Winston "Stone" Ford
Creator & CEO of @couchsessions and #couchsessionsnext. Writer for @blackenterprise @theroot247. #Heineken100 influencer. @SPINMagazine Blogger of Great Taste. All-around nerd and tech consultant.
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Info
- Entertainment | Greater New York City Area, USSummary
In a changing media marketplace, I believe I can best help your company reach its full potential. As someone who has utilized Social Media on a daily basis, I believe that I will be a valuable asset to your organization. Recognized by many in the industry as a influencer and tastemaker by several industry insiders, I have utilized the power of social networks to enhance my own brand, The Couch Sessions, in addition to connecting media entities and major corporations to to the burgeoning and progressive alternative urban market.
As the owner of The Triplestar Media Group, and face of it’s flagship Couch Sessions brand, I interact with over 3,000 potential Twitter and Facebook followers from all over the world on a daily basis. We’ve utilized Twitter to drive traffic to our website, crowdsource assistance for special events, as well as create a platform for intelligent thought and discussion. I truly believe that social media is a democratizing element that brings our site, our fans, and our brand partners, closer together.
Our corporate partners have included HP, Dos Equis, Gibson Guitars, SPIN Magazine, FADER Magazine, UV Vodka, Bushmills, Cricket Wireless, MOG, The Future of Music Foundation, and festivals such as The Montreal Jazz Festival, The Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival, the Virgin Mobile Free Fest, and A3C Atlanta Hip-Hop Festival, creating synergy with our unique audience and their respective brand identities.
Specialties: Brand Marketing, Music Consulting, PromotionExperience- Apr 2005 - PresentFounder and CEO / Triplestar Media Group
- Create targeted marketing campaigns for brands such as Cricket Wireless, Red Bull, HP and Heineken and manage brand partnerships.
- Coordinate and manage event productions for in-house and sponsor events, including fundraising, talent booking, promotion, and stage management
- Coordinate media campaigns, contests, ticket giveaways, and promotions for events, festivals, and record releases.
-Run the day to day operations for flagship website The Couch Sessions, including interfacing with editorial staff, writers, and advertisers
- Manage social media accounts, including Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter. Run weekly reports to measure analytics for social media properties.
- Provide consulting for artists, industry tastemakers, brands, and labels.
- Maintain website code base, database, and dedicated server infrastructure. - Jul 2011 - Aug 2012Advisor / BeCouply
-Coordinate influencer marketing campaigns in the New York area.
-Contribute region-specific website content for the New York area and coordinate search engine optimization (SEO).
-Advise Owner and CEO on marketing strategy and consumer rollout plans. - Jul 2002 - Jan 2011Senior Information Technology Specialist / Government of the District of Columbia
Government of the District of Columbia – Washington, DC
-Develop and code dynamic applications in the ASP.NET environment using VB and C# programming languages.
-Offer agency support and technical assistance for special projects and system integration.
-Provide maintenance and support for client application data in a Microsoft SQL Environment.
-Coordinate project production releases and business plans for the client. - Mar 2001 - May 2002Computer Consultant / Westcott Automotive Group
-Maintain the web page for the Westcott Automotive Group, incorporating Macromedia Flash, and Active Server Page technology.
-Develop a Windows program using Visual Basic to track potential leads.
-Created an Internet marketing strategy for sales and service division. - May 1999 - Aug 1999Computer Consultant / Alabama Unified Judicial System
-Assisted with integration from an IBM mainframe to a GUI interface for web browsers.
-Completed online traffic ticket information system, in which clients can view traffic records.
-Completed the AOC homepage and provided technical support for state workers.
Education-
1998 - 2002Elon UniversityBS in Business Administration and Computer Information Systems
Activities: Elon College Technology Initiative - Member and Consultant (2000-2001) WSOE 89.3 fm Elon College Radio - Programmer and Disc Jockey Pendulum (Elon College Newspaper) - Staff Writer, Reporter, and Photographer (2000-2001)
Additional Information-
Honors:SPEAKER 2011 American University Social Learning Summit Baruch College of Journalism (2011) HONOR Heineken 100 Influencer SPIN Magazine/UV Vodka Blogger of Great Taste Red Bull Soundstage Influencer INTERVIEWS Monocle Radio 24 London (February 2013) PNC Radio Brooklyn (December 2012) WRFB Radio Free Brooklyn - Interview (July 2010) 88.9 Radio Milwaukee - Interview (March 2010) BBC World Service - Interview (May 2010)
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Posts
- May 23, 13
Calling all creatives! We’re looking for some of the best emerging creative minds in music, art, poetry, fashion and more. We want to see what you do best? Do you have a great song, a dope beat, or an amazing artistic design? Nominate yourself or your friends in the entry below and get a chance to win an HP Envy 27 Inch Monitor with Beats Audio as well as have your work featured on The Couch Sessions and an HP online property!
The winner will be picked by a panel of industry influencers and Couch Sessions staff. There are no limits to any entries, but the winning submission will be unique, imaginative and downright cool.
Looking to work harder and stronger in 2013? The deep bass of the integrated Beats Audio speakers will most certainly enhance your home studio and the The 27 inch HD display will make your visuals pop. Hook your laptop up to this monitor and let it rock.
You know what to do! Nominate yourself or a friend below and let us know how this latest HP monitor will help enhance your creativity.
Contest Rules
1.) Enter Below. Submit three (3) recent links to your creative output. It can be anything from music, poetry, art, or graphic design.
2.) Contest submissions must be all original work and the sole creation of the submission holder.
3.) Contest entrants must be 13 years or older.
4.) Contest Ends June 30th, 2013 at Midnight EST
- May 16, 13
I gotta say, I pressed play on this Mayer Hawthorne track I was instantly blown away.
I feel like this track is a complete evolution for Hawthorne. This is more than a “white boy can sing soul” track. “Her Favorite Song,” has the laid back vibes of Roy Ayers in his prime, but somehow has a fresh, modern feel that I can’t quite put my thumb on it.
Either way, it’s a good laid back jam for the summer. Check it.
- May 16, 13
Mochilla and Miguel Atwood Ferguson’s amazing re-work of Dilla a few years go taught us that the orchestral versions of hip-hop are a much needed yet little explored realm of music.
However, the Clubcasa Chamber Orchestra’s amazing rendition of Kendrick’s “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe,” might just open some eyes and ears to the power of orchestral hip-hop. Headed by Sylvester Uzoma Onyejiaka II and recorded at Brooklyn’s legendary Club House, the multiple piece arrangement was has already inspired more down the line and a possible remix EP in the works. Check it. (props OKFuture)
- May 14, 13
Photos by Sweetlife, video from Rick Dalberg‘s Youtube stream.
Sure, I’m a bit biased, but The Sweetlife Festival has muscled its way to becoming on of the most unique music events on the East Coast in just a few short years. The food and music festival has evolved from a gathering in a parking lot into a full fledged extravaganza drawing over 20,000 fans to the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD. In addition to the music, there was food from vendors such as Luke’s Lobster Pound, Toki Underground, and Rogue 24 (a food post is coming later this week).
So let’s break down the concert shall we?
(NOTE: I didn’t hang around the emerging artist filled Treehouse stage much, so this review consists of mainly main stage performers. It is what it is.)
Gary Clark Jr
The truth. Many people would say that the blues is a dying artform and honestly I would agree. However it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks when Gary Clark Jr is on the stage. The 28 year old blues man is so good that you must stop, turn around, and pay attention. The term “making love to the guitar” might be a bit cliche, but the dude was working the strings so fiercely that you would think he would be making a porno.
At the end of the set, the crowd (who was slightly unfamiliar with Jr before his set) were chanting “GARY, GARY, GARY” afterwards. That’s a testament to a dude who can win over a crowd of sweaty teenagers and 30 somethings with a so-called “dead” artform.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Karen O is happy. And this makes me happy. The post-punk New York band has entered a revival of sorts with a new album and tour that’s being well received by critics and fans alike. The band was cool, but all eyes were on Karen, who’s bright smiles and feisty attitude are the direct antithesis of a post-punk rock band. She honestly enjoyed herself on stage and in turn the audience enjoyed her.
Draped by a huge black YYY backdrop, its hard to forget how many hit’s that this band has had over the their past decade and a half of existence. From the addictive “Heads Will Roll,” to the new track “Sacrilege,” and the venerable “Maps,” the group proved to the festival that they have the staying power to prevail.
Kendrick Lamar
The people have spoken. Kendrick is the new face of hip-hop. First off, the addition of Kendrick is a rather controversial choice still in 2013. I sat in an entire section of people who either get offended, sat down, or downright left when Lamar entered into his mixtape track “Pussy and Patron.” It was a tad too much for some of more er… suburban ears in the crowd.
But hey, the kids love Kendrick, and Lamar got one of the largest responses of the day. As a Kendrick supporter it’s assuring to see how he has grown and matured over the last two years. Beginning as an emerging rapper for bloggers “in the know,” to one that has a platinum selling album and the complete admiration of the crowd.
This is the first time I’ve seen Kendrick outside of a true hip-hop audience, and even Lamar was wondering how he would be perceived at the mostly rock and indie festival. “This is the first time I’ve been in your city,” he said with a slight nervousness. But it didn’t matter when 10,000 people are singing “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe,” alongside you.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Passion Pit
Nerd rock wins. I’ve never seen Passion Pit live, so I was slightly skeptical about how their synth driven approach to music would play on such a large stage (especially after Kendrick’s hyped up set). However, I could tell off the bat that the band has thought of these issues when constructing their live set.
The sets hit harder, and were livelier than anything that I expected. Fronted by singer Michael Angelakos (who dressed like he was going out on a date instead of a rock show) brings a passionate (pun intended) vibe to their set. Even laid back songs like “Sleepyhead,” and “Constant Conversations,” were hype enough to wake up the crowd. The band proved that synth-based music doesn’t have to be a total snoozefest (have you been to a Grimes show before?) and they’re on their way to being the sleeper arena rock band of their time.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Phoenix
These Frenchmen have risen to become one of the greatest bands in the world. But outside of two songs, they’re not there yet in terms of true recognition in The States. At least in my opinion. However, that doesn’t stop them from putting on a fierce stage show worthy of their headline status.
By the time the band got on stage (around 9PM), the Sweetlife festival experienced bouts of rain, mud, clogged toilets, and the general tiredness of being outside for 10 hours. But that didn’t not stop the Parians from throwing down a delightful set that included tracks from their first two albums, Untitled and Alphabetical (sadly, only recently available in The States) in addition to their US hits “1901” and “Lisztomania.”
But even if the audience didn’t know Phoenix, they were respected, and they’re well on their way to becoming an arena-filling band.
- May 08, 13
Sound quality is first and foremost a priority in my everyday life. I wouldn’t consider myself a huge audiophille, but as someone who listens to over 100 tracks a day, both mastered and unmastered, sound quality effects what I do on a daily basis.
So my interest was piqued when HP’s Envy 27 Inch Monitor with Beats Audio arrived in The Couch Sessions lab. With Beats technology being all the rage lately (and a bit controversial in audio circles) the brand has become more of a fashion statement than a audio revolution.
When I first plugged everything in and played a track I was disappointed. My first thought is “this is dopey as hell! I thought this was supposed to be Beats!” Little did I know, pressing the small Beats logo on the lower bezel activates the sound quality. One press of the button is like going from 0-60 sonically. In a Ferrari. The audio quality is crisp and clean with minimal distortion. On some tracks you can hear every guitar note and . The only thing I can describe this as is like having real recording studio monitors in your bedroom. The sound is that crisp. Ever since I hooked up the monitor I’ve been playing all of my songs in my collection over again and for some tracks it’s like hearing them for the first time. Little nuances that I couldn’t hear on my iPhone headphones are brought out into the open through the monitor’s speakers. For instance, I didn’t even really the vintage crackling vinyl sound is not as prominent on The Stuyvesant’s’ Brooklyn’s Finest album until I head it through the speakers.
Albums such as Toro Y Moi’s Everything in Return or Little Dragon’s Machine Dreams pop out and come to life. As with Beats headphones, tracks with little or no bass sound a bit tingy, and unmastered tracks (which I have a lot of) sound downright dreadful. And having that said, tracks from iTunes (with higher compression) or CD sound better than streaming from Soundcloud or Spotify. But hey, garbage in, garbage out right?
So the question remains, with everything shifting to laptops and tablets, do you really need this monitor? If you’re a budding producer, designer, programmer or any creative type I would say that a second screen does make your work experience a whole lot better. Going from my 13 inch MacBook Pro to this 27 inch screen is like night and day.
Next week, we’ll explore using this monitor and your computer as a television (for all of you cord cutters out there)!
And yes, you can win your own HP’s Envy 27 Inch Monitor with Beats Audio! Contest details soon!
- May 07, 13
It’s been a pretty good year for R&B lately. With both Miguel and Frank Ocean getting critical and commercial rewards and Justin Timberlake coming back strong with The 20/20 Experience, it seems that the genre is at a very good place creatively.
However with all of the hoopla surrounding those releases lately, you might have not noticed a three song EP by a mysterious group called Tuexedo. All we know is that the project is the work of the music industry heavy hitters. The money is on Mayer Hawthorne and Jake One, however my girlfriend and I noticed some Pharrell on backup vocals on “Home Tonight.” Hopefully label politics will not prevent more of this music from coming out. It’s setting the right mood for the summer, check it.
- May 07, 13
Yeah, Tame Impala is one of our favorite bands, but they now share an even larger place in our heart after they covered Andre 3000′s “Prototype” on Australia’s Triple J Radio cover series Like a Version this week. The psychedelic foursome’s cover is spot on and it’s another reason to love music again. Song starts at 1:12. Check it.
- May 06, 13
If you haven’t noticed recently, New York City has been taken over by something called the Red Bull Music Academy this month. But for those who are not in the know, some people are scratching their heads. What exactly is the Red Bull Music Academy?
Well, it’s a two week gathering of some of the best upcoming sounds in music. For the next fortnight they will have access to one of the best studios in the world to collaborate and compose working with each other as well as music industry legends such as Bootsy Collins and Questlove. While most of NYC won’t get to see the academy, we spoke with RBMA posterboys (and 2011 Madrid Academy alumni) Jesse Boykins III and Nick Hook who give us an inside look at what will be going down this month. Check it.
- May 01, 13
The Couch Sessions Crew in New YorkWhat are you doing this summer?
The Couch Sessions is the premier destination for alternative urban music and culture. Dubbed as the tastemakers’ tastemaker, The Couch Sessions spotlights all aspects of cutting-edge urban lifestyle ranging from music, art and design, food and drink, film, TV and fashion.
looking for a NYC-based community manager intern to interact with our young, passionate and influential fanbase. With thousands of monthly readers, social media fans and event attendees through our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, and newsletter platforms. In addition, we’re looking someone to help us drum up support for our summer events and operations.
Qualities you possess:
Professional, positive-attitude, excellent work ethic, self-motivation, proficient in Facebook and Twitter interface.What you’ll do:
Work 10-15 hours a week. Coordinate daily social media postings on both Facebook and Twitter. Create target goals for social media engagement. Measure insights and statistics (familiarity with Google Analytics a plus.) Help create social media campaigns for product launches, events and ticket giveaways.The perks:
You can earn college credit. You will work alongside a music industry influencers. You get access to some of the hottest events in NYC.What’s next?
Submit your resume, a cover letter and some samples of work you’ve done in the past to stone [at] thecouchsessions [dot] com. Please include your twitter accounts and twitter accounts you have managed. If you’re a fit we will be in contact to set up an interview.
Interested? Enter below!
- Apr 30, 13
You already know what to do here. This show needs no introduction. Flying Lotus will absolutely destroy Terminal 5, and you can go for FREE! The show, a part of Red Bull Music Academy slate of NYC events also includes Brainfeeder associates Ultraísta, Thundercat and En2ak. Check it:
- Apr 23, 13
Thailand has been one of those sleeper destinations for a while now. However, other than maybe Ong Bak and the rather racist Hangover series, it’s never been known as a cinematic capital outside of Asia.
Looks like that is about to change with Ryan Gosling and director Nicolas Winding Refn’s stylish new film, Only God Forgives. The two paired up 2 years earlier for the stylish film Drive, and this film sees Gosling’s character as a drug smuggler evading the police in the hallows of underground Bangkok.
The film already has a ton of buzz going into the Cannes Film Festival, and that buzz should continue when it gets a theatrical release in June. Check it.
- Apr 19, 13
This slightly mysterious trio from the UK came onto the scene late last year with the brilliant “Hey Now.” Since then, they have been getting a slow, yet steady buzz in the music press. Lead singer Hannah Reid’s voice is mesmerizing, and the minimal (yet organic) production falls into the background to let it shine. The result is one of the more unique projects of 2013. Check it.
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Checkins
- Corner Social321 Malcolm X Blvd
- On Tap at Whole Foods10 Columbus Circle
- Make My Cake121 Saint Nicholas Ave
- Studio Museum in Harlem144 W 125th St
- Cafe Noir32 Grand St
- Kiosk95 Spring St
- Mad. Sq. Eats1 W 25th St.
- Rush Arts Gallery526 W 26th St
- Regal Union Square Stadium 14850 Broadway
- Starbucks301 W 145th St
- New Golden Empire757 Saint Nicholas Ave
- Megabus StopJohn F. Kennedy Blvd.
- Penn Presbyterian Medical Center51 N 39th St
- BoltBus StopJohn F. Kennedy Blvd.
- BoltBus Midtown Stop34th St & 8th Ave
- Delaware Welcome Center Travel Plaza530 JFK Memorial Hwy
- Bolt Bus Stop - Union StationUnion Station
- Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant100 M St SE
- Merriweather Post Pavilion10475 Little Patuxent Pkwy
- Black & Orange1931 14th St NW
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Tweets
- RT @HP: Winston 'Stone' Ford of @couchsessions was skeptical of HP's ENVY 27 #display w/ #BeatsAudio. Now he's a believer. http://t.co/lvES…
- 1970s Punk Rock Hackney Brothers subject of Film ‘A Band Called DEATH’ http://t.co/wCPMCd1YXm
- Walked in and the bartender was singing Beyonce. Gotta love Harlem. (@ Corner Social) http://t.co/PTO6jp0VqY
- Dope! RT @alvinthethird I've got a new mix finished #AfrosAndWhisky, check it out sir: http://t.co/FQJ7Sw2EOw #hiphop #soul #jazz
- Independent Study: Fool's Gold Records http://t.co/SZylCbCUzC via @billboardbiz
- Wait, so the mayor of Toronto got caught smoking crack?? Like Marion Barry??
- If the Five Fine Fillies were a real band, I would pay money to see them live.
- RT @fitsum: NO. NEW. FRIENDS. RT @ThisIsSTONE: A month after launch, have we forgotten about Twitter #Music? http://t.co/x3R55oRHhg Yes.
- A month after launch, have we forgotten about Twitter #Music? http://t.co/wJpKrIZlgZ Yes.
- Good lawd, new XBOX is winning right now. Santa, you know what you need to do this Christmas.
- WHOA RT @fmanjoo: New Kinect can understand your weigh balance and rotation of wrist. It can "read your heartbeat."
- @dangerdome @_kingshabazz_ Didn't know you moved up here Selome. Welcome to NYC.
- I'll be on a great panel with @azboogie from @fusicology and @_KINGSHABAZZ_ of Electric Circus talking about digital media
- DC! I'll be a panelist at @GRAMMY365 Business Beats and Inspiration: Making Money in a Digital World June 15th: http://t.co/YiKAa5Lt7Y
- Does anybody know about #IntoNow? One of the coolest technologies ever created and Yahoo is letting it sit on the shelf.
- So sad to see Yahoo buy @Tumblr. Their track record with their acquisitions and products has been terrible.
- RT @listrophy: Average time to report lost wallet: 26 hours. Average time to report lost mobile phone: 68 minutes. #iwny
- Philippe Starck designed hotel: Mama Shelter Istanbul http://t.co/cws818aY3S
