“Blah, Blah, Blah…”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR:
(and yeah, my housing/small living/fort/treefort book is NOW OUT/For SALE!- https://relaxshax.wordpress.com/2010/01/
INTERVIEW/BLOG/BIO-SHEET and PRESS RELEASE INFO:
The Author Maple Syrupin' (Suburban Style)
DEREK ALEXANDER DIEDRICKSEN, AGE 32, WAS BORN AND RAISED IN THE SEASIDE TOWN OF MADISON, CT. AFTER GRADUATING FROM DANIEL HAND HIGH SCHOOL, and later BOSTON’S NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY (CLASS of ’99- Summa Cum Laude), HE WORKED IN COMMERCIAL RADIO AT THE LEGENDARY CBS STATION 104.1 WBCN AS THE EVENING DJ (The Youngest Full Timer In the Country In A Top Ten Market, at the time).
Through WBCN, he worked with and hosted the “I Sold My House.com” Television show numerous times for the WB/Warner Brothers Network, appeared on the Playboy.com Channel as a host/interviewer, and hosted Nik Carter’s nationally syndicated radio show (70 cities in the US) “Nothing Sacred”. While simultaneously at WBCN and Northeastern, Derek’s comic strip “The Warped Zone” ran for just under three years in the NU News, a weekly paper, and his subsequent strip “Slugs, Not Hugs” was featured through the well distributed Boston papers The Weekly Dig, and Soundcheck Magazine (R.I.P.). In radio, he additionally worked for WJIB, NU’s WRBB, the legendary, corporate-free WNTN in Newton, MA, (where he had his REAL start in radio), and the pioneering BostonRadio.com.
His work (both art and carpentry/tiny house building) has also been featured in Worcester’s Pulse Magazine, Tiny House Design Magazine, and on the concert venue flyers of many a band in, and beyond, the Boston area.
Musically, having toured the US a few times in the past (Rochester NY’s “Rail”), both in bands, and managerially (Boston’s “Superkollider”), he now plays drums in the Tribute act Age Against The Machine (www.bostonrage.com), which doubles as the original act “Any Given Enemy”. They’ve recorded and been involved with the WWE, ECW, The Cartoon Network’s “G.I. Joe”, Video Games, Indie Movies, and Boston Bruins NHL broadcasts.
More recently, a tune written by Derek (and “Age” guitarist William Bracken) found the interest and approval of Gary Cherone (singer for Extreme (who had the NO. 1 album in the world in the 90s), and one-time Van Halen frontman), and was recorded (with Cherone on vocals) at White Sight And Sound Studios (with Jim Foster) in Framingham, MA. This tune will soon be available on cdbaby.com and itunes.com.
- “Live Drum Shot (by Bruce Bettis)- Age Against The Machine (aka “Any Given Enemy”) Headling the last ever concert for the legendary 104.1 WBCN-Boston (That ain’t no bald spot (yet)- that’s my face! lol! Move over Chewbacca!)”
In January of 2009, their recording of WWE Wrestler Jack Swagger’s arena and television entrance theme “Get On Your Knees” was selected by Columbia Records to be part of the cd “WWE: The Voices. Volume 9”. The cd debuted on the worldwide Billboard Top 200 charts as the Number Eleven best-selling cd on the entire planet. It also debuted as the Number One selling Cd soundtrack on the globe, and stayed in the charts for close to a month.
Derek is also an Eagle Scout (MADISON CT’s Troop 491), and credit’s the Scouts with further strengthening his love of the outdoors, camping, conservation, and carpentry. He comes from a large family of Scouts, as his cousins Neil and Kurt Malek, also attained the Eagle Rank, and his Brother Dustin, the rank of Life.
Derek currently lives in the small Massachusetts town of Stoughton, with his wife, Elizabeth, and his two children, Jonas and Alexandra (and his dog Orzo), ten miles or so outside of downtown Boston. He longs to move, full time, to the woods of Vermont to focus on growing a beard, and losing his teeth.
27 Comments so far
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Relaxshax's Blog 
Checked out the band- sound great! Just like Rage! Wow….
Comment by Andy Ruthers January 28, 2010 @ 4:35 pm-Andy from GA
Hey bud!
So, I randomly was poking through the Northeastern Alumni mag and saw your update in there. Congrats on the book!
I hope you’re well, sounds like things are going great.
Kevin
Comment by Kevin Kastrup May 5, 2010 @ 10:28 amCool man, I got here from the Tiny House Blog. Didn’t realize you were in MA. Nice. I’m in Holden (just outside of Worcseter) myself. I agree, I think VT is the place to be eventually…
Comment by mike May 5, 2010 @ 1:45 pmHolden! Home of Dick Hertz!
Comment by relaxshax May 6, 2010 @ 9:14 pmHave a few buddies out there! Small world. Thanks for checkin’ out the site!
-Deek
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Pingback by Little Tiny Houses | Chad Maier Austin Texas June 29, 2010 @ 11:59 am[…] https://relaxshax.wordpress.com/about/ […]
Pingback by Tiny Houses | Hippie Tech June 29, 2010 @ 2:07 pmHey I just wanted to say I stumbled upon your site and I love it! I hope you keep making videos on youtube; they are great to watch, entertaining, and informing. Keep up the good work! ~CK
Comment by chris August 17, 2010 @ 12:04 amthanks chris- more to come…
Comment by relaxshax October 3, 2010 @ 8:04 amListen up Dork,
There are a lot of real architects out there who are struggling in this difficult economy. I find it disgusting that you would stage a PR stunt in the NYT
Comment by james richards February 24, 2011 @ 5:27 amwith that menagerie of poorly made heaps of junk. Get a real job loser.
Lol. Someone’s miserable, angry for no reason, and accomplishing nothing with their comments. I literally laughed out loud at your comment at first, then really started to feel sorry for you. Its surprising that someone could be so randomly, facelessly, and pointlessly hateful- for really, no reason at all. You must have alot of bad things going down in life right now- hang in there man….seriously.
If you wanted a hug, you just should have come out and asked for one!
Anyway, best of luck with what you do.
Comment by relaxshax February 25, 2011 @ 1:09 pmLook the bottom line is the tiny house concept DOES NOT WORK.
Comment by james richards February 26, 2011 @ 2:52 pmYes they are cute but so are smurfs. Try living in one of your amazing creations more than a couple days and see how it goes. Its a scam. My advice would be to move towards a career path that you have some degree of expertise in.
Hello,
Any chance you might do a program at the Ames Free Library in Easton next door???
Comment by Uma February 24, 2011 @ 9:27 am(“Small Living Solutions” – One hour. Can sell the books. Show some of the YouTubes. Talk. Whatever you want basically…) Would love to showcase your work.
would love to- I’ll contact you guys soon- thanks!
Comment by relaxshax February 25, 2011 @ 2:07 pmDerek,
Comment by William Karam February 24, 2011 @ 11:04 amBravo!!!
I have a property on the Fire Island National Seashore, where space is at a premium. A home on a lot cannot consume for that 66% of the lot. That is to say, anything above 2 ft. from ground level.
I generally rent my house out in summers, because I get a good amount for the season.
this would be ideal for MANY PROPERTY OWNERS THROUGH OUT THE ISLAND!
TYPO EDIT OF PREVIOUS POST:
“A HOME CANNOT CONSUME MORE THAN 66%….”
Comment by William Karam February 24, 2011 @ 11:06 amHi Derek Congrats! I read your article today. Just sent you a note on Facebook regarding a business opportunity / possible creative collaboration I’d love to chat over the phone and possible meet if you are interested. I have the industry connections and a concept that I believe is right up your alley ( and mine ) I’m an ex architect/artist/ inventor living in NYC.. Hope to hear from you!
Comment by Martin February 24, 2011 @ 4:21 pmMartin
[…] and designer Derek Diedricksen has created several of these miniature shelters from salvaged materials. With deliberately […]
Pingback by Design Happens » Archive » Daily Delight: Micro-House February 26, 2011 @ 6:01 amThese mini-homes are terrific! Do you sell these on eBay or Etsy?
Comment by Denise Aptekar February 26, 2011 @ 10:38 amsorry no, just the book- it’d be too hard to ship ’em (ebay, etc)- lol…. perhaps possible though. Thanks for checkin ’em out!
Comment by relaxshax February 27, 2011 @ 11:26 pmHey Derek,
Comment by jayne tillinghast February 27, 2011 @ 11:35 amJust saw the great outbuildings you’re doing. I d love to own one. I ‘ve got a beautiful lake front home in Maine that would benefit from one of your creations. Been renovating it ourselves for 4+ yrs and its time to sit back and listen to the LOONS. would be willing to trade off or anything for one of those beauties. Can I see more?
thanks j.
trade…hmmmm….not sure….but I guess I’m open to anything/hearing it….
Comment by relaxshax February 27, 2011 @ 11:25 pmA year ago, we left our styling Somerville condo to buy a tiny house (600 sq ft) so we could design a dream addition. It’s nearly done–our little 1880s cottage now has a killer industrial backside. We need a shed for family bikes and yard gear. Can we hire you to build it for us? We’ve got left over metal siding….
Comment by JaneBook March 16, 2011 @ 7:48 pmhey jane- just saw this- I’ll send you an email soon- thanks
Comment by relaxshax March 22, 2011 @ 1:25 pmI want to build a ‘toolshed’ that i can live in on a lot in Roxbury Ma. There will be a garden. And some tools. And me.
Comment by John July 11, 2011 @ 6:15 pmSounds like a REALLY cool project John- this blog is defunct- the new one is at relaxshacks.com- the reason it took so long to see your message. Sorry
Comment by relaxshax October 22, 2011 @ 8:40 amJust found your site and I am loving it! I am an artist from New Hampshire and have been debating between building a mobile workspace or an addition to my house for a while now but always lean toward the mobile option.
I built a mini vardo a few years ago, I’ll include a link to it under “website”, should you want to check it out. I already added your book to my Amazon wishlist and look forward to it’s release. Great stuff.
Gypsy~Rose, in NH.
Comment by Gypsy~Rose July 25, 2011 @ 1:25 amHey- sorry I missed this- this blog has been inactive for a long time- the new one is over at relaxshacks.com- send photos there, I’d love to see them!
Comment by relaxshax August 5, 2012 @ 9:56 pm