Russ Bates a.k.a. "Professoruss" (& professoruss HERE)

23 November 2010

I'm NOT a cmptr. "whiz/geek", so I'm having trouble filling in all "field areas", like "Key Word tags".... I'm a Yank who's "loved NZ from afar" for decades & has a "killer" money-making & "creatively fulfilling" music collaboration project, for BOTH NZ & intrntl. markets (eclectic R&R /satirical humour) & am trying to NET WORK w/ Kiwi "band manager/talent scout" types to try to FIND a few very specialized musicians in the "older male rockers" category (no "sexism" -- the CONCEPT just requires this "demographic") who have a range of instrumental (& maybe even vocal) skills between them & a great sense of humour...

Key skills:

I have a very "eclectic" background, including librarian/clerk work, teaching/tutoring, film & book critic work, polltaking & market research/public relations, MANY yrs. in the printing & graphic dsgn. fields & copy-editing/proofreading, writing adverts/"blurbs" for films & other arts events, backstagehand work in live thtr. (incl. "Shakespeare-in-the-Park" productions) & LOW-budget "indie" films & fundraising for Arts orgs. & managing movie theatres & audio-visual techie/ticket-taking/"hospitality"/security/"roadie/grip" work on conventions & trade-fairs, poetry fests, bookfairs, film fests, etc. + performing songs/"slam" poetry/"dramatic readings" & teaching simple puppetry to kids & doing puppet-shows for them..... as well as MANY years of work on environmental issues, like beach clean-ups & "Earthday"/solar power....

Education history:

"Liberal Arts" B.A. from Portland State U., as well as classes, seminars & many workshops over the yrs. @ a number of U.s & colleges in Oregon & Washington state & California, from 1979 to 2004, including seminars I helped to put on & classes/workshops in library science/book preservarion, gerontology, horticultural therapy, dietary science & "activities directing" for senior citizens -- all part of the "C.N.A." (Certified Nurse's Aide) certificate I got @ Santa Rosa Community Cllge. in Cal. in 2004. I continue to attend lectures on various "socio-cultural topics" in various venues, like libraries & museums....

Year of Graduation:

1979

Formal qualifications:

Though I've worked as an UNPAID VOLUNTEER on numerous events & for many Arts organisations, I don't have any "solid" formal qualifications to list after my name, like "Ph. D., or M.B.E." on a C.V. As a fundraiser & "gopher", I've done work for National Public Radio stations (local affiliates in OR, WA. & CA) & other independent radio stations, as well as O.M.S.I. (Oregon Museum of Science & Industry), the Portland Junior Symphony/"Youth Philharmonic", S.O.L.V. ("Stop Oregon Litter & Vandalism"), CINE- QUEST film festival (San Jose, Cal.), "Artquake" arts fests in Portland, OR & other film festivals in Portland, Seattle (WA), Spokane (WA) & Santa Cruz (Cal.), the Portland Poetry Festival & other events like Obon Fests, Scandinavian fests, Cinco de Mayo, etc., I was often a "behind-the-scenes" worker & did not get any special "credit", citation or praise, other than a "thanks to our volunteers" mention/ap- plause.... OCCASIONALLY I recieved a bit of financial compensation, along w/ free tickets to films, etc.

Work history:

Starting in my college days, working part-time while studying, I've had a fairly wide range of jobs, but not what I'd call a "career", since my earnings supported my creative endeavours, as well as the need to eat & the needs of pets, housemates & female companions, who sometimes even contributed to the budget I've worked in photo-offset lithography as a "pre-press" cameraman/film "stripper"/platemaker all thru the 1970s, '80s & '90s while also doing housepainting, greensman/landscaping work, tutoring/"mentoring" teens w/ emotional issues/"Autism", eldercaregiving in private homes & facilities for Senior citizens, writing for small Arts/local events magazines/newspapers, managing/ass't. managing movie theatres, working as a librarian/library clerk in the Santa Clara (Cal.) library system, managing a small video-enhancement components manufacturing co. & teaching in several private children's art academies & in programs @ the Blue Mtn. Arts Organisation (Eastern OR) & the YMCA & YWCA.... In the 1980s & '90s I also worked sporadically as a movie theatre projectionist in five diff. theatres which are no longer in biz (but that's not MY fault!) & did backstagehand work for svrl. "live" theatre troupes, also now "extinct", like the Storefront Theatre, Cubiculo Theatre & The Long Goodbye Dinner Theatre... all in Portland, OR.

Creative achievements:

I've never won any awards or citations for my creative achievements, but I am currently working on a book about Art & Philosophy & have had an occasional poem, cartoon or book (or film) review published over the years, performed to applause @ open mic/"poetry slams" & introduced film directors & actors @ several film festivals where I also "emceed" some of the screenings/"Q&As" & performed "quite clever" (I thought, too) puppetshows for kids & parents in classes I taught (simple "stick puppets" & scripted dialogue). I'm also working on songs, some of which I've performed for small "public events" (like the graduation ceremony for my C.N.A. class) & continue to create toys for my svrl. cats, who think they're an excellent way for me to spend some time & energy... Very sporadically, I've done DJ work & read stories on the radio, for a couple small, "indie" radio stations. Over the yrs., I've had many people praise me for my creative efforts, starting in Grade Schl. I dare to hope they were sincere......... An afterthought: Actually, I HAVE gotten awards in my life.-- MANY years in the past... namely, 1st, 2nd & 3rd place awards (ribbons, medals, etc.) for "science projects" & other academic achievements in Grade Schl., High Schl., an "all-city choir" & svrl. flower arrangement/crafts shows... as well as being voted president of the "National Jr. Honor Society" (Sophomore yr.) & "Nat'l. Honor Society" (Junior yr.) in my all-boys high school... they "let GIRLS (!) attend" 2 yrs. after I graduated.

Reviews:

I don't, @ this time, have any good (or bad) reviews of my creative "output" that I can enter in this "space."

References:

Ditto to the above... but I can supply a few references if rqstd. Many people w/ whom I've worked over the years have moved away from my hometown, Portland. I was gone from "PDX" (as it's sometimes abbreviated) myself for 12 yrs. (just brief visits a few times) & I've lost track of a lot of people.... Some have died or, because the co. or school or gallery or theatre troupe closed/disbanded/went "outta biz" due to all the "economic turbulence" in the U.S. (even before the current "global economic meltdown/re- cession") they have "scattered I know not where"....There are svrl. w/ whom I do maintain e-mail contact.

Contact details:

I have been trying, sporadically, for months&months&months&months to network w/ Kiwis on this "Big Idea" of mine for a "seriously-money-making" (& FUN) very eclectic rock'n'roll/satirical music collabora-tion project.... so I'm VERY eager to hear from anyone who might be seriously interested or KNOW someone who might be seriously interested..... There's a BIG timezone/seasonal differential HERE, "antipodally", from NZ.... but my phone number (inside the U.S.) is 503-388-8292 & my e-mail is professorusstler@yahoo.com Due to work schdl., it may take me a couple days to respond, but I will!

Submitted by Russ Bates on Tue, 23/11/2010 - 11:51am.

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SEEKING BAND MANAGER/"TALENT SCOUT"/SMALL INDIE RECORDING STUDIO-type person for money-making music-collab. project
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Russ Bates a.k.a. "Professoruss" (& professoruss HERE)
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