Quarantine Diaries: a conversation with Magda Biernat

This is the last episode of a series of conversations to explore how other artists and creatives are spending their time and energy during the quarantine. In today's episode: Magda Biernat.

(original picture by Wojtek Antczak)

(original picture by Wojtek Antczak)

» Tell us a little bit about yourself:

I am an architectural photographer based mainly in NYC but I travel a lot for work and pleasure. I grew up in Poland and moved to the US in 2002, first settling in Seattle, and eventually moving to NYC in 2004 where I started working at Magnum Photos as Communications and Web Manager. While there I had the good fortune to work and befriend many of the Magnum Photographers such as Elliott Erwitt, Philip Jones Griffiths, Paul Fusco, Bruce Gilden, Alec Soth, and many others. Eventually, I turned my interests towards architectural photography and took a workshop with Norman McGrath and soon after became his assistant. In 2005 I split my time between Magnum Photos and Metropolis, a New York-based magazine about architecture and design, where I worked on and off as Photo Editor until 2012. Besides shooting commercially for architects and designers, I also developed my art practice and work on personal projects which are focusing on the built environment, habitation, and the relationship between natural and man-made landscape.

» How did the quarantine affect your work?

The commercial work stopped on March 15th and is only starting to come back now. As for my personal projects, with all this uncertainty in the air, it was hard for me to even focus on making art. I used this time to read a lot and try a few new things, like baking bread. The pandemic also didn’t allow me to travel as much as I usually do. And as I find my inspiration in new places, this has been hard for my creativity and spirit.

» Did you have any big plans for 2020 that you had to cancel or postpone it? What was the impact?

My husband and I just published a book with Kehrer Verlag called “The Edge of Knowing", which came out in the US in February. This year was supposed to be a year of promoting it, with multiple book signings and exhibitions, photo fairs, and festivals, like Paris Photo NY, Photo London, and Arles. All of those have been canceled, thus our book might have not gotten as much attention as we wished for. Hopefully, we will still be able to do something with it next year, if things come back to normal.

» Since quarantine started, did you start any new projects, pick up any new hobbies, develop new abilities, etc?

As always I tried to stay busy and occupy myself with different tasks. I am not a person who can stay still, thus I convinced my husband to repaint our apartment in Brooklyn. We also did a renovation of the kitchen and bathroom at our little cabin in the Catskills, planted a raised bed garden, and canned a lot of cucumbers, and made salsas with tomatillos that we grew. I also started baking sourdough bread and got quite good at it.

As for the art projects, while in lockdown I started photographing clouds and stormy skies from our rooftop and the upstate cabin. I hope to turn it into a project. I also tried some weaving and making collages with my images from my previous work.

» If so, is there anywhere online we can see what you've been up to?

My Instagram accounts would be the best place to find it:

@magdabiernat_studio for my personal work;

@magdabiernat_photography for my architectural work;

@blueberryhillhouse for bread baking and upstate cabin living.

» Any advice for people who are losing their minds and looking for new things to do/try?

I am not sure if I am the best person to give advice, as I don't think I stayed as creative as I wish I did. But staying busy with other things kept me sane.

» Any tips on music to listen to, books to read, film/tv shows to watch, anything like that?

A few books that I managed to read during this time, which I was way overdue to do, were: “Becoming” by Michelle Obama, “The Goldfinch” by Donna Tartt, and “Americanah” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. All highly recommend if you haven't read them yet. I also binge-watched way too many shows. A few that stick out: “Succession”, “Schitt's Creek”, “I May Destroy You” and “Watchmen”.

» What are the best channels/social media for people to be following you?

My website: magdabiernat.com and Instagram: @magdabiernat_studio for my personal work and @magdabiernat_photography for my architectural work

if you enjoyed this conversation, you may enjoy the other ones from the series by clicking here.

Quarantine Diaries: a conversation with Greg Osei

This is a series of conversations to explore how other artists and creatives are spending their time and energy during the quarantine. In today's episode: Greg Osei.

(original picture by Leo Mascaro)

(original picture by Leo Mascaro)

» Tell us a little bit about yourself:

I am a New York-based singer-songwriter, filmmaker, and interdisciplinary artist. I think most of what I do personally and as an artist is driven by a desire to find connections - connections between parts of ourselves, connections between cultures and people, connections to our pasts and futures, connections between our inner worlds and our outer experiences. I think as the U.S.-born son of Ghanaian immigrants, as someone who lived several years in Latin America, and as someone who has often felt like a bit of an outsider, finding connections was something I found myself doing in order to understand and love myself better.

» How did the quarantine affect your work?

In a lot of ways, quarantine really focused my work. The stillness and solitude helped me to really plug into who I am personally and creatively in ways that I hadn't before. I've interestingly been relatively unplugged from social media, which has also helped a bunch. This time has been a period of constant curiosity and discovery. It has also been a time of emotional ups and downs, I think as it has been for many of us. That said, I've been able to just be with those emotional changes and learn from them rather than avoid or repress them as I might have otherwise.

» Did you have any big plans for 2020 that you had to cancel or postpone it? What was the impact?

I didn't really have a lot of plans in the typical sense. I had a couple of trips planned that got canceled, but that's just about it. Honestly, most of my goals for 2020 were internal ones, ways of thinking and being that I wanted to really cultivate this year. I normally set intentions each new year, and for some reason, this year all of my intentions were ways I would treat myself, ways I would think, and ways I would show up in the world. It's interesting because those internal goals actually ended up being fuel for a lot of "external" endeavors. It just came from a different place than usual. It's crazy how quarantine made this year a very "interior" one because it really pushed me to work on those goals I'd set.

» Since quarantine started, did you start any new projects, pick up any new hobbies, develop new abilities, etc?

I've done several online performances during quarantine, which were all rewarding experiences in ways I didn't expect. In this time when so many of us are dealing with so much, I've become more aware of how art can be a source of comfort, hope, and clarity for artists and audiences. I also set up a one-month songwriting challenge for myself and wrote almost 20 songs. I'd never created music so intensely in my life, and I learned so much about myself and my creative process as a result of it. Since then, I decided to really build my music production skills and produce my upcoming music releases. I bought recording equipment and have been working on an album, which has been very exciting and very challenging. I'm planning to start releasing material in the coming months!

» If so, is there anywhere online we can see what you've been up to?

I haven't posted any of my new music just yet. My Instagram is a good place to get updates on what I'm doing, and some of the projects I've worked on during quarantine can be found there. You can also see my last big work, which was the music video I directed for my original song "Searching for Wonder". It has been amazing because the film has actually continued to screen at film festivals online even during quarantine, and I was honored to be able to help create a community in this time of physical isolation through art.

» Any advice for people who are losing their minds and looking for new things to do/try?

I think it's important for us to remember that everyone is going to experience this moment in his/her own unique way, and that is ok. I think that believing that you "should" be doing something during quarantine often makes you feel worse. Inspiration and action actually come from being curious and compassionate about what it is that you're desiring in each moment and giving yourself the space to figure that out. I read this article earlier this year, and it really helped me to remember to be kind to myself and others in this moment.

» Any tips on music to listen, books to read, film/tv shows to watch, anything like that?

Music - Sault's latest two releases, Untitled (Black Is) and Untitled (Rise), PJ Morton's The Piano Album, Victoria Monet's Life After Love, Pt. 2 for some feel-good vibes, Harry Styles's Fine Line is a mood shifter, and this entire Afropop playlist on Spotify.

Books - Against Purity by Alexis Shotwell if you want to get academic, The Wisdom of Insecurity by Alan W. Watts if you want to get metaphysical, Guapa by Saleem Hadad, The Inheritance by Matthew Lopez, and The House That Will Not Stand by Marcus Gardley if you want to get fictional :)

Movies/TV - Black is King, Love Victor, Avatar: The Last Airbender (The animated series!!!), Aretha Franklin's Amazing Grace concert film, Sense8, and Sex Education.

I also recommend following @sonyareneetaylor on Instagram and just watching her "What's Up Y'all" videos because she is dropping all kinds of transformative knowledge that we can use to make this moment into an opportunity to uplift the world and our lives.

» What are the best channels/social media for people to be following you?

Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, and Youtube.

if you enjoyed this conversation, you may enjoy the other ones from the series by clicking here.

Quarantine Diaries: a conversation with Jenny Kern

This is a series of conversations to explore how other artists and creatives are spending their time and energy during the quarantine. In today's episode: Jenny Kern.

(original picture by Chris O’Neill)

(original picture by Chris O’Neill)

» Tell us a little bit about yourself:

I’m an indie singer-songwriter based in Brooklyn, NY.

» How did the quarantine affect your work?

The pandemic has had a huge affect on my work. Before all of this happened I was playing multiple shows a month, writing daily, and getting together to work creatively with other artists. Once the pandemic hit I, along with many, was forced to change my day-to-day. Slowly over the last few months, I've adapted more. I started doing Zoom/FaceTime writing sessions and I've done a couple of live streams (which aren't the same as a live show but better than nothing). Since work hasn't been possible I've definitely had a lot of free time. Even with all that time I haven’t been able to be as creative as I want to be. Whether it's the stress of progressing in the face of uncertainty or just finding other outlets of work to sustain a living it's been really difficult. But I think it's about doing one creative act each day. Indulging in the curiosity and ignoring the pressure. The most important thing is maintaining physical and mental health.

» Did you have any big plans for 2020 that you had to cancel or postpone it? what was the impact?

I had a lot in the works at the beginning of 2020. Trips to Europe, a potential tour opportunity, and studio time. Unfortunately, the travel component and all live shows are not possible in 2020 but we're working on a way to start production on an upcoming EP. It is going to be a very different experience with the bulk of the process being remote/via zoom but I'm still very excited to start. Not sure if I'll be able to release it before the end of 2020 but my team is going to work really hard to get new content out soon.

» Since quarantine started, did you start any new projects, pick up any new hobbies, develop new abilities, etc?

I can't say I've been baking bread and learning to knit however I have taken this time to work on myself and develop as a person. Is that cheesy?

One of the biggest things for me has been going back to therapy. In the early stages of COVID/quarantine, I felt myself slipping back into a bit of a depression. I knew, based on my past experience, that I needed to get some help and start talking again. That has been pretty game-changing for me because it's not only helped me heal in many ways but I started changing my perspective on a lot of things in life.

In terms of hobbies, I've been reading more, writing in my journal, and exercising a bunch. Running and biking (with a mask!) have been huge outlets to relieve anxiety and stay moving during the quarantine. I've been connecting a lot more with family and friends. Because you can't see people, maintaining connections is essential. I've built strong relationships with some friends and I talk to my family on a regular basis which I'm so grateful for. I also started going on photography walks where I head to the park with my camera and just shoot. No pressure, no real goal. Just to enjoy the process.

I figure if it doesn't feel right to write music every day or play as often as I'd like then at least I can grow in other ways.

» If so, is there anywhere online we can see what you've been up to?

I've been working on recording videos for YouTube. Recently I covered one of my favourite songs "Hey, Ma" by Bon Iver. Next up are a couple of live sessions for my original music. I'm excited to share it.

Other than that, following me on Instagram (@jennykernmusic) would be a key way to see what I'm up to. I post a lot of my activities on my story and keep people up to date on what's happening on my feed. By the request of many, I also started posting covers and original music on TikTok (that platform is hard to navigate ... young kids are really creative!)

» Any advice for people who are losing their minds and looking for new things to do/try?

My biggest piece of advice is to show yourself compassion and ignore the voice of pressure. I think with quarantine and staying home a lot of people feel as though they HAVE to do new things or master something. But I think that's an unhealthy approach to our current time. Do what feels right, not what everyone else is doing. Be flexible, patient, and adapt, especially if you try something new you might not be very good at it at first. But it's important to make sure you're doing it because of a genuine curiosity not just because it's the "right thing to do". Most important thing is to take care of your mental and physical health.

» Any tips on music to listen, books to read, film/tv shows to watch, anything like that?

It's tough to recommend anything because, as someone who has worked in the industry, TV/film is so subjective. I've been rewatching a lot of classic movies and some of my all-time favourites "Good Will Hunting", "The Bourne Identity" and "Saving Private Ryan". If I had to recommend a few shows as of late I'd say "The Good Place", "Pen15", "Euphoria", "The Last Dance", "Normal People" and "Ozark".

I've been listening and discovering so much music during quarantine. I've actually got a few playlists on my Spotify artist page that include a lot of the songs I would recommend. The first is Jenny's Picks and the second is my Isolation Mixtape.

If I had to recommend one album it would be "Punisher" by Phoebe Bridgers. I've had it on repeat since the release. It's actually the best album I've heard in a long time.

» What are the best channels/social media for people to be following you?

You can follow me across social media under @jennykernmusic. Here are some links: Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Twitter, and YouTube.

if you enjoyed this conversation, you may enjoy the other ones from the series by clicking here.

Quarantine Diaries: a conversation with Saulo von Seehausen

(🇧🇷 Este texto está disponível na versão original PT/BR na segunda metade do post)

This is a series of conversations to explore how other artists and creatives are spending their time and energy during the quarantine. In today's episode: Saulo von Seehausen.

(original picture by Gabriela Amerth)

(original picture by Gabriela Amerth)

» Tell us a little bit about yourself:

My name is Saulo and I started in music very early, studying the piano at 4 years old. Later on, I found myself in Rock music, when I started to take my artistic career more seriously. I’ve played a lot throughout Brazil, writing, recording, and producing music. In 2017 I started the project “saudade”, which became my music persona and got me to play in NYC in three different small tours, braving also into a new artistic place, diving deep into Brazilian aesthetics. This October I release my first record 100% in Portuguese with this project and I couldn’t be happier. :)

» How did the quarantine affect your work?

I’ve had many phases during this period. At the beginning I was very productive, doing many things that were on hold, writing, and recording new music. I finished productions that were kinda forgotten. But there were also a lot of moments in suspension. I think it has been a lot of back and forth of emotions and moments. I don’t feel it affected that much the work and end results, but it’s very challenging to deal with this new routine. Not being able to go out to socialize and vent out the everyday stress, is having a much bigger impact than I was expecting on me. I especially miss watching and playing live music, that energy of the concert, you know? I dream about it almost every night.

» Did you have any big plans for 2020 that you had to cancel or postpone it? What was the impact?

I had to postpone the release of my record, that was supposed to happen in March, but I ended up pushing to October. It was a considerable impact, especially since I was planning on playing a lot of concerts afterward, to promote the record and experience these songs being played live. I simply can’t wait to do this again!

» Since quarantine started, did you start any new projects, pick up any new hobbies, develop new abilities, etc?

I got to compose and produce an EP to be released before the album, but I ended up not releasing it. The idea was to push the full album for next year if I had released this EP. But I felt that this time could generate a disconnect between myself and the songs from the record and I preferred to move forward even with the current circumstances.

» If so, is there anywhere online we can see what you've been up to? Links, images, etc…

The first single, called “cabeça ruim”, it’s already out and you can find all the information on my Instagram.

» Any advice for people who are losing their minds and looking for new things to do/try?

Therapy has been really important to me. Talking to someone about what we feel is essential, because elaborating these feelings can help us to deal with it. I’ve also been reading much more than usual and rediscovering this self-knowledge and personal evolution that was a bit lost due to my busy life.

» Any tips on music to listen, books to read, film/tv shows to watch, anything like that?

I’m reading the book “The Artist’s Way”, by Julia Cameron, and I just finished reading “The War of Art”, by Steven Pressfield. I highly recommend both, even for people that don’t consider themselves an artist. But if you are, it’s definitely a must-read!

» What are the best channels/social media for people to be following you?

I’m on almost every social media, but much more active on Instagram. There’s also my YouTube channel, where I post my videos and songs very often.

🇧🇷 🇧🇷 🇧🇷 🇧🇷 🇧🇷 🇧🇷 🇧🇷 🇧🇷 🇧🇷 🇧🇷

» Conta um pouquinho sobre você?

Me chamo Saulo e comecei na música bem pequeno, estudando piano aos 4 anos. Mais tarde me encontrei no Rock, quando comecei a levar mais a sério a carreira artística. Toquei bastante pelo Brasil, compondo, gravando e produzindo música. Em 2017 comecei o projeto saudade, que se tornou uma persona musical minha e me levou a fazer três pequenas tours em NYC e desbravar também um novo lugar artístico, mergulhando em estéticas brasileiras. Agora em Outubro lanço meu primeiro disco 100% em português com este projeto e não poderia estar mais feliz. :)

» Como a quarentena afetou o seu trabalho?

Já tive várias fases neste período. No início estive bem produtivo, tirei várias coisas da gaveta, compus e gravei músicas novas... Terminei produções meio esquecidas. Mas também momentos de total suspensão. Acho que tem sido um grande vai e vem de momentos e de emoções. Não sinto que afetou tanto o trabalho e resultados finais, mas é bem desafiador lidar com essa nova rotina. Não poder sair para socializar e extravazar o stress do dia-a-dia, está tendo um impacto bem maior do que imaginava pra mim. Sinto principalmente falta de assistir/tocar música ao vivo, aquela energia de show, sabe? Sonho quase toda noite com isso.

» Você tinha algum grande plano pra 2020 que você teve que cancelar ou adiar? Qual foi o impacto na sua vida?

Precisei adiar o lançamento do meu album, que seria em Março e acabei passando para Outubro. Foi um impacto considerável, principalmente porque planejava fazer bastante shows depois do lançamento, para divulgar o disco e viver essa parte das músicas sendo tocadas ao vivo. Mal posso esperar para este momento chegar.

» Desde que a quarentena começou, você começou a trabalhar em algum projeto novo, um novo hobby, novas habilidades, etc?

Cheguei a compor e produzir um EP para sair antes do álbum, mas acabei não lançando. A ideia seria deixar o disco full para ano que vem, se fosse lançar o EP. Mas senti que esse espaço de tempo poderia gerar uma desconexão minha com as músicas do album e preferi lançá-lo mesmo nas circunstâncias atuais.

» Se sim, tem algum lugar online onde a gente pode saber mais informações sobre?

O primeiro single do disco, que chama ''cabeça ruim'', já está no ar e todas as infos estão no meu Instagram.

» Algum conselho para as pessoas que possam estar enlouquecendo e procurando por coisas pra fazer/tentar?

Fazer terapia tem sido muito importante pra mim. Conversar com alguém do que a gente sente é essencial, pois elaborar sobre esses sentimentos ajuda a lidar com eles. Tenho lido livros bem mais do que na rotina comum também, e redescobrindo essa maneira de autoconhecimento e evolução pessoal que estava um pouco perdida na minha vida corrida.

» Alguma dica de discos pra ouvir, livros pra ler, filmes/series pra assistir, e coisas do tipo?

Estou lendo um livro chamado "O Caminho do Artista" da Julia Cameron e acabei de ler "A Guerra da Arte" de Steven Pressfield. Indico fortemente ambos, mesmo para quem não se considera artista. Para quem é artista, são must reads!

» Quais são os melhores canais/redes para quem quiser te acompanhar?

Estou em quase todas as redes sociais, mas bem mais ativo no Instagram. Também no YouTube, onde posto meus vídeos e músicas com frequência.

if you enjoyed this conversation, you may enjoy the other ones from the series by clicking here.

Quarantine Diaries: a conversation with Marco Catini

This is a series of conversations to explore how other artists and creatives are spending their time and energy during the quarantine. In today's episode: Marco Catini.

(original picture by Marco Catini)

(original picture by Marco Catini)

» Tell us a little bit about yourself:

My name is Marco Catini. I grew up in Switzerland, and in 2001 I moved to New Jersey. I am a freelance photographer, and I love using my craft to tell visual stories.

» How did the quarantine affect your work?

From the beginning, it was clear to me that, without weddings or events happening, I was going to be sitting at home for a long time. On a rational level, I knew that there wasn't much I could do about the pandemic and the lockdown. While being somewhat prepared with the loss of work, the lack of social interaction was hard to get used to.

» Did you have any big plans for 2020 that you had to cancel or postpone it? what was the impact?

Annually recurring events, like conferences, were canceled. Some of the weddings have been postponed indefinitely, while others have already been rescheduled. A couple of downsized weddings are happening now. My bottom line this year will be adversely affected, but hopefully, next year can somewhat make up for it.

My volunteer work for Special Olympics and for the Valerie Fund has come to a full stop. Both organizations serve a population that may have a compromised immune system, where it's paramount to keep everybody safe.

My wife and I were supposed to celebrate a bunch of birthdays with our family in Italy this year. Obviously that hasn't happened, which is a real bummer. We are now in that weird state of trying to plan our next trip to Europe, without having any idea of when travel will be doable for all of us.

» Since quarantine started, did you start any new projects, pick up any new hobbies, develop new abilities, etc?

I learned a new language, became a certified yoga teacher, and built the Colosseum with Lego bricks. If this all sounds far fetched: it is. Despite all my best intentions to learn something new I stayed close to what I always do: photography.

Of all things, I started taking self-portraits. I set up a "studio" at home, consisting of a backdrop and two strobes. This way I was able to take photos whenever the creative mood hit me, without having to plan an outing or trying to schedule a socially distanced session with others.

But it still felt weird to be in front of the camera, so I decided to work on my dismal macro skills as well. What I learned from this is that I dislike doing macro photography to such an extent that I'd rather sit in front of the camera.

I felt that on one hand, I couldn't let myself succumb to dark thoughts and fear, but to completely ignore them would not be helpful either. And on the other hand, I knew that humor and a good laugh would help me through the days. The resulting self-portraits reflect those two conflicting thought processes: some photos are dark, some are silly.

» If so, is there anywhere online we can see what you've been up to? Links, images, etc…

Instagram is probably the best place to see my current work. I have two different accounts: One is @marco.catini.stories, where I focus on people. I used this account to post happy photos from my archives, which were mostly Special Olympics events, and some weddings.

The other account, @marco.catini.photo, is geared towards cityscapes, landscapes, and more. I used this account to post a series "Current Mood", which was mostly dark, but sometimes silly.

Having two different outlets gave me the opportunity to embrace the ambiguity of feelings during the lockdown.

» Any advice for people who are losing their minds and looking for new things to do/try?

Seeing other people's posts about their accomplishments early on led me to believe that I, too, had to revamp my website, restructure my fee schedule, learn videography, reorganize my cabinet, paint my living room, and bake bread.

But I didn't have the energy to start anything new, which at first was frustrating. Especially when I saw how busy my wife was, working from home. So I tried to finish some old projects and to start new ones. The drive to do so was extrinsic, and without proper enthusiasm and creativity, everything I started was destined to be an unsuccessful endeavor. After a while of doubting myself, I accepted the fact that I wasn't going to be as productive as others, and found my peace with it.

Long daily walks helped me with creating some structure for my days and made me feel better about my increased intake of cake and cheese. After a few weeks, I finally found intrinsic motivation, and I started my macro experiments and my self-portraits. I also started taking landscape photos during my walks.

I guess what I'm trying to say is this: It is ok to not be creative or productive for a while. Sometimes we do need a bit of an external push to start something, but without internal motivation, it will not be satisfying. Enjoy other people's work, read the photo books you bought but never looked at, read some mindless books. You never know what will kick off your creativity. You can search for the spark, but you cannot force it.

» Any tips on music to listen, books to read, film/tv shows to watch, anything like that?

I read a bunch of "Jack Reacher" books, which were a good escape for me. I also perused "The Soul of the Camera" and "The Heart of the Photograph" by David duChemin for insight and reflections. I then learned a lot from "When They Call You a Terrorist...", "How to Be an Antiracist", "White Fragility", and "So You Want to Talk About Race".

Most of my TV watching was limited to reruns of Big Bang Theory, and movies from the Marvel Universe. In hindsight, it seems that I was looking for the comfort of familiar stories and characters.

My music style is an acquired taste. At home, we listened to a lot of electronic and dance music, like Thievery Corporation, Wankelmut, Paul Oakenfold, etc. On my daily walks, I used to blast some metal, like Suffering Hour, SubRosa, Sepultura, Haarp, and Phobiatic.

» What are the best channels/social media for people to be following you?

My website is, as you may have guessed by now, still not updated. But I can assure you that I know how I want to change its structure and content once I start working on it. I post daily to Facebook and Instagram, with the latter being my favorite for photos. Here are my social media handles:

www.instagram.com/marco.catini.stories

www.instagram.com/marco.catini.photo

www.facebook.com/MarcoCatiniPhotography

www.catini.net

if you enjoyed this conversation, you may enjoy the other ones from the series by clicking here.

Quarantine Diaries: a conversation with Natalie Forteza

This is a series of conversations to explore how other artists and creatives are spending their time and energy during the quarantine. In today's episode: Natalie Forteza.

(original picture by Natalie Forteza)

(original picture by Natalie Forteza)

» Tell us a little bit about yourself:

I’m a singer/songwriter from NY’s Hudson Valley area, about an hour and a half north of the city. I've been co-writing & playing with my dear friends & band mates Anthony Candullo (bass) & Akie Bermiss (keys/vocals) for about 9 years.

» How did the quarantine affect your work?

Typically Anthony, Akie & I schedule a time to meet up, usually in Anthony’s kitchen primarily to drink coffee aaaand ultimately music comes of it lol, just depends what I have written in my notebook to tackle: developing a raw, new idea, arrange or re-arrange a song we’ve been working on, record a demo, or rehearse for an upcoming gig. The last time we were in the same room together it was early March, just before the shutdown. We met at my house, we were experimenting with recording some acoustic piano for a new song. By the end of our meet, we had mics set up, Akie did some rough takes, we were going to leave everything set up to record the real takes the following week. But the following week never came, stay at home orders came and like everyone else in the world, everything came to a halt.

It’s always hard for me to pump the brakes on a project - I’m just so pumped to work, work out ideas, arrange, record, whatever! And of course, release new music - so it takes me a minute to adjust to a new plan. But in this case, it was much easier to break because it was due to public health, my health, my friends’ health, family health, my neighbors’ health, and so on. So, no recording, no arranging, and very sadly, no coffee together!

I also had/have a part-time retail job that was furloughed for 2 months. Needless to say, I’d have 2 whole months’ worth of precious free time.

» Did you have any big plans for 2020 that you had to cancel or postpone it? What was the impact?

I had hoped to release an EP this year or at the very least a single or two, but I’m pushing everything back to 2021. Live performances were of course canceled, and it’s really opened ended as to when we’ll perform together, collectively we decided it’s better to play the long-game by being cautious, and hold off playing until we all feel comfortable to do so together — which is so weird to say and adjust to, but honestly eliminating that focus (which requires of a lot of admin & time), made a ton of room for the other areas of music like writing, production and learning (or re-learning) an instrument, even just organizing like cleaning out my computer and Dropbox! The biggest impact of it was the test of being adaptable and resourceful of newfound time.

» Since quarantine started, did you start any new projects, pick up any new hobbies, develop new abilities, etc?

I often feel that time is my most precious currency, it’s always hard to find time for everything, and there’s never enough time to really dive into things. So I had time. So I dove into as much as I possibly could while keeping a healthy balance:

  • I tried to read a little every day, even if it was a half-hour.

  • I joined a series of songwriter community classes on some weekends (which I couldn’t previously do due to working weekends), which ultimately led me to take a 4-week block-busting songwriting workshop called “Thinking Outside the Blocks”  coached & directed by Allie Moss & Bess Rogers. I highly recommend this workshop! It was so healthy and useful for me immediately! I learned so much, and much about myself too.

  • I love the production part of recording, and while I know some basic stuff, I’ve wanted to learn more (or just can’t get enough of it!). So I spent some time diving into editing & EQ’ing (thanks to the help of the TOTB comm. classes) getting to know Logic a little better, (the program I use) for when we continue to record.

  • I feel like I’ve been trying to learn an instrument for a hundred years! lol. I started guitar 2 years or so ago, but inconsistently, and I have a lovely upright acoustic piano at home that my mother gave me I’ve little by little have been chipping away at learning. I admit I’m not great at committing to things on a weekly basis, but I loosely tried to learn a song a week either on guitar or piano.

  • Which I tied together with doing live IGTV performances of the songs I learned. The live media thing is still something I’m very awkward at lol, so I forced myself to get more comfortable with it and it also made me accountable to prepare something for the following week—but the only real law that I laid down for myself was that good, bad or ugly I HAD to perform it live! Learning to be comfortable with making mistakes is an important part of being an artist (and student), something I have a hard time with.

  • My husband & I make homemade wine, so we were able to spend some time caring for our homemade wine and researching and daydreaming about being on a European vineyard lol. Whilst drinking the wine of course!

» If so, is there anywhere online we can see what you've been up to?

Facebook and Instagram are primarily where I post. My IGTV is where I posted the videos of songs I (roughly lol) learned on piano or guitar over quarantine.

» Any advice for people who are losing their minds and looking for new things to do/try?

This is a tough one — we are all so different and need different things that it’s hard to say but here’s what’s often in my head… “Know thyself”… a useful quote. It’s important to know certain things about yourself, what your triggers are—what can make you negative, what stresses you out, what makes you depressed, what makes you happy, what balances you out, what gets you out of a haze or out of depression, etc. And what are the answers to those questions (sometimes it’s not easy to pinpoint), but knowing them can help you or hurt you—“the news makes me depressed,” “I feel better, I feel happy when I help others,” “I feel balanced when I ate healthy and exercise,” and so on. Self-awareness I think is the first step to learning our pitfalls, and learning to avoid them, grow from them, and maybe change the things that trip us up.

Be flexible. And be patient (with yourself)—adapting even in the smallest of ways I think can be so healthy to ourselves and others around us. Patience goes hand-in-hand with flexibility I think, nothing’s overnight, but it gives us the endurance to keep trying.

What have you always wanted to do/try?! DO IT! Paint, read, cook, write, start a business, start a podcast, hand write letters, make your own clothes, volunteer, it’s endless. Even if you’re bad at it at least you gave it a try! Lol. We all have something waiting to come out of us, if you’re not sure what it is, spend time to discover it.

» Any tips on music to listen, books to read, film/tv shows to watch, anything like that?

Flix - I fell in love and binge-watched The Last Kingdom on Netflix lol! And being a foodie & someone who loves to travel, I've really enjoyed getting into Chef’s Table.

Books - I looooooved reading Willie Nelson’s book, “It’s a Long Story!” It was hard to put down at times! I’m a huge James Bond fan (and was really bummed the newest movie release had to be postponed!), so I’ve been reading the series of books written by Ian Fleming. I’m on book 5 of 14. And I always have a songwriting book around too to dip into.

Music - I listened to a TON of classical music at the beginning of the shutdown. Mostly to keep thoughts and tension down, and always great for concentration. Nils Fram & Max Richter among my favorites to keep things on the level. RY X I’ve been overplaying at this point (if there’s such a thing) lol. And I returned to a childhood favorite, João Gilberto—there’s magic in his voice, it always brings me back to the center.

» What are the best channels/social media for people to be following you?

Instagram / Facebook / Newsletter

Quarantine Diaries: a conversation with Paula Lobo

(🇧🇷 Este texto está disponível na versão original PT/BR na segunda metade do post)

This is a series of conversations to explore how other artists and creatives are spending their time and energy during the quarantine. In today's episode: Paula Lobo.

(original picture by Felipe Ferreira)

(original picture by Felipe Ferreira)

» Tell us a little bit about yourself:

My name is Paula Lobo and I’m an NYC-based Photographer specialized in performing arts and TV productions. Most of my work is photographing dance performances, theater, concerts, and events in different venues around the city. I frequently photograph TV productions for ABC/Disney, artistic events at the MET museum, and fashion shows during NYFW.

» How did the quarantine affect your work?

All my work got canceled since March 12th, and there’s still no prediction for when the productions will be back. It’s really sad and tragic for all the artists and people involved with the productions.

» Did you have any big plans for 2020 that you had to cancel or postpone it? What was the impact in your life?

My plan for this year was to photograph a lot! I had lots of jobs booked for 2020. And now, it’s been the year that I created and produced less.

» Since quarantine started, did you start any new projects, pick up any new hobbies, develop new abilities, etc?

Not really, but I’m starting to look for a video editing course.

» Any advice for people who are losing their minds and looking for new things to do/try?

For most people, I think the interesting thing is to learn to deal with all this loss. There’s no need to learn a thousand different things during the quarantine. Maybe the best thing is to look at yourself, have a healthier relationship with time, lower the anxiety. No rush to try and fill the void.

» Any tips on music to listen, books to read, film/tv shows to watch, anything like that?

To listen: Leon Bridges;

To read: Sintomas Mórbidos, by Sabrina Fernandes;

A movie: Call Me By Your Name.

» What are the best channels/social media for people to be following you?

My Instagram!

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» Conta um pouquinho sobre você?

Meu nome é Paula Lobo, sou uma fotógrafa de "live arts” e produções de TV, localizada em Nova York. Na maior parte do tempo fotografo performances de dança, teatro, concertos, e eventos em teatros por toda a cidade. Frequentemente fotografo produções de TV para o canal ABC/Disney, eventos artísticos no Metropolitan Museum e eventos de moda durante a NYFW.

» Como a quarentena afetou o seu trabalho?

Todos os meus trabalhos foram cancelados desde o dia 12 de Março. E ainda não há nenhuma previsão de quando as produções vão poder retornar. Bem triste e trágico para todos os artistas e para todos os profissionais envolvidos nas produções.

» Você tinha algum grande plano pra 2020 que você teve que cancelar ou adiar? Qual foi o impacto na sua vida?

Meu plano para esse ano era fotografar muito! Eu tinha muitos trabalhos marcados pra 2020. E, agora, está sendo o ano que menos criei e produzi.

» Desde que a quarentena começou, você começou a trabalhar em algum projeto novo, um novo hobby, novas habilidades, etc?

Não. Mas estou começando a procurar um curso de edição de vídeo.

» Algum conselho para as pessoas que possam estar enlouquecendo e procurando por coisas pra fazer/tentar?

Para a maior parte das pessoas, acho que o interessante é aprender exatamente a lidar com essa falta. Não é preciso aprender mil coisas numa quarentena. Talvez o interessante seja olhar para si, ter uma relação mais saudável com o tempo, diminuir a ansiedade. Sem correria para preencher os vazios.

» Alguma dica de discos pra ouvir, livros pra ler, filmes/series pra assistir, e coisas do tipo?

Ouvir: Leon Bridges.

Ler: Sintomas Mórbidos, da Sabrina Fernandes.

Filme: Call Me by Your Name.

» Quais são os melhores canais/redes para quem quiser te acompanhar?

Meu Instagram!

if you enjoyed this conversation, you may enjoy the other ones from the series by clicking here.

Quarantine Diaries: a conversation with Mauricio Zottarelli

(🇧🇷 Este texto está disponível na versão PT/BR na segunda metade do post)

This is a series of conversations to explore how other artists and creatives are spending their time and energy during the quarantine. In today's episode: Mauricio Zottarelli.

(original picture by Christine Vaindirlis)

(original picture by Christine Vaindirlis)

» Tell us a little bit about yourself:

I have been a drummer/professional musician for 30 years. Nowadays I live in New York City, but I am originally from Brazil. Since my arrival in the USA in 1999, when I received a scholarship to study at Berklee College of Music, I had many opportunities to play and study with fantastic artists and some of my drum heroes. Since then I have been playing, touring, practicing, and teaching intensively. I recently was nominated to a Grammy as a member of the group/album of the great Eddie Daniels. (Our follow up album just came out in August 2020 on Resonance records). In 2012 the record "The Art of Samba Jazz" from legendary Brazilian pianist Dom Salvador received the Brazilian Music Awards (the most important event of its kind in the country) and I am honored to have played drums on it, and also to have assisted Salvador on most aspects of the production. I am extremely grateful and honored to have worked with very important artists in different fields/styles, and many of them are idols of mine: Hiromi, Eliane Elias, Toquinho, Prasanna, Eddie Daniels, Lee Ritenour, Dave Grusin, Esperanza Spalding, Keiko Matsui, Richard Bona, Paquito D’Rivera, Richard Galliano, Cristina Pato, Chuck Loeb, Romero Lubambo, Chico Pinheiro, Cláudio Roditi, Eldar Djangirov, Ivan Lins, Carmen Souza, Rosa Passos, Dom Salvador, Cidinho Teixeira, Toninho Horta, and many others. One of my favorite things to do is to work in the studio - I have played on more than 100 albums so far. Besides my work as a "sideman", I have 2 albums under my own name, where I wear many hats: producer, arranger, composer, and drummer: 7 LIVES (2009) and UPSIDE DOWN LOOKING UP (2017). Some other collaborations of mine include DIG TRIO (2003) with guitarist Gustavo Assis Brasil; MOZIK (2011) with pianist Gilson Schachnik; and GLASSES, NO GLASSES (2014) with bassist Amanda Ruzza. In 2018 I ended up as a finalist in the 23rd USA Songwriting Competition in two different categories, with songs from my latest album.

I also have worked extensively as a teacher and educator, and I've had the privilege of performing clinics, workshops and also working as a teacher in several music education programs in South America, the USA, and Europe. You can find out more information about my career, my music, and projects by visiting my website.

» How did the quarantine affect your work?

It has been a very difficult time for all performing artists. All our activities came to a pause: no touring, no playing concerts/shows, no traveling, etc. So for the most part I have been at home planning activities for the future, and taking some time to learn/experiment with important skills I need to improve - recording at home, mixing, composing more, video editing... I ended up not having access to my instrument (drums) until last week, so I stayed around 5 months without really playing, I had to invent ways to keep practicing, and maintaining my hand technique and musical mind active. After the first 40 days or so, it also became obvious that I needed to watch what I ate and I tried to keep exercising at home, adapting from my exercise routine at the gym. Easy to talk about, but hard to do!

» Did you have any big plans for 2020 that you had to cancel or postpone it? what was the impact?

I was planning on working on a series of original songs, produce them, record everybody, and film it all, but I got sidetracked many times during the quarantine. Other ideas came along, other projects, and other collaborations. So it has been actually quite busy and interesting, but I had to let go of some of my plans from earlier in the year. I guess it will all get done, but not as I planned initially. I also had several touring and recording projects that got canceled/postponed, like most of us. Once things get a bit more under control, I am positive that these will happen again.

» Since quarantine started, did you start any new projects, pick up any new hobbies, develop new abilities, etc?

Yes, as I mentioned before, since I was more at home and had more time, I started working on some skills that we all need for producing materials and online content. So I have been creating more videos for my youtube channel (and learning more about video editing), including a series called "DRUMMIN'VENTIONS". These are videos based on an improvised drum solo that I bring home and write some music later to match what I played on the drumkit. In fact, in 2016 I posted my first video for this series, and you did the filming, Leo!!

I had the opportunity to collaborate with several artists doing "quarantine recording sessions", which consist of everybody recording audio/video from their homes. I didn't have access to my drums, but I had my Cajon and some hand percussion. I had a blast doing many songs for many artists friends.

I have been practicing piano a bit, and writing some new music to try to move my new original music project along... so hopefully, some new music with my group will come out soon too.

» If so, is there anywhere online we can see what you've been up to?

Yes! My website has drum play-along versions from some of the DRUMMIN'VENTIONS video series, so drummers can have fun interpreting the songs their own way. The full series is on my youtube channel. I also recently finished editing the videos from my CD Release concert from 2018 from Blue Note in NYC, so you can watch the whole show there. I'm constantly posting new materials on Youtube, Instagram, and Facebook, so please follow me if you'd like more info and if you want to check out some of the above-mentioned projects/recordings.

» Any advice for people who are losing their minds and looking for new things to do/try?

It's been very challenging to keep ourselves calm and sane... I think that doing things we like to do and trying to keep a small sense of normalcy in our lives can be helpful. In the beginning, I think that most of us created a list (physical or in our minds) of things we needed to accomplish while quarantined.... most of us didn't include sleep, eat right, exercise, meditate, read, relax, go for walks, etc, etc... so pretty quickly we burned out! (I know I have) So it's important to listen to our bodies, and be gentle with ourselves and our priorities... It's great to have time to get some stuff done, but since we are all under a lot of stress right now with the pandemic, our economical and financial insecurity, and we are all confused about how all the different industries and the economy will move on from now, we have to take some time and enjoy the small things, while we learn about the future. Keep calm, and stay healthy.... most importantly. We can't do anything if we are not healthy. Video call friends and family often and keep in touch with your loved ones.

» Any tips on music to listen, books to read, film/tv shows to watch, anything like that?

For our Portuguese speakers, I recommend Valter Hugo Mãe, he's incredible. I am not sure how much the translations to other languages will capture the beauty and virtuosity from his Portuguese originals. Brilliant writer. I read "O Apocalipse dos Trabalhadores" e "o Filho de Mil Homens". Very dense, rich characters, and wonderful prose.

I read Brené Brown's "I Thought It Was Me (But It Isn't)" and enjoyed it a lot. Her Netflix special is brilliant as well.

As for music, I recommend Bill Bruford's Earthworks from circa 1999-2004, one of my favorite modern jazz groups. Bill's drumming is fantastic, and the writing and playing on these albums are top-notch. I got to see this group live and it had a big impact on me. Some of the albums from this 5 year period are: A Part, and Yet Apart (1999), The Sound of Surprise (2001), Footloose and Fancy-free (live, 2002)

I also revisited a lot of Rush's albums during this quarantine period, after the sad passing of their drummer Neil Peart earlier this year. I am a huge fan, and Neil's playing and overall attitude towards life and music also had a big impact on me.

Haven't seen much TV apart from the News and NBA.... so I am not sure what the new cool movies/series are. I'll take some recommendations!

» What are the best channels/social media for people to be following you?

My Instagram, Youtube channel, Facebook, and my website!

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» Conta um pouquinho sobre você?

Sou baterista/músico profissional há 30 anos. Sou Brasileiro mas moro atualmente em Nova York. Desde que cheguei nos Estados Unidos em 1999, quando ganhei uma bolsa de estudos na Berklee College of Music, tive muitas oportunidades de tocar e estudar com artistas fantásticos e alguns dos meus heróis da bateria. Desde então eu tenho tocado, praticado, ensinado e saído em turnê intensamente. Recentemente fui indicado a um Grammy como membro de um grupo/disco do grande Eddie Daniels (nosso disco seguinte acabou de sair em Agosto de 2020 pela Resonance Records). Em 2012 o disco “The Art of Samba Jazz”, do lendário pianista Brasileiro Dom Salvador recebeu o Prêmio da Música Brasileira (o evento mais importante do tipo no país) e me sinto honrado por ter tocado bateria nele, e também por ter colaborado com Salvador em diversos aspectos da produção. Sou extremamente grato por e honrado por ter trabalhado com artistas muito importantes em diferentes áreas e estilos, muitos deles ídolos meus: Hiromi, Eliane Elias, Toquinho, Prasanna, Eddie Daniels, Lee Ritenour, Dave Grusin, Esperanza Spalding, Keiko Matsui, Richard Bona, Paquito D’Rivera, Richard Galliano, Cristina Pato, Chuck Loeb, Romero Lubambo, Chico Pinheiro, Cláudio Roditi, Eldar Djangirov, Ivan Lins, Carmen Souza, Rosa Passos, Dom Salvador, Cidinho Teixeira, Toninho Horta e muitos outros. Uma das minhas coisas preferias é trabalhar no estúdio - eu toquei em mais de 100 discos até hoje. Além do meu trabalho como músico de apoio, tenho também 2 discos com o meu nome, onde eu cuidei também da produção, arranjos, composição e bateria: 7 Lives (2009) e Upside Down Looking Up (2017). Algumas das minhas colaborações incluem: DIG TRIO (2003) com o guitarrista Gustavo Assis Brasil; MOZIK (2011) com o pianista Gilson Schachnik; e GLASSES, NO GLASSES (2014) com a baixista Amanda Ruzza. Em 2018 acabei sendo finalista no 23º USA Songwriting Competition em duas categorias diferentes, com músicas do meu disco mais recente.

Também trabalhei extensivamente como professor e educador, e tive o privilegio de tocar em clínicas, workshops e também de trabalhar como professor em diversos programas de educação musical na América do Sul, Estados Unidos e Europa. Pra saber mais informações sobre a minha carreira, musica e projetos, visite meu site.

» Como a quarentena afetou o seu trabalho?

Tem sido tempos bem difíceis para todos os artistas. Todas as nossas atividades entraram em pausa: sem turnês, sem shows ao vivo, sem viagens, etc. Então na maior parte do tempo tenho estado em casa planejando atividades pro futuro, e aproveitando o tempo pra aprender/experimentar com habilidades importante que eu preciso aprimorar: gravar em casa, mixar, compor mais, editar videos... Acabei não tendo acesso ao meu instrumento (a bateria) até a semana passada, então eu acabei ficando por volta de 5 meses sem propriamente tocar, tive que inventar maneiras de continuar praticando e mantendo minha técnica e mente musical ativa. Após os primeiros 40 dias mais ou menos, ficou claro também que eu precisava prestar atenção ao que eu estava comendo e eu tentei continuar me exercitando em casa, adaptando a minha rotina da academia. Fácil dizer, mas difícil de fazer!

» Você tinha algum grande plano pra 2020 que você teve que cancelar ou adiar? Qual foi o impacto na sua vida?

Estava planejando trabalhar em uma série de músicas originais, produzir, gravar todo mundo e filmar tudo, mas acabei me distraindo muitas vezes durante a quarentena. Outras ideias apareceram, outros projetos e outras colaborações. Então na verdade tenho estado bastante ocupado e tem sido interessante, mas tive que abrir mão de alguns dos meus planos do começo do ano. Acho que tudo acabará sendo feito, mas não como planejei inicialmente. Também tinha várias turnês e projetos de gravação que acabaram sendo cancelados ou adiados, como aconteceu com todos nós. Assim que as coisas estiverem um pouco mais sob controle, acredito que eles acontecerão novamente.

» Desde que a quarentena começou, você começou a trabalhar em algum projeto novo, um novo hobby, novas habilidades, etc?

Sim! Como mencionei antes, já que e estava mais em casa e com mais tempo, comecei a trabalhar em habilidades que todos nós precisamos pra produzir materiais e conteúdos online. Então tenho criado mais videos pro meu canal no YouTube (e aprendido mais sobre edição de video) incluindo uma série chamada “DRUMMIN’VENTIONS”. São videos baseados num solo improvisado de bateria que eu trago pra casa, e escrevo a música depois pra encaixar com o que eu toquei no instrumento. Aliás, em 2016 eu postei o meu primeiro vídeo dessa série, e foi você quem filmou, Leo!!

Tive a oportunidade de colaborar com diversos artistas fazendo “quarantine recording sessions” (sessões de gravação da quarentena), que consiste em todos gravando áudio e video de suas casas. Eu não tinha acesso à minha bateria, mas eu tinha meu cajon e alguns instrumentos de percussão. Me diverti muito gravando muitas músicas pra muitos amigos. Tenho praticado um pouco de piano, e escrevendo algumas músicas novas pra tentar avançar com meu novo projeto de música original... então espero que algumas músicas novas com meu grupo sairão logo.

» Se sim, tem algum lugar online onde a gente pode saber mais informações sobre?

Sim! Meu site tem versões de bateria  “play-along” de alguns dos videos da série “DRUMMIN’VENTIONS", para que os bateristas se divirtam interpretando as músicas de seus próprios jeitos. A série completa está no meu canal do YouTube. Recentemente eu também terminei de editar os vídeos do show de lançamento do meu disco em 2018 no Blue Note, em Nova York, então você consegue assistir o show inteiro lá. Estou constantemente postando materiais novos no meu canal do YouTube, Instagram e Facebook, então me siga por lá se quiser dar uma olhada em alguns dos projetos citados acima.

» Algum conselho para as pessoas que possam estar enlouquecendo e procurando por coisas pra fazer/tentar?

Tem sido bastante desafiador nos manter sãos e calmos... Acho que fazer coisas que gostamos, tentando manter um pequeno senso de normalidade em nossas vidas pode ajudar. No começo, acho que muitos de nós criamos uma lista (física ou em nossas mentes) de coisas que precisávamos fazer enquanto estivéssemos em quarentena. Muitos de nós não incluímos dormir, nos alimentar direito, se exercitar, meditar, relaxar, sair pra caminhar, etc, então rapidamente nos esgotamos (aconteceu comigo!). Então é importante escutar o nosso corpo e ser gentil com nós mesmos e nossas prioridades. É ótimo ter esse tempo pra fazer as coisas, mas já que estamos todos sob muito stress nesse momento por conta da pandemia, com insegurança econômica e financeira, e estamos todos confusos sobre como as indústrias e a economia vão caminhar daqui pra frente, nós temos que aproveitar um pouco do tempo e apreciar as pequenas coisas, enquanto vamos aprendendo sobre o futuro. Mantenha a calma e fique saudável, o mais importante nesse momento. Nós não conseguimos fazer nada se não estivermos saudáveis. Faça ligações de video com amigos e familia o tempo todo, e mantenha contato com as pessoas que ama.

» Alguma dica de discos pra ouvir, livros pra ler, filmes/series pra assistir, e coisas do tipo?

Para os que falam português, recomento o autor Valter Hugo Mãe, ele é incrível. Não sei o quão bem as traduções para outras línguas conseguem capturar a beleza e virtuosidade dos seus originais em português. Eu li “O Apocalipse dos Trabalhadores” e “O Filho de Mil Homens”. Escritor brilhante! Eu li “I Thought It Was Just Me (But It Isn’t)” da Brené Brown e gostei muito. O especial dela na Netflix também é brilhante.

Sobre música, recomendo os discos do Bill Brudford’s Earthworks entre 1999 e 2004, um dos meus grupos preferidos de jazz contemporâneo. A bateria é fantástica, e a composição e perfomance nesses discos são top de linha. Consegui ver esse grupo ao vivo e teve um impacto enorme em mim. Alguns dos discos desse período são: A Part, and Yet Apart (1999), The Sound of Surprise (2001), Footloose and Fancy-free (live, 2002).

Também revisitei vários discos do Rush durante essa quarentena, após o triste falecimento do baterista Neil Peart no começo desse ano. Sou um grande fã, e o estilo de tocar do Neil e sua atitude perante a vida e a música também tiveram um grande impacto em mim.

Não tenho assistido muita TV tirando notícias e a NBA, então não sei quais são as séries e filmes do momento. Aceito recomendações!

» Quais são os melhores canais/redes para quem quiser te acompanhar?

Meu Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, e meu website!

if you enjoyed this conversation, you may enjoy the other ones from the series by clicking here.

Quarantine Diaries: a conversation with Rogéria Vianna

(🇧🇷 Este texto está disponível na versão original PT/BR na segunda metade do post)

This is a series of conversations to explore how other artists and creatives are spending their time and energy during the quarantine. In today's episode: Rogéria Vianna.

(original picture by André Cunha)

(original picture by André Cunha)

» Tell us a little bit about yourself:

My name is Rogéria Vianna and I live in NYC since 2013. I’m a TV producer for shows like Manhattan Connection and Globo Notícia Américas. Besides that, I’m a partner in two companies: Duo Productions (in NYC) and Parla Marketing Digital (in Brasil). I’m also the author of the blog Vem Pra NY (or @vemprany on Instagram) where I give tips from the Big Apple that you can’t miss!

» How did the quarantine affect your work?

With the huge amount of activities I do, I didn’t get bored. I kept working normally from home, except for external videos shoots that we couldn’t do in the most critical months of the pandemic.

» Did you have any big plans for 2020 that you had to cancel or postpone it? what was the impact?

Since the beginning of the year, I had plans for opening these two companies that I am a partner. In the beginning, the pandemic paralyzed us, but in the end, we were able to visualize opportunities in both cases, so we kept going and opened it, going against the crisis. Another big challenge was to keep my Instagram active. Since I give tips about New York City, I couldn’t recommend restaurants, stores, or anything like that anymore. I had to change my approach a little bit and, besides the difficulties, I was able to go through this, keeping my daily posting rhythm. The biggest impact I had in this period was on my personal life: I lost my father to Covid-19.

» Since quarantine started, did you start any new projects, pick up any new hobbies, develop new abilities, etc?

I’ve been dedicating myself to studying a lot of the subjects related to my new businesses, and I’m finally having time to dedicate myself to cooking, which was never my strongest suit.

» If so, is there anywhere online we can see what you've been up to?

I end up trying recipes that I randomly see in the New York Times and on Instagram, like at @raizacostaofficial.

» Any advice for people who are losing their minds and looking for new things to do/try?

I’m a super active person and I confess that I didn’t think I would be able to survive the quarantine. In the first week, I got stuck and couldn’t do anything productive besides my obligations. After a while, I began to respect my own rhythm and look for other activities to spend my time in a better way. I started to do things I didn’t have room in my schedule to do before: meditating, reading a good book, watching movies, talking to friends, organizing my home. The best advice I can give is: don’t be too hard on yourself. If one day you wake up blue, wanting to spend the whole day laying down watching TV, it’s ok! The important thing is not to become your own enemy.

» Any tips on music to listen, books to read, film/tv shows to watch, anything like that?

I’ve been reading a lot and listening to Brené Brow’s podcasts, a big motivator for times like these. To watch, I really liked Self Made, Non-Orthodox, The Platform, The Great, and Tiger King.

» What are the best channels/social media for people to be following you?

The place I’m most active is on my Instagram, where I’ve been informing about the situation in NYC and also been doing a series of lives with different professionals.

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» Conta um pouquinho sobre você?

Meu nome é Rogéria Vianna e moro em Nova York desde 2013. Sou produtora de TV, produzindo os programas Manhattan Connection e Globo Notícia Américas, da Globo Internacional. Além disso, sou sócia de duas empresas: a produtora Duo Productions (em Nova York) e a Parla Marketing Digital (no Brasil). Também sou autora do blog Vem pra NY (@vemprany no Instagram) onde dou dicas imperdíveis da Big Apple. Ufa!

» Como a quarentena afetou o seu trabalho?

Com o tanto de atividades que exerço, não teve tédio. Continuei trabalhando quase normalmente de casa, exceto por filmagens externas que não conseguimos fazer nos meses mais críticos da pandemia.

» Você tinha algum grande plano pra 2020 que você teve que cancelar ou adiar? Qual foi o impacto na sua vida?

Desde o início do ano, tinha planos de abrir as duas empresas das quais sou sócia. A princípio, a pandemia nos paralisou, mas no fim das contas, conseguimos visualizar oportunidades em ambos os casos, então seguimos em frente e abrimos, remando contra a maré da crise. Outro desafio foi manter meu Instagram ativo. Como dou dicas de Nova York, não poderia mais indicar restaurantes, lojas, nada disso. Precisei mudar um pouco minha abordagem e, apesar da dificuldade, consegui passar por esse período mantendo o meu ritmo de postagens diárias. O maior impacto que sofri nesse período foi na minha vida pessoal: perdi meu pai, vítima de Covid.

» Desde que a quarentena começou, você começou a trabalhar em algum projeto novo, um novo hobby, novas habilidades, etc?

Tenho me dedicado a estudar bastante assuntos relacionados às minhas novas empreitadas e finalmente estou tendo tempo de me dedicar mais à culinária, que nunca foi meu forte.

» Se sim, tem algum lugar online onde a gente pode saber mais informações sobre?

Eu acabo fazendo receitas que vejo aleatoriamente no New York Times e no Instagram, como no perfil da @raizacostaofficial.

» Algum conselho para as pessoas que possam estar enlouquecendo e procurando por coisas pra fazer/tentar?

Eu sou uma pessoa muito ativa e confesso que achei que não seria capaz de sobreviver à quarentena. Na primeira semana, paralisei e não consegui fazer nada produtivo além das minhas obrigações. Depois, fui respeitando meu próprio ritmo e procurando atividades para aproveitar bem meu tempo. Passei a fazer coisas para as quais não tinha espaço na agenda: meditar, ler um bom livro, assistir filmes, falar com amigos que estavam afastados, organizar minha casa. O melhor conselho que posso dar é: não se cobre. Se um dia acordar desanimado e quiser passar o dia deitado vendo TV, tudo bem. O importante é não se tornar seu próprio algoz.

» Alguma dica de discos pra ouvir, livros pra ler, filmes/series pra assistir, e coisas do tipo?

Tenho lido muito e ouvidos os podcasts da Brené Brown, motivadora para momentos como esses. Para assistir, gostei muito de Self Made, Non-Orthodox, The Platform, The Great e Tiger King.

» Quais são os melhores canais/redes para quem quiser te acompanhar?

O lugar onde sou mais ativa é no meu perfil do Vem pra NY no Instagram, onde estou informando sobre a situação de Nova York e tenho feito uma série de lives com profissionais de diversos segmentos:

if you enjoyed this conversation, you may enjoy the other ones from the series by clicking here.

Quarantine Diaries: a conversation with Marcelo Perdido

(🇧🇷 Este texto está disponível na versão original PT/BR na segunda metade do post)

This is a series of conversations to explore how other artists and creatives are spending their time and energy during the quarantine. In today's episode: Marcelo Perdido.

(original picture by Ana Alexandrino)

(original picture by Ana Alexandrino)

» Tell us a little bit about yourself:

I'm Marcelo Perdido and I consider myself a "MusicVideoMaker" from Brazil. I consider my art a "Stranger Pop", mixing rock, frame-by-frame animation, and video. I have 5 albums released and a series of music videos I've made on YouTube.

» How did the quarantine affect your work?

At first, everything stopped, here in Brazil the whole thing wasn't well managed, for us artists all was left was the "Lives" to fight for the audience and try to monetize something, but people are out of resources, it's a bad time.

» Did you have any big plans for 2020 that you had to cancel or postpone it? What was the impact?

I've made a promise that I would play 20 concerts in 2020, it was the biggest plan of my career. I just released a new record last June and have no plans to play concerts for a while.

» Since quarantine started, did you start any new projects, pick up any new hobbies, develop new abilities, etc?

I've studied digital collage in After Effects to make a video for a song in the new album, and I also started a series of talks with other artists I wanted to know better, it's called "Forçando Amizade" (Forcing Friendships) and it looks like a little tv show from the '90s.

» If so, is there anywhere online we can see what you've been up to?

You can watch the music video clicking here and the talk show clicking here.

» Any advice for people who are losing their minds and looking for new things to do/try?

We've lost the illusion that we could control or plan our near future, but the thing is that it was possible but never assured, we've always danced according to the music. I've been trying to plant seeds that can bring me something for after this is over, like studying new video techniques, but also already putting in action right now, because the future is something that doesn't exist yet.

» Any tips on music to listen, books to read, film/tv shows to watch, anything like that?

The tv show Kidding, from Michel Gondry with Jim Carrey. I've just watched it during quarantine and fell in love. It may be the best show I've seen in years!; I also recommend listening to my new record "Não tô aqui pra te influenciar", short songs about people missing other people; Also, this After Effects course I did at Domestika, an online platform I recently found out and have enjoyed!

» What are the best channels/social media for people to be following you?

My website is very thorough and you can also follow me on Instagram.

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» Conta um pouquinho sobre você?

Sou Marcelo Perdido e me considero um MusicVideoMaker do Brasil. Considero minha arte um POP ESTRANHO, misturando rock animação frame-a-frame e vídeo. Tenho 5 discos lançados e uma série de clipes que eu mesmo fiz no youtube.

» Como a quarentena afetou o seu trabalho?

A princípio tudo parou, aqui no Brasil a coisa não foi bem gerenciada, para nós artistas sobraram as Lives para disputar audiência e tentar monetizar algo, mas as pessoas estão sem muitos recursos, é um momento ruim.

» Você tinha algum grande plano pra 2020 que você teve que cancelar ou adiar? Qual foi o impacto na sua vida?

Fiz a promessa de que faria 20 shows em 2020, era meu maior plano de carreira, lancei meu disco em junho e não tenho previsão de shows por enquanto.

» Desde que a quarentena começou, você começou a trabalhar em algum projeto novo, um novo hobby, novas habilidades, etc?

Estudei colagem digital em after effects para fazer um clipe para uma canção do disco novo. Comecei uma série de conversas com artistas musicais que eu queria conhecer melhor, se chama Forçando Amizade e parece um programinha de TV dos anos 90.

» Se sim, tem algum lugar online onde a gente pode saber mais informações sobre?

O resultado do clipe pode ser visto clicando aqui e a nova série de conversas clicando aqui.

» Algum conselho para as pessoas que possam estar enlouquecendo e procurando por coisas pra fazer/tentar?

Perdemos a ilusão de que podíamos controlar ou planejar nosso futuro próximo, mas o fato é que isso era possível mas não certo, nunca foi uma certeza, sempre dançamos conforme a música. Eu tenho buscado tentar plantar coisas que possam dar frutos após este momento, como estudar novas técnicas de vídeo, mas aproveitando-as já no agora, pois o futuro é algo que ainda não existe.

» Alguma dica de discos pra ouvir, livros pra ler, filmes/series pra assistir, e coisas do tipo?

Kidding, série do Michel Gondry com o Jim Carrey, vi durante a quarentena e fiquei apaixonado, talvez a melhor série que eu tenha visto em anos; E recomendo ouvirem meu disco “Não tô aqui para te influenciar”, músicas curtas sobre pessoas sentindo falta de outras pessoas; Eu também fiz esse curso no Domestika, uma plataforma EAD a que conheci na quarentena e tenho adorado!

» Quais são os melhores canais/redes para quem quiser te acompanhar?

Tem o meu site que é bem completinho e também o meu Instagram.

if you enjoyed this conversation, you may enjoy the other ones from the series by clicking here.