KARLA LOPEZ

Karla Lopez, Instructional Specialist & School Coordinator at Wonderland Ave. Elementary school in Los Angeles California. It is there where her passion for supporting the social-emotional needs of students became a focus in her career. Her work with students, parents, and teachers through the Way of Council program in schools increased and as part of the Way of Council Leadership Committee Mrs. Lopez worked with the community to develop the “Peace Talk Protocol”, Peaceful Warrior Assemblies, Wisdom Councils, Social-Emotional Curriculum for the classroom, she also started a student leadership group whose focus is to develop student-led assemblies that address conflict resolution, peace, being social activists, and identify problems in their community and how to solve them.

Mrs. Lopez has an equal passion for instruction and curriculum development. She has been a part of the Instructional Leadership Team at Wonderland Elementary for seven years and has been an integral part of the decision-making process as well as implementation and instructional development team for their Readers’ & Writers’ Workshop (which comes from Columbia University’s Teachers College in New York City) and Cognitively Guided Instruction in Mathematics (part of the UCLA Math Project). Her shared efforts to lead the school in outstanding instruction has led Wonderland to receive the “California Distinguished School Award” in 2011 and expecting to receive the National Blue Ribbon Award in 2017. Wonderland’s instructional programs, dedicated teachers, school culture & climate and social-emotional programs are the reasons why Wonderland has been topped ranking in the district for many years.

Karla Lopez is graduate of Eastern Michigan University moved to Los Angeles, California to become a teacher in 2000. Since then, she has earned her Master’s Degree from California State University in Educational Leadership and Administration. She started teaching in Los Angeles in 2000. Teaching children allowed Karla to realize that students and parents come to school with many issues and needs that aren’t being addressed. Educators are more than just teachers. They are nurses, coaches, parents, counselors, referees and family. Gradually Mrs. Velasco made the change to school administration at Wonderland Elementary School where she met Dana Blannon, her friend and co-author of “The Coop”, in 2013. Karla Lopez is passionate about education, curriculum, and the social-emotional well-being of the students. She brings her training and knowledge of Way of Council to address the socio-emotional issues that arise daily in the school community.

Dana and Karla work closely together at Wonderland Ave School. It is through their friendship and personalities that the characters Sunshine and Dark Cloud came to life. Using their personal dynamics the idea for “The Coop” was born. Through Karla’s optimistic & positive outlook on life the nickname, Sunshine, was given to her by Dana. In return, Dana was rewarded the nickname, Dark Cloud, for her realistic and logical perspective. And along with the day to day problems that arise, they are constantly encountering many social issues around students, parents, and adults. Dana and Karla started to really think about how they could help their school community, but most importantly the kids. How do you help children (and adults) truly deal with issues of bullying, peer pressure, family, sickness, and even death? At their school site one of strategies they use in helping kids and the adults address issues and tough situations is through storytelling. Storytelling is a gateway to discuss “tough topics” in a safe environment that may be too delicate to bring up in a conversation. Our goal is to provide parents and teachers with tools to help them through the challenges of everyday life. The Coop is a whole package it lends itself to variety of topics and lessons to address the social and emotional development of children (ages five to thirteen). Not only have we developed the first book in the series, and are working on our third.

Jasmine Brett Stringer is principal of JB Stringer LLC and founder of the internationally recognized lifestyle brand Carpe Diem with Jasmine. She has more than 15 years of business-to-business sales and customer marketing experience. She is highly skilled in business development, customer relationship management, and social media. Jasmine and JB Stringer LLC have worked with several Fortune 500 companies such as Kraft Foods, General Mills, Box Tops for Education, Toyota, Fox Searchlight, the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN TV) and Publicis Groupe on various initiatives and campaigns.

As a nationally recognized and sought-after lifestyle expert, Jasmine has been featured on a variety of media outlets. She is a weekly lifestyle contributor to local CBS television station WCCO-TV. She has also contributed to the nationally syndicated television show The Insider, Yahoo and MSN and featured on OWN TV. Her southern belle charm is not limited to the screen; Jasmine teaches others to seize their life as a regular contributor for the Huffington Post and within her own lifestyle blog.

Mark Susnow, JD, knows change. He is a recognized thought leader, wisdom teacher, author and life coach, who inspires others to believe in themselves and to envision possibilities, not yet considered. He is passionate about life being an exciting journey of discovery. His enthusiastic and inspiring talks on change, leadership and connection thoroughly convey this message. A former trial attorney and musician for 25 years, he integrates what it takes to be successful in the world with the inner wisdom unfolded to him through years of yoga and meditation. In his former career he was covered by The New York Times, Rolling Stone Magazine, Boston Globe and The San Francisco Chronicle.

He is the author of Dancing on the River: Navigating Life’s Changes and the soon to be released the Soul of Possibility which is considered to be a fable for our times….and he is the host of the Inspire Possibility Show.

Reverse Order is a dynamic alternative rock band from New Jersey with an undeniable edge that you will never forget. Through an impressive live show, and songs that are steeped in infectious catchy melodies, Reverse Order has made a powerful impact not only in the US, but internationally performing in multiple countries including Russia and Mexico. Reverse Order is currently on a 25 week U.S. tour in support of their government certified non-profit “Reverse The Trend” anti-bullying initiative speaking to, and performing for, thousands of students a day.



Reverse Order is:

John Russo - Lead Vocals / Guitar / Songwriter

Cruise Russo - Drums / Vocals

Drew Katsock – Guitar

LiAhRa - artist, visionary, intuitive

RICK ROBERTS

LEGENDARY SINGER-SONGWRITER-MUSICIAN-FOR 'FIREFALL'

 IS THE SPECIAL GUEST ON THE RAY SHASHO SHOW 

Singer-songwriter Rick Roberts and guitarist Jock Bartley founded Firefall in the summer of 1974. Roberts had served as a spark for the Flying Burrito Brothers from 1970 to 1972, after Gram Parsons left the band. He contributed several compositions to the repertoire—the best-known being “Colorado”—before launching his own career as a solo artist. Bartley had started as a student of jazz guitar great Johnny Smith, a Colorado Springs resident. With a few band stints around the Denver/Boulder area under his belt, Bartley took over the lead guitar post of Tommy Bolin in Zephyr in 1971. The following year, he switched over to Gram Parsons’ band, the Fallen Angels (which also featured Emmylou Harris) and met Roberts, whose touring schedule with the Burritos often overlapped that of Parsons. Mark Andes, the founding bassist of the bands Spirit and Jo Jo Gunne, joined with Bartley and Roberts, who began an informal series of jam sessions at his home in Boulder. Roberts thought of a fourth participant he’d met in Washington, D.C., singer-songwriter Larry Burnett. At Chris Hillman’s suggestion, they added drummer Michael Clarke, an original member of the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers.

The break came when Roberts, Bartley and Andes toured as Hillman’s backup band. Hillman fell ill during a date at the Other End in New York, and the club owner accepted a proposal to bring Burnett and Clarke into town. Firefall finished out the engagement, and Atlantic Records was sold on the band. By January 1976, the group had completed recording a debut album with producer Jim Mason, who blended the group’s acoustic guitars, mellow pop melodies and vocal harmonies. A sixth member, David Muse, joined the ranks on keyboards, synthesizers, flute, tenor sax and harmonica.

Firefall reached platinum status, and the singles ”You Are the Woman,” “Livin’ Ain’t Livin’” and “Cinderella” together sold in excess of one million copies. Firefall notched more hits—”Just Remember I Love You” and “Strange Way”—and two more best-selling albums in the late 1970s, Luna Sea and Elan. The band’s heady time culminated in an opening slot for Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours” tour in 1977, including a hometown Folsom Stadium gig before 61,500 Coloradans. Lineup changes followed, and the band ran out of chart momentum.

ED KING LEGENDARY GUITARIST & SONGWRITER

FOR 'THE STRAWBERRY ALARM CLOCK' & 'LYNYRD SKYNYRD'

ON THE RAY SHASHO SHOW

“I am the luckiest guitar player on Earth,” Ed King declares.

King caught lightning in a bottle twice: First as a co-founder of the hit-making Strawberry Alarm Clock and then as a member of Southern rock giants Lynyrd Skynyrd.

As a teenager, King was a founding member of Thee Sixpence, the high school group that transformed itself into the Strawberry Alarm Clock. He and keyboardist Mark Weitz wrote the music for the smash hit “Incense and Peppermints,” starting with a memorable riff dreamed up by Weitz. King contributed the bridge to the then-instrumental.

Weitz tells the story: “I couldn’t figure out a bridge for the song. Ed King lived pretty close. I called him and told him I need a bridge for this new song idea I’m working on. He drove over, and about 45 minutes later we had it.”

The single’s songwriting credits notoriously failed to note their role in creating the song, but “Incense and Peppermints” hit No. 1 in 1967 and remains a rock-pop radio staple to this day.

Credit for “Incense and Peppermints” went to a songwriting team that worked with the publisher. He and Weitz collaborated again on “Tomorrow,” which charted at No. 23 in early 1968. Once again, King came to the rescue with a bridge.

King continued to write songs with Weitz as well as guitarist Lee Freeman. Strawberry Alarm Clock songs that King co-wrote include “Sit with the Guru,” “The Black Butter Trilogy,” “Pretty Song from Psych-Out” and “Soft Skies, No Lies.”

King says, “The Strawberry Alarm Clock tours with the Beach Boys in ’67 and ’68 outshine any other period in my life. Carl Wilson coming over to my room to show me the chords to ‘God Only Knows’ far outweighs any Skynyrd experience.”

King stayed with the band until 1972, when he took a flyer and joined a Southern rock band that had opened for the Strawberry Alarm Clock on a regional tour. That band was Lynyrd Skynyrd, which was heading into the studio to record its first album with producer Al Kooper.

King started out playing bass and then switched to guitar.

He formed a songwriting partnership with singer Ronnie Van Zant, which produced “Poison Whisky” on that album and then later “Sweet Home Alabama,” one of the band’s two signature songs.

Other Skynyrd songs co-written by King include “Saturday Night Special,” “Swamp Music,” “I Need You,” “Workin’ for MCA” and “Railroad Song.”

King’s guitar playing and songwriting skills were an essential element to the band's first three albums: Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd, Second Helping, and Nuthin' Fancy.

King decided to leave the band in 1975 during the "Torture Tour." He was replaced in 1976 by Steve Gaines, who was killed in a plane crash along with lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, backup singer Cassie Gaines, assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, pilot Walter McCreary, and co-pilot William Gray. Other band members (Collins, Rossington, Wilkeson, Powell, Pyle, and Hawkins), tour manager Ron Eckerman, and several road crew suffered serious injuries.

Ironically Gaines and King share the same birthdate.

In 1987, King joined the Lynyrd Skynyrd survivor’s reunion tour and played with the band until his retirement from music in 1996.

In 2006, King entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Lynyrd Skynyrd.

It is my great pleasure to welcome Ed King, legendary guitarist & songwriter for The Strawberry Alarm Clock and Lynyrd Skynyrd to The Ray Shasho Show. 

Visit Ed King on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ed.king.52687

Visit the Lynyrd Skynyrd Page https://strawberryalarmclock.com/