind is wrapped up in the sheer beauty of nature right now, while the other bemoans the fact we haven’t had a good rain in quite some time.

The year itself is accelerating at a rapid pace, while a proverbial bullet train of emotions, feelings and thoughts trace geometric patterns in my mind. I’ve had friendships ebb and flow as trust has been simultaneously instilled in and and removed from those who have one way or another, proven themselves to me. I refuse to be sad or remorseful over the loss of people in my life – while intentional or not, the lessons that I’ve learned and the mechanisms that have inspired my maturity and growth are tantamount to my self understanding in the same way that the love, support and friendship of others have lifted my spirits. As with pulsating tidal waves on a brilliant seashore, the push and pull are one in the same and it’s the totality of myself that I’m truly in awe of at this point. The resilient, bounce back of personality and perseverance of passion – it hasn’t left, instead the flames have been fanned higher.

[Write On] Listen Up and Get In Formation

February 10, 2016February 11, 2016Leave a comment

We’ve started the year with two cultural schools of thought, on one hand there’s the loud and slightly ridiculous Stacey Dash phenomenon and on the other, we have the #OscarsSoWhite. So thank goodness that the Queen is back to shake things up and push us forward, Queen B that is. This past weekend, just the day before her highly anticipated Super Bowl collaboration with Coldplay and Bruno Mars, Beyonce dropped the world on it’s head with the release of her latest empowered single,’Formation’. More than just a song, ‘Formation’ is a statement – ‘Formation’ is a movement; ‘Formation’ is an ode to the rise of Black Feminine Energy – and it’s time to get in line.

Let me back up for a second.

After 31 years on this pseudo-green Earth, I’d be kidding myself if I didn’t admit that the ideas of race, ethnicity, cultural adversity and then diversity run rampant in my veins. If you are who you surround yourself by, I’m socio-culturally middle class, with a multicultural twist. Minority Report, Oreo, Chocolate Sprinkle. My nicknames say it all, but it runs deeper. When standardized tests were distributed in school, I always took longer than everyone else figuring out which box to check for ethnicity – what if I didn’t see my box? Does that mean I didn’t matter – do I not count? Can I check more than one box? Where do I fit in here?

The multiracial, only child of a split family, I always had issues reconciling my ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and the notion that they might invariable be two different identities were always kept at bay. Remember Sun In? That shit turned my hair bright orange, not to mention warnings about sunscreen never seemed to apply to me. When my dad remarried to my step mom and the three of us would go out together, people would infer I was adopted; fast forward twenty years later, and they mistake my fiance for their son.

Spot the Amanda

Silicon Valley born and raised, I grew up in the tiny and incredibly educated suburb of Menlo Park with my mom, and Palo Alto then Los Altos with my father. They were nice areas to be raised in and all that jazz, but let’s get one thing real for a second, they’re not the most diverse areas of the country; in fact they’re pretty monotone, sometimes painfully so. Whether it was with family, or in social endeavors, I always felt like the technicolor sheep of the family – never fitting in and always standing out.

Mentally, sonically, emotionally, I grew up in a boombox, self-identifying with Hip-hop and rap, including Janet Jackson’s anthemic Rhythm Nation 1814; but academically and socially, I attended programs where, in one way or another, I was the diversity. Whether it was attending Castilleja Middle School during the academic year, or their BRIDGE Program over the Summer, I wavered between a drop of milk in oil and a drop of oil in milk; an ever ebbing cascade of racial complexities that arose from a bi-cultural background that up until that age hadn’t been explored. Then, by the time I transferred back into Public School as a Junior in High School, Menlo Atherton High School had gotten national recognition with a center spread in ‘Teen People” as the most diverse yet segregated High School in America.

Serendipitous to consider it now, but it was around that same time that Destiny’s Child came out with their debut, self-titled album. In a moment where I couldn’t find a cultural footing, somehow, with them, I found resonance, a voice, a mainstream media identity – or in my eyes, hope. At 16, while away at an out of town basketball tournament, I walked into the room while several of my teammates were discussing their disgust with interracial relationships. As I slowly sulked into the shadows, shuddering at each syllable, I faintly but distinctly overheard the words “…they shouldn’t be allowed to marry, and definitely shouldn’t be allowed to have children.” My heart and ego sank in time as my head hung low for the duration of the tournament. After, in an effort to reconnect to my roots, my aunt escorted me to a seminar in Los Angeles for Young African American Women; around the same time, I became a camp counselor in West Menlo Park and was quickly adopted under the wing of East Menlo Park’s more diverse subset of counselors where I became a master domino player, learned the proper way to eat fried chicken, not to mention the difference between sweet potato pie and pumpkin pie. And in whatever down time I could muster, I buried my head in multicultural literature from James McBride’s The Color of Water to timely tomes from Danzy Senna, Caucasia and Symptomatic.

Combined, the ideas drilled in my head lead me to believe the next large sociocultural revolution would be a mixed race revolution, and we would be leading at the helm. But invariably, the events themselves, made me feel even more alone. It was then, that the idea was finally and formally drilled into my head that there was a difference between being genetically ‘African American‘ and culturally Black.

Beyond the entertainment value, viral witticisms masquerading as lyrics and a host of regal outfits – the video contains a not so subtle history lesson delivered with a passionate one two punch in under five minutes. Starting with emotional imagery and vocals that ask ‘What happened in New Orleans‘, Formation’ delves into the modern Black experience, exploring the nuanced variety of genetic variability. Cascading through Southern cityscapes and landscapes, including estates and plantations, ‘Formation‘ offers a bevvy of emotional imagery: a cop car – and city -underwater, a breakdancing toddler stalling a line of police with their hands in the air, ‘Stop Shooting Us’ haphazardly spray painted on an otherwise barren wall and coordinated feminine empowerment.

Imagery that grew only stronger with her performance the next day at the Super Bowl’s halftime show; decked out in gear halfway reminiscent of the 1970’s Black Panther movement spliced with Janet’s Rhythm Nation video, Beyonce urged a generation to mobilize and get in ‘Formation’. The end result was a provocative performance of a ‘visual anthem‘ sure to live in cultural infamy.

Fast forward to three days later, and you’ll meet exactly what’s wrong with this country and could invariably elect someone as ignorant as Donald Trump; In light of the controversial dance ‘Formations’ and dress during her performance invoking the Black Panther Party, Malcolm X and supposed dissent against the police -not to mention a display of their own cultural ignorance – protesters are heading to NFL’s New York Headquarters on February 18th . Not only have people willfully avoided history textbooks or contextualizing social issues like the suffrage and civil rights movement, but on top of that their ignorance has become ego driven arrogance; and I’m not sure what frustrates me more – an echoed rhetoric that minorities, especially women, are only here to entertain and not educate, or the idea that people are more offended by the message of the song than the actions that drove the creation of this performance.

I’ll be the first to admit that I never paid much attention in my European History classes and found most of my United States history courses beyond boring; but when it came to the Civil Rights Movement, I had an uncanny desire to devour all available knowledge. And I know this: The Black Panther Party was made of revolutionaries that fought for a culture that had been undermined for their entire cultural history to be recognized as equal. Yes, they were born out of the failed non-violent Civil Rights Movement of MLK Jr and Medgar Evers but the movement didn’t promote violence, it promoted fairness while protecting the community from the racist behaviors of others while simultaneously pushing citizens to police the police – an idea that is still echoed in today’s society.

To the calls of it’s Football and not Hollywood, last time I listened to Sportscetnter I got a whole earful about girlfriends and wives, houses and style; things that invariable have jack all to do with competitive sports. And now, we’re taking a critique to a traditionally all white variety of Halftime Entertainment. So for a second, let’s talk about the NFL. Let’s discuss the amount of sex crimes and prostitution rings that are cracked down on during high profile games every year, the egregious amount of drunk drivers that get into accidents leaving games or the fact that from start to finish, NFL games are riddled with advertisements parading the US Military as a revered enterprise. Yet a five minute segment that gives weight to a population more often misrepresented and underrepresented in mainstream media receives a bevvy of backlash? It’s time that people get their priorities in formation

[LA Life] Downtown Goes Dapper For A Night On Broadway

February 2, 2016February 4, 2016Leave a comment

Last weekend as the threat imminent downpour loomed over the quite literal horizon, we decided to throw caution to the wind as we got dolled up and dappered out for a ‘Night on Broadway.‘ A party with a purpose, the second annual event sprawled through the stunning cityscape of Downtown Los Angeles and into the historic Broadway District.

Commencing back in 2008 under the guidance of L.A. City Council member José Huizar, Bringing Back Broadway set its sights on reinvigorating the entire outlying area, from the preservation and display of the old school neon signs to re-opening doors to awe inspiring theaters, bringing back the fabled streetcar and even the relatively new facade lighting brought onto Broadway in 2013. A chip off of the ‘Bringing Back Broadway’ initiative block, the second annual ‘Night on Broadway‘ is designed to restore a variety old theaters in the fabled Broadway district and reinvigorate local interest in the art, music, culture and community of the area.

Revelers are encouraged join in the shenanigans surrounded by the amazing architecture and interior design of theaters from The Palace to The Los Angeles Theater, The Ace Hotel and The Globe. Festivites included a brains to brawns chess and boxing match, a wide variety of interactive street art, comedy from Reggie Watts, my personal highlight, Rebel Bingo, and last but most definitely not least live music and entertainment and even some of the local talent, like Skrillex from both the OWSLA and Mad Decent imprints, plus hourly performances from city’s very own electric and eclectic avant garde performance troupe Lucent Dossier Experience (which was a serendipitous treat in itself considering a friend of mine had landed himself DJ duties at the same stage for the night).

Don’t fret if you missed out on all the fun, because one of my favorite things about the city of angels is there’s simply always something stunning to do about town, and half of them are free! But, if you’re feeling the festive FOMO, make a calendar reminder and don’t forget to catch Night on Broadway next year in Downtown Los Angeles when it returns on Saturday, January 28th 2017. For more about the city’s famed ‘Night on Broadway’ event or Bringing Back Broadway initiative, head to their website or socials –

Night on Broadway: Website

Bringing Back Broadway: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

[Oh, Snap] A Rainy Day Stroll Through Pasadena’s Storrier-Stearns Japanese Garden

February 1, 2016February 1, 2016Leave a comment

On some rainy days, the words I’ve failed to say fall from the sky while nostalgia soaks into the damp city streets. Yet in absolute dichotomy, on others I wake up in a whimsical whirlwind, wrapped in wanderlust and yearning for an adventure. With a fantastic evening roaming through downtown Los Angeles for their second annual Night on Broadway (more on that later!) under our belts, Sunday Funday was most definitely on the menu and I was hungry for an escapade in nature.

When the Storrier Stearns Garden announced they’d be adding more days for the public, I just couldn’t help myself a bought us some tickets to check it out and yesterday was finally the day. I went to bed over the moon excited, because truth be told I’d been trying for years, but only being open once a month had severely limited my opportunities. A few years ago, Danny and I adventured to the Arlington Gardens across the street and wistfully wondered what was kept hidden so secret behind the chain link fence and yesterday, we finally had our chance to find out so that morning, when I woke up with blustery weather and grey skies, I vowed to not let it stop the fun.

Created back in 1935 by the esteemed Kinzuchi Fujii, the historic Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden is a beautiful hidden gem tucked away in the heart of Pasadena. Built on the estate of Charles and Ellamae Storrier Stearns, the gardens span two acres and includes several ponds connected by crooked bridges with coy fish peacefully swimming to and fro, a formal teahouse, and numerous places to sit back, relax and enjoy the venue.

After a blustery beginning and some torrential downfall, the sun broke through turbulent layers of high velocity clouds and gave way to a stunning afternoon that was spent in relative solitude. Slowly and gleefully, we roamed around the unique grounds in zenlike observation.

While talking with one of the curators of the grounds, we learned the reasoning behind crooked bridges in Japanese culture. As legend has it, evil spirits can only go in straight lines – so if you’re ever being chased by a spirit, head to one of the fabled zig-zag bridges bridge and they’ll be propelled into the water.

Revered for being the last remaining minor Japanese Garden created for residential purposes in Southern California before World War II, the Storrier Stearns garden is also the last remaining garden crafted by Fujii, who was responsible for a handful of Japanese landscapes across Southern California in the early 20th century. After Ellamae Storrier Stearns passed on in 1949, the entire estate was sold at auction to art and antiquities dealer Gamelia Hadadd Poulsen. Over the next decade, Poulsen sold off most of the estate less the Japanese Garden and by 1975, CalTrans had bought up property surrounding the gardens in hopes of building an extension of the 710 freeway directly through the garden. After visiting yesterday, I’m so grateful they didn’t!

The gardens underwent a stunning restoration first in the 80’s when the garden was passed on within the Haddad family and then again under the hands of Dr.Takeo Uesugi from 2007 to 2013, transforming it into the tranquil piece of paradise that it is today. For the last several years, the garden was only available on a once a month basis – which typically had sold out far ahead of time; trust me on this; I’ve had firsthand experience with not getting tickets. But, just this year the Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden has expanded it’s availability with openings every Thursday from 10 to 4pm, as well as the last Sunday of the month like old times. Tickets are available on PayPal through their website for $7.50 a piece, and can be purchased for $10 at the door if you’re feeling lucky.

For more on the gardens, take a peak on social media –

Website | Facebook | LinkedIn

Location270 Arlington Drive
Pasadena, California 91105

[Tech Talk] Feel The Bass With SubPac’s M2

January 28, 2016Leave a comment

An electric rumble that started in the base of my skull is propelled forward, pulsing into my veins as frequencies are projected throughout my entire body. Goosebumps overwhelm every inch of my skin as an amused grin creeps across my face. Every nuanced note and each rhythmic rumble, from the smallest synths to blossoming batches of booming bass, encased the world around me.

With my eyes closed, I become the pulse of the dance floor. It’s only when they open again that I’m rudely reminded that I’m not marinating in the music and mayhem of Coachella’s Sahara tent, bouncing around a world class nightclub like Avalon in Hollywood or entrenched in Drum and Bass at Shambhala‘s Village; instead, I’m dancing by myself with my headphones on in the middle of my living room, gleefully rocking a high-tech vest that feels like it came right out of Tron, only it’s the the latest and greatest in high tech, wearable tactile bass systems.

Launching just this past October, the patent pending SubPac M2 is the latest and greatest in wearable tactile bass systems, gifting users a fully immersive, auditory experience that parallels the live experience on a grand scale while silencing the world around you. Featuring plug and play controls, a Bluetooth receiver, a high capacity rechargeable battery and a slimmer control box, the M2 is made for movement, allowing the wearer to dance the way they feel – and let me tell you, you’re about to feel some kind of way.

Currently used by industry leaders and international taste makers within the music industry, SubPac has more application than music creation, audio testing and pure enjoyment. SubPac’s technology was integrated in the Virtual Reality enhanced premiere of Jurassic World as well as the “Fractal” concept car designed by Amon Tobin. The brand also offers a 21st century approach to hearing lost, tinnitus and deafness, finding use at this year’s Rock in Rio festival in Brazil where the SubPac’s campaign granted the hearing impaired a boost of bass. While the human ear can only hear to down to a minimum of 20hz, the body can receive the rest as vibrations through your bones, and the SubPac can make you feel frequencies as low as 5hz – dishing out layers in favorite songs that you might not have known existed otherwise.

“We are on a mission to introduce the physical dimension of music and sound to the world. With the SubPac M2, we have created the most immersive wearable audio experience to date. Anyone can now experience audio the way the creator intended – full immersion, anywhere, anytime.”

– John Alexiou, SubPac CEO and co-founder

SUBPAC M2 TECH SPECS

Frequency Response: 5hz-130hz
Wired Input: 3.5mm stereo
Headphone Out: 3.5mm stereo
Wireless Input: Bluetooth 4.0 with A2DP Streaming
Charger: 15V 1.6A 24W
Charging cable: Intl IEC-c7
Rechargeable Battery: 10.8V, 2300mAh Li-ion battery // 6+ hours a charge
Dimensions: 17” x 12” x 1.5” // 43cm x 30cm x 4cm)
Weight (including battery): 4.8lbs // 2.2kg

The Wearable M2 and Seatback S2 are available for order now from SubPac’s website here.

With their patent-pending new wave audio technology, the Los Angeles based SubPac by StudioFeed is changing the game – one low frequency at a time.

For the latest and greatest in all things SubPac, head to their site and socials –

Website | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

[The Audiofiles] Paul Oakenfold to host Inaugural Electronic Music Awards & Foundation Show

January 28, 2016January 28, 2016Leave a comment

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock (& roll), you’ve been privy to the near over-saturation of the Electronic Dance Music circuit in the last five years. The lineup for multi genre festivals like Coachella has seen a higher proportion of dance acts overflow the Sahara tent and into the Gobi Stage, Yuma Stage and even the Main Stage, while you can find Dupstep, Trance, House and Bass anywhere from run of the mill television commercials, professional sporting events, and even in a video made by the White House concerning the President’s State of the Union.

Dance music is literally everywhere, and while I certainly don’t mind, it’s an observation worth nothing; and it seems I’m not the only one. This April, the station that brought us American Idol presents the inagural Electronic Music Awards & Foundation. Airing April 23rd at 8pm, the first EMAF will be hosted by none other than Trance legend Paul Oakenfold.

“Experience the excitement of the world of electronic music as the biggest names in the industry, from across the globe, celebrate the year’s best music, artists and creative talent.”

The real question on my mind, that should really be on everyone’s at this point – with the amount of commercialism pumped into the industry in the last few years, exactly what facets of dance music will be hitting syndicated television, how much homage will the underground culture, community and artists be paid and how will underrepresented demographics like women and minorities within dance music be displayed?