A Mile In My Shoes...coming soon to a blog near you

Hey guys! I was going about my regular work day - creating e-cards, making phone calls (or "smiling and dialing" as my bosses like to call it) and doing my best to make sure that everything on my ever-expanding list is getting done. All of the sudden, i felt the need to blog.

On pretty much a daily basis I like to try and think about what it is that you guys are doing. Several of you I know have full time jobs in addition to running the video show (this I understand as my last year and a half of school was spent bouncing from all day classes to internship to waiting tables). So I try and be mindful of that as I go about my day and I try not to call too many times in any given week or couple of weeks, and I try to really understand what all you guys have to deal with when putting together a show. Some of you run talk shows and use the music videos as fillers, some of you have other formats of videos you use in addition to those Christian videos supplied by AristoMedia, and I consider all of this before I call and ask for tracking updates (just so you know). All of that being said I thought you guys may like a little insight into what it is that I do. So my next blog will feature a little more about that. I'd do it right now, but this blog has already become two paragraphs and it would be a ton to read all at once.

So that's all. Keep an eye out. I should be posting in the next few days. Oh, and hey guys? Thanks for reading. I really appreciate that. Bernard from 11th Hour in Connecticut called me the other day and brought up something I had mentioned in my blog and it made me super happy just to know that people were paying attention. So thanks, Bernard! and thanks to all of you out there reading. Feel free to drop me a comment or an email anytime.

With Love,
~rachel@aristomedia

In Stores Today!

Last night was Kevin LeVar's CD Release party!! His album "Let's Come Together" is now available in stores everywhere, isn't that exciting?

While I unfortunately wasn't able to fly to D.C. to attend, I was able to watch streaming online from kevinlevartv.com. That concept was really really neat. They had a live chat so that people like myself could type in and feel a little more like we were actually there. They had people watching from all over the world!! Kevin's performances were phenominal and I really enjoyed it. God Glorified Music was also kind enough to give a shout out to us here at AristoMedia and that was neat to see and hear. I hope some of you got that e-blast i sent out and were able to watch as well. I know Virgil Taylor from Virgil Taylor's Music Machine in Maryland had RSVP'd - I hope you enjoyed it Virgil!

Anyway, that is all for now, just wanted to throw a quick update to ya. There'll be more soon!

~Rachel@aristomedia

Well hello there, internet world. Long time, no see!

It has been crazy here lately, and I love it because it keeps me on my toes and makes time just fly by. Please forgive me if I've just showered you with emails, this INO reel is just a great opportunity for us to start gaining more major clients so I'm covering all bases.

We also recently met with some reps from Gotee records, that seemed to go well, but I have not heard anymore about it just yet. Furthermore, we are trying to get this Natalie Grant "I Will Not Be Moved" video out to you all, but the other vids that may or may not get on that reel to go with it are slowing us down a little bit. We are contemplating sending it off on its own, but won't know for sure what is going on until later next week.

Personally this week has been a little rough on me. I put in my 2 weeks notice at my other job. So I will only wait tables at the glorious Outback Steakhouse until the end of september. It is a little sad because the people I work with over there are all so much fun and I've been there over a year and a half now. But, it had to be done. Aside from that, we also had to put my puppy to sleep today. I say puppy, but she was 15. I've had her for the majority of my life and it is really sad to have to say goodbye, especially because I can't be there (in Illinois) to say it in person. But she is very old and was in a lot of pain, so that is for the best as well.

All and all though, I am certainly doing well, so I shouldn't complain. I hope you all have a great weekend, and I will be a little more up beat next time around. ;)


--Rachel@aristomedia

Aristo Goes Digital?

Wow, so I have been sooooo busy lately guys, I'm sorry I'm a little behind on the posting. We have a lot of new and exciting things coming up like a new method of reel delivery called an FTP site where we can create login info for all of you wonderful programmers and you can log in and download the videos right from the web!

That means no more lost reels, damaged reels, or not being able to convert - it will all be so fast and easy!! We are also hoping it can help bring some costs down for our artist clients too, thus getting us even more great videos. BUT, we are still in the research stage right now, so I need for all of you who are reading this to give me a call and/or send me an email to let me know whether or not you would be able to use this new format. I plan to send out an eblast today to get all the specs (file type, dimensions, etc), but the way this month has been going I'm not making a promise that it will get out today.

I just seem to have so many different un-related, but sort of related things flying at me from every direction (which is actually very energizing and exciting, but also hectic) so please do not be afraid to call or email me every week or so and remind me of what it is you are requesting from me. Take a lesson from Bill Ballinger with Hot Gospel Tracks in California who will NOT let me forget that he wants the new Natalie Grant video ;) I love ya, Bill! But seriously, that way, you can be sure I am not ignoring you - because I'm not - and that one I will promise.

Well, time to get back to the daily grind. Have a great Labor Day Weekend, y'all!

~rachel@aristomedia

Visits Galore!

Well guys, I have had a very exciting couple of weeks. I was recently visited by Kevin LeVar and his wonderful management team - Donna Jenkins and Shondale Bostick of God Glorified Music. They were all SO, SO sweet and we had a great time (Pictured left to right here you have Shondale, myself, Craig (my boss), Kevin, and Donna).

We also did get some work done ;) Kevin will be in the D.C, Virginia area through the end of the month and some of you may have already gotten an email from me about that. Kevin is an amazing person and a very talented artist. You can see clips of him performing live at www.myspace.com/Kevinlevar. Kelly Fountaine with Gospel Music Channel had the luck to actually see him perform live and could not stop raving about how talented he was and how blessed she was by his worship.

He is looking for some wonderful people like yourselves to talk with, so anyone interested, please let me know.

ALSO

Pettidee and his manager/wife Chloris were in the office today. They are so sweet and so funny! Pettidee is a cut up, but he is also very serious about his work. This new video "All Alone" means a lot to him and it is very close to his heart. Pettidee was doing ministry work in Africa when he was made aware of all the injustices going on in that area. So he pulled out all of the stops and made a video to shed some light and bring some help to these people. He is very grateful to all those who support him and help his cause by having the courage to air such an edgy video, thus he spent a good couple of hours today trying to get a hold of some of the programmers that aired it in the first round of promotion.

He is super excited to come back and do it again after the next round, so keep those adds coming!

I don't have time to go into all the details of these last few wonderful weeks, but I feel blessed to have been in both Pettidee and Kevin's presence. They are men of honor and you just really feel renewed being around them. Time to head back to making some calls before I go home!

Talk to you soon!
~rachel@aristomedia

Happy Birthday Pettidee

There is a very important event coming up that we definitely want you to be a part of. On August 14th, it will be Pettidee's Birthday! Come by his MySpace or send him an email at fanmail@soldiersound.com to wish him a Happy Birthday! I know he would love to hear from those who share this and keeps him in their prayers. Thank you and we appreciate the love.



God bless,

Soldier Sound Representative

MICHAEL W. SMITH AND STEVEN CURTIS CHAPMAN

TEAM UP FOR THE FIRST TIME ON “THE UNITED TOUR”
Tour Brings Two of Christian Music’s Most Influential Artists
Together For Performances In More than 20 Major Markets This Fall

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) August 5, 2008 – Two GRAMMY® award-winning and multi-Platinum selling artists, Michael W. Smith and Steven Curtis Chapman, join forces for the “The United Tour” which kicks off October 9 in Columbus, Ohio and concludes in St. Augustine, Florida on November 8.

This unique tour showcases two of Christian Music’s most recognized and beloved artists. Together, Chapman and Smith have garnered a staggering eight GRAMMY ® awards, 96 Dove Awards, 77 No. 1 singles and more than 30 Gold and Platinum albums. The idea for the tour came together shortly after Chapman and Smith spent time together in the UK working on the “Compassionart project” that brought more than 10 of Christian Music’s most revered singers, songwriters and worship leaders together to write and record a collection of songs, for charity.

Both artists will perform music from their current and upcoming albums: Chapman’s This Moment (10/23/07) and Smith’s A New Hallelujah (10/28/08). This also marks the first tour for Chapman since his family’s loss of their daughter Maria.

Pre-sale tickets for this landmark tour are available now on each artist’s fan-sites: www.michaelwsmith.com and www.stevencurtischapman.com. In addition, Smith’s long-time ministry partner, Compassion International (www.compassion.com) and Chapman’s adoption ministry Shaohannah’s Hope (www.shaohannahshope.org) will benefit from the tour. (For further information on how to support either cause, please visit their respective websites.)

“THE UNITED TOUR” Fall 2008
*Dates, markets and venues subject to change without notice.

OCTOBER
Thursday October 9th Columbus, OH Palace Theatre
Friday October 10th Cincinnati, OH Aronoff Center
Saturday October 11th Roanoke, VA Civic Center Auditorium
Tuesday October 14th McMurry, PA South Hills Bible Church
Thursday October 16th Myrtle Beach, SC The Beach Church
Friday October 17th Atlanta, GA Cobb Energy Centre
Saturday October 18th Spartanburg, SC Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium
Sunday October 19th Birmingham, AL Wright Center
Tuesday October 21st Paducah, KY Carson Center PAC
Thursday October 23rd Tulsa, OK Spirit Bank Events Center
Friday October 24th Omaha, NE Holland Center
Saturday October 25th Waukegan, IL Genesee Theatre
Sunday October 26th Merrillville, IN Star Plaza Theatre
Wed October 29th Lowell, MA Lowell Memorial Auditorium
Thursday October 30th Rochester, NY Auditorium Theatre
Friday October 31st Bethesda, MD Music Center at Strathmore

NOVEMBER
Saturday November 1st Albany, NY Palace Theatre
Wednesday November 5th Ft. Lauderdale, FL Broward Center
Thursday November 6th Sebring, FL FL Community College
Friday November 7th Clearwater, FL Ruth Eckerd Hall
Saturday November 8th St. Augustine, FL St. Augustine Amphitheatre

For further information on Shaohannah’s Hope the adoption ministry of Steven Curtis Chapman, please visit: www.stevencurtischapman.com.

For up-to-date information on Michael W. Smith, including tour itinerary, please visit www.michaelwsmith.com or www.reunionrecords.com.