I've had the opportunity to meet many people over the years while in broadcasting; actors, actresses, world class performers, entrepreneurs, statesman, orators and plain everyday people. However, I wonder does anyone give any thought to what people will remember you for once you're dead and gone?


It's an interesting thought to some degree. What do you want people to remember you for? What one contribution is synonymous to you? What good can people find in uttering your name? What did you start, or end, or strive for, or fail too many times but kept getting back up to do; who will remember your help, your feedback, your comments, your criticisms, your failures, your accomplishments?


What will people say made you tick? What was your passion? And so I come to this conclusion; I've stood for many things in my lifetime; hope, faith, endurance, perseverance, belief in self, passion in purpose, and that I was my brother's keeper. At least, that's what I think when I ask myself the question! But I'd really like to know what you think. So here's the question: What do you think people will remember "Tayari" for?


You can either leave a comment here on my Blog or preferably on my Facebook site. Thanks for taking your time to read this Blog. May Peace be unto you!

Can I Get Some Help? Please!

Today I sat at lunch with a friend and he reminded me that just last week I was helping a non-profit called BAPAC, recently I was Master of Ceremonies for the UNCF; in 2011 I was Master of Ceremonies for The Trinity House "Jazz It Up for a Cause" Concert. In 2010 and 2009 I slept out on the streets of San Diego for the same organization (The Trinity House), to raise awareness of Homelessness and funds for transitional housing. I've been the Parade Announcer for the past twenty-nine years for the Dr. Martin Luther King Parade, Co-Chair of the Dr. Martin Luther King breakfast for the Jackie Robinson YMCA, and a Board Member for the past five years for the Jackie Robinson YMCA.


He went onto say that I had MC'd Halloween shows, Christmas parties, the Black Film Festival, A Soul Food Festival, stood alongside the Easter Bunny and thousands of chocolate candy jelly beans and colored eggs, and even collected "used" shoes for orphan children of Uganda! He pointed out that for all the money raised, donated airtime, energy and enthusiasm I had a lot of nice plaques, proclamations and paper on a wall!


Then he hit me with the $64,000 question. When was I finally going to do something for myself? I told him I had tried-to start my own "commercial grade" internet radio station and I had not received the response I had expected. His reply, "Nothing beats a failure but a try!" 


You know, he's right! So today I'm picking myself up off the floor and asking how many of you who read these blogs are willing take this to another level? I'm not knocking anybody else out there who is doing internet radio in San Diego-but I want to do it differently. I want to take it to another level....to engage a community to get involved, bring concerts and plays back to town, air new Smooth Jazz, R & B, Neo-Soul, put on festivals and street fairs again, etc.


It only takes a small, yes small investment to do it right ($25,000), to produce monumental returns that travel far beyond money! I've seen and heard more than that being raised in the name of Gospel so if you believe like I believe, contact me at tayarihoward@gmail.com and let's make it happen.

Excerpts from "Have You Ever"

Have You Ever....................................................................................................................................


Called someone on the phone and got into a conversation with them before determining that they were not the person you had planned to talk to?

Offered someone a breath mint....and really meant it?

Been driving down the highway when a bug hits your windshield at full impact....or perhaps have a nice sized white splash of pigeon or sea gull doo doo hit your windshield and as you turn on the washer and wiper you forget to raise your driver side window?

Went to McDonalds and orderd a Whopper?

Gone to a meeting that you didn't know why you were going and then determined when you got out why you never should have went in the first place?

The Cause Marketing King

After much pleading from several esteemed colleagues, I have locked myself in my bathroom and made some

profound revelations which I've bound into a proposed manuscript entitled "Have You Ever," (A dialogue between Me, Myself and I over Other People.)

I thought I would take a moment to give you a sneak peak into some of my personal observations, epiphanies and revelations that let me know I'm not the only abnormal person left on earth.....

Have You Ever watched a woman put on her face in the morning while driving through traffic.......

Have you Ever watched the faces of an audience receiving a "snow" job from a "career" politician and they know it's a "snow" job!

Have You Ever noticed a person walking a dog and the animal had a strange resemblance to the person?

Have You Ever been driving on a street or highway minding your own business and someone comes up next to you and gives you "The Bird" (the Finger), for no apparent reason?  And finally.......

Have You Ever called your Mate or Mistress by a previous woman's name?

Kindly reply to this blog by letting me know what you think about my new book and I'll keep you updated daily with tidbits from "Have You Ever!"

The Cause Marketing King

Sometimes I find it amazing that friends, associates and even strangers can pick up on things about us that we haven't notice for years! Today I was at Bible study during Sunday school and I was giving my pastor the "Whoa is me" routine. He's the kind of pastor that always listens intuitively, but when he speaks, its as those he's all up in your "kool aid!"  He calls it divine intervention with a Biblical twist! Today I told the group about a traumatic experience I had while working on one of my first career paths (San Diego Gas & Electric), here in San Diego. Some people could see that I was still shaken up by the experience and that it was clearly stapled to the walls of my memory banks. (Heck, shutting off people for non-payment of Gas & Electric bills while running for my life was not how I planned to make my first million!)

However, the pastor paused slightly with reckless abandon, gazed right through me and with a stern pointing of his finger made the remark that I could have been wealthy by now if I had taken his advice sometime ago and wrote a book about the experience. The truth is he was right because I had started on the manuscript years ago and had plenty of "real live notes" from twenty-five years of being in the field . As I think back over today's incident in church I thanked God for having a pastor who can "read-me-like-a-book!"

The Cause Marketing King

This past weekend as I went through my normal ritual of "volunteerism" I encountered one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life-face someone that I knew was lying to me, eyeball to eyeball. The first instance came as I was co-hosting the 27th annual Dr. Martin Luther King breakfast at the Town & Country Hotel. I ran into someone I had just interviewed with for a position. He apologized to me for my not being picked for the position and then went on to ask me if I would be interested in working with him in another position that he was going to be campaigning for to seek nomination! All I could do was think to myself, if you didn't hire me the first time for the position I wanted (knowing I was fully qualified than the person you hired), then why would I want to go through the pain of two separate interviews (the first with his staff and the second, if I made it that far with him), all over again!!

The second incident came at the same place but with a different set of people who were on the interview team for another position and they personally knew me and my qualifications but I had received a turndown letter for the position. I later found out that they had politely cancelled the position and promoted from within. The sad part about this incident was that I had a passion for this particular non-profit organization, had volunteered for them before and really wanted to work for them.

As I later went on to several other events (Martin Luther King parade and another breakfast), I kept bumping into these same people and having to look into their faces knowing that they had hurt me personally by not letting me know upfront that they were not going to hire me gave me a distrust toward my fellow man.

Finally I came to my senses, let it go, and gave it all back to God! Now it's on to the next non-profit organization that can utilize my services.

Trying to make a difference

When I was laid off from my former position at Smooth Jazz 98.1 after sixteen years I took a long hard look at my life and I asked myself some serious questions. Questions like, "Is this the end of a long career or do I give up and say thanks for the memories?"  I asked, "Did anyone really give a damn?" Almost all of the answers came up an emphatic "No, it's not over!"

First, I was reminded that it was God that put me in this career and God would take me out! Secondly, there were thousands of people, non-profit organizations and causes that still needed attention, media exposure and a way to tell their story! After all, I had been successful in bringing the Dr. Martin Luther King Breakfast for the YMCA, the Dr. Martin Luther King Parade for Alpha phi Alpha, UNCF, Saving Soles for Souls Shoe Campaign for Ugandan Orphans and more than a dozen other non-profits to radio, television and newsprint-so why stop here!

That's when I made the decision to the impossible-start my own internet radio station. Now many professionals will tell you that there is nothing impossible about starting your own station. And many of them are doing it right now.

I agree, anyone can do it and it doesn't cost a lot. However, the question should be is what will make the station I start any different than the others?

First, I would think that you (the public), would hold me to a "higher standard." Why, because I've been doing this for thirty-nine years in the city of San Diego. You've remembered all the songs that have touched your heart from shows like "Coffee & Jazz with Tayari" and "Music for Lovers."

So a new chapter began: "Building an Internet Radio Station" and for sixty days I attempted to raise funds unsuccessfully over the internet. Today, as I write I'm reminded that I may be down but I'm not out so my fundraising will continue until I succeed.

I hope that you will contact me back at tayarihoward@gmail.com and let me know that you are with me on this campaign to build a voice of excellence.