Monthly Archives: December 2017

“I Became Frustrated With The Traditional Voice Teaching Approaches:” A TDQ Q&A With Voice Coach To The Stars Gary Catona

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Gary Catona

Come take Gary Catona’s hand and he will take you to a place where your voice is much improved.

This week’s TDQ Q&A is with voice coach Gary Catona. Gary spoke to us about his eclectic list of clients, how he became a voice coach and how you can build your ultimate voice. Here is this week’s TDQ Q&A with voice coach Gary Catona:
 
The Daily Quarterly: Who was your favorite singer growing up and why?
 
Gary Catona: My favorite singer and inspiration was Mario Lanza – the Andrea Bocelli of his day. From my own city Philadelphia, Lanza captivated me with the beauty, energy, and emotion of his voice – still, in my view, the greatest voice America has ever produced and in the top 5 of all time.
 
TDQ: How did you start your career as a voice coach?
 
GC: I became frustrated with the traditional voice teaching approaches and ended up formulating my own system of voice building and realized the revolutionary nature of my system and decided to teach it to the world.
 
Gary Catona and Stevie Wonder

Gary Catona and client Stevie Wonder.

TDQ: What is the best advice you have ever gotten?
 
GC: Be honest with your self.
 
TDQ: What is the worst advice you have ever gotten?
 
GC: Go for the money.
 
TDQ: Who are your influences?
 
GC: Enrico Caruso, Friedrich Nietzsche, Muhammad Ali, Shirley MacLaine, Leonardo Da Vinci and many other mentors along the way.
 
Gary Catona and Muhammed Ali

Gary Catona and client Muhammed Ali.

TDQ: Besides singers like Whitney Houston and Steven Tyler, you’ve also worked with boxer Muhammad Ali. What were the different challenges working with someone like that who isn’t a singer? What did you teach him?
 
GC: Ali had a good musical ear so he was able to follow my instruction well. I built back a large percentage of his speaking voice, which was becoming very weak. We worked and traveled together – a monumental episode of my life. There are no real challenges with working with non singers – even pitch issues are not a big deal. 
 
TDQ: Besides talking too much or singing too loudly, what are common everyday things most people do that they wouldn’t think could damage their voice?
 
GC: Talking too much on cell phones while driving or in a loud environment. This causes the person to “compete” – mostly unconsciously – with ambient noise, which could, over time, be harmful.
 
TDQ: Have you ever encountered a client whose voice is just too far gone, or can anybody’s voice be saved or repaired with the proper therapy and work?
 
GC: I have had some voice cases which were too neurologically damaged to help. 
 
Gary Catona's Ultimate Voice Builder

Gary Catona’s Ultimate Voice Builder.

TDQ: Tell us about the Ultimate Voice Builder DVD and why people should grab a copy?
 
GC: Getting the UVB DVD is like having a great cookbook from a famous chef – follow the directions and the results will be excellent. This product is for anyone who would like a much stronger, more attractive singing or speaking voice with increased richness and range. Who doesn’t want that?!
 
Check out Gary’s website and follow him on .

The Thorough, In-Depth “Star Wars Episode VIII ‘The Last Jedi'” Movie Review We Promised You, And The Internet Needs And TDQ Readers Deserve

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Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Spoiler Alert: People are better off with Luke in their life.

On occasion, with the help of certain Canadian super agents we know who live in Los Angeles, we get invites to various movie premieres and awesome parties. But we didn’t want to big-time you, our readers, when experiencing the latest “Star Wars” flick. We wanted to experience it the same way as you coal miners, dishwashers and blue-collar workers that make up our core audience: in the trenches with tickets we bought ourselves, with holes in the seats and dried Coke on the floor. 

And so we went opening night to experience the latest installation of the saga and sat in the last row of the theater at a 10:30 showing on a regular, non-Imax, non-3D screen.

And it was pretty good. It was by far the funniest “Star Wars” film. No doubt. Keep reading for the plot, and at the end of the piece, I’ll give you all the spoilers you can handle. 

We must admit we never saw the beginning of this film coming at the end of the last one. When Rey finds Luke at the top of his island mountain home that the Swiss Family Robinson would envy, he is so depressed at how Ben Solo/Kylo Ren turned out and all the mistakes he made over the course of his life, that he is this close to ending it all. He is certain that everyone in his life would have been better off if he’d never been born.

But in comes his guardian angel, Rey. She spends the next 152 minutes showing Luke exactly how worse off everyone would have been had he not been born: his wife Mary would have been a spinster all her life; his old boss, Mr. Gower, would have done time when he botched a prescription for a kid’s medicine had Luke not caught it; and all those people on the Navy transport that his little brother saved by shooting down that kamikaze pilot would have died had Luke not jumped in the frozen lake to save him when they were kids. 

I somehow glossed over a lot of the important stuff in Luke’s early life, I guess I need to go back and watch the other films this weekend. 

But overall, Rey does a great job showing Luke why he shouldn’t jump off that bridge, earning her own wings in the process. It was a truly feel-good movie all around. 

Now for the promised spoilers:

The identity of Supreme Leader Snoke is revealed. He is Keyser Soze.

“Rosebud” is shown to be the name Luke gave to his lightsaber. 

We find out who Rey’s parents are thanks to an unexpected cameo by Maury Povich. They are Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark.

“Star Wars Episode I” is shown to be, in reality, just a long dream experienced by Pamela Ewing. The movie ends with Patrick Duffy in the shower. 

If you do end up ruining the movie for your loser friends before they watch it, go ahead and blame Jar Jar Binks. That’s what we do. 

You are now informed. Go and do likewise. 

“At The End Of The Day Never Sacrifice Your Art For Anyone:” A TDQ Q&A With Actor And Producer Monte Bezell

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Monte Bezell

Actor, director, and producer Monte Bezell is Brooklyn born and raised. Brooklyn, according to our hasty research, is know for their vegan brunches, craft breweries, and historically accurate facial hair.

This week’s Q&A is with actor/producer Monte Bezell. Monte spoke to us about how growing up in Brooklyn formed his desire to be in show business, how staring out in indie films shaped his career and his upcoming projects. Here is this week’s TDQ Q&A with Monte Bezell:
 
The Daily Quarterly: What made you want to get into show business?
 
Monte Bezell: I was always a big film fan, and one day I walk by this huge set on the steps of City Hall in downtown Brooklyn and I knew right then I wanted to be in the business!
  
TDQ: Who was your favorite actor growing up?
 
MB: As a New Yorker it was always going to be Al Pacino. His roles were classic and he represented everything I grew up to respect and idolize from my upbringing in Brooklyn. 
 
TDQ: What was your favorite TV show growing up?
 
MB: I didn’t really watch a ton of TV growing up but I was always a fan of “Seinfeld” and “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” 
 
Monte Bezell

Monte Bezell doesn’t follow the rules. He shows us that all black can be green and that you can ride a bicycle down a red carpet.

TDQ: What is the best advice you have ever gotten?
 
MB: At the end of the day never sacrifice your art for anyone. I think this really built in the notion of never giving up and always staying true to yourself.  
 
TDQ: What is the worst advice you have ever gotten?
 
MB: Someone once told me that no one would care for my Brooklyn accent and that I should learn how to suppress it. That ended up being advice I am glad I never took. 
 
TDQ: Who are your influences?
 
MB: As a New Yorker you have to name the greats of De Niro, Pacino, and Scorsese.  It would be almost blasphemy to not include them. 
 
Monte Bezell - Saint Nicholas

Saint Nicholas, starring Monte Bezell, appears to tell it’s story from a very interesting perspective.

TDQ: You started your career working on indie projects. How has that background helped you as your career has progressed?
 
MB: Idie films really make you earn your keep. You fully comprehend how a full set works – there is no compartmentalization. This is so essential as you make your way up the ladder of studio films and sets. 
 
TDQ: Besides acting, you’ve moved into a producer role, especially in the past few years. What has that transition been like?
 
MB: It has actually been a smooth transition! I really enjoy finding a great story (tough part) financing the project (toughest part) putting together a great cast & crew (fun part) and shooting it (best part) and finally selling the project (deep exhale, lol!).     
 
TDQ: What project(s) are you working on next?
 
MB: Currently working on two films: a crime drama set in New York, and a sports film. I also have two other films coming out in 2018 entitled “Saint Nicholas” and “El Gallo.”   
 
Monte Bezell - El Gallo

Monte Bezell stars in and co-directed El Gallo.

TDQ: Where do you see yourself and your career in five years?
 
MB: I see myself collaborating with actors and directors I admire on studio projects. And a couple of awards would be cool too!  
 
Follow Monte on  and check out his IMDB page too. 
 

Teachers Fear For Literacy Of Elementary School Students Thanks To Pizza Hut’s BOOK IT! Program

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BookIt Then

In the days of peak Pizza Hut a combination of innovative architecture, delicious pan pizza, and inviting marketing materials were a great incentive to read.

Plano, TX—The nasty, horrible, disgusting, awful quality over the past few years of Pizza Hut pizza is finally having a disastrous effect on young peoples’ literacy, as more and more students across the country are refusing to read, protesting the “prize” of a personal pan pizza from the pizza chain for reading books as part of the BOOK IT! reading program. Educators across the country have expressed their concerns about the future of reading as they witness children reject the program itself.

The BOOK IT! program started in 1984, and according to the propaganda on their website, 14 million children suffer from their horrendous pizza annually.  

“It’s sad, really, and I’m really very concerned, honestly,” said 4th grade teacher Janelle Howard. “I get it, though. Don’t get me wrong. I refuse to eat their pizza, too. I’d rather drink drain de-clogger. But I do worry about my kids’ reading skills.”

BookIt Now

The Pizza Hut of today has mostly retreated to take-out only strip mall locations and offers pizzas with either cheese stuffed in unnatural places or topping like pineapple. The current BookIt logo exists only as a lazy web graphic instead of the vibrant buttons of yesteryear. No wonder kids don’t want to read.

“I’ve had both students and parents alike tell me that the incentive of a free Pizza Hut pizza is an absolute turn-off,” said another educator who asked to remain anonymous. “It’s a non-starter. Students are rebelling and refusing to read altogether. I’ve had free pizza certificates thrown back in my face after I tried to give them to students, and I’ve even had my car vandalized with personal pan pizzas thrown and dumped all over it. Truth be told, I’m concerned for my safety.”

Other teachers have said they first started to note a problem a few years ago, when their students started missing days after redeeming their free pizza coupons. That led to mutinies nationwide as students stopped using the coupons as a reaction to the downward spiral of the quality of the pizza chain’s pizza.  

Pizza Hut refused to comment for this story on either their horrible, inedible pizza or the fact that it is a real, frightening possibility that they may single-handedly destroy the art and joy of reading for the nation’s youngsters.