Welcome back to The Hall Pass: Model Behavior - where we break down how culture, image, & music drive sound and how sound drives culture, image & music.

This week we're unlocking Pillar #3: The Culture. And no, we're not talking textbook culture or TikTok's version of culture.

I'm taking you inside my first-ever solo adult trip to New York City to model during New York Fashion Week.

We’re talking the REAL indie model run:

• The night-before choir rehearsal that had me packing at midnight for a 3AM Amtrak bus
• The Lime bike to Union Station, the bus that almost made me miss my train, and how I finessed a refund and still made it to Moynihan Train Hall by 7:26AM
• Walking into Manhattan hearing Empire State of Mind, being 2.5 hours early to my call time, and why that matters more than your walk
• Inside Mr. Drew's studio: How having my comp card + 4 pro pics on me at all times turned 1 guaranteed look for Amiya Faith into 3 walks and 5 total looks
• From Baltimore Fashion Week to a Senegalese designer to a hat designer featured in Netflix & Vogue - how NY moves FAST and why organization is the only way you survive the tornado

Then we flip it for the second half - Cultural Wisdom / For The Culture or NOT For The Culture:

1. Rest is For The Culture. Fatigue is NOT. Why pulling an all-nighter before a booking is self-sabotage.
2. The 12 Ps: Piss Poor Preparation Promotes Piss Poor Performance. How my NJROTC and Hampton University training saved me $ - I did the whole day for ∼$115 total ($78 bus/train, $15 Birds, $21 NY pizza).
3. Time & Money Management is ALWAYS For The Culture. Winging it is not. The industry runs on the booking agent's time, not yours.
4. Initiative & Integrity > Talent. Why showing up at 8:39AM for an 11AM call time is the cheat code. As Hampton taught us: To be early is to be on time. To be on time is to be late.

If you're a Model, DJ, Actor, Entrepreneur, or Hip-Hop/R&B creative in the DMV who cares about style as substance, this is your Hall Pass.

Learn the difference between Culture and Pop Culture/Zeitgeist, why we gatekeep it, and how accountability makes you more bookable.

Tap in for the exclusive 10-min House / Catwalk DJ Battle Mix in the middle of the episode - full mixes and behind-the-scenes are on Patreon.

Next Week: We break down Pillar #4: The Circle.

Got a topic you want me to review for The Culture segment? Or are you an artist who wants to share game? Email me: stevenm.hall@aol.com

Hosted by Steven Hall - Hampton University '20, B.S. Music Recording Technology & Voice, Chesapeake Beach, MD by way of Jacksonville, FL.

New episodes every Wednesday. No running in the halls.