Noodles On The Wall Productions
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • BLOG

I Fantasized About Changing My Name But Here's Why That Didn't Happen . . . .

7/29/2016

2 Comments

 
When my father came to the US from Cuba, his parents decided to change their last name from Gonzalez to the other family name, Meulener because they didn't want their sons to experience discrimination. Well, that's fine and dandy but gosh darn it, that decision was very inconvenient for me and my auditioning career! I could have been an easy breezy Latina walking into a casting room, but instead the first thing a casting director thinks about when they try to decipher my name, is a MULE! Luckily, as you might know, voice overs is my main gig. One because I get jobs doing it and two because I like any kind of work that allows me to wear my pajamas. But when I do get called in for the occasional "young quirky mom" role for an on-camera commercial, I'd like it to start with my best foot forward. Unfortunately, that's not usually the case.
Picture
Just the other day, I was at an audition wearing my  black “slimming” pants that did not resemble my usual zebra print pajamas, when the casting assistant called my name...... 

“Elena……..Mule….Mu.....”

 “Nope! No mule in there!" I called out way too enthusiastically, shooting out of my seat like a rocket. "More like a melon,' I continued. "Or like a melon full of air.....
I mean, no.....that's weird. Not an actual MELON FULL OF AIR, but you know.....definitely no mule in there because that's not how it's pronounced...." I paused and took a deep breath. "It's pronounced, 
MELON AIR. Just drop the u." 
“Got it,”says the casting assistant not making eye contact. “Are you ready, Elena Melon (pause) air?”

I nod and let out an uncomfortable giggle aware that the room full of actors also in their black "slimming" pants are staring at me. Probably feeling very sorry for me right now. I mean we’ve all been there…..right?  Right?!……..Okay maybe I’ve just been there.

Anyway, when I went home after the audition, I decided I had had enough! I was changing my name back to Gonzalez! I was going to be the Latina I was always destined to be before my grandparents screwed everything up! So, after jumping up and down in my zebra printed pjs and feeling completely elated by the fact that I was going back to my roots, I did what any professional person about to change their name would do. I googled Elena Gonzalez. This is what came up.
Picture
Okay, I'm not sure my black "slimming" pants can compete with this.

​I think 
I’ll just drop the u. 
2 Comments

The Trials & Tribulations Of A Creative Noodle Maker

7/11/2016

4 Comments

 
One day, as I was trying to compartmentalize my website to better market myself, I realized I couldn't describe who I was and what I did inside a perfectly designed box. Firstly, I'm a little claustrophobic so being inside a box would never work for me and secondly, part of who I am and what I do best is definitely imperfect and messy. So I asked myself the question, How could I describe myself and what I do in a way that makes sense? The only answer I got was my stomach rumbling, so I figured I should put my thinking on hold and take a lunch break instead. Good thing I did too because as I brought some pasta to a roaring boil, I realized the answer was in the noodles. 

From that moment on, I describe myself as a "noodle maker." Not the sort with any real culinary skills though. Those folks don't dare boil generic pasta from the grocery store like me. They use rolling pins, sift flour and delicately run the dough through a pasta machine with perfect ease. Nope, that is not me.
Picture
I am a Creative Noodle Maker, which is most definitely very different. My noodles are a mixture of uncooked, al dente, soggy, stuck together and sometimes, more often than not, burned on the ends from diving out of the big pot too soon. They've never seen a pasta machine, they're vulnerable all the time and sticking on the great wall of creativity is their ultimate goal. That's me and that's what I do. In fact, I should definitely add that to my business card and Linked In profile.
​
I hope you check in from time to time on The Trials & Tribulations Of A Creative Noodle Maker as I throw my creative noodles to see if they stick.

​Stick around :)


xo,
​Elena 
 
4 Comments

Forget Parking.....Let's Write A Song!

5/18/2016

0 Comments

 
We were late to a friend's birthday party because of insane traffic in Brooklyn, and to make matters worse, we couldn't find parking.  At this rate, going to this party was not happening.  As we desperately looked for a spot, the frustration started to build like a pressure cooker ready to blow.  And that's when my husband started to beat box.  Yes.  Beat box.  Maybe beat boxing was not the most appropriate thing to do while anxiously looking at the ticking clock, but that's what my husband decided to do with his frustration.  And truthfully, I found myself slowly giving in as he laid down the groove.  I couldn't help it.  It was pretty good.  

And so it goes, we forgot about the parking spot and we wrote a tune instead.   

We did eventually find a spot and had a great time at the party, but most importantly, that night, we made music.  

Check out this video of us trying to find parking and singing another song from our upcoming album, "Everybody's Cool!"  

0 Comments
<<Previous
Forward>>

    RSS Feed

    JOIN THE NEWSLETTER

    Picture
    Elena Melener
    Welcome to the Noodles On The Wall Blog, a place where I share the trials and tribulations of a creative noodle maker. (That's me!) My life is full of noodles and I've learned it takes a dash of inspiration and a pinch of creativity to throw them up on the wall to see if they stick. Hope you stick around!

    FOLLOW MY INSTAGRAM NOODLES!

Photos from BruceTurner, karpidis, AndreasGanahl, tastygoldfish, lumaxart, Mayce Hodges, Waponi, RCabanilla, quinn.anya, B Rosen, Andy Fell, billy verdin, Ke Wynn, Stefan Baudy, john shortland, el7bara, ell brown, susan solinski, SashaW, LittleStuff.me, Jodie-Lee-Photography, epSos.de, Hannah & Noah, falcon1961, little*star, Artotem, kaye_d23, B Mully, greg westfall., Kyle Taylor, Dream It. Do It., Maneula, katerha, Matthew Wilkinson, One Way Stock, Wonderlane, Purblind, pdugmore2001, Malkav, Sterling College, Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com, nicubunu.photo, benrjordan, Sterlic, falcon1961, LUH 3417, whitney waller, ClickFlashPhotos / Nicki Varkevisser, Mykl Roventine, whitney waller, serenitbee, westy48, bjorn.watland, Travis Hornung, JMR_Photography, rejohnson71, Adriano Agulló, Earl-Wilkerson, Ninha Morandini, FutUndBeidl, eflon, The Big Quack, tibchris, cometstarmoon, midwestnerd, Pink Poppy Photography, annso_, CLender, Яick Harris, neil conway, madame.furie, =-.0=, dierken, mark sebastian, stevendepolo