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Part 2

Could you describe your creative process on the basis of a piece or album that's particularly dear to you, please? Where did the ideas come from, how were they transformed in your mind, what did you start with and how do you refine these beginnings into the finished work of art?

My last album was a new Jackie Lynn album called Jacqueline.  It started with an idea, that became a short story. Over the course of two years I wrote songs in the style and POV of this character in my short story. During this time, I created an outfit and personality using mood boards, cardboard cut outs, and my general intuition. Once these songs were written, my friends, Bitchin Bajas, and I met up. Together we took apart these songs and rearranged them to be a synth / drum machine based sound. Generally, it takes me around 2 1/2 to 3 years to finish a record. I am a slow mover, and really live in the songs before finding the finish line.

There are many descriptions of the ideal state of mind for being creative. What is it like for you? What supports this ideal state of mind and what are distractions? Are there strategies to enter into this state more easily?

I am often trying to dial in on my emotions when I am creating - which means I need a clear mind, and a lot of focus. I rely on specific lighting, and really honing in on my creative space so that I have a higher likelihood of making something special. To be honest, I have had a hard time focusing as of late. I try to make music every day. Some days feel like a void, but every now and then you hit an artery. 

How is playing live and writing music in the studio connected? What do you achieve and draw from each experience personally? How do you see the relationship between improvisation and composition in this regard?

My partner Cooper and I have a set up so that we are able to make most of our music from home. This opens us up to more possibilities for collaboration and improvisation. I personally feel a lot of pressure in the studio, which is probably why I have yet to make a proper "studio" album. 
 
How do you see the relationship between the 'sound' aspects of music and the 'composition' aspects? How do you work with sound and timbre to meet certain production ideas and in which way can certain sounds already take on compositional qualities?

I see sound and composition as interchangeable. They are one-and-the same and just as important as each other. The EQ, compression, timbre of something can alter the source to react in a melodic way, or a rhythmic way, thus changing the composition completely.

Our sense of hearing shares intriguing connections to other senses. From your experience, what are some of the most inspiring overlaps between different senses - and what do they tell us about the way our senses work? What happens to sound at its outermost borders?

Sound warps time - it takes me back and brings me forward. When I close my eyes and listen, whole worlds appear in my mind and a feeling emerges in my chest. Sometimes I look at an abstract painting, and I can hear an orchestra. Or I hear a deep interval on an organ and a dark forest green will come into my mind. But my favorite connection is still the way it warps time and taps into nostalgia.

Art can be a purpose in its own right, but it can also directly feed back into everyday life, take on a social and political role and lead to more engagement. Can you describe your approach to art and being an artist?

Being an artist is my true nature. In my practice, I am trying to remind others of the spectrum of being human. It means feeling all emotions, and tapping into intuition. 

It is remarkable, in a way, that we have arrived in the 21st century with the basic concept of music still intact. Do you have a vision of music, an idea of what music could be beyond its current form?

It's hard for me to consider mediums of the future. Things change so quickly. I guess I envision that like oral history, music will forever remain one of the more potent archives of the human spirit now and forever!



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