Milkshake: Kids Music Band Shakes It Up

Nominated for a 2010 Grammy Award for Best Musical Album for Children, Milkshake is an ultra- talented Baltimore-based rock band for kids. They've had music videos that aired on PBS Kids and Noggin' and have won Parents' choice awards.

I've been approached to collaborate by several children music soloist and bands over that last several years but for one reason or another I declined. However when I was approached by Milkshake vocalist, band co-leader and manager Lisa Mathews (after checking out their reputation and music) I said yes absolutely.

Founded in 2002 by vocalist Lisa Mathews and guitarist Mikel Gehel, Milkshake is not your average watered down feel good strumming music act for pre-schoolers. They play to a wide range of ages and have many fans who have grown up to show for it. From Baltimore, a city with the best harbor renewal in the East (a metropolis under the radar), Milkshake is composed of six quite different band members. Each with their own personality and persona. For example, band co-leader Lisa with her fire red hair, combat boots, is one of the kindest souls you’ll ever meet wears a tutu on stage while she belts out her heartfelt vocals. Then there's Cord the rockin' tattoo armed bassist that could be in a death metal band but is as sensitive as a kitten. I can go on and on. Check out the video clip above and you’ll get a quick visual sense of them.

I worked closely with Milkshake in 2009 to develop a concept for a TV series which I like to say is like The Monkeys meet Pee Wee Herman. We filmed the project that March. Lisa, Nancy Borrows and myself co-developed the creative and Milton Kam (my “A-team” director of photography) shot the sequences. After editing the project, which are a few different sequences to give broadcasters a taste of how Milkshake would look on television, we met with a high level exec at Nickelodeon and she offered us additional feedback that is being folded into the pitch package. This project continues to be a work in progress.

However, Milkshake is not waiting around for a broadcaster as they play shows regularly in the northeast and elsewhere. If you’re on the west coast, they will be appearing for two shows at the beautiful Getty Museum in LA on August 7 and 8. Check them out if you have a chance as you, your inner child (and your kids - if you haven them) will not be disappointed.

To learn more about Milkshake and hear their music visit:

On-location @ L.L. Bean

There are moments in our work life where all the dots are connected and we stop and say YES, THIS IS IT. Most of the time I keep these moments to myself. But our recent shoot with L.L. Bean in Freeport, Maine was one of those experiences.

My company has been commissioned to produce a series that features innovative companies and L.L. Bean (one of our staff's favorites) was high on the list. We pursued them years ago to no success but this year they wholeheartedly agreed to collaborate with us. I'm not in the position to reveal all what we learned about the inner workings of L.L. Bean, the icon company, that will be showcased in our series. But we did learn some fascinating facts about L.L. Bean, the man, the entrepreneur, the visionary, the enterprise.


b-roll clip of the "Bean Boot" tester machine at L.L. Bean's product testing labs in Freeport, Maine (June 2010)

L.L. (Leon Leonwood) Bean begin his company in 1912. And he started by making a hunter boot for himself because he was unsatisfied with boots available and tired of having cold, wet feet during his trips in the New England woods. After collaborating with a local shoe cobbler he mass produced 100 pairs of his new boot and mailed them out to hunters who ordered the boot via a 3 page catalog.

Each order was shipped with with a customer satisfaction guarantee. Consequently 90 pairs were returned and L.L. (true to his word) refunded the money and took the customer feedback and redesigned a new boot, which became known as the "Bean Boot." This boot is still a part of the L.L. Bean product line today, nearly a hundred years later.

L.L. didn't give up, he persevered. Now this privately held international company earns over $1.78 billion in revenue annually (according to 2006 statistics via wikipedia). A man I'd like to have met.