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Singing together binds us together
Last Monday, I participated in a sit-in at Representative Judy Chu's office, urging her to rescind her signature on Discharge Petition no. 9. Our action was one that risked arrest, and one thing that kept us grounded in love was singing together. Ethnomusicologist Joseph Jordania says such communal music-making serves an evolutionary purpose, helping individuals to feel less fear and pain and act in the best interests of the group. In moments when I felt anxious, singing together brought me peace. I'm grateful for Teri of Ceasefire Choir for leading us in song.
Art changes hearts
Oscar Wilde says, "The emotions of man are stirred more quickly than man's intelligence; ... it is much more easy to have sympathy with suffering than it is to have sympathy with thought." Last month, I shared how Mary Gauthier once said to me in an elevator, "We have to write songs that make Republicans love trans people against their own will." Facts and truths don't just speak for themselves because we are not just brains on legs. People are moved to action when it's personal, and art is one vehicle that makes it personal.
Use more than one reverb together
I'm mixing a solo acoustic record for a friend right now, and he wrote me, "Beautiful reverb, love the amount of decay, color, and blend." I like to use two or more reverbs on a source sometimes, like a plate and a room. One reverb can be used for character, the other for "placement" in a space. Marc Daniel Nelson says mixing different reverbs together can impart a 3D sound. Try setting up multiple aux tracks, and mix and match different reverbs on each. You can also check out my other notes on using reverb to create depth.
Peace,
Arend