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VIDEO DIARY #2 - Getting there!

Thanks to STA Travel and Emirates Airlines for supporting Yulia and I to travel to the UK on very short notice so that she could take advantage of an opportunity to begin working with renowned music producer Craig Leon and represent New Zealand in Latvia in the Atlantic Breeze Song Competition.

Also thanks to Bruce & Anita McLaughlan, the New World Trust, Nick Nobilo, Vinoptima Vineyards and Galina and Bill Townsend, all who contributed significantly to supporting Yulia to be in London.

Sometimes timing is everything and with a little help from just a few New Zealanders that got behind us, we've had literally just enough wind beneath our wings to start working with Craig. In the process of seeking support from New Zealanders I found that while we may have received a lot of NOs from people, it was the few YESes that really mattered to us. Those who have put their faith in Yulia have said YES to get Yulia on the path making NZ music history.

The level of enthusiasm from those who have got behind Yulia is palpable. World famous NZ wine maker Nick Nobilo personally met Yulia at Auckland international airport to give her a hug and send her off. And in Wellington Bruce & Anita McLauchlan also took the time to meet Yulia, give her a hug and encourage her towards her dream of becoming one of NZ's leading exports as a musician. As a Kiwi I can't describe in words how much this means to me, that such notable people have been prepared to stand beside us as we seek to create beautiful music to inspire the world.

In fact it's largely thanks to the wonderful support we've had that got us to the UK that we've been able to sign a four album record deal with Craig Leon for Yulia.

Craig's work as a music producer has included working on album and singles projects with such notable singers as Sting and Pavarotti. Craig is the person who launched Blondie and who is responsible for furthering a number of international music careers including Andreas Scholl. Craig is currently a sought after international music producer who currently works with all the major (four) record labels and he is a key producer working with Abbey Rd, UK and EMI.

In the record deal I've just signed with Craig, Yulia will now be represented by Craig's global music industry networks. I will be working directly with Craig to manage the commercial opportunities that result from the collaboration between Craig and Yulia. It's fair to say that we plan to have a long association with Craig Leon and his wife and business partner Cassell Webb. Cassell is a very important person in the musical picture. She coached Pavarotti on microphone technique and is a commercially successful folk singer and songwriter herself.

Craig and Yulia are getting on famously and the combination of their talent will, I am sure, result in a ground breaking album which will make Into the West and Montage look like childs play. Craig has just won the French equivalent to a Gramophone award for a Classical French production and he is the only music producer to have produced both UK and American #1 albums and also to have #1 hit albums in both the pop and the classical genres.

We had a marvellous dinner last night, cooked by Craig! He is a superb chef and a connoisseur of wine. Craig & Cassell have opened up their home to us and have brought us into their hearts and their lives in a way which is having a profound effect on us. It's actually quite rare to find people that we connect with so well on so many different levels.

Aside from the Yulia project, Craig loves my vision for inspiring the world through beautiful music so much that he and Cassell have invited Yulia and I to become their business partners to establish Oikos Music from the UK. With Craig and Cassell now actively involved in Oikos this now means we have one of the best teams in adult contemporary music to propel artist careers forward. I have already been talking to Craig about a number of Oikos Music rostered artists and discussing artists we could potentially manage and produce.

Next week I am having dinner with Frank Peterson, Sarah Brightman's producer. I will be visting Frank's NEMO studio in Hamburg and putting the work of several artists in front of Frank in consideration for future album and tour projects, including Fernando Lima, Hayley Griffiths and possibly others. I will also hope to meet with Danmark, our global distribution partner and pop in to say hello to Deutsche Grammophon who Craig has a long association with. The funny thing is we'll be dining at a Japanese restaurant in Hamburg! The world has so much cultural fusion these days.

In any case this is the second of several video diaries so we'll keep them coming. Sending our love and regards to everyone. Wishing you good health and prosperity.

Love Glyn & Yulia