Blockchain Technology Is Happening!

You know I’m not one for sales fluff. I like cold hard facts. Make it about game changing innovation as big as the creation of the internet, and I’m all in! So yes Blockchain technology jumps to the top of my “FAVS” List, right next to Rock&Roll, Numbers, and Artistic Gymnastics!

What is Blockchain technology? A highly secure and encrypted database architecture that creates a distributed ledger, one set of records created at the beginning of the trade life cycle where all market participants have open access to the same copy. The Blockchain contains a high degree of trust, and can ultimately lead to more efficient, lower cost, and transparent settlement in minutes, rather than days. Virtually anything of value can be tracked and traded. Yes I said “settlement in minutes”, a thrilling proposition in the realm of cash flow and the beginning of a rising rate environment.

I first brought you my subject matter interest in Blockchain technology in my March Blog post Technology To The Top. I had just attended a Financial Women’s Association event on Blockchain featuring Blythe Masters, CEO and Board Director of Digital Assets Holding, a firm whose mission it is to develop this disruptive technology. Huge thank you to my good friend and trusted entrepreneurial advisor Janet Handal, Co-Chair of the FWA Technology committee and a leading force in the technology space, and Co-Chair Susan Joseph for bringing us this well received event. The FWA is consistently out in front on strategic financial industry issues, since its humble beginnings in the 1950’s, started by eight pioneering Wall Street women. Blythe Masters of course, has been out in front on many strategic changes in financial services. Her steely resolve and brilliance in leading the capital markets and regulatory environment to successful finish on some of the most complex issues the industry has faced, makes her the very best choice, in my mind, to lead this effort. With her March 16, 2016 appointment as Board Chairman of the HyperLedger Project, the global Blockchain community is off to a running start in delivering the most game changing innovation the global transaction marketplace will experience since the creation of the internet! Yes I said “global transaction marketplace”. The language is deliberate as this will cover a broad swath of industries well beyond capital markets, including consumer retail, manufacturing, and near and dear to my heart, the recorded and live music industries; basically any industry where something of value can be tracked and traded.

Since my initial dive into this exciting subject, I have come to learn how far this development effort has evolved. Thank you to my friend and industry colleague, Bhavin P. Kapadia, who invited me to hear him speak on a Blockchain panel, sharing his intent to learn more and be out in front on the delivery of this technology to OTC derivative settlement. A four person panel convened at a May 2, 2016 event for the newly created Hyperledger NYC Meetup Group, a very informative gathering chock full of technology experts leading the global Blockchain effort. The meetup group event was organized and moderated by Renat Khasanshyn, Altoros Founder and CEO, an engineering visionary from Belarus who wants to change the world; already with an impressive resume of accomplishments building complex applications using cutting edge technology. He started the Hyperledger-NYC meetup group specifically because he wants the HyperLedger project to become the #1 platform of blockchain-based decentralized applications. He is committing time, energy, and money into this new group, with an approved 2016 budget, and is happy to hear from others who wish to contribute to the success of this effort.

The HyperLedger Project is an open sourced effort to foster collaboration in the early stage development of this transformative technology. On Feb 9, 2016, the Project announced 30 founding members & code proposals to advance the technology. On March 29, 2016, they elected leadership positions and gained new investments. Learn more here. The technical community is just getting started in their review of proposed ideas, making this an ideal time to step forward and influence the discussion, more on the HyperLedger Community. Some of the most innovative firms in the world are actively engaged including the CME Group, Deutsche Borse, Thomson Reuters, DTCC, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, BNY Mellon, Wells Fargo, State Street, and Cisco to mention a few. Consider getting involved. Join HyperLedger Project.

The Project is supported by The Linux Foundation, the largest open source non profit organization in the world supporting kernel development and fostering a thoughtful environment for the open exchange of ideas. To join the HyperLedger Project, you must be a member of the Linux Foundation.

Another project important to the Blockchain discussion, is the Ethereum Project, led by the Swiss founded Ethereum Foundation. Ethereum is a decentralized platform that runs smart contracts on a custom built blockchain. ConsenSYS, a venture production studio with impressive technology talent spanning four continents, creating next generation app technology on the Blockchain focused primarily on Ethereum, sent two key people to participate on the meetup panel.

It’s an exciting story developing across the globe, at IBM Innovation Labs in Durham, NC, at the NYU Varick Incubator in lower Manhattan, at emerging blockchain software firms from Silicon Valley to Silicon Alley, across Europe and Asia, to Sydney, Australia where banking competition is fierce among the country’s largest four Banks, and technology innovation is key to differentiation, as noted in the final panel discussion by Sophie Gilder, Blockchain Innovation Manager at Commonwealth Bank in Sydney, Australia.

The first panel “HyperLedger vs Ethereum – A Battle for Blockchain, or a Match Made in Heaven” featured

Tom Menner, Senior Solution Architect at IBM
Bhavin P. Kapadia, Independent Consultant delivering OTC Derivatives Trading Platform Implementation at Wall Street Investment Banks
Igor Lillic, Full Stack Software Engineer at ConsenSYS
Andrew Keys, Business Development, Investor Relations, and Strategy for Hub and Spokes at ConsenSYS

A large group from IBM was in attendance as IBM’s Open Source Blockchain is a key component of the Hyperledger Project. Distinguished IBM fellow Jerry Cuomo, one of the founding fathers of IBM Websphere Software, and current Vice President of Blockchain Technologies at IBM, a new business unit within the IBM Cloud Group, is leading the group based in Durham, North Carolina. More on his perspective. Also contributing greatly to the IBM effort is Frank Lu, Product Line Manager for Blockchain, Sharon Weed Cocco Director Blockchain Technologies Development, Wolfgang Kulhanek IBM Cloud Architect, and Catherine Hickey IBM Hybrid Cloud Sales, a forward thinking and veteran group of people happy to share their knowledge and excitement for this effort.

It was a thoughtful and engaging panel discussion with great audience question and participation, reaching an important conclusion that the HyperLedger and Ethereum projects are complementary. This is encouraging as Ethereum’s blockchain implementation has gained recent attention, despite some concerns as to their establishment under the General Public License (GPL) which limits protections for unique technology development down the road. More on this from Altoros. I look forward to learn next steps on this collaboration.

So yes Blockchain technology development is happening! What is Wall Street’s reaction? The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation, who oversees the entire stock settlement system, co-owned by the biggest investment banks and key financial industry players, and now a member firm of the HyperLedger project, is calling on capital market firms to get on the band wagon and support Blockchain collaboration. Yes DTCC is getting out in front on this, staking a claim to offer the market’s major players the opportunity to mobilize and influence next gen Blockchain products. It’s an interesting play, as this technology is clearly a threat to the DTCC business model. ‘Wall Street has learned a lesson from Silicon Valley, that embracing your biggest threat is the only way to prevent yourself from being overturned.” Wall Street embraces the Blockchain.

Of course Wall Street Banks are hungry for the prospect of sweeping cost savings in the middle and back office, and accounting shops. Accordingly, the potential for regulatory capital savings is huge, estimated to be in the billions of dollars. Further, this news is particularly timely, as implementation of SEC Rule 613, The Consolidated Audit Trail (CAT) moves forward. First introduced in October 2012, CAT seeks to embellish certain OATS limitations, specifically as to client identification. The current proposed timeline suggests this could potentially go live in early 2018. There is tremendous concern as to the cost of this development. The Blockchain could solve this huge cost issue. CAT overview.

Some other use cases that come to mind include:

Consumer Purchase Platforms – Improved Cash Flow and Automation of Accounting & Audit functions
Trading Technology – Automation of Market Data Reporting and Billing
Recorded Music – Private sector creation of a Music Rights database with a unique universal identifier structure

One final shout out to the group that started my journey into the Blockchain domain. A key and growing group of global FinTech leaders, The FemTech Leaders Meetup Group engages technology visionaries across the globe with groups currently in New York, London, Copenhagen, Sidney, and Singapore. This group was founded by a savvy and engaged leader in the global FinTech community, Ghela Boskovich, Director of Global Strategic Development for Zafin, a firm with a relationship banking technology platform offering customer centric product innovations while driving revenue, transparency, and operational efficiencies for their clients. I first learned about this group from my FWA friend, the very astute and articulate Cornelia Levy-Bencheton, a global Marketing and Communications Strategy thought leader in the technology and digital space. I highly recommend her two recent publications delivered by O’Reilly Media, “Women In Data” and “Data, Money, and Regulation: The Innovation Dilemma”.

Of course, no one walks on water, even those delivering transforming technology. Capital markets developers will remind you of the ongoing, yet to be solved issue of evolving and inconsistent “ticker symbology”, a huge nut still to crack. Will the prospect of trading P&L improvement, following the 2008 near collapse of the financial system and the onslaught of costly regulation that followed, get everyone focused? Perhaps. Stay tuned … Welcome To The Jungle!

May 16, 2016 By Cynthia Drew In Technology / 1

A MASTERPIECE! Guns N’ Roses Historic Reunion

Written for Myles Kennedy World by International Correspondent Cynthia Drew.

The email flew Tuesday, January 19, 2016 at 10:16 in the morning here in New York. I read it around noon. The Subject line read, “Nightrian Pre-Sale: 2 Vegas Shows Announced”. I quickly scanned the body of the email, “April 8, 2016 – Las Vegas, NV @ T-Mobile Arena…Pre-sale password to appear on Account Dashboard at 12:55pm, ticket sales begin 1pm…” It was about to happen! I was minutes away from securing the best seats in the house to a historic Rock & Roll event, the debut reunion stadium performance of one of the greatest bands in Rock & Roll history, an iconic band whose three original members, Axl Rose, Saul Hudson AKA Slash, and Duff McKagan, had not performed together since July 17, 1993 at the Estadio River Plate in Buenos Aries, Argentina. I started to cry, filled with such incredible emotion. Yes that’s what Guns N’ Roses means to me! I didn’t even notice the spelling typo in the email subject line… Nightrian. Hmm, perhaps a treasured fan artifact? Sitting on the edge of my chair, I became a proud Signature VIP ticketholder at 1:03pm, Section 3, Row D, Seat 10. Tickets to the general public went on sale 4 days later. They sold out before the day was over.

Guns N’ Roses had made their original comeback announcement to much fanfare on January 4, 2016 with the news that they will be headlining the Coachella Festival in Indio, California April 16 and 23, 2016. Tweets from @gunsnroses @Slash @DuffMcKagan and @axlrose, similar posts on Facebook and Instagram, and an email to fan club Nightrain members filled the hearts of legions of dedicated fans around the world that had been waiting for this moment for 20 years!

Of course there had been considerable speculation in the months leading up to this announcement, as reconciliation rumors swirled, original band members were increasingly in the spotlight, and changes to the current lineup began to emerge. In a May 7, 2015 interview with CBS, Slash revealed, “I gotta be careful what I say there. I mean, if everybody wanted to do it and do it for the right reasons, you know, I think the fans would love it. I think it might be fun at some point to try and do that, but…it just starts to get into a whole complex thing. But anyway, it’s really between the guys in the band.” Slash admitted that he and Axl Rose hadn’t spoken for “a long time,” but that most of their old tensions had eased. “We don’t have all those issues anymore,” he said. “There’s not a lot of controversy. It’s something that’s more perpetuated by the media than anything.”

On July 27, 2015, lead guitarist DJ Ashba announced he was leaving the latest Guns N’ Roses band member configuration. Soon after, guitarist Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal acknowledged his departure as well.

An August 2015 interview followed on Swedish TV Station Aftonbladet, where Slash revealed that becoming friends again with Axl Rose “..was probably way overdue..”

In December the band’s official website was updated with their classic logo. On December 24, the Guns N’ Roses Facebook page changed its profile picture to that of a screaming crowd. Then at the end of December, a mysterious trailer of a crowd going wild, to the tune of “Welcome to the Jungle”, was shown at screenings of the new ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ movie.

Guns N’ Roses reunion mania had now reached a fever pitch as we ushered in 2016, prompting lead singer Axl Rose to playfully tweet this denial on January 1. The much anticipated announcement came 3 days later to a completely enamored global Rock & Roll community!

Fast forward to Saturday evening February 13, 2016. I’m at the London Hotel in Hollywood with Slash and 49 other very lucky fans for an Advanced Screening of “The Witch”. There I meet one of GNR’s most dedicated fans, Margott Hinostroza, a true asset to the band and fans around the world. She alerted me to a specific Nightrain discussion thread and new Facebook Group attending the Las Vegas concerts. Terrific! I’m new to GNR’s fan club, “Nightrain” and very impressed by this band’s command of social media technology to engage their listener audience! Of course there is also a very active Guns N’ Roses community on Twitter, of which I am heavily engaged, and use as my primary source of band and band member information. As of this writing, I have 103.8k impressions in the past 28 days. 19 of my top 20 impressions are GNR related, with my top tweet earning 34,541 impressions and 816 engagements. What was it? I’ll get to that in a minute.

As we approached the April 8 and 9 concert dates, we moved to a new social media app called Celly, in order to chat and coordinate our Vegas activities. A meet up was set for Thursday evening April 7 at 10:30pm at the Center Bar at the New York, New York Las Vegas Hotel & Casino. Great! My flight was scheduled to arrive at 8:40pm.

Guns N’ Roses Fan Meet Up New York, New York Las Vegas Hotel and Casino, courtesy of Margott Hinostroza

It was an incredible evening as this energetic and devoted group took over the Center Bar! Fans flew in from across the United States to destinations as far away as South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia! I met new friends from Florida to northern California, New Zealand, Australia, United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands and more! I had only intended to stay until 11pm for the group photo, as I was still on New York time and completely exhausted, but the energy was palpable and kept me going a while longer!

The next morning I was up early for breakfast, so excited for the night ahead! Late morning though, that excitement turned to raw emotion, as one of the guys on our Celly App shared that Axl had fractured his ankle during last night’s practice, this from a very reliable source. I was aware that Axl had fallen early in GNR’s surprise club performance a week early at the Troubadour in Hollywood. I had also heard he had twisted his ankle at the practice for that event. I was incredibly worried at this point, but still hopeful it was simply a rumor. To be clear, I was never worried that Axl wouldn’t deliver. I knew he would. I simply wanted each and every member of this incredible Rock & Roll band to have the experience of a lifetime, just like me!

Then our legendary and beloved singer brought us into the fold with this tweet, “This is what can happen when you do something you haven’t done in nearly over 23 years, “Internal Fixation”. I was thrilled at the optimistic tone of the tweet and orthopedic surgeon Dr. Rachel Triche’s message! I wanted my singer to be on top of the world, like I was! Still though, it was sobering news. Having some personal experience with this, I can tell you there is tremendous swelling in the first 48 hours following a surgery like this, and you’re supposed to keep your foot above the level of your chest, otherwise it becomes miserable quickly. When I had my surgery, I was very “gymnastics” fit and decidedly younger, with fierce energy and optimism, and I can tell you those first couple of days were very difficult.

I immediately thought of this amazing group of fans I had met last night and the awesome group photo we had taken, thank you Margott Hinostroza! So yes, my number one tweet in the past 28 days, with 34,541 impressions and 816 engagements as of this writing reads “@axlrose @gunsnroses the rumors are true. WE LOVE YOU SEE U TONIGHT !!

Thankfully I still had time to settle myself down and rest up before heading over to the red flags stationed in the T-Mobile Plaza at 5:45pm, to claim my spot on the Signature VIP line. I had carefully crafted my outfit and was feeling incredibly fit and young in my newly crowned “Signature Guns N’ Roses” boots. I spoke to a few people, met a friend for an early dinner, then headed over to the Plaza.

As your level of Guns N’ Roses fan engagement increases, you quickly see the magnitude of this Band and the people who follow them. I’ve never seen anything like it! And I’ve been a Rock & Roll fan since the 1970’s. Obviously the members of Guns N’ Roses have extraordinary talent, but the level of intensity, integrity, and commitment to their craft is unparalleled. You can catch a glimpse of it here, in this provocative August 31, 1990 MTV Axl Rose interview on the Kurt Loder Famous Last Words series.

As Slash penned in his 2007 New York Times bestselling memoir ‘Slash’, “I’d done everything in my power from the day we got together to make Guns N’ Roses the best band in the world. I’d put my heart and soul into everything we did and I regret none of my contributions in the least. We did things other bands only dream of; in just a few years, we surpassed goals that took bands like the Stones decades to achieve. I don’t like to brag, but if you research it at all, you’ll see that what we did in the time frame we did it is something unsurpassed in the history of rock and roll.”

Yes we certainly do see that and no, Slash is not bragging. He is one of the most humble and down to earth rock super stars on the planet, consistently standing up for important causes, like the slaughter of innocent elephants to further the Ivory Trade, or performing live at a club on the Sunset Strip to raise much needed funds for a musician friend battling cancer.

We get another glimpse of the motivation and essence behind the genius of Guns N’ Roses in Duff McKagan’s 2011 New York Times bestselling memoir ‘It’s So Easy’, that kicked off with one of Duff’s signature “Rock & Roll Cool” Rock Book Show interview at the landmark BOOKENDS bookstore in Ridgewood, New Jersey.

The full picture becomes complete though, when you arrive at the T-Mobile Plaza opening night to the long listing queues of the multiple VIP level ticketholders. I entered the line next to two women who had each traveled all the way from New Zealand and Australia.

Tahnee King, Clare Fairless, and Cynthia Drew T-Mobile Plaza

Clare Fairless, a forensic scientist, wife and mother of 2 small children, flew 15 hours from New Zealand to Los Angeles, then rented a car and drove 4 hours to Vegas. This is the 3^rd continent where she has seen Guns N’ Roses perform, and the first with this classic lineup. Tahnee King made a similar trek from Australia. There were many single warriors like us, couples, and even a family of four from Atlanta. Mom and dad brought their two teenage sons! One couple purchased Signature VIP tickets for both nights! Wow that’s dedication!

At 6:45pm we were promptly ushered into the T-Mobile Arena and the Signature VIP group was broken out into two groups. I was in group one and could hardly believe that shortly I would be up on the stage! But, as we know, schedules are always fluid. Suddenly, I realized the band was in the house and they were doing their sound check. I could hear them! The epic ballad “November Rain” was playing! Tears filled my eyes and a wave of emotion took over. It’s emotional still to write about it. We were told a “change in plans” and escorted to the top of the arena to the VIP Hyde Park lounge. What an absolutely incredible experience as we all watched the sound check from this club lounge high in the rafters. Axl sounded amazing! They all sounded amazing! What remarkable luck! Normally, you would never have access to the sound check. Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door and Welcome To The Jungle followed. We all stood there mesmerized, our mouth’s agape. I’m not even sure the band knew we were there. I could clearly hear Axl giving instructions. Words can’t begin to describe what I was feeling!

Guns N’ Roses Sound Check April 8, 2016 T-Mobile Arena

Floating on cloud nine, we were escorted back down to stage level, each of us wearing a second red checkered bracelet, giving us access to the stage and backstage areas. Security was very tight.

Cynthia Drew in the pit.

Backstage

Band Member Swag, Frank Ferrer drumstick, Duff McKagan wristband and pic

We chatted in the general admission pit briefly, then were led up the stairs onto the stage for our individual photo at this historic Rock & Roll event! This is why I purchased the Signature VIP ticket. I will carry this memory with me for the rest of my life! Next was the backstage tour, where we learned about the incredible haul of equipment and staff necessary to put on a production of this magnitude, and of course in this unique situation, a complete last minute reconfiguration of the stage and nearby seating, to accommodate Axl’s injury. We then spotted Keyboardist Dizzy Reed coming out of the catering room! As we wrapped up this memorable tour, feeling quite emboldened in the moment, we negotiated for some band member swag. Yes! Memories of a lifetime! We were escorted out of the “secure zone” and some of us went back up to the VIP lounge for a while. At 10:45pm we made our way down to our seats. The vibe was pure Rock & Roll cool, and everyone was smiling and sharing stories.

Suddenly, the lights went out and the arena went wild! I could see Slash and Duff enter the stage. They stood on the side, in the dark, apparently waiting for Axl to come out. The audience was chanting, “Guns N’ Roses!” The Looney Tunes theme started to play. Brilliant! From the back of the stage, I begin to make out this large contraption. At first I thought it was a rack on which to hang all of the guitars, but no, they wouldn’t bring that out in front. Then I see Axl sitting atop this large platform on wheels. Okay! This is how they’re going to do it! Later in the performance we would learn that this was the “Throne” Foo Fighter’s David Grohl used last year when he broke his leg on tour. I did not see this during the sound check and wonder how and when David Grohl got this very large item from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, on a minute’s notice, in just one day. Of course David Grohl and the Foo Fighters are terrific! Axl and the GNR guys were very grateful for their efforts, evidenced by Axl’s repeated thank you messages during the concert and tweets to follow, Axl Rose tweet, Duff McKagan tweet.

The lights went on and Guns N’ Roses took the stage to a full standing ovation! It was 11:57PM and the crowd was electric! The energy could have propelled us to the moon! More tears flowing from pure unbridled emotional, as our legendary rockers opened with “It’s So Easy”, perhaps in tribute to their humble beginnings. Written by Duff McKagan and West Arkeen, this was GNR’s first single release on June 15, 1987 in the UK, and the staple concert opener for the Appetite for Destruction tour way back when.

The set continued with Mr. Brownstone, a controversial yet beloved anthem written about the degree of heroin addiction in the band and “..as the evils would say, too much of everything all the time..” It’s significant to acknowledge the degree of sobriety and tranquility we understand today, following well documented years of struggle and admitted “debauchery”. We’re glad you’re still in the game guys! Your extraordinary raw talent and commitment to your craft is historic and game changing. Welcome home!

Next the band dove right into the title track of Chinese Democracy, GNR’s latest album release in 2008; giving some of us Appetite and Illusion era fans food for thought on the latest band member configuration. They did not disappoint! Rhythm Guitarist Richard Fortus delivered a powerful and solid technical performance, with great presence and agility on stage. I loved the fierce tuck jump stomp, perfectly synchronized to the downbeat of the audience intro to “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”. Frank Ferrer was masterful on the drums knocking out a powerful and tight percussion set. Forever a fan of the keyboard section, I love that Guns N’ Roses added their first female member, the very talented Melissa Reese, who joined a guy that needs no introduction, Mr. Dizzy Reed. They added a unique and melodic texture that simply rounded out the mastery of collective talent on this stage. Yes, Guns N’ Roses continues to evolve their creative genius that only masterful musical legends offer to their fans.

Axl Rose and Duff McKagan

Slash

Duff McKagan

Axl Rose, Duff, and Slash

It would be the 4^th number in the set though, that broke this historic night wide open. The epic hit that propelled this eclectic group of “full on committed Rock & Roll talent” from the debauchery of Hollywood alleys and “Hell House” to Rock super stardom the world over, “Do you know where you are ? You’re in the Jungle Baby!..”

Before the night was over, 2 hours and 28 minutes later, Guns N’ Roses would perform 20 epic masterpieces spanning the evolutionary history; from the early days of their meteoric rise to fame, catapulted on the debut best selling album in American music history, Appetite For Destruction in 1987, to GNR Lies, Use Your Illusion I and II, and Chinese Democracy in 2008. As this incredible night played out, fans were treated to the majesty of one of the greatest voices in Rock & Roll, the epic power and lofty highs of the four octave vocal range of a now 54 year old Axl Rose, delivered on top of a mighty “Throne”, some 24 hours after undergoing surgery to drill metal into a fractured 5^th metatarsal bone in his left foot. It was f*&%*n incredible !

The audience was treated to fierce fan favorites like “You Could Be Mine” from the ‘Use Your Illusion II’ album, that opens with Slash’s epic “WAH WAH WAH” on the electric guitar, to the brilliant and masterful lyrical prose of Axl Rose, “I’m a cold heart breaker fit to burn, and I’ll rip your heart in two. And I’ll leave you lying on the bed..” As the band powered through all the classics from the Appetite and Illusion albums, a powerful high point of the night that brought me to tears once again, arrived with the purely passionate and emotional performance of “This I Love” from ‘Chinese Democracy’. Axl Rose delivered a stunning range of emotion, scale and dynamics, an exquisite voice floating above an epic performance on the electric guitar, Slash’s first for this ballad, silhouetted in white shining light, in a classic, almost effortless pose of pure emotional abandon. Slash, who is one of the world’s greatest musicians on the electric guitar, brought his veteran and extraordinary skill to a whole new level in this debut reunion event. It was incredible to witness! The next pivotal moment came with the performance of “Coma” from ‘Use Your Illusion I’, affectionately referred to as “Slash’s baby”, an epic ballad of hope and inspiration, and the first time the band has performed this live since 1993.

Of course what makes this event historic is the reconciliation of three exceptionally talented musicians, who somehow found each other, and created something rare and beautiful, beyond anything they ever dreamed possible; an incredibly gifted and passionately driven lead singer, overflowing with emotion and commitment to the music pure and simple; a humble and quiet top hatted persona who pours every ounce of emotion into the electric guitar; and a Seattle born rocker with Punk Rock roots, determined to follow in the footsteps of his musical idols. Well ladies and gentlemen, this is the formula that delivered an epic and unforgettable moment in Rock & Roll history, the opening night of the Guns N’ Roses reunion concert, Friday night April 8, 2016, at the brand new T-Mobile Arena on the Las Vegas strip, a night fans have been dreaming about for 20 years!

I hope you get an opportunity to see this historic “#NotInYourLifetime” tour that kicks off Thursday, June 23 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan and wraps up Monday, August 22, at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. Don’t wait. Tickets are going fast. Of course, if a venue is sold out, please reach out to a fan club member, a fiercely dedicated and loyal group of folks who will do everything they can to help you secure tickets. Count on it.

As I don’t wish to spoil the grandeur of what you will witness, I’d like to leave you with a simple and powerful reminder of the genius of this extraordinary band we love so dearly… that we remember from that fabled night, some 23 years ago, July 17, 1993 at the Estadio River Plate in Buenos Aries, Argentina, “..so never mind the darkness, we still can find a way, nothing lasts forever, even cold November Rain …”

I’d like to acknowledge some lovely people who contributed valuable support and energy in the writing of this post, and with whom I shared this incredible experience. Margott Hinostroza, Tina Cole, Nir Regev, Tahnee King, Claire Fairless, Margo Lombardi Sykes, Korine Dobbins, Barrel O Bourbon, our Vegas Celly group, Jennifer Weintraub Iverson, Robyn Bryson, David Paul, and Bea Seravello.

Axl Rose courtesy of Margott Hinostroza

Axl Rose on the Throne

Axl Rose foot cast courtesy of Margott Hinostroza

Richard Fortus and Frank Ferrer courtesy of Margott Hinostroza

Melissa Reese courtesy of Margott Hinostroza

Duff McKagan, Axl Rose, and Slash Goodnight Bow courtesy of Margott Hinostroza

Guns N’ Roses Classic Logo

April 17, 2016 By Cynthia Drew In Myles Kennedy World / 3 Comments

China Trade Dilemma

As the 2016 campaign races on, Presidential candidates are determined to sell, how they will solve American household pain points. Donald Trump has certainly tapped into one of those, the outsourcing of manufacturing jobs to Asia, “We’re going to get things coming. We’re gonna get Apple to start building their damn computers and things in this country instead of in other countries.” It’s a loaded statement that requires considerable clarification. Trump on Apple.

While Apple does manufacture iPhones, iPads, and Macs in China, a practice that began in the late 1990’s, Apple research and design programming continues to grow at its headquarters in Cupertino, California. In October 2013, building on the original Apple Campus I, 6 buildings on 32 acres, on private U-shaped street “Infinite Loop”, the Cupertino City Council unanimously approved plans for Apple Campus II, at a projected $5 billion construction cost, with worldwide acclaimed architect Lord Norman Foster in charge of the design. Apple has had a presence in Cupertino since 1977, which is why they chose to expand there, rather than move to a cheaper distant location. Apple Campus II update.

In 2013, Apple employed 16,000 on Campus I, the second largest technology employer in Silicon Valley, and is projected to add 7,400 more jobs with the addition of the $5 billion Campus II in 2016, despite a $44 decline in stock price from $100 in September 2012 to $56 in April 2013. Today it closed at $109.81. In total, Apple is projected to employ 41,000 in Santa Clara County in 2016. Cupertino employees earned an average $125,000 salary in 2012, with most living in San Jose, the 7th most expensive city in America. In 2012, Apple generated $103 million in gross sales to the local economy, and $25 million in local property tax. Interesting Apple facts.

In 2015, Apple become the first Silicon Valley tech firm to top $200 billion in revenue, on net sales of $233.7 billion resulting in $53.4 billion net income, 23% net margin, and earnings per share of $9.28, a masterful performance compared to 2014, up 35% to net income of $39.5 billion, and up 43% to earnings per share of $6.49. Compared to 2011, net income has more than doubled, earnings per share is up 62%, and Apple has been able to maintain consistent net margin at 22- 24%. Apple 2015 Financials. I wonder if Donad Trump has stock in Apple.

Back to the issue at hand, manufacturing jobs in Asia. CEO Tim Cook has tried to bring manufacturing jobs back home, but a widening skills gap in the U.S. makes that very difficult. While our economy continues to improve, U.S. manufacturers face significant challenges as a sizeable gap exists between the need to grow their business, and the talent available. The challenge will only increase. As nearly 3.5 million manufacturing jobs will likely need to be filled in the next 10 years, 2.7 million on baby boomer retirement and 0.7 million on natural business growth, the skills gaps is projected to result in 2 million unfilled jobs. Other factors include movement of experienced workers, a negative image of the manufacturing industry among younger generations, lack of STEM skills among workers, and a gradual decline of technical education in public high schools. U.S. manufacturing has shifted to more streamlined and automated processes. While some roles will require less technical aptitude, these trends in innovation actually demand more skilled workers. Manufacturing Skills Gap.

Of course the dramatic growth in trade between China and the US, since the 2001 entry of China to the World Trade Organization, has had a profound effect on the U.S. worker economy. The initial vision of China’s WTO entry predicted U.S. job creation and trade deficit improvement with China; and was rooted in history growing out of the 1944 Bretton Woods agreements, negotiated by the Allied nations, that created the IMF and World Bank. The 1947 General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) followed, establishing the international trading system that refined the rules to lower tariffs and non-tariff barriers. This finally led to the creation of the World Trade Organization in 1994, whose mission was to settle disagreements arising from GATT treaty rules. The WTO was authorized to take action if decisions were ignored or rejected by member governments. It broadly expanded coverage on points never before included in trade agreements, including food safety, environmental laws, social service policies, intellectual property standards, and government procurement rules. Over time, this attracted countries who were never a part of GATT, to gain improved market access for their goods at lower tariff levels. China’s entry was supposed to bring the country into compliance. The U.S. also negotiated measures to limit surging imports from China on domestic U.S. producers. In the end though, China’s currency manipulation, wage and labor rights suppression, and foreign country direct investment in Chinese enterprise, has created a huge trade deficit problem for the U.S., which in turn has disrupted 2.1 million U.S. manufacturing jobs between 2001 and 2011, with 1 million in the computer and electronic products industry.

The major cause of the growing U.S. trade deficit with China is currency manipulation. Unlike most major currencies, the Chinese yuan does not float freely against the dollar. As Chinese productivity has soared, its currency should have too, to maintain balanced trade. It has instead remained artificially low on aggressive acquisition of foreign exchange reserves to increasingly depress the value of the yuan. In 2012, noted economist H.W. Brock estimated the Chinese currency to be “arguably one-sixth of what it should be”. 2012 research by Economist Joseph E. Gagnon, estimated that massive currency manipulation, especially in countries in Asia, had raised “the current account of the developing economies by roughly $700 billion per year, relative to what it would have been.” He also notes this “amount is roughly equivalent to the large output gaps in the United States and Euro area. In other words, millions more Americans and Europeans would be employed if other countries did not manipulate their currencies…” For more of his thoughts on a broader view of global currency manipulation, please refer here.

The US trade deficit with China was ($365.7) billion in 2015, more than tripling since 2000 at ($83.8) billion, increasing nearly 11% annually on average over this 15 year period. The annual trade deficit growth has slowed since the global financial crisis in 2008, averaging 16% pre crisis, to 5% in the period since. To access the source data I used to create this graph, please refer here.

As an analyst with 25 years experience helping global business heads drive P&L growth, I must confess it’s a sobering picture. I suppose you can say Donald Trump is technically correct when he says we negotiated bad trade deals with China. The pain point to solve though, will require diligent and carefully crafted strategy among WTO members, to punish currency manipulators in a meaningful way that packs a punch. The U.S. and Euro area countries, as main targets of currency manipulation, will have to play tough. The WTO has the ability to impose tariffs on imports from currency manipulators, with such practices consistent with international law. This ideally could lead to full revaluation of the yuan, which a 2011 report showed would improve the current U.S. account deficit by $190.5 billion, add 2 million jobs, and reduce the federal deficit by up to $857 billion over 10 years.

Clearly this is a complex global issue. The purpose here is to highlight and frame the key issues, with a particular focus on currency manipulation only. For a more thorough read on this complex broad topic, please refer to this publication produced by the labor movement affiliated Economic Policy Institute, plus any other sources you deem appropriate to get an accurate and representative understanding.

To wrap up, as I become nostalgic thinking back to my undergraduate Economics classes in the early 80’s, my Rock&Roll tee shirts manufactured in the good old USA, that I still wear today; and to Steve Jobs who began his mission with Apple in 1977 to transform our world with passionate innovation, I leave you with this classic performance, “.. and it makes me wonder. She does..” Enjoy!

April 5, 2016 By Cynthia Drew In Forecasting /

“10 Cloverfield Lane” Advanced Screening with Slash

Written for Myles Kennedy World by International Correspondent Cynthia Drew

If you love Rock & Roll, have social media savvy, and are determined to network with some legendary music and film types, then Guns and Roses Hall of Fame guitarist Slash has your golden ticket! For the second time in a 30 day period, I had the incredible honor to see yet another advanced screening of a very well made suspense thriller, and hang with one of the greatest guitar legends of all time; this time courtesy of Paramount Studios and legendary film producer J.J. Abrams!

I first learned about Slash’s latest fan contest Friday night March 4 on Twitter, to win tickets to an advanced screening of J.J. Abram’s new film, 10 Cloverfield Lane, Thursday night March 10, 2016, in the Theatre at Paramount Studios in Hollywood!

How could I pull that off, less than a week away, clear across the country, during a work week, with a gymnastics judging assignment Saturday morning? First things first, you’ve got to seize opportunity when it presents, and you’ve got to be in it, to win it! Having already satisfied the FB, Instagram, and Twitter “follow” requirements from my incredible February 13 experience The Witch Advanced Screening With Slash , I simply had to send the requisite RSVP email to the lovely team at Slashfiction Films. Done. I spoke to an actor friend of mine who told me everybody wants to be in J.J. Abrams’ orbit. Got it. Hotel points, airline miles, Super Shuttle, Uber, and my laptop with 6 uninterrupted hours of work each way sealed the deal. So I was all set to spring into action when the “Winner” email flew Tuesday night March 8. My carefully crafted travel plan worked seamlessly, the first time in a long while I can say that. Thank you American Airlines ! Yes, Guns and Roses fans are serious people who travel the globe for a chance to be with their Rockers. One of the winners flew in from Japan!

10 Cloverfield Lane, the second in the Cloverfield franchise, which opened nationally Friday March 11, 2016, is an American science fiction psychological thriller produced by the very talented and versatile J. J. Abrams and his production company Bad Robot Productions, distributed by Paramount Pictures Studio. If you’re a fan of the Emmy Award winning television series Lost, or blockbuster movie franchises like Armageddon, Mission Impossible, and Star Wars, then you certainly know Mr. Abrams. As an Actor, Screenwriter, Director, and Producer, he has earned multiple Emmy, Directors Guild, Writers Guild, BAFTA, and Saturn Awards for his work in Film and Television. Dan Trachtenberg knocked it out of the park in his directorial debut! Three words. Go see it! 10 Cloverfield Lane’s success at the box office results from a brilliantly crafted suspenseful story line, written by Josh Campbell, Matthew Stucken and Damien Chazelle, that sends your expectations in one clear direction, then completely surprises you and delivers a 180 twist; not just once, but consistently throughout the movie! A small, yet powerful ensemble cast, brought it to life and made it real. John Goodman, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and John Gallagher Jr. delivered very unique and credible performances that brought the audience’s emotion and fear right on to the set. John Goodman in fact, delivered a stunning performance, the best of his career, in my humble opinion. It was a terrific film experience loaded with Oscar worthy talent! I hope the Academy is paying attention. I’ll say it again. Go see it! 10 Cloverfield Lane Tickets

And so it goes for lucky Slash fans, another Bucket List evening for the memory books! We were instructed to enter through the Bronson Gate on Melrose, beginning at 6:45 PM with the film airing at 8:00. We were greeted by the lovely Slashfiction Films team, and of course Bad Robot! I entered the theatre and quickly claimed a strategically placed seat near the Paramount Pictures and Slashfiction Films reserved seating in the back of the theatre. And what do you know, in walked legendary GNR Bass player Dufff McKagan, his supermodel wife Sue Holmes McKagan, and Slash’s lovely girlfriend Meegan Hodges! I had a feeling they would be there. These very talented and humble celebs casually moved about the theatre, hugging friends and saying hi to fans. It was quite the cool rock & roll scene! As the movie time approached, Duff, Sue, and Meegan settled into their seats in the very last row, and all eyes were now on the front of the theatre, as we awaited the arrival of our legendary host.

Slash appeared to thunderous applause, and joined Bad Robot to welcome all of us! A consummate and humble professional, highly committed to his craft and the fan experience, he delivered some brief remarks in praise of the film. As promised, a studio photographer took a wide angle group photo with Slash, Bad Robot, and all of us very lucky fans seated throughout this majestic theatre!

With rock & roll cool, Slash strolled down the aisle to take his seat at the back of the theatre, giving his adoring fans an up close and personal view of music royalty. Of course Slash’s personal post on the Slashfiction Films Facebook page a few days later, wrapped up the fan experience in signature style,

“Thanks to everybody for coming down to Paramount for the 10 Cloverfield Lane screening. It was a great turnout. & a great night. We’ll screen another cool movie soon enough. In the meantime, thanks again. ‪#‎CloverfieldLaneMovie Rock N’ Fuckin’ Roll! iiii]; )”

Again, I simply must say, how appreciative I am for the very unique relationship this superstar seeks to build with his fans. As a veteran Rock & Roll fan, for which music fills my soul, simply listening to the intense emotion filled riffs this genius mind pens, would be enough! With keen intellect and vision, Slash’s thoughtful and creative energy builds upon this, creating a very special fan engagement. It’s exciting to be in the wake of it! Yes of course it benefits his career and wealth, as it should! I also think it serves as a model for all the struggling talented artists who are trying to make a living in today’s technology music age.

I am an early proud investor in Slashfiction Films. You see, Slash’s incredible portfolio of projects continues to expand, this time drawing on his love of the horror film genre, as he launches his own film company. I am quite excited to be involved in the production of their debut film effort, “The Hell Within”, which follows a woman from New York on a quest into the heart of the Brazilian jungle to save a missing girl, only to discover that the child was just the beginning! As a discerning analyst, this was an easy investment decision. Slash’s track record of success speaks for itself. As the iconic Top Hat guitar persona in Guns and Roses, to the critically acclaimed Velvet Revolver, to the exquisite collaboration with the amazing Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators, and now to the successful launch of this fledgling film company that attracts legendary award winning film industry talent, thank you Slash for taking us on this great ride! Yes, you have brought us to the Paradise City !

FB Slashfiction Films

April 1, 2016 By Cynthia Drew In Myles Kennedy World /

Technology To The Top!

Technology has certainly transformed our lives, but can you take it to the top? As Mick Jagger and Keith Richards penned in the sleeper ballad “Tops” from the Rolling Stones 1981 “Tattoo You” album, “… I’ll make you a star…I’ll be your partner, show you the steps, with me behind you, you’ll taste the sweet wine of success…” Well, if you work in Capital Markets, the sweet wine of P&L success today depends upon innovation, collaboration, efficiency, and government regulation. Innovation ideally adds compelling functionality. Collaboration can mitigate risk and enhance solutions. The two combined have the potential to increase efficiency. Then there’s government regulation, a complex nut to crack that certainly requires both innovation and collaboration for all to succeed.

In the electronic trading industry, innovation has lowered trading costs for the investing consumer; has made the markets more efficient and transparent; and has shifted real estate from exchange floors to fortressed data centers. Exchanges, data center providers, and electronic trading support firms collaborate to support the trading needs of large sellside banks, buyside asset managers & hedge funds, and new proprietary trading firms spun off from sellside banks in the first round of Dodd Frank reform. As the next wave of Dodd Frank reform implementation is upon us, specifically risk compliance, technology innovation will again play a key role in managing the P&L of all the firms on this food chain. The bottom line? Adding another layer of cost to the already razor thin margins that exist today, simply demands a solution!

A promising new technology that likely holds a piece of the long term solution for the trading P&L is Block Chain technology. A highly secure and encrypted database architecture that creates a distributed ledger, one set of records created at the beginning of the trade life cycle where all market participants have open access to the same copy, the Block Chain contains a high degree of trust, and can ultimately lead to more efficient and transparent same day settlement, and of course lower operational cost. The technology has the ability to process both trading settlement and loan transactions and there are implications for Big Data as well, solving the dilemma of “garbage in, garbage out”. Blythe Masters, CEO of Digital Assets Holding, whose firm has received a Series A $60 million investment led by JP Morgan, to develop this disruptive technology, maintains ‘These systems will tackle settlement latency in mainstream financial markets and will change the way our financial markets operate.’ Blythe Masters on Blockchain. See more on JP Morgan Blockchain testing.

Of course this is a huge undertaking, the transformation of multi asset class transaction settlement across a complex and fragmented global market, so it will not happen overnight. At the same time though, as the global capital markets’ P&L has gone through transformative change since the near collapse in 2008, financial institutions are under incredible pressure to improve margins. One way or the other, they will. Block chain could be one avenue to help achieve this goal. Interestingly, JP Morgan has been testing the technology over the past year and plans for live “applications” later in 2016. Stay tuned.

As a veteran analyst, passionate about financial analysis driving P&L growth, and always determined to increase operational efficiency in support of compelling analytics, this subject matter really speaks to my heart! In addition to the obvious operational “value add” Block Chain technology can add in transaction settlement, I see great potential for all of us who have labored over the years in calculating trading p&l’s and discerning key business trends.

Further, as a passionate Rock&Roll fan, I am completely delighted at the intersection with the music world, a subject I touched upon briefly in my September 2015 post “The Musical Artist P&L in Today’s Digital Streaming World”! A very strong potential use case for Block Chain technology is in the recorded music industry. Similar to Capital Markets, the Artist P&L has been transformed dramatically by technology in an evolving and fragmented digital market. Professional Music Advocacy groups, including the newly created Grammy Creator’s Alliance, have been out in force on Capitol Hill urging legislators to adopt new legislation and create mechanisms, using technology, to help Artists earn well deserved and transparent royalties for the music they create, in essence “to make a living”, and to promote and support an enduring legacy of musical creativity. Referencing the U.S. Copyright Office’s “Copyright and the Music Marketplace Report” released early in 2015, one of the recommendations reads “Encouraging the private sector to create a comprehensive database of music-rights ownership information with unique universal identifiers and messaging standards.”

On a lighter note, to round out the Technology to the Top discussion, how would you like to be on Jimmy Kimmel Live? You can be, using new video wall technology that Cisco has built exclusively for the show! Learn more here. Simply sign up at the website and hopefully you will receive an email from a very nice producer named Jamie. You will be sent a link to download the “Cisco Jabber” to schedule a live test with the production team, to make sure you have a solid internet connection. For wireless users, Verizon Fios works very well. Also, lighting is very important. You will then have a chat with the producer, so he can get a sense of your background. If the test is a go, you will then be placed on the priority list to appear on the show, when a particular subject pertinent to your background, is set to air. I am told you will then do a second test before appearing the following night. Very exciting and what a brilliant use of technology to engage the entertainment audience! Jimmy Kimmel Wall of America segment.

So to wrap up in signature concert footage style, I leave you with this incredible live 1993 Argentina performance, a technically brilliant & masterful combination of emotion filled voice & electric guitar by two Rock legends, amid a creative backdrop of carefully choreographed colors, lights, and video sequences. Enjoy!

February 26, 2016 By Cynthia Drew In Technology /

“The Witch” Advanced Screening with Slash

Written for Myles Kennedy World by International Correspondent Cynthia Drew

On Saturday evening February 13, 2016, in the Press Junkets and Screening Room at the famed London Hotel in Hollywood, 50 very grateful fans and their guests were treated to an up close and personal evening with legendary Rock & Roll Hall of Fame guitarist Slash, for an advanced screening of “The Witch”. Thank you to A24 Films for creating this incredible evening for the fans and supporting Slash’s up and coming film company Slash Fiction Films. Congratulations on your 2016 Oscar Wins, Best Documentary to Asif Akadia for “Amy” and Best Actress to Brie Larson for “The Room”!

This masterful horror flick has earned 2 Award nominations and 5 wins including The 2015 London Film Festival Sutherland Award for First Feature Competition, and The 2015 Sundance Film Festival Dramatic Directing Award, both presented to Director Robert Eggers. The film, about a family in 1630s New England torn apart by the forces of witchcraft, black magic and possession, drew in the viewers in hauntingly deliberate and cerebral fashion. The imagery of the haunting forest in the background and the interplay of an evolving threat hidden deep in this forest, and how it succeeded to break the barrier and safety of this family’s home was terrifying to watch! Lead actress and promising young actor Anya Taylor-Joy nailed this performance. She reeled in viewers in the opening scene and we never left! The Witch official trailer.

Slash, who we all know as the consummate musician on the electric guitar from Guns & Roses, Velvet Revolver, and Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators, and whose incredible talent and emotion embodies many of Rock&Roll’s greatest riffs, continues to evolve his brand in a very thoughtful and creative fashion. A complete Horror Movie fan, Slash has now created a film company, Slash Fiction Films, with current project “The Hell Within” in development. Slash’s firm commitment to his craft and generous engagement with a devoted fan base, offers his fans very unique opportunities to get involved and support this latest mission. Would you consider investing $50 to participate in conference call updates with Slash on the progress of the movie? Follow Slash Fiction Films here.

For all of us incredibly lucky and grateful fans, it was surely a Bucket List evening for the memory books! A die hard Slash fan and Twitter follower, I learned about the contest Thursday evening February 4th on my Slash Twitter feed. I entered immediately, which simply required me to follow Slash Fiction Films on Twitter, like on FB, and email my pertinent contact info. It was THAT simple! About noon Friday, I saw my name in the first 20 winners announced. I was stunned and thrilled, no pun intended! The following Saturday, I boarded a plane at JFK and traveled cross country for this incredible opportunity! I should note fans from Germany, Ohio, Michigan, and others from New York made the trek as well! Upon landing, I turned on my iPhone to fetch the confidential text message as to the location of the event. I was all set!

At the London hotel, we were first treated to popcorn and drinks in a little lounge, then entered the actual screening room where I chose a very comfortable seat in the middle of the second row. My first glimpse of this Rock&Roll legend came as he walked down the aisle from the back of the screening room and entered the lounge. Multiple people followed and some chatted with him briefly. He then came into the screening room to address all of us, as the movie was about to begin. He was both engaging and humble, and even admitted being nervous speaking to us. At the conclusion, we all lined up and each took our turn entering the lounge for a quick hello, a personal autograph, and a photo with this famous Rocker taken by a professional photographer. I just have to say, I find that to be incredibly generous! In the new digital age of music, as Artists have to find creative ways to monetize their gifts, I don’t think many would deliver such an up close and personal experience to so many, for the mere act of entering a contest. This simply speaks to Slash’s level of integrity and commitment! It’s very special and certainly an honor to interact with a person of such unique cloth! As we chatted in line, many of us made personal connections and plans around the Guns and Roses reunion concerts April 8 and 9 in Las Vegas. One gal is organizing a get together at the Hard Rock Café the evening of April 7. Brilliant, I’m in! I had already booked my flight and hotel, flying Thursday night April 7. I purchased the Signature VIP ticket for the debut performance Friday evening April 8 at 9:30PM! I will surely not be able to keep my feet on the ground until then!

As I entered the lounge, I immediately thanked Slash for this amazing experience and what an honor it was to meet him! I told him I couldn’t wait for the Vegas debut GNR reunion performance! Always humble and down to earth, he thanked me. As he autographed my poster, I told him that I also planned to bring a group when the GNR reunion tour comes to NY. He smiled and asked, “Am I going to New York?” I smiled back and said “We certainly hope so!” I then landed a lovely arm hug as the photographer took our picture. She even took the time to take a second photo as I apparently closed my eyes on the first try. I really appreciated that! It was first class all around! As I left, I looked Slash in the eye, and told him I hoped practice was going well and that he was having fun. He smiled and nodded, “Yes, it’s going well.” A larger than life Rock Star evening for the memory books, “Thank you Slash!”

Of course I can’t wait for the next album and tour with Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators! The exquisite combination of Slash’s fierce emotion on the electric guitar, combined with the dynamic and powerful vocal range of the one and only Mr. Myles Kennedy, is pure Rock&Roll joy! Add the veteran brilliance of Todd Dammit Kerns on Bass and Vocals, Mr. Brent Fitz on Drums, and the very talented emerging presence of Frank Sidoris on rhythm guitar, how could you not go wild for this performance?

February 22, 2016 By Cynthia Drew In Myles Kennedy World /

Determine The Truth, Defy The Odds

The truth can actually save lives! A little over a year ago, a doctor told me my brother Geoffrey’s brain was deteriorating and there were no treatment options. A second doctor said the same thing. Just before Thanksgiving, my brother was walking near a Con Ed construction site when he fell. He got back up, and fell again. This happened 4 more times before the workers called for an ambulance. The ambulance team thought my brother was drunk, which really upset him. As an adult on the Autism Spectrum, my brother is extremely sensitive of society’s labels for him and their general lack of understanding of his brilliance and ability to forge solutions, before most have even figured out there’s a problem. Long before these balance problems began, my brother’s ability to speak had declined dramatically. I’m sure it was a confusing picture for all these folks who thankfully came to my brother’s aid. When Geoff came over for Thanksgiving, he could barely stand up, let alone walk. It was shocking to see such a huge progression in a very short period of time. As a consummate cheerleader, I did my very best to make this holiday great. I’m pleased to say my pork roast came out exquisite, much better than last year, and I made all of my brother’s favorite side dishes. Both passionate lovers of music, I played an eclectic list of our favorite songs on You Tube. Thanksgiving rocked!

As a veteran analyst supporting business heads to drive p&l growth, you have to start with the truth. You have to challenge the validity and relevance of all the data and information you receive. You need a solid foundation supported by key metrics that tell a believable story. That truth, combined with experienced judgment and passionate innovation, then puts you in a position to defy the odds. I’m not sure if the drive I have in my career helps me to achieve success as an advocate to my brother, or the other way around. I do know that I have tremendous energy and drive and that I never give up in pursuit of the truth and greater understanding!

I have been seeking greater understanding and solutions for my brother for many years. I knocked it out of the park in 2010, when I got my brother placed with a wonderful organization called Special Citizens Futures Unlimited. Serving adults and children with Autism since 1976, SCFU was started by a sister of a brother, and their mom, long before most people even knew about Autism. They have a client centric focus that is unparalleled, and they are the only organization we have ever dealt with, that demonstrates true commitment to my brother. http://www.specialcitizens.org

I learned about my brother’s rights and available Autism resources in the NY metro area through a terrific organization that offers advocacy to family members, called Asperger Syndrome & High Functioning Autism Association. AHA was founded by a brilliant and compassionate social worker mom whose son was diagnosed later in life, in college. That’s something we see frequently for older “Aspies”. My brother was actually diagnosed at age 44. While it was clear from birth that he was different, doctors used terms like “organic brain syndrome” when we were growing up. AHA offers monthly support group meetings for family members and sponsors an annual conference at Adelphi University. A few years ago, I was honored to meet one of the featured speakers, Temple Grandin. You might recall the HBO film about Temple. Actress Clare Danes won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Mini Series or Movie for her portrayal of this incredible woman. As a young child diagnosed with Autism, doctors told her mother that she should be institutionalized. Mom never gave up and Temple went on to make game changing innovation by creating a more humane process for the slaughter of cattle, also improving the bottom line p&l. She has now designed the facilities in which half the cattle are handled in the United States, consulting for firms such as Burger King, McDonald’s, Swift, and others.

http://templegrandin.com

http://ahany.org

As to my brother’s current challenge, I started to see problems about 9 years ago. He would be in the middle of speaking a sentence, and then suddenly unable to finish the thought. Then a bad fall landed him in a local hospital. He was eventually admitted to a regional medical center with suspicion of meningitis. The spinal tap came back negative and doctors were never able to diagnose the problem. He did bounce back after that, with his speech improving. Then in 2012, he declined again. The speech difficulties returned; there were distinct personality changes; and he had difficulty remembering new people he met. He also started walking slowly, although at the time I did not make the connection. A neurologist diagnosed him with Alzheimer’s. I didn’t believe it, but many people advised me against getting further opinion, as my brother’s situation was complex. Eventually, I did seek a second opinion with a leading Alzheimer’s expert, who confirmed my suspicion and refuted that diagnosis. Beyond that though, she did not offer a concrete diagnosis. She discouraged further evaluation and said there were no treatment options. Determined to make the path forward as positive as I could, I took my brother to his former long time neurologist where we grew up in Long Island, a brilliant & compassionate “New York Top Doctor”, who my brother and I adore. He was so excited! I went in with very realistic expectations and Dr. Barbara Allis surprised us all and sent our hearts soaring with her take of the situation! As a physician with laser focus on the side effects of neurological drugs, she diagnosed Parkinson’s Syndrome due to long term use of Geodon, a very powerful psychotropic medication. She immediately ordered a reduction in dose and follow up 1 month later. While it’s unclear how much of this damage is reversible, she feels strongly we can improve the current situation! It’s very difficult to manage the behaviors that accompany Autism spectrum disorders. Often, Aspies take a cocktail of meds and I am now learning, there is little long term empirical evidence as to what these drugs do to the brain. I was surprised to find this National Institute of Health publication. “..Research by Christian, Snycerski, Singh, and Poling (1999) indicates that practitioners know relatively little about these drugs and would like to know more, and our experience in a variety of applied settings confirms that this is the case…” Further, you can see the pharmaceutical industry plays a major role in our healthcare system. Autism experts recommend cognitive behavior therapy in combination with pharmaceuticals, but of course it always comes down to budget funding and whether providers take insurance. I suspect, as the incidence of Autism is growing, and there is increasing understanding, dialog, and scrutiny, we will begin to see some change in these practices. I know I will be involved in that discussion.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3004683/

http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/27/health/cdc-autism/index.html

As to my brilliant, lovely, and amazing brother, we are now reforecasting his Thirty Year Plan. Land a job; keep building model airplanes; get a ride on a Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey; and of course return to Disney World in 2017 with his energetic, rock & roll sister.

Determine the Truth! Defy The Odds!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGbf9txZWMA

February 1, 2016 By Cynthia Drew In Articles / 4 Comments

Soaring Skylines and Soaring Returns

I love living in Manhattan and can’t believe it’s been 14 years since I left Long Island for the Upper East Side! I had a terrific independent broker, of french canadian descent, a real “go getter” like me. I looked at many apartments and knew I found the one, the minute I walked in the door. On a high floor with open sky views, all the rooms were drenched with sunlight. It had this great eat-in kitchen with a huge window, and lovely crown moldings throughout. It was a doorman elevator building, on a quiet tree lined street just off Park Avenue, 2 blocks from an express subway stop. It was a very unique and incredible opportunity for a gal like me! The owner lived in Philadelphia and had sublet the apartment many years prior, before the building went Coop in the 80’s. Today, upper east side Coop Boards generally don’t permit sublets for longer than 2 years. The apartment was empty, as the elderly woman who had been living there, had passed; and it had the original kitchen from 1925. On the market for quite a while, I’m certain it was waiting for a person like me. You have to exploit great opportunities when they present! I hired a contractor to rebuild the kitchen, and I made 119 East 84^th Street my new home! As a driven analyst working long hours, I cherished the thought of a 15 minute commute and viewed this as an incredible opportunity and great financial investment!

The city has changed considerably in 14 years. I am a huge fan of the NYPD and grateful to live in the safest big city in America. I feel very safe with an elite NYPD counterterrorism department who is actively involved with the FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF).

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2013/aug/26/michael-bloomberg/michael-bloomberg-says-new-york-safest-big-city-us/http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/defending-the-city-nypds-counterterrorism-operations

New York has leaped to the #2 position of venture capital technology investment, with $3.7 billion of investment in the first half of 2015. As of 2013, Google’s second largest office is now located here, along with Microsoft, Facebook, Twitter, and Apple. New York City’s Economic Development Corporation has launched an early stage Life Science’s funding initiative with multiple venture partners, committing to a minimum of $100 million to fund startups in the life sciences and biotechnology. Roosevelt Island will be home to a $2 billion graduate school of Applied Science, with the ultimate goal to transform New York City into the world’s premier technology capital. As an avid technology user, working in the trading technology space for the past 10 years, I’m thrilled about this New York City transformation! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicon_Alley

As my long term goal is to live in Manhattan in retirement, I am especially grateful to live in a city that is home to three of the best hospitals in the country, New York-Presbyterian, NYU, and Mount Sinai Hospital. Let’s not forget Memorial Sloan Kettering, ranked #2 in the US for Cancer Care, and Hospital for Special Surgery, ranked #1 in Orthopedics. I applaud the recent change in speed limit from 30 to 25MPH, even though I must say it’s very difficult to adhere to that! The slower speed would add just 5 minutes to a drive the length of Manhattan, but could mean the difference between life and death if you’re a pedestrian hit by a car. I love the hustle & bustle of the city, but I also love the idea of trying to be a little safer, to ask people to slow down a little. That exudes integrity and thoughtfulness! http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/rankingshttp://time.com/3568281/nyc-speed-limit/

A lot has changed in my neighborhood. At the intersection of 86^th Street and Lexington, in the heart of the former “Germantown”, the pace of gentrification has picked up. In 2006, low rise tenement buildings constructed in the 1920’s were torn down, and the upper east side’s first LEED-certified green building was built, the Lucida, a 21 story luxury high rise condominium aplomb with amenities. http://www.corcoran.com/nyc/NewDevelopments/Display/320 .

Across the street from the Lucida, demolition is scheduled to begin this month, to make way for a 20 story luxury condominium designed by HOK. Units will average over 2,800 square feet apiece, which is very large for New York City, but relatively normal for new condominium buildings on the Upper East Side. http://newyorkyimby.com/2015/06/revealed-1289-lexington-avenue-21-story-upper-east-side-condo-tower-designed-by-hok.html

Around the corner on East 88^th Street between Lexington and Third Avenue, Tribeca based developer DDG has just started construction on a building set to become the tallest tower above 72^nd Street. The 32 story structure will stand 521 feet tall, towering over most of its neighbors, with an average apartment size of 2,693 square feet. http://newyorkyimby.com/2015/07/ddg-breaks-ground-on-180-east-88th-street-the-upper-east-sides-future-tallest-tower.html

Gentrification has also resulted in many small businesses leaving, replaced by higher end food chains, drug stores, banks, and supermarkets galore! Of course many were excited when Fairway and Whole Foods finally arrived on the upper east side. In my little corner of the neighborhood, we still have a nice little haven of small business with Yorkville Copy Service, whose founder Billy has been the “Mayor” of our neighborhood for 40 years. Right around the corner we have the best Italian take out place in Manhattan, our beloved Mimi’s, whose phone number I have on speed dial.

Of course all great cities have their challenges as well. As we continue to build up and out to the surrounding city boroughs, our current level of infrastructure is clearly not sufficient to support this continued growth. In October 2015, breaking the previous record set a year earlier, the MTA’s New York City subway system saw 6.2 million straphangers in just one day. Upper east side residents will get some relief once the second avenue subway project is completed, but that’s one tiny piece of the problem. http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2015/12/11/nyc_subway_broke_its_singleday_ridership_record_in_october.php

Let’s not forget the looming issue of the Hudson river rail tunnel, which continues to be a huge problem for travel along the northeast rail corridor. This greatly impacts New Jersey Transit, who carried 65.7 million commuters in the first 9 months of 2015. This ranks second nationally, just behind the Long Island Rail Road at 73.9 million. LaGuardia Airport, severely outdated is also due for a major upgrade, scheduled to begin in 2016. This upper east side resident is certainly ready for this project to begin. Let’s get that party started! http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2015/12/07/gateway-project-hudson-river-tunnel-funding/ http://www.weny.com/regional-news/regional-news/laguardia-upgrade-072815

The final point I feel compelled to speak about, is the level of labor and talent necessary to support this great city, that we continue to build to new heights, from which we demand so much! Living and working here requires a certain level of motivation, intellect, and stamina. It’s not easy and it’s not for everyone. If we truly want to be the greatest city on the planet, if we want soaring skylines and soaring returns, we need to be creative, determined, and thoughtful about finding and motivating talent for all the roles we need, not just those at the top. If the final service rollout wobbles because the guy at the bottom of the pole doesn’t deliver, then what’s the point of bringing in the top tier team? Is that the return you’re looking for? Remember, “.. It’s Just A Shot Away…” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o42zmYN2_-k

Photo Credits: New Year’s Eve 2016 at the Iridium Jazz Club, Times Square NYC, Grammy Award Winner, multiple Grammy nominee, and platinum selling recording artist Macy Gray.

January 5, 2016 By Cynthia Drew In Articles / 1 Comment

Art of Achieving the Forecast

Trend lines, competition, scale… I’ve been forecasting business results in a global financial services setting for over 20 years, in domestic retail banking, international private & commercial banking, and trading technology. I’m a numbers geek and a storyteller. I evaluate everything through a math lens and I’m passionate about my work! If your business typically adds 200 of something monthly, your forecast had better not add 400, without some increase on the expense side of the equation. No matter how great your account management team is, cancellations are a fact of business and you should always know the % of cancellations to the outstanding book of business… and model it in your forecast. No matter how great your sales team is, and I’m sure they’re terrific, you must trim something off their forecast. Understand your firm’s relative value in the market and client pricing sensitivities. Pay close attention to trends in key expense drivers and what is going on with major clients. Make sure they’re happy and feel important to your business. Once you’ve reached a thoughtful and intelligent forecast, reduce revenue a little and increase expense a bit. The last thing you want is the actual net p&l to be unfavorable to forecast. And of course make sure you meet the targeted growth the management team and Board is expecting. That’s all, the analyst’s job is simple!

To build a meaningful forecast, you have to first create timely recurring analytics for both revenue and expense. Do everything you can to find Type A “out of the box” thinkers, passionate about their work, who never give up. Great analytics will also increase operational efficiency and therefore add to the bottom line. Never nickel and dime. Be bold and strategic. Encourage feedback and face reality.

Of course I’m focusing on p&l forecasts, but there are certainly other timely forecast subjects. FOMC Monetary policy comes to mind.

http://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/default.htm

The Federal Open Market Committee issues its Monetary Policy Report twice a year, in February and July. They also issue a quarterly report on federal balance sheet developments, and the Beige Book 8 times annually, an economic report on each Fed district. With the federal funds rate at a historic low of between 0.25% and 0% for an extended period of time, and with the economy now improving, all eyes are on Janet Yellen and her team as to the first increase. Goldman CEO Lloyd Blankfein’s September sentiment proved to be accurate since there was no action taken at the October 27-28 policy meeting.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/goldmans-blankfein-fed-hike-wouldnt-142818462.html

The next meeting is scheduled for December 15-16. What is your prediction? I’m not certain if the first increase will happen then or at the first meeting in 2016, but I believe it will happen at one of them.

Of course another topic of great debate and interest is the 2016 election. Similar to the business intelligence analysts develop, and the economic data FOMC staff produce, political campaigns rely on pollsters to understand trends and sensitivities. The first thing I learned on this subject, from a friend and experienced professional in the Public Opinion space, is you have to look at trend lines, and NOT single polls.

http://elections.huffingtonpost.com/pollster

Of course you need to confirm the reasonability of your data. An article by veteran polling editor Mark Blumenthal suggests current low online response rates may make results unreliable. Great, then what’s the purpose?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/pollsters-debate-online-modern-surveys-trusted_560540a8e4b0af3706dbd353?utm_hp_ref=%2540pollster

You also have to take into consideration the success rate of various polls, because there is certainly a wide disparity in outcome. Here’s a great article on the 2012 presidential race.

http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/10/which-polls-fared-best-and-worst-in-the-2012-presidential-race/?_r=0

Another interesting article I found, was on the polling behavior specific to current GOP front runner Donald Trump. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/republicans-donald-trump-support_55fc060de4b00310edf699a9?utm_hp_ref=%2540pollster

As to who is going to secure the GOP nomination, my money is on Marco Rubio. As to who will win the General Election, I think we need to see where the following poll trend lines take us in 2016.

http://elections.huffingtonpost.com/pollster/republican-party-favorable-rating

http://elections.huffingtonpost.com/pollster/democratic-party-favorable-rating

http://time.com/3960958/clinton-hispanic-univision-poll/

http://www.ibtimes.com/marco-rubios-sanctuary-city-law-2016-election-can-republicans-win-without-latino-2149142

To round out the forecasting discussion, let’s consider what it takes to create international success and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame status. Extraordinary talent, tireless work ethic, image & appeal, and perhaps humility. Certainly there was never any doubt that two of the hardest working and most talented musicians on the world Rock & Roll stage today, wouldn’t achieve this. I give you one of the greatest electric guitar players of all time, Slash! And the amazing Myles Kennedy with a 4 octave vocal range, performing their smash hit Anastasia from their 2012 album Apocalyptic Love, at the 2014 MTV EMA World Stage ! Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAm6RIeXm_o

Photo Credits: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Bass Guitar Player Duff McKagan Guns & Roses, Jeff Rouse Singer & Guitar Player The Guessing Game, Bass Player Loaded.

November 1, 2015 By Cynthia Drew In Forecasting /

The Musical Artist P&L in Today’s Digital Streaming World

On reflection, I realize that music has been a big part of my life since childhood. When I look at the record music industry over the past 30 years, I can see that my passion for music and resulting purchase behavior, contributed to the overall trend of US record industry sales. In the 70’s and 80’s, I amassed an impressive collection of vinyl LPs and 45’s. CD’s of course followed. My first Apple purchase was the iPod Touch and today you will rarely find me without my earphones listening to a long and growing list of songs downloaded from iTunes. I played piano and clarinet, and sang in the school chorus and church choir. I love seeing live music, both in stadiums and small clubs.

Today, as an avid social media user with over 1,600 Twitter followers, I am quite engaged with a very active Rock & Roll community on Twitter, where Artists seek to grow their fan base and ultimately their livelihood. I understand their need to promote themselves in this new era of the music industry, where social media is a “must have” advertising & promotion tool. While the internet has impacted the music artist in a profound way, it’s great to see that the same creative brilliance that produces musical masterpieces and chart topping hits, is now used in increasingly creative ways to engage the music audience.

For instance, would you consider investing $50 in a band to help fund production of their second recorded album, if you received a tee shirt and were given an opportunity to sing a little back up chorus? Would you consider investing $50 in a horror film if the sound track was from a rock & roll Hall of Fame guitarist and you participated in recurring conference calls with this artist on the progress of the film? If you’re really paying attention, perhaps you’ll find an affordable and tax deductible opportunity to socialize at a party with some legendary rock & roll performers, and expand your music network, to support a public radio station whose goal is to bring the music listener closer to the Artist.

So why am I telling you all this? As a person passionate about music, and as an analyst who discerns insightful analytics to drive P&L growth for my clients, I think it’s important to frame this problem and raise awareness. Since 1999, most agree that the sharp decline in US Record sales is threatening the future of the creative musical environment that gave us such classics as “Dream On” and “Paradise City”.

So let’s analyze this.

In 1983, US Record Industry sales revenue totaled $9.1 billion on 578 million units sold at a total average price of $15.69, with vinyl making up 51% of total revenue. By 1988, revenue had grown to $12.5 billion with cassette tape sales making up 55%, vinyl shrinking to 11%, and CD sales surging to 34%. The industry would soar to record highs by 1999, reaching $20.7 billion in sales revenue, more than doubling sales volume since 1983, at a total average price of $17.86, fueled by commanding growth in compact disc sales. Since then, the industry has experienced seismic change with the advent of the internet and the MP3 digital music format, beginning in 1999 with Napster, a pioneering peer to peer (P2P) file sharing internet service, and the subsequent growth of internet music piracy. The NPD Group estimates that only 37% of music acquired by U.S. consumers in 2009 was paid for. If you do the math, that’s $14 billion in piracy value, compared to recognized sales of $8.6 billion.

https://riaa.com/physicalpiracy.php?content_selector=piracy-online-scope-of-the-problem

By 2014, total revenues have declined to a mere $7 billion, down 23% to 1983, and down 66% to the lofty highs in 1999, at an average price of $3.75.* The problem is even larger for the individual Artist where large pools of royalty revenue end up beyond the Artist’s reach in a “Black Box”. Technology has failed to keep pace and rightful owners of royalty revenue cannot be accurately identified because of a lack of an industry wide system tying usage to ownership.

Also problematic for US Artists is the lack of full performance right for sound recordings by Broadcast Radio, to match the rest of the world. Musical Artists in the United States do not receive any sound recording revenue for terrestrial broadcast on AM/FM radio stations, unlike webcast and digital streaming services like Sirius XM and Pandora who do remit sound recording revenue though Sound Exchange, with 50% to the Record labels, 45% to the Performers, and 5 % to the AFTRA Fund for background musicians.

A final point centers on pre 1972 sound recordings, where a loophole exists in US Copyright Law for sound recordings made prior to February 5, 1972 for digital sales and interactive streams. This issue is currently being resolved through negotiated settlements between the interested parties.

The music industry is in the fight of their lives with multiple advocacy organizations issuing informative reports with calls to action for Artists to be compensated fairly and transparently for their work. The Future of Music Coalition, a Washington DC Not for Profit, is hosting the Future of Music Policy Summit. http://futureofmusic.org/

The Berklee College of Music’s Institute for Creative Entrepreneurship (ICE), as part of its Rethink Music Initiative, has issued a report “Fair Music: Transparency & Money Flows in the Music Industry” and is hosting a fair Music Forum. http://www.rethink-music.com/

The newly established Grammy Creators Alliance is promoting the Fair Pay Fair Play Act, and is launching a major grassroots initiative with the US Recording Academy called GRAMMY’s In My District Day (GIMD). On October 14, more than 1,600 Academy members will ascend on Capitol Hill to pressure lawmakers to make needed changes to decades old law based on recommendations made by the U.S. Copyright Office in the “Copyright and the Music Marketplace” report issued in early 2015. https://www.grammy.org/recording-academy/advocacy

The mission is huge and complex where the ultimate solution will require a coordinated and innovative approach by a team of thoughtful and committed people to the following key points:

Update US Copyright Law for the digital age
Create a Musical Artist Bill of Rights and provide education & support
Private sector creation of a Music Rights database with a unique universal identifier structure
New technology to manage and track online payments through the value chain directly from fans to music creators
Greater transparency in royalty calculations

The ultimate goal is to create an efficient and transparent business landscape where musical artists are compensated fairly and the pool of musical creativity continues to grow.

The Rolling Stones said it best in their classic hit “Salt of the Earth”, in 1 of 5 rare live performances, with some special musical guests…. Let’s drink to the hardworking people!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Bt7g3H23Fc

Cover photo credits: Marti Fredericksen, American songwriter, record producer, and musician; 2002 Grammy Award Nominee Best Rock Song with Steven Tyler, “Jaded” ; 1999 Golden Globe Award Nominee Best Original Song with Chris Difford and Mick Jones, “The Flame Still Burns” from “Still Crazy”.

*All data is sourced by the Recording Industry Association of America database, with all $ figures expressed in 2014 inflation adjusted dollars. Also note that certain forms of streaming music revenue cannot be quantified in units sold and are therefore excluded in the average price calculations.

September 15, 2015 By Cynthia Drew In Music P&L /

Author: Cynthia Drew