{"id":2619,"date":"2020-12-19T12:07:05","date_gmt":"2020-12-19T17:07:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/vpms1.humber.smartmanagedservers.com\/scribemag\/?p=2619"},"modified":"2023-04-05T15:38:34","modified_gmt":"2023-04-05T19:38:34","slug":"making-music-remotely","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/humberjournalism.com\/scribemag\/arts\/making-music-remotely\/","title":{"rendered":"Making Music Remotely"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"
Chynna Lewis plans to release an EP after the release of her single Mind and Soul.<\/em>
\u00a9 Jen Squires<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

By Christian Collington<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Musicians are among the last to get back to business during the pandemic, though they have been willing to adapt to the unpredictability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pandemic posed a challenge for Nikhil Patel, better known as Niekoh, during the summer months because of isolating from loved ones and staying within his household. The Toronto-based rapper recalled that the restrictions were like a roller coaster and it made it hard for him to focus artistically. Music is like breathing to him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo, it kind of put a mental strain on me,\u201d Niekoh said. \u201cIt was kind of like having a little bit of artistic block. I felt like everything was generic because the restrictions weren\u2019t allowing me to further expand on or to further think outside the box.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of recording his music, doing it at home isn\u2019t an option. Living in a shared space means being courteous and respectful to those around you, who are also working from home. \u201cI can\u2019t be blasting rap music at 9 a.m. So, I go to the Rehearsal Factory and I lock myself in for six hours. Six hours is a very long time if I just stay diligent and focused.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being locked in has helped Niekoh remain consistent while creating his solo album titled ‘Niekohrazon.’<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been trying to find my sound, and I guess I was going through a rough patch,\u201d Niekoh said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Streaming services have become a beacon of hope for independent musicians such as Alan Shoesmith, a guitar-based instrumentalist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s good for independent artists because the people aren\u2019t necessarily asking for your specific song, but you can end up just coming up randomly,\u201d Alan said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Making music from home wasn\u2019t a choice for Alan either. The pandemic hadn\u2019t prevented him from collaborating with others on music as there are other ways to work together, including chatting online or talking over the phone. Bouncing ideas around through email also works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf I do want to work with other people, I just work with people who have a similar setup on their end,\u201d Alan said. \u201cWe don\u2019t have to be in the same room to work on the music together. Like I work with Matt Daly and I basically start here and send him something, and we might chat over Facebook Messenger.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to making music at home, the one thing independent musicians don\u2019t have to worry about is deadlines, because they work on their own schedule. However, there\u2019s always the drive to maintain a constant stream of material. \u201cI try to put out something every three weeks to a month,\u201d Alan said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Alan Shoesmith has been making music ever since he first picked <\/em>
up a guitar, which was in high school.<\/em>
\u00a9 Suzanne Blythe<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Spotify\u2019s algorithm allows an independent musician\u2019s stream to gradually build over time. Listeners can stumble on your music through playlists curated by mood, or through genre-based playlists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pandemic allowed Dr\u00e9 Anthony, another Toronto-based rapper, to gain more listeners for his debut mixtape ‘Dice.’ The mixtape was released back in March, at the beginning of the pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMost people would do a little promotion or whatever; I didn\u2019t,\u201d Anthony said. \u201cI kind of put it together and decided to make the project. I felt that whoever listened to it, there will be those that don\u2019t like it and those that do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The feedback that Anthony received on the mixtape was positive, though it wasn\u2019t Dr\u00e9\u2019s main focus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t want to really think too much about it because I feel like if you put certain expectations to a degree, then you might end up killing the sport,\u201d Dr\u00e9 said. \u201cI\u2019m satisfied with the results I got.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now with a mixtape released, Dr\u00e9 moved over to supporting visuals for the mixtape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI got to a certain point where I was ready to release a visual,\u201d Dr\u00e9 said. \u201cI wanted to go with the vibe of the song because it was all about grinding and I wanted to showcase that I never stop grinding, I never sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chynna Lewis is a singer-songwriter, and the pandemic allowed her to spend a lot of time focusing solely on different aspects of music. Although Chynna did take time away from social media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was very aware of breathing space on social media for the Black Lives Matter movement, the COVID-19 thing, just a lot of social justice issues,\u201d Chynna said. \u201cSo, for me, it didn\u2019t feel right to be plugging music when we were trying to support voices that weren\u2019t being heard. So, my sharing of music came to a halt.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chynna has been gearing up to release a full EP and has gone into studios to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt first it was a little bit of sussing out what that would look like and how everyone was feeling, how I was feeling about being back in the studio,\u201d Chynna said. \u201cIt kind of felt like being at the grocery store for the first time, like, \u2018Do we social distance? Do we wear masks?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the questions early on before entering the studio, Chynna believed that returning to the studio was a good choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Isaiah Gibbons, a freelance drummer and producer, has been in a studio during the pandemic, because it\u2019s his own. Isaiah opened WESTEND Studios in the fall and has been working with musical artists from around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Isaiah Gibbons plans to make music for himself.<\/em>
\u00a9 Rene\u00e9<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI had a friend, and he came all the way from Ottawa. We\u2019re working on a song that he proposed,\u201d Isaiah said. \u201cI had a group from South Korea called ‘1415.’ They\u2019re kind of like R&B vibes. I was producing one track and playing on that same song.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Isaiah has been able to operate his studio from his parents\u2019 renovated basement, but also enter other studios during the pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of the many ways that the musicians are continuing to make music or hone their craft, doing it in a virtual setting has set the music industry on a different pace. With a focus on digital content, it\u2019s really about getting music out there and just waiting for when concerts and everything else in the music industry return. In the meantime, they\u2019ll be just fine.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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