Brief Return

The Sonic Pavilion Festival, one of many events at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion this summer in Chicago, is a series of six sound-bath experiences underneath the metal bird’s nest that envelopes you in a canopy of curious and imaginative worlds. Caught in the late afternoon, end-of-summer dead heat, I laid on the grass in the center of it all. My best friend and I had randomly scheduled meetings throughout our stay-cation week in the city and I chose this peaceful installation to take my first zoom-call. I dashed out of the bird nest to hear better as one artist’s soundscape of airplanes and Taiko drums boomed. Returning to the nest, I was surrounded by a piece that that summarized my emotion better than I could articulate on my first day walking around Chicago since I was flown out in a hurry. (I think you know when.)

Natalie Chami, aka TALsounds composed “Along Dusk” with analog synthesizers and non-sensical, but floating vocals. If the Chicago sky, with numerous airplanes, a thriving metropolis and vast, empty lake at its edge had a soundtrack, it would be this. Chami wrote about her piece:

“This is the last piece I have the honor of creating before my move away from Chicago after making this city my home and community for the last 16 years. I struggle with transitions, and the monumental energy and perseverance I have needed to get through this move can be traced throughout the piece…the last movement I recorded in the depth of feeling very tired and the improvised lyrics are about coming out of the pandemic and focus on the hope that all of us can learn to be more compassionate with ourselves.”

I let my mind take a break and let Chami’s piece take over me. For I had made Chicago my home for nearly 4 years. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to take this trip back to the second city. I struggled with questions of, “Would the memories be too much? Would I feel unwanted and out of place, no longer a student on campus? “Would taking time off work to visit a place I already knew, but with friends I love be a waste of money?” Chami wrote her piece to find compassion with ourselves, a concept I am slowly learning. It took a lot of convincing from my friends and family to buy the plane ticket. Being gentle with myself, and spending money when it seems impractical, isn’t remotely easy for me. Somehow I arrived, and day by day throughout my week in Chicago, friends I hadn’t seen in over a year, reminded me of who I wanted to be before I flew out, and that I am never unwanted.

There is a time for work, but if some person or some place may bring you peace to visit, go.

Mobile Mic Marketing

Remember when I did PR for the Chicago Feminist Film Festival? It ‘s been a while but I’m back at it again with an independently-owned music studio “Mobile Mic”. It’s surprisingly comfortable to open up my business brain again, draft some emails and design some posters for another creative brand. As a freelancing, introverted actor/musician, remote marketing suits me and my schedule. Not to mention the high I get from aggressively typing boss-ass emails and hitting send (No? Just me? You don’t also feel a rush of power in having control over the presentation of a brand? mhm. You should try it some time.)

I’m still stepping in to the studio as assistant producer when an open session beckons. My production skills are growing and I won’t lie, the music I hope to release this winter will contain some of the cleanest waveforms I’ve ever mixed.

Which brings me to, FOREST FRIENDS! This past month we’ve grown from a following of 7, to 30! Thank you for listening, sharing, and writing the music that I can happily feature in our little community. Enjoy the October spooky edition. =)

Audition, Audition, Audition

For all of July and August, I refined my craft at the MN Acting Studio. In September I wanted to see what all that sharpening could do. The MNActing Studio’s format is demanding in that they ask you to memorize scripts in little as 24 hours, be damned whatever work schedule you already have, in order to simulate the experience of a working film/tv actor. I would not be okay right now without that summer of training. I am happy to say I have been averaging 3 auditions a week, all with quick turnarounds, but I feel completely prepared. I finally have my hat in the ring. There’re a lot of actors in this world, but every script is a fresh serving of hope. Every audition whispers “maybe this time..”