"Beyond the Years" is about music. It's about love. It's about choices that affect people's destiny.

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 So its done. Finished. Can’t do no more. I sent off the final galley copy of the manuscript to my editor, Julia at Harper Studio last week. Since then, I’ve been trying to recoup and get my online life/presence back in order. I know that this blog has been stagnant – nay, dead – for the past few months, and for that I apologize. My only excuse for this lack of activity has been the amount of writing and traveling craziness going on in my life over the past year.  read more »

Through out all of my travels over the years I have learned some very important lessons.  In order to bridge the cultural divide you first need to identify common interests and or goals.  While bringing over 20 high school students from Canada to India in order to film this documentary certainly has its challenges, the goal was to first put the young filmmakers at ease with their new surroundings and subjects.  There are many ways to do this, but I have found the easiest way is to connect individuals from different cultures through the arts and culture.  read more »

The DOC Team arrived in Udaipur India a week earlier then the students. The DOC team was made up Scott McPherson, Fanny Malo, and myself. Both Fanny and Scott are in film school. We arrived a week early in order to finalize the stories the youth had developed back in Montreal.

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I just recently returned from India. Where I was running a program for Nokia, International Youth Foundation and Free the Children, the program is called Directors of Change This programs mandate is create youth produced documentaries that are then integrated into the curriculum of Canada school boards across the country.  Each student is also outfitted with a Nokia N95 mobile video camera so they can document their own experience, as well as produce a film showing their behind the scenes struggle.  read more »

I was sent this top 10 list by a close friend. People often ask me how they can make a difference in the world, especially living with such fast paced, packed lives. This list highlights many ways to make a difference, and it all begins with improving yourself.

1. You be the change you dream of seeing (Thanks Mahatma Gandhi). "If everyone of us would sweep their own doorstep, the whole world would be clean," observed Mother Teresa. She was right.  read more »

 One of the best parts of being a traveling photographer is getting to interact with kids in so many different countries. This short series was taken in Soweto in late July. As three o’clock rolled round and the kids began their trek back home from school, I found myself in their midst – surrounded by some territorial first graders.  read more »

I was recently interviewed for an article discussing the importance of creativity in nurturing the growth of youth and their core life skills.  This article outlines programs around the world where they are using creative arts to motive and inspire youth.  One of these programs, Directors of Change, which I am the Executive Producer of, is profiled through out the piece. This is a great article to see what other youth programs are being run around the world.  read more »

oye hola como estas me llamo Lokta ,sup yall its your girl lokita and this my first blog so let mi just fill yall in on what im all about...

So ive been dancing since I five with the same group of people and wes still dance together just under a different name now DPACC ..So if u ever in my city just holler and ill tell u wher we will be performing....

Im also a rapper/Singer as well i write all my lyrics myself  from english to spanish i do it all ..sill working hard on my spanish tho but i try

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