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Empowering the Next Generation of Women in Audio

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Meet Liina of LNA Does Audio Stuff

Liina Turtonen is an independent music producer and educator. She also runs YouTube channel LNA Does Audio Stuff. She also co-owns an organization called Equalize Music Production, where they teach Ableton Live and production for women.

Liina got interested in audio seven years ago while traveling around Europe. She ended up in Glasgow where she says it changed her life “ at that point I wanted to be an actress but got sucked into the electronic music world and music production through my new Glaswegian friends. At that time I worked in a club and every night after work, when I couldn’t sleep, I started to make funny songs for my friends back in Finland with GarageBand and a £1 microphone from Poundland.”

She grew up around music, most of her family are musicians and she went to a music orientated school, as well as conservatoire since she was five playing violin and piano. She says during her teen years she says “ I started to hate all music as I never felt it was my way to express myself (although I have always written my own songs and never stopped). But finding this new way of making music in Glasgow gave me freedom from classical music and allowed me to play sound in my own terms. I got in to study Commercial Music in Ayr, where I was introduced to proper music studios and after that, I never looked back. I still live in the UK, did my masters in production and now work as a professional music producer.”

Liina plays violin, piano, and guitar, and also sings and writes her own songs. Her debut album, which she produced and everyone involved were women, was published in 2017 and since then she has released two singles and an EP. New EP should be coming out in 2020. She works under her artist name LNA.

Liina started her YouTube Channel LNA Does Audio Stuff in February of 2019. The channel has given her visibility where people can view her portfolio and see who she is. Liina says in the beginning “ it worked mostly as a portfolio when I was searching for work, but after a while, people started contacting me for production, teaching, and workshops because they saw my channel or someone shared it with them. The job opportunities I managed to gain were all in many different areas: festival workshops, panel discussions, sound design for a dance company, etc. I feel that I am still in early career but the network of people I have gained in past years is growing and giving me faith in the future.”

LNA Does Audio Stuff now has over two thousand subscribers and features tutorials, reviews, vlogs, and fun audio challenges. The channel also aims to give a platform to minorities in the audio industry and show diversity on social media, to inspire more girls and young women into technical industries. SoundGirls recommends checking out LNA Does Audio Stuff.

We talked Liina about her career path so far.

What is a typical day like?

I really don’t have a typical day as my work changes so much each day. I make myself a list of things I need to do in that week or day and work through that. Only things I have a strict schedule for Youtube videos (I post every single Sunday) and teaching. Most days I might have meetings in the morning and then I film, plan, edit or produce/mix the rest of the day. Yoga is part of my day as well because sitting by a computer all day would otherwise kill my back.

How do you stay organized and focused? 

I like making lists and time schedules/ deadlines for myself. If something is on the list I need to do it. Also deciding to post every Sunday was really good for me as it gives me a goal that I need to obey and even if I don’t feel like filming, as soon as I start doing it I feel much happier and proud of myself.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I enjoy the freedom of doing what I want and the feeling of accomplishment when I hit the targets. The best thing is to get messages and feedback from people and especially girls and women, who have seen my videos and have started music production because of it. That is why I do it, and those messages encourage me to work harder and make more content.

What do you like least?

Editing. It is so painful to go through hours of film of you trying to articulate something to the camera. After the rough edit, the editing becomes more fun when I can put down effects and all funny clips that can make the video entertaining.

What is your favorite day off activity? 

I love planning and filming my videos. Usually, I plan my video first step by step. Then I get ready (yoga, shower, make up) and go to my studio to film. Mostly I film alone, but sometimes I have guests in the studio. At first, I was really tense in front of the camera but doing this over a year, every single week, it started to get easier and I really have fun now doing the clips.

What are your long-term goals?

I would love to grow my channel and make more interactive content to support women in music and get more girls and women into production. I have a documentary coming out this year (done together with Music Production for Women), where we follow the journey of a female singer-songwriter to learn to produce her owns songs. This is the content I want to concentrate more on, but also make more fun and inspirational films about music production. Other dreams include producing a song for a Drag Queen and owning my own women-led studio.

What if any obstacles or barriers have you faced? 

I would say my own confidence is the biggest barrier sometimes. I don’t like the moments when I feel that nothing is working and I am doubting the whole Youtube idea. I am so glad to have a partner to encourage me in those moments of doubt. In the beginning, I thought all the sexist and nasty comments under my videos would be a barrier for me, but now I think they are just ridiculously funny, and to be honest, I think they encourage me to make more and more content. Also, with more comments under a video, the better algorithm Youtube gives the video, so surely I should thank them for helping me to get more visibility.

How have you dealt with them? 

Keep on working. I give myself the time to rest and be sad sometimes, but the next day I start working again. Also giving myself deadlines make me work harder and realising that feeling like a failure sometimes is ok, as it makes me work harder, and then success feels much nicer.

The advice you have for other women and young women who wish to enter the field? 

Every idea is a good idea. You might not succeed with all the ideas, but if you don’t try you won’t know. Don’t sit and wait for the opportunities to come to you, but create your own opportunities. Then when someone gives you an opportunity, you will be ready to show what you got. Also, don’t ask for validation from people (especially your family) if you believe in your idea/dream then go and do it. As you are in charge of your own success. These are the things I have learned recently and when I started applying these ideas to my life, things actually started to happen in my career.

Must have skills? 

It’s a bit cheesy, but I think the best skill is to believe in your own skills. But if talking about audio, then I would say: become a master in using the audio manipulation features in your DAW, so that you could make a whole song just by using one sample. This skill will take you far.

Favorite gear? 

Absolutely Ableton Push 2. On my channel, I have so many videos on it and when you watch then you will know why it is my favourite. It’s just so powerful and great for everything.

Anything else you want to add or contribute

Here is a list of female and gender minority-run audio YouTube Channels, feel free to add anyone you might know.

To showcase how many amazing women and gender minority people there are running audio YouTube channels, I have created a list of all the ones I know and I’ll update it when I discover new ones: https://lnamusic.com/2020/04/15/female-audio-youtubers-you-need-to-follow/

Please let me know if you know anyone who was not on the list!

Find More Profiles on The Five Percent

Profiles of Women in Audio

You are not a unicorn: The transferable skills you already have

I have written before about the need to have a back-up plan for when times are tough What’s Your Plan B. We literally work in a gig economy and there are plenty of reasons why you might not be able to make ends meet solely through audio. Whether it’s an injury, family illness, recession or global pandemic keeping you from working, or you simply want a bit of a change for a while, knowing you have an alternative job you can fall back on (preferably one you can do in any health, from anywhere) can be invaluable.

Unfortunately, we in the live music industry like to think we’re a totally unique, ragtag bunch of misfits, who’ll never be able to stick a “normal” job. I’ve been told many times that the only way out of live audio is to move into a less physically demanding role that is still in the industry, like production management or an office job with a hire company (or death!), because our talents are so idiosyncratic and we just don’t fit in anywhere else. This exceptionalist mentality can even extend to calling people outside the industry “muggles” or even “civilians” like we’re a band of magical Navy SEALs. The bad and good news is we are not as special as we like to think. If you’re considering an alternative career or just supplementing your income, there is hope. You already have plenty of transferable skills that you can use to your advantage. Here are just a few of them:

You’re self-motivated: If you’re a freelancer, you know you need to hustle for every gig. You organise your own education and training, network like your life depends on it and keep up to date with industry news. Even if you’re a full-time employee you will still do most of these things. At work you are task-orientated, managing your time and prioritising your workflow without direct supervision so everything is ready for doors.

You’re hard-working: You work long hours in a job that is both physically and mentally demanding and you take it in your stride. Have you ever had to sympathise with a friend who complained about having to do a nine-hour shift in retail? Or someone who had to stay in their office until 8 pm to finish paperwork? All the while thinking about the forty-five hours you had put in over the previous three days? Of course, every job has its own challenges, but long hours are not something you shy away from. Neither is lugging heavy flight cases across a field or literally getting your hands dirty pulling cables.

You’re a team-player: While you can be trusted to get on with working by yourself, you also have plenty of experience as part of a team. You’ve probably worked with difficult colleagues, in tough circumstances, and still made the show a success. If you’ve led an audio crew or worked with stagehands, you have evidence of leadership and delegation.

You’re flexible: When was the last time you did a gig where everything was exactly as you expected it to be? Channel list updates, technical faults, late arrivals, and spontaneous changes to the schedule are part of our everyday lives. Similarly, you might be patching a festival stage one day, doing FOH for a conference the next, and fitting mics for a musical the day after that. We are used to change and know how to adapt to each situation.

You’re smart!: Even if, like me, you don’t have a formal qualification in audio, you have a massive working knowledge of acoustics, electronics, and software management. If you can read a console manual and stay awake through the whole thing, let alone understand it, you’re doing better than a big chunk of the general population. It’s easy to forget that we deal with some pretty complicated topics, but we do, and often in very challenging and time-constrained circumstances.

You’re an experienced troubleshooter: This is where all that frustration over technical issues was worth it. If you can look at a setup, imagine the signal flow in your head and work through each potential point of failure, you can look at the big picture in any situation and think about potential solutions to problems. Attempting fixes in a calm, logical, and methodical way, and keeping track of what does and doesn’t work, can be a highly useful but surprisingly rare skill in many work environments.

You’re multilingual: You are so fluent in tech-speak you don’t even notice it anymore. However, perhaps, more importantly, you can also talk like a normal human and can speak client. Good communication skills are paramount in any job, and they don’t solely involve talking. Effectively listening and truly understanding what’s being said is just as important, if not more, as making yourself understood. Being able to interpret and respond to nerd-speak or a musician’s complaint that their monitors sound a bit too.. you know… green… or floooshy…, or effectively and diplomatically translating what the issue is to the non-technical end client, is an incredibly valuable talent that can be applied to countless work scenarios.

You’re calm under pressure: Gigs are some of the most stressful work environments in the world: extremely tight time constraints, expensive and complicated equipment that could ruin the whole gig if any failure occurs, and rooms full of intoxicated and excitable crowds. It’s like if someone had an hour to prepare their big presentation for corporate while being jostled by drunk people who keep spilling their beers on the keyboard. We deal with that level of acute stress on a daily basis, and we’ve learned to remain calm and think clearly throughout.

According to this Forbes article, The 7 Transferable Skills To Help You Change Careers, the seven most sought-after traits in job postings are technical skills, communication, critical thinking, multi-tasking, teamwork, creativity, and leadership. If you can solve a technical issue, work with your department to fix it, and keep your client updated on your progress while keeping soundcheck rolling, you’ve just demonstrated all seven of those traits without even thinking about it.

Whether you’re looking to change career or just diversify a little, you already have a solid skillset to help you. Listing your strengths accompanied by real-life examples can show potential employers how you’re a better fit for the position than they might think from simply seeing your job history. This article from the UK job site Indeed has good guidelines for how to adapt your resume (CV) for a change of direction. Our industry might be very unusual, but that doesn’t mean we’re doomed to become institutionalised. Of course, we’re all special and as unique as snowflakes, just like everybody else, but we can be rehabilitated to adapt to “normal” jobs. Find something that interests you and give it a go. You can always re-enlist in the magical Navy SEALs if it doesn’t work out.

Royer Labs and SoundGirls Present Ribbons 101 Webinar

Ribbons-101

Ribbon microphones “hear” sound more like the human ear than any other microphone type.

Ribbons-101 is a 90-minute class that utilizes sound samples, photos, and videos to teach WHY ribbon mics reproduce sound so naturally and will share valuable insight on how to use ribbons most effectively.

Questions are welcome at any time throughout the presentation and if participants need additional information or more audio/visual materials, the class can be extended for as long as needed.

Presenter: John Jennings is one of the owners and founders of Royer Labs and is the company’s VP.

May 7th at 4:00 PST

Register Here

Zoom Webinar link will be provided in advance of the class.

This webinar is limited to 30 people.  We will offer additional webinars for people on the waiting list.

Using OBS for Content Creation

OBS

I wanted to share some of my tips and setup for digital video recording since I have been utilizing it a lot in the past couple of months. My students have been moved online for the past couple of months, and I had to find a way to still have them produce content with what they had available, usually just a laptop, interface, and a microphone at best.

OBS Studio – Open Broadcaster Software – is free open-source software that I have been using heavily for both recording my desktop and cameras as well as live streaming to YouTube. I have been using it on my MacBook Pro, but it works for PC as well. It has allowed me to set up many scenes, similar to how I would TD something with a video switcher. Graphics, video playback, transitions are all supported within the platform. You can use this to generate so much content, especially if you want to voiceover while working with software and don’t want to do extensive editing later on – this allows you to live switch or simply set up a picture in picture scene.

When you download OBS, it will walk you through an auto-configuration wizard that finds the best settings that will work for your computer. If you are working on a Mac, you will also need to download drivers that allow you to capture the computer sound.

Once configured, you will have a blank slate – just 1 scene without any sources. Work through your signal flow, you will need to add each source individually to start.  Once you have a few that always work together, you can group them or make a scene with your standard setup.

 

Scene 1

Click on the + under sources to add your first source – this will be your microphone.

Click on the + under sources to add your second source – your Display Capture. This is how you will capture the keynote, website, software, whatever it is that you will want to capture for your recording. You will need to grab the red edges of the screen capture to resize it.

Scene 2

Create Scene 2. Select the Audio Source from the first scene and paste it into your Sources for Scene 2. Add a different video source – your camera. This can be your built-in FaceTime camera or any webcam. Resize it.

 

 

Scene 3

Create Scene 3. Select your audio & video sources from Scene 2 and paste them into Scene 3. Copy and paste the Display Capture from Scene 1 into Scene 3. You should have 3 sources now! Resize your Display Capture to make room for your camera, this will be your Picture In Picture scene!

Switching Between Scenes

In the bottom right, select STUDIO MODE. This will allow you to preview what scene is coming up next. You can set up shortcut keys, or just use your UP/DOWN arrows to switch between the scenes. Leave it on the PIP if you want to keep it simple. Select Start Recording, notice the record time in the bottom. Full-Screen your presentation, software, whatever you are using, and do your thing. You may need to trim the beginning and end off, but you can do that easily within Quicktime or even within Youtube.

There are a lot of amazing controls within this software, including graphics and transitions. I hope this tutorial helps clear up any confusion when first getting started with OBS. I would love to create more tutorials in the coming months once you’ve gotten aquatinted and are ready for the advanced features.

 

Choosing the Right DAW

 

Your Digital Audio Workstation – or DAW for short – is the noble companion to every producer’s life. Having the correct DAW can have a major impact on your workflow so it’s essential to choose the right one for you.

There are many great DAW’s to choose from like Pro Tools, Logic Pro X, Ableton Live, FL Studio, Garageband, Cubase, and many more. In my opinion, it’s vital to do some research and narrow down which system meets your needs.

To aid this, I’ve broken down my experience with some of the major players Pro Tools, Logic Pro X Ableton, and Garageband to try and compare my experience using each one.

Garageband – Beginner Level / just starting out 

Garageband was the first DAW I used and it really helped me fall in love with producing music. I believe Garageband to be very user-friendly and the basic layout and features make it easier to understand if you’re just starting out. If you don’t have an Apple computer, I believe audacity is a great start for windows users.

Logic Pro X – Bedroom Producers / Ideal for singer-songwriter-producers

In my opinion Logic Pro X is the best bang for your buck. If you’ve come from using Garageband the layout is very familiar and you have the option to show or hide some of the advanced features. It comes with a wide range of software instruments and plug-ins that make it ideal for bedroom producers that don’t have access to live musicians.

Pro Tools – Great for recording / Industry Standard

To quote my sound production lecturers ‘it’s the industry standard’. If you want to make producing your profession and you dream of working in different studios, Pro Tools is the DAW to learn. In my experience, the learning curve is quite steep and sometimes can be a bit fiddly in places. However, once you find your way around, it’s great.

Ableton Live – You want to play live what you produce

Ableton is great if you want to make music and then perform it live. Its capabilities are incredible and I love that you can just create a beat on the spot and then add in melodies on the fly.

To conclude, all of these DAW’s are great for making music and I really recommend trying a few out to see what feels right. Most of the DAW’s mentioned come with free trials so take advantage of that and see what feels right.

Be Resilient

 

Wow, have things been tough lately! Significant sections of our industry came to a screaming halt in a matter of days, if not hours. All of it out of our hands, as we wait for the day we are allowed to gather in large groups again. Sadly, at this point, we just have to sit back waiting to see what happens, though we all know it will come back one day. Our industry is about community between concerts, lectures, outdoor movies, festivals, and more. We bring communities together and when this virus has passed, communities will be stronger than ever. For now, we must wait out the storm, which is easier said than done for most of us since we all have concerns regarding paying bills, staying engaged and employed, being able to buy basic life needs, remaining mentally healthy, physically strong, and so much more.

Barring a global pandemic as individuals we encounter different issues and problems throughout our careers and life. How we choose to deal with this rollercoaster is extremely important. We must be resilient. We must be able to bounce back from the lowest of lows the industry has seen, but we must also be able to bounce back as individuals when faced with hard times.

When setbacks happen it’s ok to get upset. Be upset and work through the feelings you are having.  It is healthy to work through your emotions and know many of us are feeling the same. Believe it or not, we are working through the seven stages of grief which are shock, denial, anger, bargaining, depression, testing, and acceptance.  Now I am not going to go in-depth with the concept, but if you are struggling, look into this model and see if you can work through the process because it is important to process your emotions so you can move forward.

To move forward we need to work through our options. Some more favorable than others, but for each individual, it will be different. Options could be finding a new career path, finally opening your new business as you have desired for the last 10 years, and/or learn new skills and expand your horizons. Anything to move forward.  Get out of the rut that has occurred and pick yourself up because things will return to a new normal and we all will be a part of it in some way or another. This could look like a day of planning for your future, taking new classes, processing your long-term plans and taking steps to achieve them, reaching out to folks regarding new opportunities, and/or all of the above.

Most of us are between the phases of being upset and moving forward. We will likely stay this way until the government and society reset after this pandemic. Once we do it is very important to continue to process everything that is happening and to dive into the new.

Shut the door on the negative emotions and put everything into practice that you have done to be resilient and move forward.  Start putting your new plans into place. Open a storefront, teach the next generation about our industry, work that shows you’ve always wanted to, eat at your favorite restaurant, be within 6 feet of someone that’s not your family and so much more! (Ok maybe extended personal space is good) Take steps for yourself to gain back your momentum so you begin to reach your new goals. Before we know it, everything will feel right again. It is important to not get stuck in anger and grief.  We all have setbacks and although right now it is a global setback, there is still your individual impact and how you react. That is what will set you apart from everyone else. So be resilient, by processing the emotions you are experiencing, plan, learn, and change for what is to come, and dive in headfirst when this pandemic has passed.

 

Theater Production Webinar Now Online

SoundGirls and Modern Projects, Inc. presented an online panel of Theater Working Professionals where we discussed career trajectories, obstacles, access, success stories and more. The panel was moderated by Leslie Gaston-Bird.

If you missed it you can view it here

Panelists include:

Adrianna Brannon – Assistant Sound Engineer for HAMILTON US National Tour And Peggy Company
Anna-Lee Craig – Assistant Sound Engineer for HAMILTON Broadway
Mackenzie Ellis – FOH Engineer for DEAR EVAN HANSEN US National Tour
Tony Gayle – Associate Sound Designer for DEAR EVAN HANSEN London and TINA London, Hamburg and Utrecht
Em Gustason – FOH Engineer for BANDSTAND US National Tour
Rachelle Hough – Assistant Sound Engineer for HAMILTON US National Tour Philip Company
Anthony Jones – FOH Engineer for HAMILTON US National Tour Angelica Company
Jessica Paz – Sound designer for HADESTOWN, Associate Sound designer for DEAR EVAN HANSEN
Nevin Steinberg – Sound designer for HAMILTON, DEAR EVAN HANSEN, HADESTOWN, and TINA: THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL
Emma Thomson – FOH Engineer for DEAR EVAN HANSEN London
Connor Wang – Assistant Sound Designer for THE CHER SHOW Broadway
Z Worthington – Assistant Sound Designer for TINA: THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL Broadway

13 Ways To Support Music and the People Who Make It 

To say the very least: It’s strange, strange times.  So many of us in this business has probably had months’ worth of work obliterated.  Or worse. Well, as Hunter S. Thompson said, “When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.”  So here are some ideas about how we (as a community and as musicians, ourselves) can keep music and the people who make music afloat, alive, and a-thrive.  It’s time to turn pro, weirdlings.

  1. BUY MUSIC + MERCH.  Go as close to the artist as you can (IE: through their proprietary website or Bandcamp, rather than through Apple, etc.) and buy what you can afford.

  2. SUPPORT THROUGH PATREON or DIRECTLY.  Decide what you can manage and pick one, two, ten artists to support at even $1/month.  Most musicians have a Venmo account, you bet they do. Send them some $$ directly.

  3. BUY TICKETS TO LATER SHOWS, NOW.  Nothing lasts forever; not even the apocalypse.  Buy tickets to shows in, say, November 2020, or onwards, if you can.

  4. IF YOU HAD TICKETS TO CANCELLED SHOWS, CONSIDER DONATING THE MONEY TO THE VENUE OR THE ARTIST ANYWAY.  If you can, of course.  Or even a portion of. Non-profit venues (like the Freight & Salvage in Berkeley) help by making your donation tax-deductible.

  5. ASK WHAT WE NEED.  You’d be surprised – it might not (just) be money.  A friend went grocery shopping (gloves, wipes, mask) for me today.  (Thank you, Mimi. I hope you enjoy the kimchi.)

  6. EMPLOY US HOWEVER YOU CAN.  Get creative with this one.  Many of us do/make things that aren’t music.  (I need a new cutting board and just found out my local storyteller, Morgan, makes beautiful ones.)  Trades just got even more meaningful.

  7. TRADE.  Put it out there.  What do you have to offer?  What do you need? Imagine broadly.  Bank for later, if that works for you.  Peer outside the dollar box. It’s groovy out here, too.

  8. HOST or PLAY a LIVESTREAM SHO. My beloved, Pamela Samuelson, says, “Even a bathroom will do”; meaning you don’t need much space.  Live sound wizard Lolly Lewis explains, “People are listening through computers, so don’t bother too much, as it won’t end up mattering on the other end.”  Up to you! Play a show yourself, or, if you’re in quarantine with a musician, help them set one up, or if you’re a platform with an audience, be the “online venue” for them.  Hit me up if you want help with this. Genesis Fermin and I just hosted a festival that currently has about 36,000 views (in five days). That’s only to say: if a couple of buddies can pull this off, so can you.

  9. CATCH UP ON ADMIN.

    • Register ALL your released songs with your PRO, with Harry Fox, Music Reports, etc.

    • Sign up at SoundExchange if you haven’t.

    • Get all your music up on that Bandcamp page.  (Then tell people it’s there.)

    • Fix + update your website and social media sites.

    • Type your lyrics and put them on your website or LyricFind.

    • Edit and organize photos for FB or your website.

    • Get your sound files properly named and organized.

    • Make a list of back-logged thank-yous and write them.

    • Clear your desk.  Clear your floor. Get through that stack of paper.  Goddess-speed.

    • Edit your back-logged videos.  Post them or calendar them for posting.

    • With my thanks to Rex Strother for many-a-reminder.

  10. GET SOCIAL.  Pick one, two, ten artists and go boost their socials by liking, following, subscribing, etc., to their Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and on and on forever.  Invite folks to watch streaming shows. You get a cookie for making a post about someone’s music, sharing a photo or video, and being sure to tag them. It’s a cookie from my heart – easy on the belly and very low glycemic index.

  11. AMPLIFY, CODDLE, or GENERALLY LOVE ON SOMEONE.  Professionally or otherwise. Boost someone’s signal, as above, AND/OR If you’re feeling stuck in your own terror, look outside yourself.  Ask what you can do for a beloved, a neighbor, someone you barely know. It feels good to help someone else feel good and it’s fine to do that to make you both feel good.  (Thank you, Ash Fisher, for bringing me the best drawing ever.)

  12. REST.   As you can.  As much as you can.   All those red Xs on the calendar add up to one big opportunity to SLOW…..THE….FUCK….DOWN.  Writing as your friendly, neighborhood holistic health practitioner (yep, that’s what I do when I’m not making music… Did you know “there’s a plant for that”?) this is actually one of the best things you can do to support your immunity.  Yes, move your body and yes get fresh air and yes eat nutritious food. But truly: the presence of calm + sleep (and absence of stress) do more for your immunity than most things you could put in your body. Now’s your chance. Take that nap. Witch doctor’s orders.

  13. MOST IMPORTANTLY: TAKE TIME TO MAKE YOUR ART.  Once you’re done making sure your life, your family, your business is OK – and even in between, as that’s obviously a rolling concern –  USE THIS TIME. Practice. Play. Sing. Write. Stare. Listen. Be quiet. Take heart and let yourself be filled, even a little, even if it aches.

The world is not over; it’s changing.  We will come out the other side of this, loves.  Even if we look like Jodie Foster in a wormhole while going through it.  From saxophonist Phillip Greenlief, “Conceiving of a future seems the first step to realizing it.”  Chin up. Gaze inward and onward.

Here we go, together.

Yes, still.

Together.

Willa Mamet: Singer and songwriter, Willa was born in a trunk and raised by performers of all kinds. She’s made music since about that time, singing irrepressibly and playing piano and guitar. With her musical partner, Paul Miller, she recorded two albums, East Hill Road and Let Somebody Love You, both of which won the VT Times Argus “Tammy” Album of the Year in 2013 and 2015. Her next album will be born in Spring 2020. Meanwhile, she plays out sola, with Miller, and other beloveds, bringing her unique blend of rapier tongue and honey heart to her audiences. Hear the voice that Patti Lupone calls, “Heartbreaking. Musical. Contemporary and ancient.”

Willa lives in Oakland, CA, with her beloved upright, her uncle’s guitar, a whole lot of elderberry bushes, and her six-pawed cat. She travels. A lot. For music.

Read Willa’s Blog

Staying Creative at Home

 

Creativity is the use of the imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of artistic work.  Many of us can consider ourselves creative beings. Working in our field is a creative job compared to others. Being creative helps you become a better problem solver, develops confidence, and relieves stress.

During the past few weeks, many of us have been practicing social distancing and quarantined in our homes. During this time, it is very important for us to stay creative while working from home. Here are four tips you can exercise to help keep your creative juices flowing.

Work on a Passion Project

A passion project is a creative project of your choice that benefits yourself. Work on an album. Score music for a short film. Write a book. This is the perfect time to work on a project that brings you inner joy and happiness.  I am currently working on creating an instrumental EP.

Find Inspiration Online

I am usually inspired when I leave my home. Exploring the city, working a gig, and hanging out with other creative people. Now, I am getting my daily dose of inspiration online. I find watching motivational videos, reading books, and creative positive affirmations inspire me. Seeing others’ creative work can help inspire your next creative project. On Social Media, follow accounts that inspire you and encourage you to be your best and authentic self.

Never Stop Learning 

Continuing education is important. Never stop learning and being a student. There is always new gear and software to learn. This is the perfect time to research, read, and practice new skills you’ve been wanting to. Some companies are offering free online seminars as well as software discounts. Resources can be found here. I am currently learning Vectorworks Spotlight and Dante.

Just Start

Many times, we can talk ourselves out of a creative project. Negative thoughts such as “It’s not going to be good enough.” Or “I don’t think I can do it.” We can turn these negative thoughts into positive thoughts and positive actions. Just start. Overthinking is not needed when working on a creative project. Free yourself from self-judgment and see where you go. Enjoy the process.

Creating is important to many of us. I hope these tips can help you on your creative journey during these hard times. I recommend reading the book The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield. We can all win our inner creative battles.

 

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