Joseph Yakel was born and raised in New York’s Capital region, and calls this place home. His travels have taken him far and wide, but it’s his hometown surroundings that serve as a backdrop for his writing. He’s recently published three books, and thinks his blend of history and humor shine a bright spotlight on the local area and its people.

Said Yakel, “My roots to the Capital District have been a major influence on what I’ve chosen to write about. I split my youth growing up in Albany and Loudonville, and summers were spent at our camp in Westerlo. I attended Albany Academy for Boys and Christian Brothers Academy. As an adult, I’ve traveled fairly extensively across America, and spent two years in Belgium, Germany, and other European countries with the US military. So, I am fortunate to have a mix of local city, town and country exposure, in combination with this broader range of travel to draw from.”

He went on, “I began writing my first book when I was about seven years old. I loved dinosaurs and wanted to be a paleontologist. Although I didn’t publish that book, I still have it, and I’m proud of what I created at that young age. Looking back on it now, I think it marked the starting point where writing would have some longstanding place in my life.”

While Yakel’s desire to write has been with him since childhood, he says that it has emerged in a more public way over the last decade. “Over the years, I’ve penned quite a lot, but it wasn’t until 1998 that I submitted my first article for mainstream publication. It was a technical piece on cable television system operations. Since then, I’ve written a number of other articles, mainly on military subjects, published in both trade magazines and on organizational websites.”

It’s his latest writing efforts, however, that Yakel says are his greatest accomplishments. Between December 2004 and March 2005, he completed and released three books. “Writing the material was the easy part”, said Yakel, “but putting it all together was a huge task to undertake. I’m very proud of what I’ve created.”

As for the books themselves, Yakel said he’s got something of value for plenty of people, especially those around the Capital region. Two of his books are genealogy references that also contain quite a bit of local history in them as well. ‘The Autograph Memories of Mary Yakel’ is the 19th century memoir of his grand aunt. Yakel explained, “Mary was born in the South End 1879 and passed away in 1940. She had an autograph book, which was filled with entries from family and friends along the Second Avenue corridor. I took the small book of hers, a family heirloom, and rewrote it. In addition to the original book entries, I supplemented it with details and comments about the people and families mentioned within her little book. I never knew Mary Yakel, of course, but working on this memoir has helped me to understand her in ways that I couldn’t otherwise.”

‘The JACKEL, JECKEL, JAECKEL, IEKEL, YAKEL Family History Book’ has a mouthful of a title, but Yakel says the title is dwarfed by the book’s content. He went on, “Without a doubt, this has been my most intensive writing effort, ever. It’s a 464-page family chronology, tracing 350 years of my Rheinish ancestry. Our original surname was JACKEL and JECKEL, but changed more than 50 times after the family came to America. In Albany, the spelling settled on YAKEL in the 1870’s, while in Milwaukee, it settled on JAECKEL, and in Iowa, our family name changed slightly to IEKEL. This book is first and foremost a genealogy reference, but it’s also jammed packed full of really intriguing local and German history as well, and that’s why this book and the Mary Yakel autograph book have a wider audience appeal.”

His third and most recent book is a complete departure from the first two. ‘The Legend of Juggin Joe’ is an over-the-top fictional humor story that takes place in and around the Town of Westerlo, NY, and centers around the life and times of a hillboy dubbed ‘Juggin Joe’, for his uncanny musical abilities with the jug. Yakel said, “This book is a country boy comedy/melodrama that I’ve written in ‘country speak’, which makes the story that much more fun to read. It’s a light-hearted, clean, fun adventure, suitable for all audiences.”

“The Legend of Juggin Joe”
* ISBN 1-4116-2588-9 * Pub date: March 2005 * $9.00 paperback * 123 pages *

“The Autograph Memories of Mary Yakel”
* ISBN 1-4116-2101-8 * Pub date: December 2004 * $9.00 paperback * 75 pages *

“The JACKEL, JECKEL, JAECKEL, IEKEL, YAKEL Family History Book”
* ISBN 1-4116-2715-6 * Pub date: March 2005 * $26.50 paperback * 464 pages *

Joseph Yakel offers free chapter previews of his books, and welcomes reviews and comments. His books are available in paperback, or downloadable format. For previews and purchasing information, visit Lulu Publishing at: http://www.lulu.com/yakel

Joseph Yakel is a freelance writer and author. His articles have appeared in publications such as Communications Technology, The Pipeline, and Army Reserve Magazine, and have been highlighted on USAWOA Online, USAR Online, and other Internet websites. For great humor, or genealogy and family history resources, visit his bookstore at http://www.lulu.com/yakel where Joe offers free book previews and more. Joseph Yakel is available for interviews, and accepts e-mail correspondence at armeuv1@yahoo.com

Tags: Albany, comedy, country, entertainment, family, fun, genealogy, history, humor, local, New YorkAlbany, comedy, country, entertainment, family, fun, genealogy, history, humor, local, New York

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In the movie High Fidelity, John Cusack says, “Which came first - the music or the misery? Do I listen to pop music because I am miserable or am I miserable because I listen to pop music?” Personally, I like pop music and all kinds of music. I really enjoy listening to music with friends. I’m not miserable at all.

Some of my friends like pop music. Some don’t. Some like country-western music. Some hate it. Some like classic rock. Some don’t. Personally, I appreciate all kinds of music. I may not like some writers or performers, but in almost all genres, there are songs I like.

In the mid-1980s, my wife and I joined forces with some friends and ran a small dance club, The Bedrock Lounge. For a while it was the place to go . . . until we had liquor board problems. We mostly played alternative rock and dance mixes. On the weekends we brought in live bands. Peg and I listened to a wide variety of music. I played records through the evening and into the early morning hours. She knit, read, and worked on her calligraphy. From pop to classics and show tunes, we’ll listen.

Every time someone mentions a musical I like, I generally say, “Oh, that’s one of my favorites.” I don’t really have a list of favorites, but perhaps I should write one down. Like Cusack, again, in High Fidelity says, “What really matters is what you like, not what you’re like.”

When I attend a musical with my wife, we always buy the cast album if possible. If you are familiar with particular Broadway musicals you can experience the entire play just by listening to the music. In your mind you can see the characters, hear their lines and watch their actions. In reality you are just listening to the songs performed on stage, but the human mind tends to fill in the blanks.

I love live performances. If I have seen a performer live AND have their music on a CD I’m in heaven. If I have CDs of a favorite singer and haven’t seen them live, I search on the internet for their concert dates. And sometimes I just fall into the right situation.

A friend attended a performance of Judy Collins at The Triple Door in Seattle, a small 300 seat dinner and music venue. I asked him to bring back a calendar of upcoming events. After the concert he just told me the website address of The Triple Door and I went there to look around. To my surprise I found out that Guy Clark was appearing just a week and a half later.

Peg and I once attended a Nanci Griffith concert and expected to see Guy Clark open for her. To our dismay, he didn’t make the trip. Since that time we have purchased several of his CDs, however. Two days later I was invited to join friends for a performance of Romeo and Juliette in Olympia. I declined, but mentioned that we were going to see Guy Clark just a few days later.

Guy Clark was wonderful. We had a decent dinner, enjoyed Rachel Harrington, his opening act, and saw him live with our Olympia friends. Good food, good music, and good friends. There was no misery to mix in with our listening pleasure.

Don Doman is a published author, video producer, and corporate trainer. He owns the business training site Ideas and Training (http://www.ideasandtraining.com), which he says is the home of the no-hassle “free preview” for business training videos. He also is webmaster for the music/movie website Videos, Music, and More(http://www.videosmusicandmore.com) which promotes the world of music and entertainment.

Tags: Country Music, Country Western, Guy Clark, Judy Collins, live entertainment, music, Nanci GriffithCountry Music, Country Western, Guy Clark, Judy Collins, live entertainment, music, Nanci Griffith

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As a professional writer and occasional music manager, I often encounter bands and solo musicians that work very hard to attract attention from music management agencies. Unfortunately, a legion of grifters uses the raw desire for success against many smart, talented music professionals. If a representative from a music management agency contacts you, use these three guidelines to determine whether they’re on the level:

1. Real music management agencies will never, ever ask you for money up front. Managers make commission on their clients’ earnings, and experienced managers understand that an unknown artist doesn’t have much money. By taking on “developmental clients,” music management agencies cultivate both business and goodwill that they hope will pay off when an artist enjoys a modest breakthrough.

On the other hand, fly-by-night music management agencies run by rip-off artists know that there are plenty of talented people who are willing to believe that a fee of a few hundred dollars will get them attention from record labels and from radio stations. While it’s legitimate for a very small music management agency to ask for a small retainer to cover overhead expenses, this fee should be negotiated in advance and should be billed after the agency has done some work on a client’s behalf.

2. Real music management agencies can point you in the direction of successful clients, or can admit that they’re still so new that they haven’t had any breakout stars on their roster. Believe it or not, some of the most influential music managers of the last five decades had little or no experience in the music business. They just had the drive and the stamina to do great work for equally talented clients.

Meanwhile, you can tell most rip-off music management agencies by looking at their web sites or at their offices. If your potential managers seem to have collected hundreds of “grip and grin” photographs of themselves with some major stars, ask whether the manager did any actual work with that artist, or whether the just love to snap photos at industry “meet and greet” events. Many Nashville con artists stuff their offices full of artist photos to deliberately overwhelm the senses - and the judgment - of potential victims.

3. Real music management agencies handle business at the office, not at the gig. Professional music managers understand that live shows are the best possible marketing opportunities for bands to grow their audience and sell their merchandise. After all, the more money a band makes, the more money a music manager makes. Professional managers will, most often, grab some contact information from a band member or from the merchandise table, so they can make contact during business hours.

Unfortunately, many bands get taken in by the rip-off music manager that trades on the adrenaline rush after a live set. These scam artists often slide up to the stage right after a set, buying drinks (or even supplying drugs) to their targets. They play off the notion that many musicians love to party, and that signing with their (bogus) music management agency can lead to plenty more party nights. Before long, the so-called manager has snagged a hefty retainer, which they usually use to fund parties with their new marks.

Remember, professional music management agencies recruit new clients based on measurable results, not just based on a band’s performance at one club night or at one music conference. Just as sporting talent scouts keep an eye on potential pro athletes throughout their high school and college careers, real music management agencies may be watching your band grow from a distance. In the meantime, rely on your friends, your family, and your street team to provide the foundation you need to attract the right professional manager for your career.

Joe Taylor Jr. has written four books about the music business for aspiring musicians, including Music Management for the Rest of Us. You can learn more about finding professional music management agencies at: http://www.musicmanagementfortherestofus.com/agencies/

Tags: arts, entertainment, management, music businessarts, entertainment, management, music business

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