This took me a few hours but I found it super useful, especially the residencies part. I never looked into it and didn’t think a residency for someone like myself would exist. But after looking it seems really interesting to perhaps apply and see if can be accepted.
The education one was also interesting, as well as the unions, I never knew what they offered, including public liability insurance! Labels, galleries, festivals, gatekeepers, it all helped me realise what I have and what I can get. It was good to write this all down.
I looked at table 6 and thought it was helpful and exciting to understand the different levels of ecosystems within being an artist. Specifically, everything you have to do and know in order to flourish in these environments. I’m glad to see that a lot of it I do already. Networking, learning new skills, sharing work, helping others and being part of a community.
I will now do the exercise and consider the art ecologies that could help sustain my work and being a professional artist.
Firstly I think for what I want to do a network of close and expanded groups of people is the defining thing. To have others that do similar work, record and perform together live. Do projects that can feature each other, share equipment, sharing each other’s works. Promoting each other and co-existing is super important. On a large scale, being multiple countries and other teams of people or groups to a smaller scale being close friends, close colleagues of musical/creative endeavours,
Secondly, I think to have knowledge of the independent music industry. Despite my hatred for the major label music industry, the independent music industry is currently flourishing and is what I enjoy working with. Knowing the right label would be a huge help for me, I want to release my work through an independent label that could promote me in the correct way and get the right people to listen and help distribute and promote my new work, help to get me on tour and expose more of my work.
Thirdly I think working for others and giving back is the last step for my ecosystem, charity Audioactive is something I’ve been part of for years, running workshops where I teach young people to engineer/produce music and songwrite.
I thought I’d start this first post by speaking about where I am and what I’ve done throughout this course.
Firstly I think I don’t care about a professional future, or looking for something in the industry or any sort of industry in general. Since being a young child, I’ve been making music, producing, rapping and being creative. When I was younger with some friends we got signed and got a big record deal. Went to LA and it all ended in tears and huge egos. After that point, coming to university and following my love for sound, research and knowledge I’m sat in a strange position where I feel like I don’t really care anymore. I just enjoy the pursuit of creative expression and thought processes and ways of thinking. So I think if anything it’s been good to rewire my brain into thinking about what I want. I also really enjoy engineering and the production of audio. I would like potentially to own my recording studio.
During my studies at LCC and outside of it. I have spent a lot of time making music, field recording, using graphic scores, creating radio pieces, and running a radio show on Loose FM. Released an album on Vinyl. Received PRS artist funding. Went on a DIY tour around Europe. Recorded and produced an album coming out soon as well. Created numerous sound pieces and exhibited them in our course at Gallery 46. I have also recently acquired a job as a studio assistant for a company, half-time work until graduation which will become full-time. It’s fun but not the end goal.
I think my focus during this module will be on audio production and self-releasing artist. I would love to be part of the DIY creative arts scenes in Europe and London and the rest of the world. And record/engineer the people who are part of these scenes. To be a nomad and travel and stay in these communities and live off your own music is a goal most are interested in and I am also.
For the first week, we had to construct an artist statement and reflect on previous and future work and activities we have engaged in. I found it hard to differentiate between more professional work that I engage in and other creative work in terms of my own musical releases. I decided to make a rough draft while in the lecture on a combined artist statement.
Dereck de Abreu Coelho is a sound artist and experimental musician who’s interest lies in using samples in left field musical compositions, flipping records and any audio source into new contextualised pieces and also the use of field recording and listening in environments, what can we learn from listening and can sound bring awareness to these issues? Their work aims to bring awareness to sound and our relationship with it, what can we learn from listening and reusing sounds into different contexts and using audio as a platform to exchange ideas. Furthermore the importance of sound in environments and how listening and soundscapes affect us. Works such as Who Sold My Soul? Explore the similar idea of sonic representation and expression with sample based works, further presenting the artists ideas of sampling as a tool or reflection of themself and society.
Work in progress artist statement
I think perhaps I might make another one that is just professional and another just musical or from a sound artist lens. And also do further research into the links within the moodle page.
I also filled out this chart of describing areas and sections that interest me. This helped me understand more towards what I am inclined to be passionate about or currently am. Sometimes putting things down on paper make you see exactly what you are thinking.
