Brandon's Blog

  Steak Stage Fright?  I've got the cure, a definitive guide to the perfect steak! Imagine this is your fourth date with someone you really like, and you offer to cook them dinner. The table is set, candles are lit, and the flickering light bounces off the perspiration forming around your hairline. You promised to make steak, but you get flashes of grey, dry, and tough steak- the only kind you know how to make. You see the love of your life hacking away at the piece of leather you served them, and with each sawing motion  of their knife, you see your future with them dissolve. They look up at you in between each laborious chew, and you see the spark that was once in their eyes, fade. Then you wake up in a cold sweat- lucky for you there's still time to learn how to cook a steak and save your relationship. Through my own trials and error I've been able to compile tips and tricks from industry experts. We'll go over steak theory and the science of a good steak, cuts, cook...

 As a transfer student this was my first time going inside the Bovard Auditorium, and it was beautiful! I really had no idea what to expect from the performance and I was interested in the "triple bill", I had no idea what that meant.  To my surprise it was 3 different dance studios that were performing! The performance was held in tribute to the late Glorya Kaufman who started the USC school of dance just a decade ago. To commemorate her Ja collective, Contra Tiempo, and Versa-Style Dance Company. There was also DJ Nina Butterfly that invited us to a dance party on the stage. The Contra Tiempo group moved me the most of the three groups performing. I felt that their movements were mesmerizing and told a story of building community and fostering joy. It was a very cool mix of dance that I could recognize as hiphop, but also had a latin-inspired backdrop- almost like salsa?  Another unexpected benefit was DJ Ninabutterfly! She is a current senior at USC that attended Kaufm...

 I've always been interested in cooking- and the idea of farm to table has always been something chefs, cooks, and amateur hobbyists all look to as being the gold standard. Everything is organic, fresh, and hyper seasonal- everything sounds perfect, but actually getting your hands dirty and planting, pruning, watering, and toiling is so much harder. Kurt in his book Growing a Farmer takes us through his process of realizing his dream.  He said that it all started when he was cutting open a bag of meat and became disillusioned by h ow removed her was from the food. He hadn't nurtured the calf that gave him the meat and he hadn't harvested any of the produce he was using. I enjoyed the fact that his epiphany led to him buying a 4 acre plot of Vashon Island in the Pacific Northwest. He explores much of the "boring" aspects of farming- like topology and even soil health. He also acknowledges the abrupt transition from the bustle of the city to the quiet countryside w...

  Concert Touring Four red bulls and two red eye connecting flights every other night for three weeks in a row. I've been to every major city in Asia, Europe, and North America- but all I can really remember is my baggage pick-up carousel. Everything feels like it's right on the edge of falling apart, and everyone is desperately trying to clean up the mess while simultaneously pretending that nothing is wrong. So many long days at the venue and even longer nights at the airport- and yet I can say that concert touring has been the best job I've had the privilege of working. During my time on the road I was a VIP experience manager, meaning that my position was an amalgamation of: Security and Safety Venue Operations Customer Service Management Security and Safety For many VIP fan experiences, the artists would do poster signings, meet and greets, and other events that would include interaction with fans. Kpop fans are usually respectful, but they can get a bit voracious when...