DEIDRE: Freely Focused

posted by ashleigh

"Know what you're selling," are words I have heard repeatedly since my move to the city.  As aspiring creators, our hunger to try everything can so quickly dilute our effectiveness in actualizing one thing.  In a world saturated with young artists, it is so important to embark upon the creative journey with clear and deliberate intention in order to stand behind one's product and stand out in the market.  For songstress Deidre Muro, this focus boils down to three words: “Sassy, creepy, and fun" and, as long as she doesn't stray from this recipe, her music is interesting, original, and true to herself as an artist.  

DEIDRE in her "Classic Girl" music video

“Working with focus,” she admits, “that’s something I had a problem with when I was younger.  I can pick up a lot of styles and do them well, in terms of writing songs, but I had to find what it was that I felt was the most unique or the truest thing I can do, and that’s what I’m going to do.”

 

This concentration, however, did not come without a great deal of creative restraint and effort, and years of putting it into practice.  She recalls a vivid memory of her dad, also a musician, saying to her, “This is going to be the curse of your life: you have many talents and not one clear talent.  You’re going to need to focus.”  She took his words to heart and allowed them to guide her toward a clear definition of herself and the musician she would become.  While a student at NYU, she made the choice: rather than trying to learn the styles that everyone else liked or listening to all of the music that was “really cool”, she would seek out the oldest, most ghostly blues recordings she could find.  She realized that it was this music that excited her and this style that she wanted to adopt.  “Gypsy music seriously moves me," she discovered.  "This stuff gives me chills.”  And she dove into it.

With the Ladies' Recreational Dance Auxiliary

Headfirst, in fact.  When we met up to chat, Deidre was working on more projects than I could count.  In addition to developing the first album of her solo persona, DEIDRE, she continues to write and play with her band Savoir Adore, sing in her fiancé David's band French Horn Rebellion, act as project manager for the post-production work she and David generate together, and function as creator, choreographer, and performer of the Ladies’ Recreational Dance Auxiliary, the group she formed to dance with her at her solo shows.  (Oh, and did I mention she's planning a wedding?)  Wearing so many hats could easily water down an artist's potency, but Deidre maintains her focus by always coming back to herself and what it is that makes her tick as a musician: "My favorite thing that I've done for every single [DEIDRE] song is I try to imagine all the different female archetypes that have appeared in our cultural past and embody them - the femme fatale is my favorite of all time.  I love to write for the female villains.”  Her direction is her passion partnered with her guiding words: sassy, creepy, and fun.  "I want each song to be one of the three," she decided.  "Better if it’s multiple.  That’s my mission statement."

Deidre is proof of the power an artist can achieve by having a clear and concentrated "mission statement", as she takes the reins of her career into her own hands and decides for herself what kind of musician she wants to be.  Being focused doesn’t mean an artist can’t still explore, and no one should feel discouraged from remaining playful and open to organic creation.  Deidre actually finds that these “self-imposed limitations make creating really cool” and allow her to write songs more quickly than when she was creatively distracted, which “helps me to stay relevant to myself.” Now free of these distractions, she has found a love for the creative process so that, even in the exploration, she is satisfied more regularly.  "It’s so over-the-top fun for me," she shares, "it’s a dream."

Loving 'Love Song' at 59E59

I caught the 3pm matinee yesterday of this production, written and directed by John Kolvenbach and produced by my dear friend Jaimie Mayer Phinney, currently in previews at 59E59.  I urge you all to go see it and not just because of my personal ties to the show. 



I happened to pluck this play from the shelf at Drama Bookshop simply because I felt a response to the title, never having heard of the piece or the playwright.  I devoured it and longed to see it produced.  How serendipitous, then, that it is now playing in New York, so that we can all see the realization of the piece directly from the man who created it. 

It is truly lovely and a pleasure to watch.  For me, it struck just the right balance between playful whimsy and stark realism, though the actors seemed to take some time to sink into this theatrical mixing bowl.  By Scene 7, however, I was absolutely in love with the chemistry of the cast and laughing along with the audience in pure delight.  The writing is fast and smart and the characters challenge each other to keep up with the ever-changing definition of what is real and valid when it comes to love and the way in which we interact with one another.

I urge everyone to check it out - and soon, as it opens on Wednesday and only runs into the first week of May.  You won't be disappointed.

Redefining "home" with Shimrit Shoshan

posted by ashleigh

I always knew that I would end up in New York, ever since I performed my first solo piece at the age of three in my parent's living room.  I knew, even then, that New York was where I needed to be.  But after romanticizing my life in "the Big Apple" for years, the physical move to the city - with its high price tag, fast pace, and the huge amount of energy and optimism required - was a reality check smack in the face.  And I was only relocating a mere three hours from home.  For Israeli-born pianist and composer Shimrit Shoshan, this move not only required a plane ticket and a lot of goodbyes, but an international leap of faith.

“I moved to New York for jazz,” Shimrit says.  And what better destination than New York, a place filled with jazz history and the target of numerous musicians gathering together to learn their craft and develop their artistry.  For Shimrit, it was only a matter of time before events in her life and her passion for music would lead her overseas to this jazz history hotspot.  Upon graduating from the prestigious high school of the arts, Thelma Yellin, Shimrit was drafted into the Israeli army as an “excellent musician”, a title given to only a select few each year.  While in the army, she was sent to New York to represent Israel in a series of jazz workshops and, after spending two months in the city, vowed that she would one day return “and learn the language of jazz directly from the real legends.”  One year later, despite the fears of her friends and family and their requests for her to stay in Israel, she hopped on a plane.

"Before coming to New York", Shimrit reflects, "home for me has always been a warm sunny place with a beach close by and home cooked food...I have a very warm family and it has been very hard to find a replacement over the years."  Sacrificing the comfort of home and family "to move to a very far, somewhat lonely place", she shares, was only the beginning of the struggle.  Like many young artists, she was faced with the task of supporting herself in addition to pursuing her career: "I also realized that I probably won't be financially comfortable for a while until things will start developing but I was convinced it is worth it and that kept me moving forward."  This struggle to make a living led her down a number of different paths outside of her music, from selling diamonds and real estate to babysitting, modeling, waitressing, and more.  It also connected her with a number of the people she today calls her "New York family."

"Coming here by myself forced me to adjust to a new mentality and way of living and, of course, to make new friends - which in New York can be a difficult thing with the demanding, sometimes neurotic nature of this city."  But because it was a priority for this newly established New Yorker, Shimrit made a conscious effort to surround herself with "good friends, home cooking and good music" and this trifecta of positivity has certainly paid off.  In December, Shimrit released her debut album, "Keep it Movin", a reflection of the different aspects of Shimrit's life and her influences as a musician and a human being and proof that she has created a place for herself in the city she now calls home.  Her audience will enjoy a number of original songs and will hear the efforts and support of her friends and "family", among them musicians like drummer Eric McPherson, reed man Abraham Burton, and bassists Luques Curtis and John Hebert.

The title Shimrit selected for her first album stands out to me as the musician's personal mantra, a reminder to continue striving forward and remaining dedicated to the music that led her to this city in the first place.  Without the music, she could not have relocated so successfully because, as she admits, "music is part of my coping tool with the world.  I really feel that it is the only thing I want to do on this planet."  Indeed, her music helps to transport her to a place of comfort and familiarity: "I find a little feeling of home every time I play the piano.  Even if I am traveling, the piano is like my Dorothy shoes that take me to the place I want to be at any given time."

While interviewing Shimrit, I realized that I am so lucky to have an invaluable asset to assist me in my journey - my family and friends only a MetroNorth ride away.  I can’t fathom leaving that support system overseas and continuing on my own, and this only reaffirms the fact that Shimrit is not only driven but, when it comes to her music, fearless.  It also helps that she has created a tightly knit community of like-minded artists for herself here in the city.  She shares, “I feel blessed to have people around me who constantly push me to keep writing and playing music" - a case in point that no one can do it alone.  With our art, however, we are never alone, and through creating we can click our heels and be transported to that place of warmth and familiarity, that idea of home.  As Shimrit discovered, "home is anywhere I feel comfortable to be myself and create".  And lucky for those of us who reside on this island, for musical Ms. Shoshan, that place is now - truly - New York.
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Shimrit is currently working on a second album, in addition to a number of different R&B and Neo Soul projects and videos, and is planning to go on the road with her trio this month.  Her hard work can also be seen in the most recent edition of JazzTimes magazine.

Positively Trevor Zhou

posted by ashleigh

As 2011 sets off at a gallop, the city’s majority has undoubtedly set about making resolutions for the new year.  Artists are no different, raising the stakes with the fresh first of the month in the hopes that “this year will be the year”, the year to book the high-profile gig, the year to quit that secondary catering job, the year that luck will change.  For actor/artist Trevor Zhou, there’s no doubt that this year will be lucky.  But then again, so was 2010, and  – at the rate he’s going – so will be 2012 and beyond.

It all started when Trevor attended an audition to support a friend and ended up with an “accidental” national IBM commercial in his pocket.  Then comes an episode of Law & Order: SVU, a commercial agent, and his first play (ever), quickly followed by a role in the 20th Century Fox movie “The Sitter” with Jonah Hill and Sam Rockwell.  Now a member of SAG and with several more commercials and small films under his belt, the whirlwind of the last year and a half has left Trevor seeming like the luckiest actor in this city.  But is it just luck?

There’s no denying the importance of believing in one’s product which, for an actor, is one’s self.  So often, this necessary confidence can seem insincere or off-putting, but with Trevor, it was nothing but natural.  In fact, he spoke of himself and his career so genuinely and openly that we lost track of time, forcing us to reschedule to continue with Part II of the interview.  It says a lot about a person that he can talk about himself for over an hour and leave us wanting more.

His faith in his work is inspiring, as is his steadfast belief that “things will work out.”  Sure, there are actors everywhere that wake up to this same credo.  The difference with Trevor is that he doesn’t simply sit by and wait for things to happen, but actively seeks out opportunities for himself, all the while working on his own creations.  When we sat down with Trevor, he was not only beginning to write his own material but working on an idea for a web series and continuing his ongoing search for positive and passionate people with which to create.  “So many people talk about making things happen but it’s about doing it and not waiting around,” he said.  These are the people that Trevor seeks.


It seems to me that these people are at the same time seeking Trevor.  His fun personality and contagious positive outlook in life make him an ideal work partner, while his natural approach to humor opens the door for him in this business.  He shared, “I find that humor is a shortcut to connecting with someone and especially if it’s an audition, I want to connect”.  This desire to connect shines through even in our coffee shop talk, as does his deep interest in the collaborative effort.  Both in the material he works on with the other actors and artists he meets, and in the casting/agent side of the business, it always comes down to building that human connection.


 I asked Trevor how much he views his success as a result of his relentlessly positive attitude, perhaps even more so than talent, and he was in complete agreement that it has played a large role in carrying him this far.  Of course, one might argue that he is able to remain positive because of his success but, rather than getting into a circular “chicken versus egg” debate, I will say that positivity must come first.  Though success may help to reaffirm ones positive outlook in life, it is the choice to remain positive and always view the half-full glass that makes a person a target employee, creative partner, and cast mate.  It is his positivity that makes people want to work with Trevor and his positivity, rather than mere luck, which keeps him buoyant in this industry.

As we hit the halfway point of the first month of this new decade, I wonder how many of this city’s resolutions are still in tact.  For Trevor, it’s not a matter of a new year’s resolution, but a lifelong personal resolution.  He laughingly told me that his resolution this year will be to fail his new year’s resolution.  His opinion is that goals set just for the beginning of the year are not part of one’s ongoing process and will ultimately fail.  He shared, “I always have goals that I want to achieve and I’m always trying to do better and improve.  Because I know there’s always someone else working harder and smarter than me.  But if I keep pushing and creating and persisting, I’ll get there.”

Can every year be the year?  According to Trevor, it has to be.
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Trevor Zhou lives and creates in New York City.  Find out more about this artist/actor/positive person on his website.