Saturday, April 13, 2013

Presenting the Vibe Diva, DJ Mahealani!

Craftbox Agency had the pleasure of meeting DJ Mahealani many moons ago, when we were mere babes in the moonlit woods.

We've always been a big fan of her talent, her work ethic and most of all, her most lovely and nurturing spirit.

Please enjoy our interview of one the most awesome FEMALE deejays in Austin!!


photo by John Leach


How long have you been a Deejay?


The first time I deejayed live in front of people with 2 turntables was in 1999. I was selling home made mixtapes before that when I lived in Maui. And the first time I ever played with a dj set up, I was 16 - goofing around with 3rd Bass & Art of Noise records. I have been collecting records since I was a kid growin’ up all over Texas. My family moved a lot & records were friends I didn’t have to leave behind. 


You are one of a few female DJs in Austin. What’s that like?

I love playing records & I am always grateful to be able to work doing what I love. That feels amazing! - But I know if I was a guy I’m pretty sure I’d feel the same way! ...Although, I will say that things have been man-splained to me more times than I can count, and it is hilarious when my husband is with me at a gig - folks will look at him & talk to him like he’s the deejay even though he is not behind the turntables. Usually when I play, though, all that goes away pretty fast!

I am definitely not the only female dj in town, & I have had the pleasure of meeting & working with several of them. I like to stay away from being a token female in the dj scene & it makes me happy to see women reppin’ their dj styles here in town. Shout outs to Shani, Katrina, Blend*E, FaithGay, YoungBreezy, LoveCat, WannaBe, Kate, Chantal, & the other ATX lady deejays out there!

You’ve done a lot of women and child advocacy work before. Tell us about that experience and what it means to you.

I have a background answering domestic violence hotline calls & being a children’s advocate at Women Helping Women Maui, & I have been a children’s advocate at SafePlace here in Austin. I have also been working part time as the Evening Care Coordinator at the ACC Children’s Lab School for almost 10 years now, helping to support families when parents go back to school at night. This kind of work means the world to me. 


It’s honestly a grounding reason I love to dj. Music is a bridge between & within people- it makes cultural, emotional, & somatic connections that words by themselves cannot create. I have seen first-hand how music heals: the right song at the right time can sometimes be what one needs literally to survive the day. The skills I have learned building relationships with diverse families, children, & folks in stress & crisis are many of the same skills I use to feel the crowd and choose my selections. I also can feel the subtlety in vibe in terms of how friendly & safe it feels for women on the dance floor. I feel a responsibility & a joy playing records that set an uplifting, protective, & powerful tone. I also love the authenticity of kids- and that is what I tune into & see in people every time I play records. I want folks to have that innocent & healing playfulness when they dance & listen to the records I play - even when they are feeling grown & sexy on the dance floor!

Tell us about being a teacher at Girls Rock Camp.

It's the coolest things ever! I am so inspired being a part of this diverse group of musicians & future musicians! As a teacher, I get to help set a tone of safety & risk for these girls & young women. I give the girls space to dig in my crates & choose records they like- some have never even played a record before. We talk about music styles- I learn what they like & introduce them to older sounds that relate to the newer stuff they like. They get to learn how to hook up a deejay set up & feel confident about it! We talk about feelings- how they feel when they dance & feel good- & using that to feel the audience when choosing selections. Girls can have so much empathy & we talk about tuning in with that when selecting too. We also talk about math! I teach them about beats per minute & how to beat match. I let the girls experiment with scratching & using the mixer faders. I get to share with them that I didn’t get better deejaying until I wasn’t afraid to mess up & sound bad. Some of the smartest women I know have made mistakes & then learned from those mistakes- that’s what made them so smart. That’s probably the most important thing to me that I get to share with them.




What are your five top favorite songs to get people dancing? 

Hmmm... let’s see what pops in my head right now:

It’s extremely difficult to name only five, & it really depends on the listeners & dancers.  It can be surreal seeing how the same song can work differently depending on the crowd.

Is it true you only spin vinyl? Why?

I mainly spin only wax. I say mainly because there are some occasions that I may be hired to play a specially created track for a special event- that is not on vinyl. Ninety nine point nine percent of the time, though, it’s all wax! The reason(S)? I love records. I have collected them before I ever thought I would become a dj. I am also a kinesthetic & visual person so my brain works well physically flippin’ thru big square pictures to find the songs I want to play. Records & record players remind me of a time when music didn’t seem so disposable, & I love that! Many of my records are older than me- and their feel & meaning is just as relevant & important today. There are spirits & stories in those records that i feel drawn to play- the better I dj the more i trust that, and the more i trust that, the better I dj. Also, I loved surfing in Maui, & the feel of dropping the needle in the record groove at just the right time in the rhythm of the mix is the same as catching a good wave to me.

This isn't your first time DJ'ing Studio 54klift -- why have you chosen to return this year?


I love any chance I can be a part of something supporting the vision Allison Orr! She showcases what many might find as “ordinary” to show us the truly extraordinary. That is very special to me. For example, her work in Trash Dance aligned with MLK’s work at the end of his life. I think we the viewers all felt more dignified after clearly seeing the humanity, art, & dignity of our own sanitation workers in that piece of her work. Our city is so lucky to have that gift. I admire her ability to tune into & share the beautiful rhythm of people being human.

What’s your favorite thing about Studio 54klift?


Getting to play all those classic jams for some of the best & most fun dancers in town! Are you kidding?! - It is one of the best crowds to get to play records for! A deejay’s dream!


Oooo-la-la!
Check out this foto: Can't you just feel the mood??

photo by John Leach

Make sure to check out DJ Mahealani on Saturday, May 18th 
for Forklift Danceworks' STUDIO 54klift!! 

PS: Craftbox Agency couldn't be more honored to produce Studio 54klift... stay tuned for the deets!

Monday, April 1, 2013

Texas Film Hall of Fame, Lucky 2013

The 13th Annual Texas Film Hall of Fame was a smashing success this year!!

It was Craftbox Agency's SIXTH time to produce the event and we couldn't be more pleased.

Fabulous Film Director and Austin Film Society Founder, Richard Linklater said, "Yes, seems like the consensus is best show ever, we DON'T say that every time like they do at the end of the Olympics or something.  Everyone seems to be loving the wonderful vibe and the pace of the show (and our wonderful emcee!), etc. but I also want to give a big shout out to what seemed like technical perfection, which sure doesn't happen by itself.  To Celeste and everyone else  - very smoothly produced show!...".

 Holy Moly - them are (positive) fightin' words right there.

 For me, the real magic is behind the scenes. The Texas Film Hall of Fame is a year-round production, with all kinds of fabulous people contributing their ideas, time, energy and just a wee bit of patience.

In order to set the tone of this event, 
you must first watch this killer video created by your favorite and mine (see below):
TFHOF 2013 Intro from Houndstooth on Vimeo.

Just for grins, I'd like to show you some "before and after images" to capture the essence of the hard-working TFhoF team.

See this Cocktail Party Gorgeous-ness?  

Photo by Jerry Hayes

 Before came the making of the box sculptures.

Chelsea Grace Design did a fantastic job carrying out the vision. Dang! She not only knows how to work a power tool, she looks fabulous working one. Love this talented Ladyfriend sooo much. And, look at my fabulous assistant, Sara Grauerholz. With her background in Theater and Set Design, she was a force to be reckoned with.


 Michael Austin, of Build Austin, even came out on a Sunday to lend a helping hand.

This year, the Texas Film Hall of Fame dinner and awards show was hosted in a huge 82 by 164 ft. Lossberger Tent provided by Marquee Tents and Rentals. Unbelievable!

Photo by Jerry Hayes

 It takes a TON of planning to make sure the design and placement
 of this structure is absolutely perfect.


 Check out the dude on top of the tent. You are my un-sung hero.


And the Stage Design provided by the most fabulous Technical Designer ever,
Bill Haddad of Blue House Design.
That killer logo and all the print design collateral was created by the incredible team at FBA.

I love this team. (Wish the picture had the WHOLE team!!)
(Those children, even though we bend the child labor laws just a little, really know their stuff.)
Big Shout-Out to Patrick Kondelis of Round Mountain Productions, Chris Overbeek and Jeff Kuryak of Freeman, Carlos Martinez of Marquee Tents and Rentals, with Amelie and Marcelle Quesada.

Hey! And that's me in the middle. 

Not even a LARGE tree can stand in our team's way.


Photo by Jerry Hayes

That table in the foreground is just about where that tree was.
(Don't worry, it found a fabulous new home.)

Enough already with the before and after pics....
Let's get to the good stuff!!

Photo by Jerry Hayes
The VIP room, ready to be filled with directors, actors and all kinds of very important folks.

The media's anticipation of the stars' arrival!! 
Our Step and Repeat was a mere 50ft long.

Photo by Jerry Hayes
The Dining Room and Stage in the tent. The amazing show projection content was provided by Houndstooth Studio. Que Pretty!

 Pretty crazy how accurate Bill Haddad's illustration was, right??

Photo by Alysse Gafkjen
Dana Wheeler-Nicholson knocked it out of the ballpark as our Emcee.

Photo by Todd Wolfson
Grupo Fantasma as the Texas Film Hall of Fame House Orchestra.

Photo by Miguel Angel
Lady Luck, (aka Elexia Lowe, an Austin-based actress) was our Diva of the Night.
Sponsored by Kendra Scott, she raised lots of money selling lottery tickets.
Dress was designed by Chia Guillory
and headdress was created by Allyson Garro of Coco Coquette.

Photo by Alysse Gafkjen
The gorgeous and mega-talented native Texan, Robin Wright.
Seriously Swooning.

Photo by Gary Miller
The one and only film icon, Rob Reiner.

Photo by Alysse Gafkjen
The after-party was a smashing success. 
The gorgeous chandelier, overall party lighting design and projection-mapping provided by Houndstooth Studio
Lighting Equipment provided by Ilios Lighting Design

Photo by Alysse Gafkjen
Photo by Alysse Gafkjen
 Tableau Vivant created by Coco Coquette.

Photo by Alysse Gafkjen
 Guest Deejay performances included el John Selector, Jim Eno of Spoon, Composer Graham Reynolds, and Adrian Quesada of Grupo Fantasma and Brownout.


And finally, the Creative Director and the Music Director of Texas Film Hall of Fame.

All in a day's work, People.

We can't wait for next year!!

And a giant squeal of love for
TEXAS FILM HALL OF FAME 2013 TEAM
YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!!







Friday, March 15, 2013

Mercury Hall Magic

Wow! 
I just received the sweetest Thank You card from a client that I worked with in the late Fall of 2012. Super sweet little love notes like this make me adore my job.


Craftbox Agency produced this gorgeous wedding at the historic Mercury Hall in downtown Austin. 
Here are a few pictures from this special occasion.

Festoon Lighting and Family Fotos.








Step aside, James Bond. Antonio Bond is my secret weapon.


Austin Phonograph Company.



Chuppah made of willow branches and dreamy greenery.

"behind the scenes" magic!

Chocolate Tamales - Come to Mama...

It takes a very steady hand!

Nothing wrong with a bride that kicks up her heels!

All-female Mariachis at a wedding. Can't have too much of a good thing.

Mariachi Las Coronelas.

Historic Mercury Hall.





Grammy-winning performer, Adrian Quesada.

Hand-rolled cigars. So bad, yet so good.


Me getting fresh with the talent.

What a great night!!