Reflective Knight

Time to Revive and Revitalize... New Podcast Endeavor!

2020-05-17T15:59:00.003-04:00

It’s been a really long time coming since there were updates to this platform, but I really feel as if this is a perfect time to revitalize and revive the blog. Amongst many reasons, the most important reason is because I recently launched a podcast! It's my piece of the Universe to explore topics that I think deserve just a little more attention through conversations with friends and some of the most interesting thinkers I know. Ealy Morning Tea is a podcast that I have been developing for a bit and was waiting on the right time to release. I wanted to better learn audio editing, line up lots of content, research all the tips and tricks to podcasting the right way... there was always a reason to put it off. After a gentle nudge from close friend, I realized there would never be the right time and I would always have something to learn, so off the cliff we go! Check out EMT at the links above; I’ll also include the links for where you can find EMT on most podcast hosts.

I’m looking forward to exploring and testing the best tools to use, as this is a living, breathing beast. It will continue to evolve and grow over time as I continue to learn lessons and practice skills that I pick up along the way, but this is gonna be a fun ride! I’m excited about the journey and to see where this new adventure takes us!

Listen in to Ealy Morning Tea wherever you get podcasts! Don't forget to like, subscribe, favorite, follow - do all the things!

Social Media:

Instagram: @ealymorningtea
Twitter: @ealytea
Facebook: facebook.com/EalyMorningTea
Podcast home: https://anchor.fm/ealymorningtea

Email: ealymorningtea@gmail.com

You can find Ealy Morning Tea on:

Spotify
Breaker
Google Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
Overcast
Pocket Casts
RadioPublic
RSS Feed: https://anchor.fm/s/e9dbf80/podcast/rss

Marcus Ealy sings "The Star Spangled Banner" at Full Sail University

2014-05-25T12:06:00.001-04:00

I was honored and humbled at the opportunity to help commemorate our military at Full Sail's Memorial Day Observation. This is a nice reminder on why we are actually celebrating this weekend. Please share!

I just can't get it out of my head...

2014-03-04T16:45:00.001-05:00

I couldn't get it out of my head last night, so I figured I would just lay a track down real quick. That's typically my response: "let's make some music!"

I absolutely fell in love with this song after seeing Disney's "Frozen" in theaters... so much so that I have now found hundreds of versions that have been put out by fellow admirers over the last few months. Yet, none sound like me, so I figured I'd give it a go! :-)

Thank you, Idina Menzel... first Defying Gravity with Wicked, now enchanting us all with a world of snow! May your light ever shine brightly.

Ealy - Let It Go (from Disney's "Frozen") cover

Be real. Do you.

Ealy out.

Ealy singing for Orlando Solar Bears hockey

2014-02-25T11:37:00.000-05:00

My friend Dennis captured an iPhone video of the my anthem performance from 2/14/14. It's not the official video from the Solar Bears organization, but I couldn't wait to share with you all! Enjoy!

Just click the following link: Marcus Ealy - National Anthem for the Orlando Solar Bears

Dreams Really Do Come True

2014-02-13T16:46:00.001-05:00

One of the items on my bucket list, right up there with walking through history in Europe and skydiving, is to perform in an arena setting. Ideally, as a teenager, I envisioned this happening as part of my career as a touring artist. (Please believe, I have NOT given up this dream in the least!) However, I was able to make mark this feat off of my bucket list after winning the Full Sail University National Anthem Competition in 2012, giving me the opportunity to sing in Orlando’s Amway Center for the Orlando Magic and a crowd of roughly 15,000. It was a magical experience! Many (including myself) thought I would be nervous in that setting, singing acapella absolutely solo. Oddly enough, my nerves were overcome by the excitement of it all and I felt right at home like it was what I was meant to do with my life. I will never forget this experience.

Fortunately, I don't have to live on memories alone. I’ve been asked perform in at the Amway AGAIN!! This Friday, Valentine’s Day 2014, I will be back in the Amway Center to sing for the Orlando Solar Bears hockey team! (Seems kind of fitting that I would spend the Day of Love enjoying my first love - MUSIC.) This opportunity came as part of “Full Sail Night with the Solar Bears.” It’s always an honor for me to be in this position. I promise I will do all I can to make any American within the sound of my voice proud to have me on the microphone. :)

Here is a clip of my first arena experience – singing for the Orlando Magic on April 25, 2012. Enjoy!

Oh, the places we will go...

2014-01-19T01:16:00.000-05:00

On Sunday morning, OUTLOUD!, my ensemble group within the Orlando Gay Chorus, is going to be the soundtrack for a Jewish wedding! That's a lot of firsts happening for me WITH ONE EVENT - live soundtracking, Jewish wedding, synagogue! The bride is Moira of Real Radio’s “Philips Phile” show. When I say soundtrack, I mean every moment of the wedding ceremony will be accompanied by our voices in beautiful song. From "Somewhere over the Rainbow" to "It's Raining Men" to Wicked's "For Good", we sing 10 songs over the span of about 30 minutes. Like something straight out of Sex and The City 2. This will be a pretty unique experience…

My view is better than yours...

2013-07-03T09:08:00.000-04:00


photo courtesy of www.emelisande.com

Last night, I had the chance to see the amazing Emeli Sande at the House of Blues Orlando. First, I must say – this chick is the next big thing in America. She is already huge in the U.K. but she is about to skyrocket to success on this side of the pond as well. Why? She has the look, she oozes passion, her voice is amazeballs, she's a crazy-talented songwriter, and she just flat out SINGS. My country roots are beckoning me to be more accurate: “homegirl can SANG!” I consider myself extremely lucky to have had a chance to see her at $27 a ticket, because that definitely won’t last for long! When it happens, I will gladly say, “I told you so.”

While basking in her talent and showmanship, it dawned on me that I was one of the few looking directly at the stage… about 80% of the audience had smartphone devices in the air, recording the show. I see a couple of issues with this… It’s annoying for people trying to see the show that want to appreciate all of the show production work that goes into the full spectacle without it being obstructed by a sea of little glowing screens. Besides, what are you planning with the recording? It’s more a comment on the technological age we are in, where no one can do anything without preserving the experience to share later. I get it - I'm totally guilty of documenting anything cool that I get to do, then blasting it on social media to share with friends. However, a photo and a video are different in that a video actually takes work. Personally, I would rather enjoy the real thing in the moment. BE PRESENT, people! Put the phones away and take in the actual experience! Give the respect due to the artist on stage pouring their heart out to you. My experience with Emeli was likely much richer than your shaky cam recording will be later.

Marcus Ealy at "Howl At The Moon"

2013-03-24T15:24:00.001-04:00

We recently had a celebration at Howl at the Moon Dueling Piano Bar where I was asked to come onstage and sing with the live band. Here is some footage caught by one of my buddy's cellphones.

"I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas"

2012-12-27T03:26:00.001-05:00

Now that I live in Florida, it is so rare to experience the seasons. Typically, you're going to get somewhere around 70 degree weather, and you should expect approximately 15-20 minutes of rain every day. One of the only things I wanted this Christmas was a little bit of snow. Well, kids, be careful what you wish for! At about mid-day on December 25, the snow began to fall in Arkansas, and continued throughout the night to accumulate at about 6 inches by the next morning. Here are the beautiful sights I woke up to on the Wednesday morning after Christmas:

Christmas 2012 in Arkansas

2012-12-27T03:00:00.001-05:00

It has been an amazing trip home for the Holidays... all of the family was in, including my brand new niece, Brooklyn, and my first love, Brandi (her older sister).

Brooklyn is a beautiful one-month-old that spends her days eating and sleeping - totally living the good life! I've been given the nickname "The Baby Whisperer" because I put her to sleep every time she touches me!

Brooklyn, 1 month

Brandi (4), is super creative and smart, very funny and reminds me so much of myself. She will sing at the drop of a dime... even if its just to narrate her actions! "I'm going help make cookies and they are my favorite..." or "it's time to take a bath so we can watch a movie..." She is seriously a girl after my own heart!

Brandi, 4 years

I didn't specifically ask for anything for Christmas this year, because I am pretty content with what I have. Yet, without requesting anything from anyone, I received tons of things I actually wanted!!

Go Hard or Go Home - Halloween at Full Sail

2012-12-27T02:25:00.000-05:00

I recently crossed these photos of myself and a few co-workers celebrating Halloween at Full Sail University. This is one of the many times of the year that the organization as a whole goes full out... and one of the many reasons I love working for this company!

Blame it all on my roots...

The Cowgirls & I

Is that a cup, Jeremy?

Nikki as Wonder Woman

Dennis the Jabbawockee

Leslie, the cat

Leslie & Jessica (Flo from Progressive)

Nakedness

2012-12-20T02:38:00.003-05:00

This quote really spoke to me, so I had to share...

Central Florida's Hidden Gem: OGC

2012-12-04T00:23:00.002-05:00

The Orlando Gay Chorus is presenting their 2012 holiday concert, "Reasons for the Season" at The Plaza LIVE, 425 North Bumby Avenue, Orlando. Performances will be held Saturday, December 15 at 7:30pm and Sunday, December 16 at 4:30pm. "Reasons for the Season" will feature both traditional holiday music and other songs celebrating the diversity of the season.

See me for tickets or you can also purchase them directly on the website (www.orlandogaychorus.org) - just make sure to use my referral code: 1391. Even if you can't attend personally, it would be a great holiday gift for a loved one. It's going to be a beautiful show. Oh, and your's truly has a solo, so it would be a chance to hear me "sang a lil bit"...

Glad to see, Hard to leave

2012-12-03T23:20:00.004-05:00

One of the biggest excitements about going home for Christmas... my beautiful nieces, Brandi (4) and Brooklyn (4 days)! This photo was from late November, so she will really be filling out when I see her at 1 month old! Love, love, love these girls.

Brandi has made it harder to leave and return to Orlando every year. Her ever-evolving self awareness is something I absolutely hate to be missing. She is so smart and so quick... cute as a button and funny as all get-out. An absolute joy to experience. (I sound like an elementary teacher filling out a report card.) I imagine this will really be a rough trip home with the newbie to the fold. Sometimes I just feel like I am missing so much. But my family is really supportive of my goals and dreams... or simply me, really. They've always believed in me and pushed me to do more, which has literally meant more to me than they can ever know.

Love you guys.

Home is where you make it...

2012-11-26T00:19:00.001-05:00

As a transplant from Arkansas, it's not always economically feasible to be with my family on every major event… from births and deaths, to birthdays and anniversaries, or even most holidays. Holidays are typically the times when I get a bit homesick. Luckily, I've been able to plug into an amazing group of people that have become a surrogate of sorts, which helps alleviate a lot of the homesickness. Thanksgiving was a terrific example - amazing food, great friends and conversation, overflowing drinks, laughter echoing off of every wall in every room of the house.

My friend Jason DID WORK in the kitchen!

I think it true that family is not just those that share your bloodline, but the group of people you choose to surround yourself with. This holiday sure felt just like home.

Enjoy this classic. Happy Halloween, kids!

2012-10-31T09:53:00.001-04:00

When I get away, there is usually ocean involved...

2012-10-29T04:10:00.001-04:00

Morning view from the apartment balcony

Recently, I was able to take advantage of a long weekend and took a mini-vacation to Palm Beach, FL. I stayed with two of the best guys I know, Robert Rexroad and Ryan Tolley. I am honored to be able to call these guys colleagues, but blessed to call them friends. They were my hosts and guides around this beautiful city for the weekend. Along with Bobby's charming lady, Elizabeth, we had a blast for the weekend, full of great conversation, relaxation, reflection and just good ol' fun.

This is a photo of the first ever mimosa purchased in Nana's Diner,

a new West Palm Beach establishment.

I'm always finding ways to etch my name in a record book! :)

We spent a little time on this yacht... wait... we spent some time LOOKING AT this yacht while waiting on the drawbridge to do it's thing for a small sailboat passing through. I WILL be hanging out on one of those one of these days, mark my words! Until then, a boy can dream...

This is honestly one of my favorite sites...

a beach chair in a beautiful spot, watching the ocean wash in and out, feeling the breeze, enjoying the sun, refreshing drink in hand, and a little music in the background.

I could most definitely get used to this!

Hanging out of the window at stop lights can make for pretty sweet photos...

I always get excited when the palm trees are leading the way right to the ocean.

I almost came home on Sunday, but decided I deserved one more day on the beach...

Best decision of the weekend!

I'm a blessed man.

New Machine, New Motivation, Ready to go!

2012-10-28T23:30:00.000-04:00

Recently, we had a little scare... and by we, I mean "me" and host of characters that reside in my head that help me make all decisions. The hard drive crashed on my beloved MacBook Pro! Talk about a total freak out! It was almost a total of 2 weeks before I was able to get to my local Apple store to assess the situation, replace my internal hard drive (which I completed personally - a great personal accomplishment, however simple it may be, because of the fear that I would create more problems by tinkering around inside), and get back to Apple to have my operating system reinstalled.

It was during our time apart, when I was totally out of commission, that I realized just how much I missed my computer. But why? Missing out on all of my internet television? Yeah, okay, I'll give you that one. But second, this very powerful tool has so many tools within it to facilitate making my dreams a reality... and I've been so distracted by my "day job" that I have allowed many of those additional endeavors to fall by the wayside. As hard as I tried to avoid this, my work has taken up much more of my life than expected and I have not been feeding those things that make me feel alive! Now that I am back in operation, that will not happen again!

Luckily, I have an external hard drive that I backed many of my files onto, but its been a while since that last back-up. This led to a loss of many more of my files than anticipated. (Word to the wise: BACK-UP OFTEN! This is a lesson I will NEVER forget.) However, I don't see this as a setback, but this is rather a chance to recreate, refine, and reorganize. I have all of my graduate school files - thank God! - but a lot of my entertainment collateral has been lost. This has motivated me to grind harder than ever before... Let's get it on!

First mini goal: incorporation.

The Internet Effect

2010-12-02T03:49:00.000-05:00

“In general, has the Internet diminished our ability to think critically or are we more

informed than previous generations – or both?”

The advances of the Internet, with its vast amounts of data and collaborators and sources of information, have taken the worldwide population to a new and different technological era. There is much debate over which direction the population is headed, whether smarter or dumber, but I believe that with the good comes the bad and our next destination as a people is actually a little bit of both.

Some writers would have you believe that we are becoming less analytical and research oriented. In Nicholas Carr’s article “Is Google Making Us Stupid?”, he lays out the difference in information approach, in response to the changes in media and technology, in a great metaphor: from deep-sea diving about a topic in-depth to skimming the surface of the water on a jet ski. He makes many valid points regarding how people have access to so much information and just absorb bits of everything as they travel through the nets, but no one knows about any subject in particular with authority these days, because of current informational trends.

Writers on the other side of the issue insist that we can only improve our intellectual capacity with every advancement in technology which is allows access to more information. Jamais Cascio, in his article in The Atlantic “Get Smarter”, brought up a point that resonated deeply with me - the trouble isn’t that we have too much information at our fingertips, but that our tools for managing it are still in their infancy. It is this line of thinking, and my belief that people have to exercise the intellectual curiosity to dig deeper about topics, that allow me to see the ultimate benefit of the internet and all of the information available.

It is my belief that the internet effect on the intellect of humanity has been both good and bad – and that’s okay. We have access to more topics today than generations before could ever have dreamed of. This allows access to subjects and exposure to issues that would never have seen the light of day – and I would be remiss at not acknowledging this. New media, technological advances, and other changes may affect the way we process information on the surface, but the information is all there for further scrutiny and investigation. One just simply has to dig deeper and with more focus, avoiding the distractions and pitfalls out there to redirect focus. With the creation of more and more tools that help us to manage what’s available, we can make better and more logical sense of what data we receive. This has the advantage and potential to take us to higher and higher levels as a people, in medical discoveries, easier means to accomplish goals, and ways to generally improve our everyday lives.

We just have to want to make it work for us.

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Marcus C. Ealy is a graduate of Entertainment Business from Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. He is currently active as an entertainment and marketing strategist, blogger, social media manager, and background vocalist. You can follow his personal blog at http://reflectiveknight.blogspot.com or on Twitter at @MarcusEaly.

Graduation speech - "Advanced Achiever" award - Full Sail University

2010-10-04T12:05:00.002-04:00

October 1, 2010

First and foremost, congratulations to all the graduates. A major accomplishment has been achieved today and you deserve to take some time to enjoy this milestone.

Thanks especially to my class, the Entertainment Business Masters of Science graduates, for this esteemed honor and awesome pleasure to speak on behalf of you. This is, by far, the best class I have ever had the opportunity to learn alongside. Your attitudes, work ethic, and commitment to excellence, which carried us through this program, will also carry us into our careers. I expect no less than greatness from you guys and I know that there will be no letdowns in that expectation.

Don’t forget all of the people in our lives that helped us to reach this plateau: parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, teachers, classmates, and instructors that we can now call colleagues in the industry.

I want to thank Full Sail University for this great opportunity to learn from great instructors and business minds. It is because of the education received here that I am better prepared to launch into the next stage of my life. Through this program, I learned how to navigate and move about the industry, which will provide me the ability to really make all of my dreams a reality. An executive leader, a project and team manager, an accomplished author, a music publisher, a difference maker... I truly have all of the tools necessary to be a successful entrepreneur and start the family of entertainment companies that I have always dreamed of.

I believe it for you, too. Each and every one of you. Establish your goals and GO GET IT. We set our own limitations. There is absolutely nothing we cannot accomplish with a made up mind and the will to work hard and see it through. Dream big. It truly can be yours.

I urge everyone to believe in yourselves, and your skills, and your preparedness. All the knowledge we need is there… and we know exactly how to find what we are looking for when we are uncertain, with a little Web Search Optimization, right?

When you feel inspired: ACT! Follow your gut. And remember to always:

- Be thankful.

- Be aware.

- Show appreciation.

- Spread love.

- Be fair.

- Stay mindful.

- Show compassion.

- Love life.

- Be happy.

- Live authentically.

- Find peace.

Go forth confidently!

Onward and upwards, my friends. Marcus Ealy, signing off.

Harry Potter Corn Challenge

2010-09-29T02:16:00.000-04:00

Fulfilling our goal of taking on "The Feast" at The Three Broomsticks restaurant inside the Wizarding World of Harry Potter! Hosted by Marcus Ealy, featuring Brandon Thompson and Carrie Ehorn

Reunited (and it feels so good!)

2010-09-11T11:25:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since my last update, so I want to catch you up on what I've been doing while away!

Subscribe, leave comments, enjoy!

Marcus

My Vision Board

2010-08-06T19:03:00.001-04:00

(courtesy of Oprah.com)

Lessons Learned from Going Greek

2010-07-20T02:27:00.000-04:00

With all of the negative images of the Greek system, let me tell you how going Greek helped shape my professional readiness...

BEWARE: Energy Vampires

2010-07-15T19:04:00.001-04:00

Some people just suck the energy, life, and happiness out of EVERYTHING. Re-direct course, and keep it movin'! Be in charge of your own happiness. Never be ashamed of who you are. If others have a problem, it's THEIR problem - not yours. Be real. Do you. Be happy. Enjoy life.

Marcus