PAGE 1
Mardi Gras Madness
PAGE 2
KG at the Movies
PAGE 3
BTE Lexicon
PAGE 4
The Band Take Fan Questions
(Coming Soon)
PAGE 5
Fan Profile: Jamie C.
Global BTE: Germany!!
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6
In Step with STELLA
PAGE 7
Legon Journal
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8
PAGE
9
PAGE
10
PAGE
11
PAGE
12
Northeast Show Reviews & Pics
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13
Oh Fayetteville!
PAGE 14
The Spring Break Quest
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15
News, Dates & Soundclips
PAGE 16
Letters to the Editor
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17
Laid-Back in Memphis
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No, it's not STELLA, it's CARMEN SAN DIEGO!
(But Maybe it's Close???)
IN STEP WITH STELLA
This month the SERENADE is fortunate enough to bring
you a Q&A with STELLA. That's right, the mysterious person who works so
hard to make all things Ezra run so smoothly.
Hi STELLA, thank you for agreeing to talk with us. We appreciate you
normally shun the spotlight and this might be a little unusual for you.
"Greetings! I am willing to talk anytime, but I'm usually not used to
the attention until something goes wrong. I leave the spotlight for the
band."
So how does one get to be STELLA? Is there some sort of STELLA agency
or training program out there?
"It was absolutely the luck of the draw because there was no interview
process. I probably would have not gotten the position if I had to be
interviewed by the band as a group. Can you imagine sitting across the
table from BTE asking questions like ‘What would you say your best
attribute is?’ It was just a referral from a friend and a resume
submitted."
Can you briefly describe your major job duties for us? Which of these
do you like best and which could you really live without?
"I pretty much do it all: cleaning the office, running personal errands,
answering emails, ordering supplies, calculating budgets, booking
flights, dealing with everyday problems, etc.
The bulk of my job is
dealing with the website, emails, fan club memberships, merchandise
orders, and maintaining order. Overall, it’s my job to keep the fans,
band, and crew happy. I like reading the message board while listen to
new BTE. I could live without cleaning the toilet in Fudge Studios."
What's your academic background? Did you ever expect to be working in
this field?
"My academic background consists of an undergraduate degree in business
management and I’m working on my MBA. I have also done lots of
internships. I expected to be working in the music business in some
capacity, but I didn’t expect to be working for one of my favorite
bands." |
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Based on Fudge video we've seen, we're assuming there's no shortage
of laughs working at BTE World HQ. Are we right?
"Honestly, it depends on the day. I don’t want to make the job sound
like a ride at Disney World 5-6 days a week. When the band is on the
road, I’m usually working very hard to keep everything together and make
communication as easy as possible. When the band is in the studio, it’s
still hard work but there are times when little work gets done because
we are having so much fun talking about random things."Do you ever
get to go on the road with the band? What's your favorite city to visit?
"I generally stay in New Orleans most of the time. I help when I can
for local shows and cities within driving distance. I have been to shows
on the road before, but it has been a while. I keep promising myself I
am going to go out with BTE for the next big 7-10 day run. I personally
love the West Coast as a quick tour run, but New York and Boston are
also great towns. I haven’t been to St Louis or Chicago yet, but I’m
looking forward to it."
Are you a New Orleans native? What do you like best about the City?
"I was born and raised in New Orleans. I love it. There are so many
great things about the city: music, food, culture, architecture,
festivals, nightlife, etc. My favorite part about the city is
discovering new places that I have never been -- it is one of my goals
to eat at every New Orleans restaurant at least once."
You've mentioned you're a music fan. What bands are you into?
"I love all music. I love the Beatles, Motown, 80's Music, and
Alternative Rock. The thing I love the most about music is finding the
unknown bands that are working their tail off to make new fans. I’m a
big follower of Aware Records and I find a lot of new artists that way. The best unknown artists I can think of are: Graham Colton, Rockwell
Church, Jason Mraz, Far Too Jones, Will Hoge, OAR, Athenaeum, Peter
Stuart, Angie Aparo, Dar Williams, Bleu, Paddy Casey, Howie Day, King
Konga, Pat McGee, The Thorns, Barry Manilow (just seeing if you were
paying attention!). Of course, I love Better Than Ezra most of all."
What does STELLA do on a day off?
"Check BTE email. I wish I could say I’m kidding. I’m a workaholic. I usually either study for school, work on my new company, play with my
band, see live music, or rent movies. I rarely get any downtime."
Got any parting words for the fans?
"1) Thanks for being patient with my email responses and your
orders. I am usually juggling a lot of stuff but I’ll get to it;
2) Spread the words and music of Ezra to everyone you know, keep good
music alive! The day of Ezra in the world’s spotlight will be coming
soon. Be prepared to say, ‘I knew them when!’
3) Tell BTE to take me on tour with them; and
4) Have a great day!"
Thanks so much STELLA, you rock. |
