Take a behind the scenes look at the making of such a beautiful song..

To hear more great Winslowdynasty music download WinslowDyansty: The Life album from iTunes Today.

Come show your support. Attend The WinslowDynasty: The Life Album CD Release Concert set for Sept. 24th in Baltimore. Tickets on sale now!!! For more information or to purchase tickets online check out the  CD Release Concert link.

2011 USA 107 MIN HD

SCR: Cheryl L. West

DIR: Robert Townsend

PROD: Messiah Jacobs

EXEC PROD: Rey Ramsey, David Saunier, Robert Townsend

ORIG. MUSIC: Dontae Winslow

CAST: Michael Clarke Duncan, Loretta Devine, and Vivica A. Fox.

American Black Film Festival (ABFF) kicks off its 15th annual event in Miami with a film from Founder/Chairman, Robert Townsend. In The Hive, a gritty film, based on the real experiences of the people who attend and teach at a special school in North Carolina called “The Hive.” It’s based on a true story about this woman in North Carolina named Vivian Saunders, who basically without any formal education, started an alternative school for at risk boys, who were expelled or Discarded from regular schools. Not only were these boys gang bangers and drug dealers, they’re all teenagers, fathers at 14 and 15 years old as well.

Saunders created The Hive to provide a safe place for troubled teenaged boys to get a second chance at an education, learn about technology and also about breaking the cycle of At Risk Behavior, living life on the streets, in gangs, and in jail.

At the heart of the story is sixteen year old Xtra Keyes played by Jonathan ‘Lil J’ McDaniel (That’s So Raven), a young father who’s tougher than nails yet discovers through the nurturing at the HIVE that his toughness can also lead to new found hope and perhaps even a future. Original music by Music Producer, Songwriter, Hollywood Composer, Dontae Winslow.

Feature Video

Don’t miss this Video feature about the Real Vivian Saunders and her Hive, the inspiration for the film.

Long Day…

Wake up , Pray

Send wife to gym

Read A Psalm

Compose a score cue

warm up on trumpet

check itinerary for JKL show today

Help son with School-writing, math

Ride Bike with Jedi, buy new smaller bike no training wheels practice

Practice French with Jedi

Practice Trumpet

Get ready for Jimmy Kimmel Live show – soundcheck, camera block, taping

Pray with the band, Kill the Show! Jill is on Fire! Crowd going nutz!

Car pool home

Relax with Wife , Put Son to bed

I Love my Life, I’m So Blessed…

DW

Winslowdynasty’s, Dontae Winslow will be rocking the stage this summer with Jill Scott and her Summer Block Party Tour. This is sure to be a summer blockbuster event. Check out the seek peak-in from rehersal with Dontae on Korg Vocoder. Dontae has toured with Jill Scott before and the event was nothing short of amazing, this will be no different.

Jill Scott will bring her forthcoming fourth album, “The Light of the Sun,” on the road this summer with the Jill Scott’s Summer Block Party, which kicks off July 28th in New York.

The Budweiser Superfest-sponsored event will also feature soul singer Anthony Hamilton and R&B veterans Mint Condition as openers, while DJ Jazzy Jeff has signed on to provide beats and Doug E. Fresh will serve as the tour’s official host.

“The Light of the Sun,” (Click to Listen) Scott’s follow-up to 2007′s “The Real Thing – Words & Sounds, Vol. 3″,will be released June 21 on Blues Babe/Warner Bros. The album’s first single, “So In Love” featuring Hamilton, climbed to No. 16 on last week’s R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

Here are the dates(Click for tickets) for the Jill Scott’s Summer Block Party:

July 26: Boston, Mass – Bank of America Pavilion
July 28: New York, N.Y. – Nikon @ Jones Beach Theater
July 30: Detroit, Mich. – DTE Energy Music Theater
July 31: Chicago, Ill. – Charter One Pavilion @ Northerly Island
Aug. 3: Cleveland, Ohio – Jacobs Pavilion @ Nautical
Aug. 4: St. Louis, Mo. – Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
Aug. 6: Philadelphia, Pa. – Susquehanna Bank Center
Aug. 7: Washington, D.C. – Verizon Center
Aug. 10: Los Angeles, Calif.
Aug. 14: Oakland, Calif.
Aug. 17: Memphis, Tenn.
Aug. 19: Atlanta, Ga. – Chastain Park Amphitheater
Aug. 21: Virginia Beach, Va.
Aug. 23: Raleigh, N.C.
Aug. 24: Charlotte, N.C.
Aug. 27: Dallas, Tex.
Aug. 28: Houston, Tex.

What:

Dontae Winslow jazz guest performing with Kool Moe Dee at Washington Prep High School in Los Angles.

When:

May, 26th

Where:

Washington Prep High School, 10860 S. Denker Ave,  Los Angles, CA 90047

What:

Dontae Winslow jazz guest performing with Christopher Wray at Room 5 Lounge at 8pm

When:

May, 27th @8pm

Where:

Room 5 Lounge, 143 N. La Brea 2nd floor,  Los Angles, CA 90036

What:

Dontae Winslow jazz guest performing with Kevin Kanner Quintet at The Famous Lighthouse Cafe

When:

June, 25th

Where:

The Famous Lighthouse Cafe, 30 Pier Ave, Hermose Beach, CA 90254

Dontae Winslow performs America the Beautiful with Jamie Foxx in front of 150 Million viewers!!!

Front and center at last night’s, Star-Studded, Pacquiao vs Mosley fight at the MGM in Las Vegas, Dontae Winslow and Jamie Foxx delivered a timely performance of  America the Beautful. Jamie and Dontae’s performance was preceded by a great rendition of  The Star Spangled Banner performed by Tyrese. Big night for Winslowdynasty and turned out to be a big night for Pacquiao as well..

Photos & Video…

Special American Idol Performance

Tonight’s American Idol performance  will be special. When Dontae hits the stage tonight, he will be doing so with his new flugelhorn from Adams.

Can’t wait to bring out my new Adams flugelhorn, I’m pleased with the horn’s flexibility, as well as the warm sound it produces.. I’m really excited about playing it on American Idol tonight…Dontae Winslow

This will be Dontae’s third trip to American Idol this month. A trip he hopes to make many more times in the future. Things are hush-hush on who Winslow will be performing with, to find out, tune in tonight at 8 pm  on Fox. For a peek at what it takes to be a professional musician and video of Dontae’s earlier Idol performances, check out Dontae on playing on American Idol

My Second performance on American Idol April 6th, 2011. What a Great Day!!!

This year has been crazy for me.. wow! My latest blessing has been the opportunity to return to American Idol. To play in front of millions of people once is a huge deal for me, getting the opportunity to do it twice.. unbelievable. The opportunity is only half the battle, find out what it takes to play on prime-time television on one of the highest rated television shows in history.

I woke up early and had a good breakfast, prayer, and a soft warm up on the trumpet. Traffic was terrible on the 101 to CBS Studios Hollywood but I was early. I arrived to be notified that Ron Fair (Music executive, producer, Arranger) wanted to rehearse newly written horn parts. Keep in mind, we had to memorize all the previous American Idol music the night before the show and sometimes the day of the show! Now more changes…talk about pressure. Especially since if you can’t get it, your replacement is only 10 numbers away and you will be banished for LIFE!!!

Ron had written our parts out by hand the night before. Lucky for us, his penmanship was excellent! Charts looked perfect so we were prepared for the changes. All seem to be going well until the dress rehearsal. The horn section got thrown another curve ball of adding an intro and an outro to the song. So now we’re back to memorizing it LOL! The bottom line, playing on the big stage takes much more than being able to play an instrument or singing a note. What I am finding out, is that you have to be as flexible as you are talented.

Despite the hectic paces going on behind the scenes, the show was fantastic! Pia Toscano, she was great. She gave an amazing performance and the horn section rocked! The judges were pleased as was the audience. Having a live horn section always makes any good show great!!! We had a great lunch, and after the 2 minute gig I was back on the stop and go 101 freeway and back to my loving wife and son.
Today was a great day!

-DMW

check out the performance in its’ entirety below, Pictures and video courtesy of Fox, American Idol, and YouTube. So what do you think? Any questions or comments would be greatly appreciated.