Careful-They Might Be Ziants, The Radio Days/Daze

Blood is Thicker Than… Everything

November 28, 2016 Micheal Leave a comment

ZiantsBoysHoldenBeach1997.L-R.TomMichealJohnSteve — The Ziants Boyz vacationing at Holden Beach, North Carolina 1994 (L-R) Tommy, Micheal, John, Steve

Though we all came from the same mom & dad and were raised under the same roof all those years, we couldn’t have turned out more differently. Or did we?

This Pennsylvania band of brothers – the Ziants Boyz – sure have cut wildly & widely different paths in life. From the coal mines of West Virginia and Ohio to major American radio stations and newspapers, Phyllis & Charlie’s little boys have sure left their mark.

TheZiantsFamilyClearwaterFlorida1960 — The Tribe of Ziants, Clearwater, Florida 1960, Steve Ziants in mama Phyllis’ arms, yours truly on left

While John & Tommy took it to the mines, Steve & I went the journalism & broadcasting routes. I guess even as kids we didn’t like to get our hands too dirty.

Today, I’m so proud of brother Steve because he is a published author. In addition to his duties as the Page Designer for the sports section at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, you’ll also find his genius & talents for sale on amazon.com.

** Steve Ziants Pittsburgh, PA Radio Interview on 93.7, The Fan **

In ‘100 Things Pirates Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die’, my brother Steve not only fine-tunes the angles in the rear view mirror, he also helps the Bucs fans perfect their bucket lists!

ZiantsFamilyLancasterOhio1997 — The Ziants Clan in the backyard Lancaster, Ohio, 1997 (clockwise from upper left) – Linda, Tom, Steve, John, Micheal…with one proud mama Phyllis

Born to PA parents, a pitcher on the Kent State baseball team, and a rabid wordsmith and writer, it’s not too bold a statement to say that this was the book Steve was born to write – with his blood, not ink!

According to that wacky amazon crowd, there are “only 10 left in stock” so order soon, grab it for your Kindle, or get a good old-fashioned paperback, right here – Steve Ziants Book on Amazon.com.

Oh yeah, and tell ’em that one proud brother ~ brother Mike at Airlift in NOLA ~ way down yonder in new oileenz sent ‘ya.

Steve Ziants’ 1st literary outing, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

To Communicate is the Beginning of Understanding.

Airlift Productions Communicates.

Airlift Productions RADIO work

Everything Old is NEW Again at Airlift Productions

November 25, 2016 Micheal Leave a comment

NOLAVoiceOverTalentMichealZiantsAirliftProductions2014 — Airlift Productions’ Micheal Ziants putting in another day at the office.

Gee, it’s Thanksgiving week in New Orleans, we’re not even really into the Christmas season yet, and I’ve already got one of my fave holiday stories.

The Airlift Productions studios‘ bat phone rings Tuesday morning, and who’s on the other end but my old friend and client Sue Bonano of Sue’s Jewelry here just outside NOLA on fashionable, swanky Old Metairie Road.

You see, kind of like Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz”, who once said that if she ever went looking for happiness again she’d never look further than her own backyard, some of voice work’s & radio’s most rewarding gems can be found not on national TV or radio… but right down the street.

At any rate, Sue says to me, “Mike, do you remember that radio campaign we ran back in the ’90s? Those ‘Because…’ spots?”

I knew immediately what she was talking about: a pair of sixty second ads I’d put together for her in a year that was, well, twenty-one years ago!

As I pulled them out of the Airlift Archive, still safe & sound – on those little DATs (digital audio tapes) – I’ve got to admit, they still sounded pretty effective.

I mean, to be clear here, no one actually talks like this, and I’m obviously putting on a show, playing on emotions and heart strings like a Hallmark Channel special meets Harlequin romance novel.

** Diamonds for Christmas ~ at Sue’s, with Airlift Mike **

Effusive. Intensely dramatic. Even melodramatic. And, along with the DeBeers diamond music swelling underneath and all around, they make quite the poetic & compelling case for ‘Diamonds for Christmas”.

And the only thing I had to edit-out was the line saying, “No payments until February 1996” which, of course, would never work.

** Engagement Rings ~ at Sue’s, with Airlift Mike ***

So, I input them to the computer, created the mp3 files, and just like that, these ear-gasmic creations from November 1995 are now airing through the holi-daze all over NOLA at an Entercom radio station near you.

For yet another generation of lovers here in 2016.

As everything OLD becomes NEW again.

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1407-nighttime-pomonacrate — Outside the Airlift Productions Studios at night

“Well, Mike, you’ve done it again! Thank you for producing another rock and sock-em voiceover demo that I can be proud of!! Your professionalism and expertise is greatly appreciated and highly respected. I highly recommend Mike of Airlift Productions to anyone in the industry for great quality production work. He is your man!” ~ Karlin T. O’Neill, VoiceOver Artist

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Airlift Productions ~ Audio Alchemy & Digital Magic from New Orleans since 1984

Reflections, The Radio Days/Daze

No Cat In This Hat … It’s In The Cradle!

November 5, 2016 Micheal Leave a comment

MichealZiants.AkaJohnSaintJohn.HarryChapin.WKBO.1974 — Singer-Songwriter Harry Chapin visits with John Saint John (Airlift’s Micheal Ziants), lower right, and WKBO Radio, Harrisburg, PA, 1974 ~ Oh my, the hair!

As I walked from yet another funeral just this morning (rest in peace, Raymond B), Harry’s “Cat’s in the Cradle” was still ringing in my ears.

For yet another person (two in the same week!) had incorrectly credited Cat Stevens with writing this song. Perhaps it’s the ‘cat’ thing, but make no mistake about it, “Cat’s in the Cradle” is ALL Harry!

But let me tell you the real story.

Every time I hear ‘Cat’s in the Cradle’, (like when I’m making groceries at the Rouses and it’s playing overhead on the store speakers), or I hear ‘Taxi’, or ‘W.O.L.D.’ … I always flash back to this day in 1974!

I was John Saint John, Harrisburg, PA’s ‘politically apathetic, tho’ ultra-liberal and semi-hippie rock ‘n roll disc jockey’ at WKBO Radio, and HARRY CHAPIN was making HIS mark on radio stations all across the USA.

In fact, as few today remember, in addition to his stellar music career, Harry helped to create the Presidential Commission on World Hunger, and in 1987, President Reagan posthumously awarded him the Congressional Gold Medal for his dedication and tireless humanitarianism!

What an extremely fine human being and incredible spirit this guy was… and remains today.

HaryChapinAutographToJohnStJohnWKBO.1974 — “To John St. John ~ Thanks for giving my music a shot and making the day at Harrisburg such a pleasure! Good luck & Keep on Trucking! ~ Harry Chapin”

On the day these pictures were taken, Harry and I spent the entire day together at the Harrisburg East Mall, and had lunch together – cheeseburgers and fries – along with his son, Joshua, the inspiration for his only #1 song, ‘Cat’s in the Cradle’.

Oh, and the pride of Upper Darby High in Philadelphia Todd Rundgren of ‘Hello, it’s Me’ fame sat in the booth with us too! But that’s another story altogether.

Harry, Todd and I laughed, exchanged jokes and even got philosophical and metaphysical together. Some memory, I’ll tell you that.

As Harry’s epitaph on his tombstone reads, Harry Chapin (1942-1981) … ‘Oh, if a man tried to take his time on Earth and prove before he died what one man’s life could be worth… I wonder what would happen to this world?’

Indeed, Harry, indeed.

WKBO.HarryChapin.ToddRundgren.MichealZiants. — WKBO Radio, Harrisburg, PA – ‘3-Ring Circus’ promo – with Todd Rundgren, Harry Chapin & son Josh, Cactus – and the WKBO gang – Harrisburg East Mall 1974 … Harry Chapin with son Josh shoulder to shoulder with John Saint John in lower right hand corner

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“I had the extreme pleasure of working with Mike of Airlift Productions for a project in 2016. He was professional, courteous and most importantly, fun to work with. Mike is patient and very thorough with his recording, making sure that what you want is done before he powers down the gear for the day. 10/10, I would work with him again.” -Jared Garcia, Sr. Recording Engineer for Blackstone Audio and Downpour.com