1. Storage capacity

The default storage capacity for Dropbox is 2 gigabytes while Google Drive is 5 gigabytes. With Dropbox, this limit applies to all files. The Google Drive storage includes data synced to the cloud and between computers, but doesn’t include Gmail mail messages or Picasa images.

2. Google Drive is fully integrated with Google Apps

Google does a great job of integrating all of their applications. In a Dropbox vs. Google Drive comparison, as far as integration with other services, there is not much of a contest. The integration of all Google applications makes sharing data between them easy and effective.

3. Google Docs

This application is one of the first to really push the cloud-based collaboration envelope. Google Docs is fully integrated in to Google’s Drive service, creating an environment that is convenient and easy to use. Google Docs is a full-feature word processor, spreadsheet editor, and presentation editor that can be used from any modern web browser. Drive syncs all changes easily with everyone that has access to the document.

4. Gmail

Any supported file sent through Gmail can immediately be accessed with Drive, including word processing documents, spreadsheets, presentations, PDFs, and even archived ZIP files. This is a convenient way to help team members quickly view and provide feedback on files as they work together.

5. Integration with Android-based mobile devices

The rapid rise of Android based cell phones and tablets have made Google a player in the mobile market. Google Drive, like the other services in the Google Apps suite, is native to the operating system on Android devices. Dropbox also offers an application for the Android operating system.

This list is not exhaustive, and should serve only as a starting point in your research. DeanMark is an Authorized Reseller of Google Apps fo Business. If you would like our professional opinion as it relates to your unique situation, please contact us.

Increases in mobile Internet usage are one of several recent factors which have resulted in increased Internet video viewership, and online TV is on the path to soon take over cable and satellite television. YouTube is the leader in this online trend, and Google AdWords opens YouTube's advertising platform to anyone interested in Internet advertising.

You can rely on a trusted Philadelphia advertising agency to set up your ads on Google AdWords for Video. Google has a variety of options available for online marketing with AdWords for Video. They offer for video what is essentially a pay-per-click ad model - users can choose to watch your video, and you only pay for every time someone actually watches. This ensures that you only pay to market to interested consumers, getting the most out of your Internet advertising budget.

AdWords lets you set your own budget, and doesn't require a minimum spending amount. You also get to choose how much to pay for each video impression. Where higher paying clients have bid for a placement their video is shown, but when there's no other bids your video gets shown, no matter how low the cost.

Our Philadelphia advertising agency uses AdWords for Video to find interested clients for your business. Millions of people use YouTube, and it doesn't have to be expensive to advertise on the world's largest video platform. With AdWords for video, your business's video ads can be displayed with related Internet videos on YouTube.

Product Listings

E-commerce stores, booksellers, and product distributors need to consider how the two ad networks promote products. If products represent the bulk of your online offerings, take into consideration that Google Adwords can give you sizable boost in online traffic. Bing, on the other hand, may increase your product list exposure by significantly less. If you're using online ads to promote a service, Bing ad specials and PPC offers may not match up to the initial burst of exposure you will get on Google.

Remarketing Reach

Remarketing enables you to reach a wider audience than you normally would. If your company has a lot of videos on YouTube, you may want to stick with PPC companies that offer strong Google AdWords support. Your YouTube channel can be linked to an AdWords account so that viewers who interact with your videos are also exposed to the AdWords campaign you're running. This remarketing reach allows your AdWords campaigns to appear on YouTube videos. The benefit of remarketing is increasing brand recognition. If you don't rely on YouTube for video marketing, then Bing Ads is a logical alternative.

Content Network Size

Content network size is an important pay-per-click marketing factor. Google's contextual content reach is greater than Bing's. Google AdWords has more websites that allow contextual advertising, which means that you'll have a greater opportunity to get your ads viewed on Google's ad network. However this high level of visibility doesn't come without drawbacks. You may find that ad placement costs vary accordingly. Prices may vary so if you're on a tight budget, ask for a comparison between Google and Bing advertising rates.

Search Advertising

Bing and Google both offer search advertising, which tends to be more effective than contextual advertising, so don't let Bing Ads shortage on contextual ad opportunities sway you against using the Bing advertising platform. Web surfers who are searching for specific queries online are more likely to click on ads that come up during a browser search.

Running a PPC campaign requires the creation of ads on platforms like Google AdWords and similar pay per click companies such as Bing Ads. Each platform has subtle differences, but they all rely upon the same general principle. You only pay when someone actually clicks on the links in your advertisement. Let's take a look at how the typical campaign is set up...

First of all, you will have to sign up with the platform of your choice. Google AdWords is by far the most popular pay per click system, but many marketers choose other platforms because they are sometimes more affordable as a result of less competition. Once you are set up, you will then define your budget. Budgets can range anywhere from $10 daily to thousands of dollars. How much you want to spend really just depends on how much you want to sell and what you're willing to invest.

From there, you will bid on keywords that are relevant to your niche. For example, if you were selling sports equipment, you might use keywords like "athletic equipment," "sports gear," "sporting supplies," etc. To be successful, you should choose highly relevant keywords for which potential consumers will search.

Experienced AdWords campaign managers use many techniques to achieve optimal results. One example is the use of negative keywords. These are basically keywords that, when entered by users, will prevent your ad from being displayed. You don't want to bid when these particular keywords are used because people may click on them, but they are unlikely to result in conversions. For example, if you strictly sell football equipment, you might use "soccer" as a negative keyword. Another example is if you are a plumber, you might use "do it yourself" as a negative keyword.

AdWords management also involves choosing specific demographics to which you will show your ads. For example, if you sell exclusively to people in the Philadelphia area, you could limit your ads to being shown to search engine users within a certain mile radius of Philadelphia. This would ensure that people in the greater Philadelphia area see your ads, and prevent people in other regions from seeing them. You may also limit your ads to being displayed to people between certain ages, a single gender, etc.

In addition, a critical component of AdWords management and managing campaigns with similar PPC companies is tracking your campaign. This process involves monitoring data such as how many impressions you get, how many clicks you get, which keywords are getting clicked, and which keywords are getting conversions. Knowing this information is extremely valuable because it should prevent you from making mistakes and help you improve your overall effectiveness.

The most popular platforms, Google AdWords and Bing Ads, provide very detailed reports and analytics that can be difficult to interpret and understand. Indeed, monitoring a PPC campaign's data in and of itself is an art and takes time to master. Consequently, it's ideal to work with a professional pay per click consulting company for guidance. The ultimate goal is spend the least amount while making the maximum amount of sales.

Using Google AdWords and similar pay per click companies requires you to create quality ads. To accomplish this goal, one must be highly specific so that you only attract individuals with a genuine interest in your products or services and who are ready to buy. When done correctly, you can drive highly targeted traffic to your website and see a significant return on your investment. Contact DeanMark if you are looking for an experienced PPC campaign manager.

But from where do the funds for this terrific "free" service come? The general answer is that it comes from advertising revenue, but the more detailed and interesting answer is that it comes from the Google company's invention of Google AdWords advertising.

The barrier that Google solved with AdWords was the distribution of advertising. Two common methods of ad placement included putting ads on the main Google search page, and returning results that either included ads in the margins, or contained commercial companies pertaining to the keywords of the search.

The effectiveness of these ads was diminished by the fact that the search pages were a means to an end for the users and the ads tended to be tuned-out visually by the users. The real destination of the users was not the search engine pages but the actual target pages containing the information for which they were searching. The problem was that Google has no direct control of what these content providers put onto their page.

Google AdWords advertising gave incentives to web designers to include particular ads for Google clients. For instance, a commercial dating web site could submit their name as an AdWords client to Google. Then, when the webmaster of a free dating website searched the AdWords service, he would find that commercial client as well as any others that were associated with his keywords. He then had the option to include AdWords ads which linked back to the web design client's website.

The free site would then get a small amount of money, perhaps a cent, for each browser user that visited his webpage with the AdWords ad. The free site would get a slightly higher amount, perhaps three cents, if the user actually clicked the link. Although the individual amounts were small, the aggregated amounts could be significant.

Using this method, a true life data site garnered millions annually through AdWords linking to a complementary commercial dating site. The entire setup revolved around the infrastructure setup by Google, which provided motivation for sites to display client ads, and gave Google the structure to track results and report traffic to the client.

As an client of DeanMark, Google AdWords advertising could be a lucrative marketing strategy for you. You can take advantage of the Google browser penetration and their client-matching engine to provide likely target sites for your advertisements. This has turned out to be a cost-effective and successful strategy for many companies. Contact us today to learn how Google AdWords can drive new business for you. We can create and manage your campaigns at an affordable rate.

In the earlier days of IT employee support, the most powerful utility that a company could provide for its workers was a reliable and handy form of distribution for email. Leaving behind the memo system, employees could trade information from their work areas to anyone on the globe, almost instantaneously.

Other important aspects of e-Business were a little more difficult to implement. Companies realized that they could get huge benefits by computerizing other business processes like document sharing and video conferencing, but found it took a huge IT investment.

This is one of the first areas that Google Apps For Business addresses: the ability to standardize and implement these services. Perhaps most importantly, it significantly reduces the amount of IT resources a company needs to expend in order to get these services, and allows the company to focus its resources on its core technology and products instead.

Google Apps For Business has knocked down many of the barriers that companies have faced in the past with implementing advanced business services. One of the most time-intensive activities was product deployment and upgrades. When a company for example decided to use a new standard presentation server, they would need to start by performing company-wide installations of the software package. As upgrades to the package were released, the IT department needed to deal with that as well.

In contrast, the Google Apps reside online, and Google uses cloud technology to virtualize the servers for applications, freeing companies from the responsibility of deploying the applications themselves to individual desktop computers. Companies using Google Apps save money on hardware, electricity, and in-house IT employees.

Device compatibility for applications is another problem that Google has solved. In the past, companies struggled to make their applications compatible with all of the devices that an employee must use, including laptops, mobile smartphones, and iPads. All of the interfaces for these devices have been implemented by Google, and anyone plugging into the Google Apps For Business infrastructure already has each of those interfaces in place.

Of course, one of the biggest concerns of companies and IT departments everywhere is security. Data must be protected from competitors and malicious software at all costs. The security systems are also maintained by Google. No longer does a company's IT department have to struggle through several 24-hour days to eradicate a computer virus. Google deals with these security issues and handles all these problems internally.

For these and other reasons, a company wishing to implement the latest business software while maintaining focus on their core competencies should consider Google Apps For Business. To learn more about Google Apps in Philadelphia or elsewhere, or to discuss a solution or implementation in the Greater Philadelphia Region or beyond, please contact us today!

An important point for any company is that proper logo design and branding takes advantage of a consumer phenomenon called “product familiarity.” DeanMark is a creative agency that combines artistic excellence with marketing expertise to provide valuable graphic design solutions.

Most marketing professionals agree that consumers make their purchase decisions largely based on emotion. For instance, consider the question of whether you prefer chocolate or vanilla ice cream. Whatever choice you make, why did you make that choice? Most people will say that their choice is “better.” Although they hopefully won’t say so out loud, a part of each person actually feels that their choice is the superior choice, not only for them but for all rational adults.

But if asked for reasons — one choice is healthier than the other, one makes the consumer have better-looking children, one contributes more to world peace — each person is hard-pressed to specify a particular reason. Some self-aware people may say that their favorite flavor happens to be their favorite color, may be the last flavor a deceased parent shared with them, or may be the preferred flavor of their favorite actor. Studies show that emotion rather than intellect is the basis for most decisions, although people are generally unaware of this fact.

One study that attempted to parameterize this phenomenon compared two major cola brands. Statistically, the majority of consumers in any test always chose Brand A, but independent tests showed that Brand B actually tasted better. In other words, consumers chose Brand A even though Brand B was “better.”

The difference between the two brands was advertising. Brand A was advertised much more heavilty than Brand B. In other words, consumers preferred Brand A because the company that manufactured Brand A told them so. Another way to look at this is that superior logo design and branding produced superior sales results.

Companies can take advantage of this consumer behavior toward logo design and branding by allowing a firm like DeanMark to design or redesign their logo. For most products, consumers don’t take the time to carefully research the pros and cons of each product and make comparisons to all the available competitors.

For an inexpensive, commodity product, most consumers will make a brand decision based on the first few seconds of their initial impression. Often this is determined by the logo. A smart company will invest significant time to carefully craft this logo to create the right first impression and maximize their sales. Contact DeanMark today to have a logo designed or modified.

The allure of online video marketing has been indicated for many years by the attraction of public video sharing websites. Many could not imagine that anyone would be interested in spending time watching other people’s home movies. Surprisingly, this is exactly what happened. People would film their pets doing inane stunts or pratfalls of their favorite relatives and the result would occasionally become "viral,” bringing millions of unsolicited hits to their web pages. It did not take long for the commercial world to catch the trend, and video sites began to feature movie trailers, blogs from famous actors, and music videos, professional or otherwise.

Today companies can realize an effective marketing advantage by taking advantage of online video marketing either on their own websites or on public video distribution sites. Like any advertising content, the subject matter should be compelling and interesting. This gives many possibilities to those companies that use online video marketing to increase product sales.

Some examples of effective video marketing include the computer company that showed reviews of their products given in video format. They understood that a potential customer’s first desire was to get his hands on a sample of their laptops and work with it, but in lieu of that opportunity, they were happy to watch a video showing a user like themselves trying out the different features of the laptop. This turned out to be much more effective and engaging than showing product still shots, presentation slides, or feature blurbs.

Other companies provided utility through their videos, attracting customers through their service and increasing the good will of the customers to the company. One clever company, which sold replacement parts for do-it-yourself repair of washers and dryers, realized a huge increase in website traffic and subsequent sales by including installation videos for their parts. Previously, they had given extensive written instructions with diagrams, but found that visitors to their websites found that information insufficient to make them feel comfortable doing their own repairs. Many ended up hiring a professional repairman instead. With their video instructions, customers could visual themselves performing the repairs, and they got the confidence they needed to bypass the professional repairmen and purchase parts from the website so they could do it themselves.

Providing entertainment or utility to potential customers has made video marketing an effective advertising strategy for many companies. If you would like to harness the power of video and realize a great return on investment (ROI), please contact DeanMark today for a free consultation or to obtain a quote.

Professional web design is sometimes bypassed by inexperienced or underfunded company owners. It is one of those skills for which many feel they have a talent, despite not having any training or expertise.

Particularly when company budgets are tight, a company manager may reason that they would best spend their money by investing in top-notch product design and skimping on the web marketing. After all, they reason, anybody can take pictures of the product, write a little something, and then throw it up on the web. That kind of thinking is a serious marketing error.

Although these days almost anyone can publish on a website, a good rule of thumb may be that perhaps this doesn’t mean that everyone should publish. Some of the “beginner errors” for websites include dubious photos and amateur copy. Some merchants include pictures of their children lovingly cuddling the product.

Others attempt to add interest to their copy by alternating the colors of the rainbow throughout their fonts, or by choosing fonts that use heavy calligraphy or comic-style lettering. Some of the copy might contain unadvised posturing like commands to “Buy My Product Now!” Some even misspell words or use improper grammar on purpose in order to gain sympathy from a customer on the order of “look, I’m an ordinary guy like you."

Even without these rookie mistakes, that last 10% of polish that experts would have given to a website leave it giving the impression to the customer of “Amateur!” This can actually have a negative advertising effect on the customer. For instance, would you buy medicine from a website that misspelled words on purpose? Professional web design and web hosting gives customers the impression that the company is capable and professional. For many customers, it actually makes more of an impression and is more likely to lead to sales than actual information on the product itself.

Professional web design is also essential to take advantage of all of the other aspects of the Internet. For instance, when someone is searching a browser for your product, will you be listed among the first entries in the browser? If not, you will get significantly less traffic than the leaders. Moving your search result higher in the browser is part of the expertise of a professional. DeanMark's web development services include search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM).

For these and other reasons, leaving your web design to the professionals is often the most effective use of your company budget. Contact DeanMark today to learn about how your company can benefit from web development or a website redesign.

Today, DeanMark announces it has become an authorized reseller of the Google Apps™ suite of communication and collaboration tools. By being officially granted reseller privileges by Google, DeanMark will now be able to provide clients with more complete web development experiences. DeanMark clients will be afforded the opportunity to purchase the inexpensive, yet powerful cloud-computing software as a service (SaaS) directly from the website design firm.

"As a part of our continued dedication to providing clients with solutions that meet all of their needs and exceed their expectations, we added Google Apps to our growing list of in-house technology capabilities," says one DeanMark team member. "Google Apps fits perfectly under the umbrella of DeanMark's web development services and solutions. Furthermore, Google Apps for Business offers a broad set of powerful APIs that enable us to develop highly customized solutions for our clients, who come to us from myriad backgrounds and industries."

Google Apps brings simple, powerful communication and collaboration tools to organizations of any size — all hosted by Google to streamline setup, minimize maintenance, and reduce IT costs. With Gmail (including Google email security, powered by Postini), Google Calendar, and integrated IM, users can stay connected and work together with ease. And, using Google Docs and Google Sites, which include word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, and website creation tools, they can share files and collaborate in real-time, keeping versions organized and available wherever and whenever users work.

The Google Apps Reseller program includes resellers, consultants, and independent software vendors that sell, service, and customize Google Apps for Business for their customers. DeanMark received training, support, and deployment services from Google, as well as access to APIs for integrating Google Apps into their customers' business operations. DeanMark is able to retain a close relationship with their customers in order to provide additional service and support. Clients receiving Google Apps from DeanMark will benefit from the additional attention to their specific needs.

For more information on DeanMark Google Apps capabilities please visit www.DeanMarkInc.com/Services/Google-Apps and to learn more about the Google Apps Reseller program, go to www.Google.com/A.

About DeanMark:

DeanMark is a creative agency with expertise in marketing, branding, and advertising. We specialize in photography, video production, graphic design, and web development.

For questions or official comment, please contact Press@DeanMarkInc.com.

Google, Google Apps, Gmail, Google Talk, Google Calendar, Google Docs, Google Sites and Google Video are trademarks of Google Inc.

DeanMark is registered servicemark of DeanMark Inc.

DeanMark Inc., the Philadelphia-based creative agency that specializes in marketing, branding, and advertising creatives, has moved to the heart of the Center City Philadelphia business district.

DeanMark will utilize beautiful and spacious offices and conference rooms on the 36th Floor of One Liberty Place.

The new address is: DeanMark Inc., ONE Liberty Place, 1650 Market Street, Suite 3600, Philadelphia, PA 19103

The toll-free phone number remains unchanged: 1-855-DEANMARK (1-855-332-6627)

The website at http://www.DeanMarkInc.com remains unchanged.

"This is a big step for us, and we're proud to be joining the Center City Philadelphia and Liberty Place communities," says one DeanMark team member. "We considered quite a few different spaces before making our decision. Ultimately, ONE Liberty Place was the best fit. The space boasts modern decor and its infrastructure is state-of-the-art. Furthermore, we now have access to numerous conference and meeting rooms, which will improve our productivity and, ultimately, our clients' experiences."

For questions or official comment, please contact Press@DeanMarkInc.com.

To finish off the summit, SHRM invited all the attendees to a "Twilight TweetUp." The event was part after-party, part Social Networking 101, and included funky music, an IPad give-away, and tons of tweeting. DeanMark cinematographer Wildersee Harris was present to create a video record of all the festivities.

"I needed a kit small enough to allow me to be mobile and maneuver through a crowed room of people. Thus, I used the Canon EOS 7D and the Canon EF 35mm prime lens. In the dimly-lit party hall, I raised the 7D's ISO to 3200, which allowed me to capture properly exposed video with negligible image quality loss. I opened the iris of the 35mm prime lens to f/2.0, which created a shallow depth of field and some really beautiful shots."

SHRM will use the final product to 1.) allow attendees to relive the fun times and 2.) to attract a larger crowd for their future events. Please follow DeanMark on Twitter for useful news and updates.

The band played for a little over three hours, while patrons relaxed and enjoyed the music, a few drinks, and the company of friends. DeanMark cinematographer Wildersee Harris was on location, compiling footage for a video tour package with which the band will market themselves to venues across the country.

"I made a strategic decision to pack lightly. In this case, I took just the trusty Canon EOS 7D, a Canon EF 35mm lens, and a backup camera. The light rig gave me maximum mobility, which allowed me to move freely around the band as they performed. The sound picked up by the 7D's internal microphone allowed me to get plenty of reference audio for mixing in post production. The EF 35mm prime lens was key in such a dimly-lit lounge; I opened up the iris to f/2.0 in order to accommodate."

Look out for the finished product "Ramzy & The Brothers Handsome at Twins Jazz" in the coming weeks.

This past October, R&B duo The Foreign Exchange teamed up with director Matt Koza for a two-day, multi-city music video shoot for the lead single on their latest LP, Authenticity.

Consisting of rapper/singer/songwriter Phonte and producer Nicolay, The Foreign Exchange came together via the online hip-hop community Okayplayer.com in 2002. After trading files through Instant Messenger for over a year, Nicolay (living in his native Holland at the time) and Phonte (a Raleigh, NC resident) completed their debut album before they ever met each other in person. The album, "Connected," was released in 2004 to positive reviews, and was praised by legendary DJ's such as Jazzy Jeff, King Britt, and DJ Spinna for its inventive mix of hip-hop, R&B, and electronica.

Their sophomore album, "Leave It All Behind" (2008) found The Foreign Exchange much closer in geography (Nicolay becoming a resident of Wilmington, NC), but located much further from their hip-hop origins. On the strength of their exhilarating live show and several nationally programmed music videos, "Leave It All Behind" became the group's most successful album to date, culminating in a Grammy-nomination for the album's first single, "Daykeeper".

Bio via theforeignexchangemusic.com

Production locations included beautiful spots in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park and the sandy beaches of Atlantic City, New Jersey. DeanMark photographer Stephen Stewart was behind-the-scenes with the cast and crew, documenting every step of the process.

"I have been shooting for The Foreign Exchange since 2008. They are one of my favorite R&B music groups and great people to boot. When you combine that with how much I enjoy photojournalism, you get two very exciting days. The final product came out great. Kudos to artists Phonte & Nicolay, Director Matt Koza, Executive Producer Aimee Flint, and the rest of the cast and crew."

Please check out the final product.

Multi-Instrumentalist/Producer Zo! is Detroit-area born and raised Lorenzo Ferguson. Music was always present in and around the Ferguson house, which led to Zo! taking piano lessons at age 6… which he absolutely despised. The idea of working toward a Major League Baseball career served as the greatest inspiration through his teenage years much more so than the concept of practicing music. After his parents consistently pushed and encouraged him to stick with music, Zo! discovered a newfound passion by teaching himself how to play piano by ear by age 11. Zo! got his production start in 1992 when his parents brought home a Proteus MPS keyboard and a Brother PDC100 sequencer for him to figure out. Since then, he has emphasized the use of live instrumentation as the blueprint for his music while constantly looking to expand his sound with each album release.

Bio via theforeignexchangemusic.com

Production took place in one of Philadelphia's most exclusive night club spots. Some of the Philly music scene's most recognizable faces made cameos. DeanMark photographer Stephen Stewart was behind-the-scenes with the cast and crew, documenting every step of the process.

"Zo! is one of the most under-appreciated smooth R&B/Soul producers. His composition and instrumentation is second to none. I only had one prime lens in my bag, which limited some of my coverage. However, I got to do one of my favorite things: turn off the flash and crank up the ISO. Kudos to Zo!, Eric, Darien, Pooh, Director Matt Koza, Executive Producer Aimee Flint, and the rest of the cast and crew."

Please check out the final product.

YahZarah
 (born 
Dana 
Nicole 
Williams)
 is 
a 
classically
 trained
 R & B 
singer‐songwriter
 based
 out 
of 
Durham,
 NC.
 
Her 
stage
name, 
a 
dedication 
to 
her
 grandmothers
 Yah 
and 
Sarah, 
roughly
 translates
 to 
"Queen
 Mother 
is 
the 
brightest
 star" in 
Arabic.


Born
 and 
raised
 in 
Washington 
DC, 
YahZarah
 started
 singing
 at 
the 
age 
of
 7
 in 
her
 church
 choir.
 Her
 love 
for 
performance
 began
 after 
winning 
a 
youth 
talent 
search
 at
 the 
Kennedy
 Center 
at 
age 
10. 
After
 years
 of
 honing
 her
 talent 
in 
churches,
 talent
 shows
 and 
local 
concerts,
 she 
entered 
high 
school
 at
 DC’s
 prestigious
 Duke 
Ellington
 School
 of
 the
 Arts.
 
Upon 
graduation 
in 
1997,
 she
 was
 accepted
 to 
North
 Carolina
 Central
 University
 in 
Durham 
on 
a 
full
 scholarship
 to 
the 
school’s
 jazz 
program.
 In
 1998, 
she
 left
 NC
 Central
 and
 began
 touring
 as
 a
 background
 singer 
for 
Erykah 
Badu. While 
touring,
 YahZarah 
contributed
 background
 vocals 
and 
vocal
 arrangements to Badu's platinum-selling "Mama's Gun" LP. In 2001, she left the Mama's Gun tour and went on to pursue her solo career.

Bio via theforeignexchangemusic.com

Production locations included Philadelphia's famous Silk City Bar Diner & Lounge and the campus of Drexel University. DeanMark photographer Stephen Stewart was behind-the-scenes with the cast and crew, documenting every step of the process.

"YahZarah is a singer who always turns heads. No one expects such a powerful voice to emanate from a relatively small woman. She truly takes away your breath. The video concept was a homage to the 80s cartoon series 'Jem and the Holograms' and included great chroma key work and choreographed dance sequences. Kudos to YahZarah, Director Matt Koza, Executive Producer Aimee Flint, and the rest of the cast and crew."

Please check out the final product.

This past April, music producer/writer Dave Tozer teamed up with artists Musiq Soulchild and Jazmine Sullivan and Producer/Arranger Larry Gold to create the record "Find Me" for Musiq's latest album.

Dave Tozer is a producer, songwriter and musician. He has worked with several R&B, Hip-Hop, Rock and Pop artists including John Legend, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Justin Timberlake, John Mayer, Natasha Bedingfield, Musiq Soulchild, Estelle, Jazmine Sullivan and Elliott Yamin.

Hailing from Bridgeton, New Jersey, Tozer taught himself guitar, bass and keyboard. After moving to Philadelphia in the late 1990s, Tozer honed his production skills at various Philadelphia-area studios and began working as a freelance musician playing everything from Hip-Hop and Rock to R&B and Pop. [Among other endeavors,] Tozer contributed to eight tracks on John Legend‘s Grammy Award-winning major label debut Get Lifted and his writing skills garnered him a publishing deal with Viacom-owned Famous Music Publishing.

Bio via Wikipedia

The recording session took place at Larry Gold's state-of-the-art facility "The Studio"—an artist favorite in Philadelphia. DeanMark photographer Stephen Stewart had all-access to the happenings.

"Dave Tozer is an extremely focused artist, with an incredible gift for music composition—whether it is writing of producing. Musiq Soulchild and Jazmine Sullivan are two vocalists whose commercial success speaks for itself. Larry Gold is a music legend who has had a hand in many of your favorite records and albums; you probably just do not know it. Witnessing these folks collaborate, while hearing the sounds of The Roots working in the adjacent studio, was an exhilarating experience."

This past March, Jazz musician Ramsey Lewis teamed up with the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Africana Studies and Professor Guthrie P. Ramsey, Jr. for the Penn Music Department's biannual presentation of an Artist in Residence.

Ramsey Emmanuel Lewis, Jr. (born May 27, 1935) is an American jazz composer, pianist and radio personality. Ramsey Lewis has recorded over 80 albums and has received five gold records and three Grammy Awards so far in his career.

Lewis was born in Chicago, Illinois. He began taking piano lessons at the age of four. At 15 he joined his first jazz band, The Cleffs. The trio started as primarily a jazz unit and released their first album, Ramsey Lewis And The Gentlemen of Swing, in 1956. By 1966, Lewis was one of the nation’s most successful jazz pianists, topping the charts with "The In Crowd", "Hang On Sloopy", and "Wade in the Water". All three singles each sold over one million copies, and were awarded gold discs. Many of his recordings attracted a large non-jazz audience.

Bio via Wikipedia

The culmination of the master class series was Lewis performing music from his latest recording project. The performance took place at Penn's Zellerbach Theater of the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. DeanMark photographer Stephen Stewart had all-access to the festivities.

"When you talk about the titans of Jazz, Ramsey Lewis must be among them. He has been going strong for more than five decades—always giving listeners something fresh to throw on their phonographs or MP3 players. The concert hall was packed full of fans of all ages, gathered to hear the legend Ramsey Lewis speak and play. It was an honor to be in attendance."