Like a Redwood

“Redwoods” by Mary Moore is one of those indie/pop inspirational songs that you’re likely to hear in the background of this year’s Black Beauty remake. I keep it in my personal playlist because if you haven’t noticed Forest Friends, I have an affinity for trees. She sings in the chorus:

“I wanna bend before I break, I wanna grow and learn to sway, Smile with the sun, and Dance in the dark, If the truth wasn’t wrong or right, then I’d find some peace of mind, as the seasons change, I’d have a rooted heart, I wanna learn to be like a redwood.”

I have found myself in a season of immense change, something that’s never come easily for me. Maybe you’re here too? With less Covid restrictions in the nation, it’s not all family reunions and vacations. There’s an inventory to be counted of the people and daily focuses in our lives that have permanently shifted. 2020 was as minuscule and hard, as 2019 was expansive and exciting. Sat in a socially distanced, outdoor library, I still wonder if the universe will do that beautiful karmic thing of cycling joy back into the spaces it has been vacant. As you are un-masking and venturing back outside, I encourage you to “be like a redwood”.

Reaching out with Every Branch

The MN Acting Studio in New York is a film/tv class space founded by Matt Newton, whom I auditioned for this past month and who offered me a spot in the TV/Film for Theater Actors July session! Getting super technical and artsy with a group of actors has brought me back into the theater-nerd headspace that I used to indulge in at Trinity Repertory Theatre every summer. It feels good to dive deep and find the flow once more. As I mentioned in my Getting Creative blog on The Gilded Age, actors need actors, if not only to remind ourselves that we’re not nuts for putting on characters and trying silly voices. The teacher Amy Russ pushes us to refine and intensify our choices so every expression that’s seen on camera is intentional.

Roots in the Soil

Mobile Mic Studios, run by musician and producer Spike Katz, is a fully mobile recording studio built inside a camper. It goes where the music is. Through that funny, little, highlight reel known as Instagram, I was introduced to Mobile Mic and started work as a production intern this month! With the accessibility of digital music creation, I was never without music collaboration, even during lockdown. However, making music in-person again has an energy that can’t be recreated over zoom. I’m excited to become a better producer and excited for the music that springs from this synergetic space!

Thank you to everyone who has watched, shared, and supported the “All You’ll Ever Need” music video! In under a month it has become my most viewed video on IGTV & YouTube! It takes a big team to create even a two person video. When you watch the video, you’re also supporting this whole list of creative people!

Fan played by: Wes Kader Produced by Bob Klein & Andrew Bernard Cinematography by Bob Klein Gaffer: Andrew Bernard Key Grip: Colin Liversidge Edited by Robby Moroz Best boy: JD Dejour Location Manager: Taso Z Shot on location at Set To Go Studios