All In A Days Work - Still Working On It (Part 2)

Ciao a tutti,

This post is a continuation of my previous post of the same title in which I talk about some of the experiences I am starting to have as part of my profession. Or rather, more accurately, these experiences I am experiencing because of a combination of various circumstances including my profession, my ethnicity, my personality, etc.

In the last post I mentioned how I ran into the famous photographer, director, etc., Norman Seeff at after a meeting. This next situation that occurred is still new to me too and something I might be lucky enough to have to get used to. It occurred in the office of the IACCW (Italy American Chamber of Commerce, West) during a meeting with the Executive Director, Paola De Mari.

In the middle of the meeting she told me that she had seen my blog and all the events I had gone to and reported about, and wanted to know why I had not attended a single one of their events and reported on it? I told her that I didn't remember ever having been invited to one. The office manager Lucia Peretti Merritt proceeded to tell me the E-mail address they had listed for me, and indeed it was correct.

I guess I couldn't get out of this one. In all actuality, I think I had assumed that since I also receive many invitations for events in New York and Chicago, etc. that I am an not able to attend at the moment, that the ones coming from the particular E-mail address, were not local events. I told her that I would be happy to attend and report on one or more of their events and post pictures, etc. I promised I would be looking for the next event to attend.

Our meeting continued and something said within the meeting sparked a memory in Paola and she asked me if I had seen the pictures of me in a recently published book. I told her I didn't even know that I was in yet another book. I thought she might be referring to Richard Gruden's Book, The Italian American Crooner - A Bedside Companion," in which the author dedicates a whole chapter on me.

She immediately popped up and went to her office to get it and brought it back into the meeting room and opened up the pages to the pictures of me. It was not that book but another one called "Images of America - Italians in Los Angeles."

I was quite honored I must say, firstly that she thought so much of me to bring it to my attention, and secondly that only a handful of Italian-Americans were listed in the book as representing the next generation of Italian leaders and I was included right along with Jimmy Kimmel, of ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live Show and Doug DeLuca, producer of the show.

Above is a picture of the cover and below that are the pictures used in the book. You see the page listing Jimmy Kimmel and Doug DeLuca. And then here are the pictures with me.

Even though, the captions are incorrect, and I don't wear my hair that way anymore, thankfully, he, he, it was wonderful to be included.

The book is called "Images of America - Italians In Los Angeles," by Marge Bitetti and published by Arcadia Publishing. Thank you Marge for including me in the pictures. Thank you Paola for giving me the book so I could post it on my blog. And thank you Giovanna DiBona of Roman Holiday, with whom I am happily pictured, and Norman Panto.

You know, there used to be a saying amongst musicians, that started up after the accordion had "fallen out of favor" in the recording studio world. The saying was "Play and accordion, go to jail." When I first started to hire bands and asked around for accordion players for the ethnic sound I was looking for at the time, musicians would laugh and tell me those sayings and more. They were funny, but they didn't stop me from hiring accordion players.

It is interesting how now the accordion has come into favor even among some rock bands. Okay, it hasn't taken over the guitar, and you don't always see it in bands, but it is used in recording studios. And this man, Norman Panto, or Nunzio, as I know him has done well with it. Besides the usual Italian weddings and events, he has even been featured playing on TV commercials. Here's one accordion player who not only didn't "go to jail" for playing the accordion, he went to the bank.

Ciao for now,

Filippo

P.S. In my last post, I featured a Cher video and mentioned how I would feature a Sonny Bono video next time, and here it is. Here is a video I found on Youtube.com of Sonny singing his song "Laugh At Me." Like his voice or not, you have to admit the message is timeless. (In English)