Creativity Across Mediums w/ Simon-Rys Landry | Cloud Machine Ep. 81

1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:08,000
Can you start by sharing how your artistic journey began and what inspired you to pursue the arts?
2
00:00:08,880 --> 00:00:10,720
Well, I don't think I really had a choice.
3
00:00:14,720 --> 00:00:18,480
Welcome to the Cloud Machine Podcast, your all-access pass to the music industry.
4
00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:22,480
I'm your host, Matt Landry, and every week we immerse you in the music world
5
00:00:22,480 --> 00:00:26,960
and curving industry insights, offering expert guidance, and exploring the stories that influence
6
00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:31,200
the industry. Cloud Machine Podcast is brought to you by AITS, the innovative creative agency behind
7
00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:36,240
some of your favorite live concerts and tours. Want to take your music to the next level?
8
00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:41,440
Join our vibrant community on the AITS Network Discord. And with that, let's get started with
9
00:00:41,440 --> 00:00:47,280
today's episode. Welcome back to the Cloud Machine Podcast. This week, I'm thrilled to have a very
10
00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:53,280
special guest, my brother, Simon Reese Landry. Not only is Simon an exceptional talented artist in
11
00:00:53,280 --> 00:00:57,440
theatre music, visual arts, and performing arts, but he's also currently honing his craft at the
12
00:00:57,440 --> 00:01:03,200
Theatre Conservatory at the University of Ottawa. Today, we'll explore his creative journey,
13
00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:08,640
discuss the reality of growing up with diverse inspirations, and dive into topics like authenticity,
14
00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:15,040
performance, and pivoting to new artistic ventures. Hi, Simon, how are you?
15
00:01:15,040 --> 00:01:21,600
Hi, I'm doing really well, honestly. It's been a long week of tech rehearsals, but I'm here.
16
00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:29,440
I'm awake and I'm so ready to talk to you. Yes, this is one of the earliest podcasts that I've done,
17
00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:36,160
probably, and I love to see it. And this is a very special episode for me because, of course,
18
00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:43,760
the family special episode, as you said, over time. So I'm very happy to have you here. It is
19
00:01:43,760 --> 00:01:48,560
very stoked and I've been waiting for a long time for this. So here we go.
20
00:01:48,560 --> 00:01:56,400
All right, Simon. So as you know, I want to start the podcast. I always want to start the podcast.
21
00:01:57,200 --> 00:02:04,640
What has been your favorite live show experience as a fan? Oh, my gosh. You know, I constantly think
22
00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:10,240
back on all of the shows that I've seen. Of course, I'm a performing artist. I do a lot of live
23
00:02:10,240 --> 00:02:16,320
things. I love seeing people perform live. But honestly, my favorite show that I've ever seen
24
00:02:16,320 --> 00:02:21,920
is a show that was presented by Yes, Theater in Sudbury. It was created by Janie Pinard and Ruthie
25
00:02:21,920 --> 00:02:31,280
Kootz, and it is Song to the Moon. It's this concert, concept concert that was presented in the summer of
26
00:02:31,920 --> 00:02:41,600
2022, I believe. And it was all women, all the songs were like these hits by women. And it was
27
00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:49,600
such a beautiful show. It was an outdoor show. It was in this kind of like Colosseum area that we
28
00:02:49,600 --> 00:02:56,080
have in Sudbury that all the people take pictures at. But yes, performing there. The grotto. The grotto.
29
00:02:56,080 --> 00:03:01,360
Yes. Shout out the grotto. Yes. And it was just, it was so beautiful. Every song was so touching.
30
00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:07,520
The arrangements that they created for every song was better than all of the original arrangements
31
00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:13,440
from all of these beautiful pop songs. It was really quite fascinating to see. And
32
00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:20,080
everything just stays in my mind. Like every time I hear Juice by Lizzo, I'm always kind of let down
33
00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:27,360
because it's not the arrangement that was in their show. And it's, it was so beautiful. The music,
34
00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:35,360
all the singers, all such lovely women that I think could sell friends. And it's just always such a
35
00:03:35,360 --> 00:03:42,480
nice feeling to go back to and to go revisit. So yeah, that's, that's my answer for my favorite
36
00:03:42,480 --> 00:03:50,480
lecture. Fantastic. It was their live band. Yes, there was a live band. Yes. Yeah. I can't remember
37
00:03:50,480 --> 00:03:58,160
how many people were in the band. I think it was probably seven, seven or eight musicians, which
38
00:03:58,160 --> 00:04:04,560
was really nice. And what stands out for you? Is it, is it the arrangements? Is it the grotto?
39
00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:09,680
Is it all the women on stage, all the connections that you see your friends and stuff?
40
00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:14,000
I think it's, I think it's so many things. I really do think part of it is the personal
41
00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:21,200
connection to it. I think part of it is the kind of live music, the kind of just like
42
00:04:22,240 --> 00:04:27,200
strength and presence that it gives, especially because since they are a theater company, a lot
43
00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:33,840
of it was very theatrical in its presentation. Like they had like dancing, they had more of like,
44
00:04:33,840 --> 00:04:40,320
I don't know, when it comes to theater, you have a lot of like storytelling narrative to fill out,
45
00:04:40,320 --> 00:04:48,000
a lot more than just like your typical concerts, for example. And they had a very like detailed
46
00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:53,760
narrative or like subtext for everything. And they had that in the program that they gave,
47
00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:58,960
they gave like a good outline of like the story that they wanted to tell. And it was very,
48
00:04:58,960 --> 00:05:05,200
very cool to see and they had like different choreography. So I think the, the idea of it being
49
00:05:05,840 --> 00:05:11,520
very theatrical, very grounded in performance and presence and the fact that it's people that I
50
00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:18,080
already love and love to hear sing and the songs are beautiful. I think it, oh, and it's outside.
51
00:05:18,080 --> 00:05:25,760
And there was this cool effect at the grotto and not to go off too much, but yeah.
52
00:05:25,760 --> 00:05:35,040
So the show would typically start at like early sunset. And by the end of the show, it would be,
53
00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:42,800
it would be dark outside. The sun will have set. And by the end of the show, there was always,
54
00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:47,680
there was always a song, it's a set, it's a show. There was a song that was sung by,
55
00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:54,000
by three of them. It wasn't random. Yeah. Yeah. No, by two of the women called
56
00:05:54,000 --> 00:06:00,320
Light of a Clear Blue Morning. And it was the Whaling Jenny's version of the arrangement that
57
00:06:00,320 --> 00:06:08,480
they went for. And it's this acapella, like, I can see the light of a clear blue morning.
58
00:06:09,360 --> 00:06:15,600
And it was like, basically like this round and it, after the sunset, that's kind of when you
59
00:06:15,600 --> 00:06:21,600
realize like, oh, we've been like outside the sun is set. And it is just such a beautiful, like
60
00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:28,160
clean, pure, innocent moment of just like people coming together and singing. And I think the
61
00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:36,960
simplicity of that is something that can only be sought after and only very few people can really
62
00:06:36,960 --> 00:06:44,400
execute perfectly. Yes. Yeah. And now, now if we go past, let's say this one show, what,
63
00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:57,440
what for you makes live experiences memorable? To make a live experience memorable for me,
64
00:06:57,440 --> 00:07:07,600
I think it has to have some kind of acknowledgement and respect for an audience that's there.
65
00:07:07,600 --> 00:07:17,760
I'll elaborate. It's not enough to just say like, hey, New York City. And then you like,
66
00:07:17,760 --> 00:07:25,840
proceed to never, never make it New York City. That that whole joke that's said every time.
67
00:07:25,840 --> 00:07:32,240
You don't know what joke you're sorry. Go ahead. Yeah. But it's like, I don't know. I'll see shows
68
00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:43,440
that are so like, they have set, just set track and they don't have time or like space to have an
69
00:07:43,440 --> 00:07:49,760
audience with them. And sometimes that's just like a matter of needing a fourth wall to be really
70
00:07:49,760 --> 00:07:56,160
strong because there's a huge production going on. But I think what makes it memorable is when
71
00:07:56,560 --> 00:08:00,320
an artist or when the team or when the production allows the audience to,
72
00:08:00,320 --> 00:08:05,680
you know, be acknowledged and not just acknowledged, but like respect the fact that they're there.
73
00:08:06,960 --> 00:08:13,600
Right. In the show I'm doing now, the whole second act is playing on the fact that it's a play.
74
00:08:13,600 --> 00:08:19,840
So there's lots of moments where I will speak directly to the audience or I will like point to
75
00:08:19,840 --> 00:08:25,280
someone or I'll like nod my head at people who are actually there who I can see. And,
76
00:08:25,280 --> 00:08:30,960
right. I know that's not like too much because it's a play and you're kind of set within the script.
77
00:08:30,960 --> 00:08:37,760
But being able to feel that connection with someone and to feel kind of them provoking you into an
78
00:08:37,760 --> 00:08:41,920
emotional reaction, I think that's what makes it memorable. And I think that's why A Song to the
79
00:08:41,920 --> 00:08:44,720
Moon was memorable for me because I feel such so compelled to feel that. Yeah.
80
00:08:44,720 --> 00:08:50,800
And I think that's why I think that's why A Song to the Moon was memorable for me because I feel
81
00:08:50,800 --> 00:09:03,120
such so compelled to feel that emotion. In music, there's often like, there's definitely some people
82
00:09:03,120 --> 00:09:12,560
that do it like better than others for sure. Oh yeah, absolutely. Do you know from your perspective,
83
00:09:13,840 --> 00:09:17,040
do you know why some are better at that than others?
84
00:09:17,040 --> 00:09:23,680
I think some people are more in tune with who they are. I think of someone like
85
00:09:24,640 --> 00:09:30,800
Stefan Paket who every show is like an improv show and he riffs with the audience and he,
86
00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:37,600
you know, builds something that will only exist for that show. And even if some of the jokes are
87
00:09:37,600 --> 00:09:43,200
reused, the stacking of the jokes and like the way that, you know, he'll ask a question to the
88
00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:48,640
audience and they'll reference that for the entire time and it'll build something that can only exist
89
00:09:48,640 --> 00:09:57,680
at that time. It's strong. When I go see a show that obviously feels like they're just trying to get
90
00:09:57,680 --> 00:10:03,280
through it or, you know, they're just trying to, okay, we have to do this today. Get the guitar on.
91
00:10:03,280 --> 00:10:12,800
Yes. Okay, we gotta finish this. There's no spontaneity. There's no effort into making it a
92
00:10:12,800 --> 00:10:19,600
special unique experience. And probably there's nothing in place to make it a special unique
93
00:10:19,600 --> 00:10:24,320
experience either. There's probably nothing in the structure that was rehearsed to, you know,
94
00:10:25,040 --> 00:10:31,920
oh, how about, where's my five minute talk with the audience? Okay, I did it once. Now I have to do it
95
00:10:31,920 --> 00:10:38,320
at least two more times to like finish off something. Right? Yeah. And it's not just like
96
00:10:38,320 --> 00:10:43,280
the pre, it's not just the pre-written like song intros like, and that was how I
97
00:10:44,480 --> 00:10:46,720
taught my car in New York City. And then it's like,
98
00:10:50,800 --> 00:10:58,880
well, you bring up a very interesting point because sometimes, sometimes it's, those moments
99
00:10:58,880 --> 00:11:04,960
have to be rehearsed. Yeah, but sometimes it's better. It's better if they're not. Yeah, because
100
00:11:04,960 --> 00:11:10,160
it's almost, it's, go ahead. Sorry. Yeah, you have to prepare like talking points. You almost
101
00:11:10,160 --> 00:11:14,720
have to prepare a script to create something that is fully thought out. And sometimes people just
102
00:11:14,720 --> 00:11:20,880
create a set list and it's rough. Right. What we're saying here is that there's a balance and
103
00:11:20,880 --> 00:11:29,840
it's very interesting. Yes. About, in a way where it's like, it's gotta be flexible in a way you
104
00:11:29,840 --> 00:11:35,120
should be able to mold the show every night for it to be unique, especially when you get to like,
105
00:11:35,120 --> 00:11:38,560
like a bigger acts. Like right now I'm seeing that with the beaches where it's like,
106
00:11:38,560 --> 00:11:45,120
there's, there's individuals that are coming to like many concerts in one summer. Right. So it's,
107
00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:51,760
you, and we got to make those, those sort of shows, specific shows memorable for
108
00:11:52,880 --> 00:11:57,520
the audience, the audience member that were, were, were, was literally at the Calgary Stampede
109
00:11:57,520 --> 00:12:02,400
this summer and also again in St. John's New Brunswick, St. John's New Brunswick for other.
110
00:12:02,400 --> 00:12:07,840
And how far, and how far apart were those shows? Like a month and a half. Okay. So,
111
00:12:08,480 --> 00:12:12,960
but yeah, it's like, yeah, yeah, yeah. How do you, how do you leave enough room for it to be
112
00:12:13,760 --> 00:12:17,440
dynamic like that? So that's a whole like, right? That's a whole like,
113
00:12:19,280 --> 00:12:24,560
I want to say like storyboarding, script writing, talking points. How do you build a set?
114
00:12:24,560 --> 00:12:29,920
How do you build a set list? How do you incorporate elements that, you know, people will say,
115
00:12:29,920 --> 00:12:34,480
oh, I love the theatricality in that concert. It's like, okay, well, what does that mean?
116
00:12:35,920 --> 00:12:41,680
Yes. Yeah. Yeah. And this all comes back to like, you know, musical direction and creative directing
117
00:12:41,680 --> 00:12:47,920
a show and stuff like that, which is a great plug. Thank you for eights. But, but, but, but,
118
00:12:48,560 --> 00:12:52,720
but what you were saying before, this, all this balance, it comes back to really the,
119
00:12:52,720 --> 00:12:58,960
the, the, and I'd love to get your perspective on this, but the, the, the confidence of an artist
120
00:13:00,400 --> 00:13:07,360
in themselves, but also the production of the, of the, of the, of the entire spaceship that's
121
00:13:07,360 --> 00:13:12,720
going around. Yeah. It's good that you mentioned that a spaceship in my show right now. It truly
122
00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:17,600
does feel like a spaceship. We have a set that moves. We have projections. We have sound. We
123
00:13:17,600 --> 00:13:23,200
have so many lighting cues. We have entrances and exits that come in all the time. This is a
124
00:13:23,200 --> 00:13:29,520
contemporary play and not a musical concert. Let's be, let's be real. But, but it's, it's still,
125
00:13:29,520 --> 00:13:37,120
everything is set in motion. And I want to say as a lead actor who's like subject and kind of victim
126
00:13:37,120 --> 00:13:42,880
to all of these like quick changes and all these things, I have to be aware of everything happening.
127
00:13:42,880 --> 00:13:49,040
And as soon as I don't know what's happening, I lose confidence. So it's not only just the team
128
00:13:49,040 --> 00:13:55,120
that has to know when to put the right cue, but it has to be the artist knowing when to
129
00:13:55,920 --> 00:13:59,680
say the right things or knowing to expect something or playing with the people in tech
130
00:13:59,680 --> 00:14:07,040
to make sure that something happens. You can't just expect like, I don't know, to not deliver a line
131
00:14:07,040 --> 00:14:12,640
and then like, Oh, there, sorry, there was a cue that was meant to be there. Oh, no, what's happening.
132
00:14:12,640 --> 00:14:20,400
Oh, no. Oh, no, someone come in. How do you like, how do you lead that spaceship? How do you drive
133
00:14:20,400 --> 00:14:25,440
it so that even if there is like a little speed bump, how do you keep it going? And I think
134
00:14:25,440 --> 00:14:30,400
that's an essential skill to anybody who needs to be able to perform.
135
00:14:32,640 --> 00:14:39,520
Fantastic. I want to get started on the quote segment of the podcast last year for those,
136
00:14:39,520 --> 00:14:45,040
maybe of listening for a long time. It was the Erica Badu quote comparing music and music business
137
00:14:45,040 --> 00:14:53,200
and art and the commercial aspects of art and the balance between that and between those.
138
00:14:53,920 --> 00:15:04,560
This year, it is a Joni Mitchell quote from 2004. She says, Yes, exactly. Joni Mitchell and 2004,
139
00:15:04,560 --> 00:15:13,840
which are both very representative of my brother. Yes. So fantastic. In 2004, she says,
140
00:15:13,840 --> 00:15:18,000
I heard someone from the music business saying that they are no longer looking for talent.
141
00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:20,960
They want people with a certain look and a willingness to cooperate.
142
00:15:22,800 --> 00:15:28,320
Smo, I want to get your take on this. And, you know, I want to go even just past the music
143
00:15:28,320 --> 00:15:32,480
industry. I want to talk about just performing arts in general, especially in theater and
144
00:15:32,480 --> 00:15:38,320
especially in acting just in general. Again, I'll repeat. I heard someone from the, let's say,
145
00:15:38,320 --> 00:15:44,560
creative industries or art industries saying that they are no longer looking for talent.
146
00:15:44,560 --> 00:15:48,480
They want people with a certain look and a willingness to cooperate. What are your first
147
00:15:48,480 --> 00:15:53,120
instincts there? I'm sorry to the person who said that that Joni Mitchell had to hear and then relay
148
00:15:53,120 --> 00:16:01,440
because. Yes. It's really interesting. And there's so many ways to dissect that quote. And there's
149
00:16:01,440 --> 00:16:11,120
so many truths to it. Now, when I hear this, right, I spent a lot of time yesterday kind of
150
00:16:11,120 --> 00:16:15,600
thinking this out because I've been, you, you sent me this and I was like, okay,
151
00:16:16,800 --> 00:16:24,160
there's lots of ways to go about this. So my first thing is talent is essential.
152
00:16:24,160 --> 00:16:30,960
I think everything that is good is talented. And if there's a certain look attached to it,
153
00:16:31,760 --> 00:16:36,320
you know, that's great. That makes a star that makes someone who is memorable, that makes someone
154
00:16:36,320 --> 00:16:41,840
who has influence, who has the image of a star, a proper pop star. I think of someone like,
155
00:16:42,880 --> 00:16:48,480
I don't know, Sabrina Carpenter, who not only is she talented, she's a great actress. She's a
156
00:16:48,480 --> 00:16:54,800
fantastic singer, fantastic performer. She's also beautiful. She has these amazing looks. She has
157
00:16:55,440 --> 00:17:02,240
amazing style, amazing visuals. And there's the willingness to cooperate, which I guess is like
158
00:17:02,240 --> 00:17:08,800
a kind of a weird part that I want to get to later. Yeah, I was going to ask you about that.
159
00:17:08,800 --> 00:17:17,040
But yeah. But I think of her and I think, oh, she's the total package. She is like everything
160
00:17:17,040 --> 00:17:23,280
that is like amazing appeal, amazing talent. I want to, ideally, I would love to go see a show of
161
00:17:23,280 --> 00:17:32,240
hers and I would love to know what's happening. I think of someone, if I just think talent,
162
00:17:33,120 --> 00:17:38,400
I don't know, something, someone like Ed Sheeran, for example, who I might not ascribe
163
00:17:38,400 --> 00:17:49,200
to the certain look category. But he's definitely a nice looking person. But I think what attracts
164
00:17:49,200 --> 00:17:55,680
people to him is his talent and his relatability and his songwriting and his his live shows that
165
00:17:55,680 --> 00:18:01,200
are always like, I don't know, him on a guitar with a loop pedal and I don't know, predictions,
166
00:18:01,200 --> 00:18:06,000
not really a set. He's just kind of alone on the dark stage, which is something and he has a t-shirt
167
00:18:06,000 --> 00:18:14,560
and jeans. But if I try to think of people or artists who are just in like the certain look
168
00:18:14,560 --> 00:18:24,000
category, I can't tell anyone. Like I can't, they're not memorable to me. So for me, if you just
169
00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:32,720
have a certain look and a willingness to cooperate for music, for example, I can't remember anyone
170
00:18:32,720 --> 00:18:40,560
who just had the looks and just were just willing to cooperate. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Like they have to
171
00:18:40,560 --> 00:18:47,520
be good. They have to relay that kind of emotional connection that I was talking about. Right? They
172
00:18:47,520 --> 00:18:55,040
have to be able to write something or perform something. And honestly, it's not just writing
173
00:18:55,040 --> 00:18:59,520
or performing. The talent comes in many different areas. I think that quote is kind of like,
174
00:18:59,520 --> 00:19:04,720
I think it's maybe more geared to performers, but I think for the industry as a whole,
175
00:19:05,280 --> 00:19:11,680
for both theater and music, it's kind of ignorant of how large the industry is and how many roles
176
00:19:11,680 --> 00:19:18,240
you have to fill. Talent isn't just performing on stage. It's also, oh, is this person an amazing
177
00:19:18,240 --> 00:19:27,600
lighting designer? Is this person an amazing drummer? Though you do have to look. Cheers.
178
00:19:27,600 --> 00:19:35,600
Cheers. Yes, you're welcome. Is this person a great costume designer? Is this person an amazing
179
00:19:35,600 --> 00:19:45,920
photographer? Meg Moon. There you go. Shut up, Meg. Shut up, Meg. There are so many roles to fill
180
00:19:45,920 --> 00:19:51,920
that require so many different talents. And I want to say not everybody needs a certain look.
181
00:19:51,920 --> 00:19:57,360
I feel like the certain look is kind of like, if you have a certain look, that's cool. And you get
182
00:19:57,360 --> 00:20:01,680
to be more of like in the public eye. And maybe that's cool for you. Maybe you want that. And maybe
183
00:20:01,680 --> 00:20:06,800
some people don't want that. Maybe they do have a certain look. Maybe they don't. I think willingness
184
00:20:07,600 --> 00:20:14,720
to cooperate is kind of like a cynical point of view. I think it's like, oh, like,
185
00:20:14,720 --> 00:20:23,280
oh, like, I'm a talent scout. Oh, you're really cool looking. Do you want to come sign on to my
186
00:20:23,280 --> 00:20:31,520
label? You know, you'll have to do all these things, but I'll make you a star. But I think
187
00:20:32,960 --> 00:20:39,440
in my mind, that willingness to cooperate is like a kind of cynical point of view. But then if you
188
00:20:39,440 --> 00:20:46,320
transform that into like willingness to collaborate, I think that's where I kind of go into theater a
189
00:20:46,320 --> 00:20:54,480
bit more where I want to say the look is more important, but not in the way you think. Because
190
00:20:54,480 --> 00:20:58,960
for theater, you want to represent like, I don't know, sometimes a regular person. So what does
191
00:20:58,960 --> 00:21:04,480
that look like? Is that someone who looks maybe a bit more average? Or is that someone who looks a
192
00:21:04,480 --> 00:21:13,280
bit more like normal, I want to say? Right. When it comes to theater, you can't, or any performing
193
00:21:13,280 --> 00:21:22,240
live arts, you can't hide or fake talent, right? You can see if someone doesn't feel confident,
194
00:21:22,240 --> 00:21:30,320
or if they don't feel like they're like doing the right things on stage. Yeah. But
195
00:21:30,320 --> 00:21:38,960
a certain look is very achievable, I want to say. I think that's the easiest part, having good style,
196
00:21:38,960 --> 00:21:44,400
having, you know, a team of people who work on you to achieve that look, I think that is maybe the
197
00:21:44,400 --> 00:21:55,840
most possible thing. Talent is either, I want to say, like, is it your hobby? Or is it like, your soul
198
00:21:55,840 --> 00:22:03,600
depends on it, right? Right. It's like, do you, yeah, is it the most important thing to you? Or is it,
199
00:22:03,600 --> 00:22:08,960
oh, yeah, I love to sing, I'd love to sign on to a label, and I'd love to, you know, write an album.
200
00:22:08,960 --> 00:22:16,800
And then you're trapped in that for like 10 years, because it's terrible. Yeah, I mean, you bring up
201
00:22:16,800 --> 00:22:23,040
some fantastic, some really fantastic points that we don't, I don't know if we've had on the pod. And
202
00:22:23,040 --> 00:22:30,720
I just want to specifically look at one thing, one word that you said, confident. You're saying,
203
00:22:30,720 --> 00:22:35,680
oh, yeah, you can sort of look at, you can sort of look at somebody, or, you know, even from the
204
00:22:35,680 --> 00:22:40,400
audience perspective, you can, you can see who's maybe not confident on stage, you know, especially
205
00:22:40,400 --> 00:22:46,880
in theater. Yeah. Yeah. And I think, can you speak to confidence? Of course, yeah. I think
206
00:22:46,880 --> 00:22:55,760
there's a, there's a very clear difference for me between confidence and talent or ability to,
207
00:22:56,800 --> 00:23:04,560
you know, have technique or builds like a cool performance. Confidence is the ability and having
208
00:23:04,560 --> 00:23:13,440
access to full control of what you're doing. Right. Regardless of if you have full, perfect
209
00:23:13,440 --> 00:23:19,840
technique or you've honed your craft or whatever. I think so many shows that I've seen or like,
210
00:23:19,840 --> 00:23:26,320
I don't know, I've directed a few like kids theater camps, for example. Right. And when they know
211
00:23:26,320 --> 00:23:30,880
their script and when they know what they have to do and when they know that like, okay, I'm going
212
00:23:30,880 --> 00:23:34,960
to stand here and the lights going to come and I'm going to say what I have to say. And I'm going to
213
00:23:34,960 --> 00:23:40,000
talk with this person. That's confidence. They might be, you know,
214
00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:47,440
not shit actors, but they might not know anything about theater, but to see them be confident in
215
00:23:47,440 --> 00:23:54,320
like, just knowing what they have to do and committing to it, even if it's like, oh, I don't
216
00:23:54,320 --> 00:24:03,680
know. Like you see like a musician on stage and their job is to hit one key one time and they're
217
00:24:03,680 --> 00:24:09,680
proud and they're in it and they're dancing along to everyone and they're so happy to be there.
218
00:24:09,680 --> 00:24:14,240
I think that's confidence. I think that is more interesting to me than someone who is committed
219
00:24:14,240 --> 00:24:21,120
to doing everything perfectly. And for theater, being the right person at the right time with
220
00:24:21,120 --> 00:24:29,520
the right energy is more important than being the best actor or the best performer. So that's
221
00:24:29,520 --> 00:24:37,600
my that's my piece. That's fantastic. Do you have any maybe maybe some some advice or maybe some
222
00:24:37,600 --> 00:24:43,200
insight on how individuals could could maybe develop their confidence?
223
00:24:47,600 --> 00:24:56,480
Have a team of people around you who are there to support you and guide you. I think someone
224
00:24:58,480 --> 00:25:05,680
who maybe be like a staging coach or a music director, someone who can tell you not only
225
00:25:05,680 --> 00:25:10,800
that you're doing a good job but also work on these things. Someone who is very honest with you.
226
00:25:11,360 --> 00:25:19,200
Like the best advice I've ever gotten is that what I did was horrible. But then not only to say
227
00:25:19,200 --> 00:25:24,720
that but also tell me why it was and how to improve it. So it's this kind of constructive
228
00:25:24,720 --> 00:25:33,120
criticism that is at is a net positive for anyone, anyone performing. And I think that's what makes
229
00:25:33,120 --> 00:25:42,400
confidence sore. And you know, you don't know if you're doing it right or wrong. And that is a
230
00:25:42,400 --> 00:25:49,040
place of a nice and that is a place of lack of confidence. If you know where you're weak and
231
00:25:49,040 --> 00:25:55,680
where you're stronger in a performance, you can say, Okay, I can rely more on like grounding myself
232
00:25:55,680 --> 00:25:58,800
and like being sure that I'm doing the right things in the places where I'm a bit weaker.
233
00:25:58,800 --> 00:26:04,240
And then when I'm feeling really strong, then I can soar and accept it. But I think confidence is
234
00:26:04,240 --> 00:26:12,240
embracing everything about what you're doing and knowing everything that's going on and being able
235
00:26:12,240 --> 00:26:21,600
to embrace it. Yeah. Fantastic. I wanted to get into the maybe a little bit more personal questions
236
00:26:21,600 --> 00:26:31,920
of the podcast. Can you start by sharing how your artistic journey began and what inspired you to
237
00:26:31,920 --> 00:26:42,080
pursue the arts? Well, I don't think I really had a choice. I think, well, I mean, our family,
238
00:26:42,080 --> 00:26:52,080
obviously, it's it kind of just an artist begets more artists, right? You kind of, once you see
239
00:26:52,080 --> 00:26:57,200
the world a certain way, or once you're able to channel the world a certain way into music or
240
00:26:57,200 --> 00:27:04,560
theater or even visual arts, like, you kind of don't really have a choice unless you just like,
241
00:27:04,560 --> 00:27:13,200
force yourself to stop, you know, it's like, you kind of just have to I think, for me, I'm also
242
00:27:13,200 --> 00:27:16,960
just a very dramatic person to begin with. I think that was kind of just honed through theater.
243
00:27:18,560 --> 00:27:26,160
Right. But what inspired me to pursue it, I think was just being in a space where it was,
244
00:27:26,160 --> 00:27:37,360
what's that word? Nurtured? Yeah, nurtured. Or it was cultivated, like with me, where it was like,
245
00:27:37,360 --> 00:27:43,840
sure, I was given the space to explore myself and how to have fun and how to like interact with the
246
00:27:43,840 --> 00:27:52,560
world. And it kind of just became like the conduit, like nothing else really worked. Like, I tried
247
00:27:52,560 --> 00:27:58,880
a bunch of different sports. I know you were a major athlete throughout your youth and through
248
00:27:58,880 --> 00:28:03,760
high school. And I tried so many different things. And the only thing that I really attached to was
249
00:28:03,760 --> 00:28:09,600
like the solo sports, like swimming or running or, I don't know, things like that, where I felt like
250
00:28:09,600 --> 00:28:16,560
I could just work on myself and not work with anyone else. The hockey, I got to say, was a sight
251
00:28:16,560 --> 00:28:30,480
to see early on. Well, I still, I was fantastically in my own lane and my own speed. I can't skate.
252
00:28:32,880 --> 00:28:39,920
But it was, it was, I think the openness with our parents to go like, okay,
253
00:28:40,800 --> 00:28:45,520
what about this? And the ability for me to say, no, I don't like that. And for them to respect
254
00:28:45,520 --> 00:28:50,480
my decision from such a young age, it gave me that confidence to know that like, okay,
255
00:28:51,520 --> 00:28:54,480
my decisions for what I want to do and what I don't want to do
256
00:28:55,920 --> 00:29:04,000
matter. So pursuing arts for me was a choice after seeing so many other different things that
257
00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:08,400
didn't interest me. So it was like, oh, this is where I feel happy. This is where I feel like
258
00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:14,480
I'm valued. This is where I feel like I feel like I can express myself and be free and like
259
00:29:14,480 --> 00:29:18,400
have fun and be creative. And that turns me on to the worlds, right?
260
00:29:19,440 --> 00:29:24,320
Yeah, yeah, yeah. And you bring up a very interesting point about having the choices,
261
00:29:24,320 --> 00:29:33,200
but also being validated by, you know, your parents, our parents about respecting the
262
00:29:33,200 --> 00:29:40,640
nose and the yeses when I came to choosing a path. Exactly. Things like that. And growing up,
263
00:29:40,640 --> 00:29:44,080
sir. Oh, go ahead, please. Oh, no, please keep going. I think it's going to come here.
264
00:29:44,960 --> 00:29:49,520
Yeah. Well, I was just about to ask in those lines, you know, growing up with so many,
265
00:29:49,520 --> 00:29:53,840
you know, paths and creative influences, not only by our family, but, you know,
266
00:29:53,840 --> 00:29:59,360
the people that came into our house all the time as well. How did you decide which direction
267
00:30:00,640 --> 00:30:06,800
to focus on? And I don't want to be clear with focus because there are so many paths.
268
00:30:06,800 --> 00:30:15,520
Yeah, I still, yeah, I think I think I've heard you say this word and I've heard so many other
269
00:30:15,520 --> 00:30:20,800
people say this word so many times, but multi-hyphenate. I think it's a yes, I think it's a weird
270
00:30:20,800 --> 00:30:26,000
word to say, but it's the only thing that kind of fits sometimes. Multi-disciplinary,
271
00:30:26,880 --> 00:30:33,440
multi-hyphenate, all these kinds of things. I think it's part of my French bullshit to only
272
00:30:33,440 --> 00:30:38,480
focus on one thing. I think we can hold space for so many different things in our life.
273
00:30:40,240 --> 00:30:48,960
I think of like my current influences. Right now, I'm doing theater very much 24-7,
274
00:30:48,960 --> 00:30:55,120
which is so fun and it's so freeing and it feels extremely validating, especially after
275
00:30:56,720 --> 00:31:00,720
the beginning of the pandemic where I had so many projects canceled and I saw like
276
00:31:00,720 --> 00:31:07,360
a major bridge towards theater that was kind of burnt before me through the cutting of the
277
00:31:07,360 --> 00:31:14,400
University, the theater department at Laurentian in Sudbury. So a lot of that was like, okay,
278
00:31:15,280 --> 00:31:23,120
and I think we'll move to that a bit later, but growing up by all these influences and deciding
279
00:31:23,120 --> 00:31:31,840
which direction to focus on, I think it kind of just comes in waves really. Like, oh, I really love
280
00:31:32,400 --> 00:31:35,840
writing right now. Oh, okay, I'm guessing I'm going to write something. Oh, wow. Okay,
281
00:31:35,840 --> 00:31:41,120
I've stumbled onto an artist that I love to sing. Let's learn their entire catalog and sing it for,
282
00:31:41,120 --> 00:31:46,320
you know, a year. Oh, I love this play. Oh, I'm doing this play now. Oh my gosh, I'm learning this
283
00:31:46,320 --> 00:31:52,320
musical. Oh, I've been asked to do music direction. That's so cool. So I think, yeah, direction to
284
00:31:52,320 --> 00:31:59,680
focus on is the best thing is to say, okay, this has come up. I want to do it. Let's do it. I think
285
00:31:59,680 --> 00:32:05,760
it's, yeah, it's, it's not just like trying everything as they come up, but it's also like
286
00:32:06,320 --> 00:32:11,760
trusting your gut to say, oh, do I want to do this? Yes. No. Am I going to do this? I think it's,
287
00:32:13,200 --> 00:32:20,800
it's just like trusting that you have agency and that you have like control over your life. And so
288
00:32:20,800 --> 00:32:28,400
acknowledging that you have time to try so many different things and to do all these different
289
00:32:28,400 --> 00:32:36,160
projects, like I'm 20 and I've done all these things so far. And I'm like, I know there's so
290
00:32:36,160 --> 00:32:39,360
many different things that I want to do. I know there's things that I haven't done yet that I want
291
00:32:39,360 --> 00:32:45,280
to do. I have a list. I know I'll get to it. And I don't have to worry about doing everything now.
292
00:32:45,280 --> 00:32:52,480
I can just rely on that. I think that goes with the next question too. Yes, it does. It's very
293
00:32:52,480 --> 00:33:01,280
much on track here. I want to ask you about, and I, you know, I wanted to ask this question
294
00:33:01,280 --> 00:33:08,000
to get your answer, but I also, you know, feel, I feel this question in a different way.
295
00:33:08,000 --> 00:33:16,080
Yeah. Or in a very personal way, because, you know, I can, I can be anxious or overwhelmed
296
00:33:16,080 --> 00:33:22,480
myself with a lot of different things. I want to ask you how you find ways to channel all your
297
00:33:22,480 --> 00:33:28,560
different creative energies without feeling overwhelmed. And I also want to give space to
298
00:33:28,560 --> 00:33:32,640
sometimes, you know, we are allowed to feel overwhelmed by what's going on as well.
299
00:33:32,640 --> 00:33:39,600
Oh, yeah. I think you and I and so many people in our industries are victims of burnout.
300
00:33:40,880 --> 00:33:48,640
And, you know, I, I look at your career and I, I see you going from place to place,
301
00:33:48,640 --> 00:33:52,400
working with artists, artists having so many projects, so many contracts, so many
302
00:33:52,400 --> 00:33:57,680
different things, which is fantastic. And I am so proud of you. And it's so cool that you're able
303
00:33:57,680 --> 00:34:03,200
to like put your stamp on this, on this world. But then I'm also like, Matt needs to chill the
304
00:34:03,200 --> 00:34:10,400
fuck out because it's too much sometimes. And I see you and I, I see when you're a bit more like
305
00:34:11,360 --> 00:34:14,880
taking time for yourself or when things are really rushed or happening. And I,
306
00:34:15,440 --> 00:34:21,280
I've seen you in moments that are, you're really overwhelmed. And I've caught glimpses of that.
307
00:34:21,280 --> 00:34:25,440
And I'm like, okay, I see that in myself. And we don't really talk about it. And that's
308
00:34:25,440 --> 00:34:30,000
unfortunate. But I think now is a great time to talk about it.
309
00:34:32,480 --> 00:34:40,320
Having so much going on is, it's fun. It's the going from place to place. It's keeping busy.
310
00:34:40,320 --> 00:34:44,160
It's not having to worry about anything else. But you should have to worry about it.
311
00:34:46,320 --> 00:34:49,840
But channeling all the different creative energies without feeling overwhelmed.
312
00:34:49,840 --> 00:34:57,680
And it's, and as I say, the most important thing is what you're doing right now.
313
00:34:58,880 --> 00:35:03,680
Are like, are you scheduled to be here in the right place at the right time, right here right
314
00:35:03,680 --> 00:35:08,720
now? Are you working on this thing? Are you thinking about seven other things? Don't focus on this.
315
00:35:09,920 --> 00:35:14,080
Right. It's, it's an ability and an acceptance to stay in the present moment. And
316
00:35:14,080 --> 00:35:21,600
I think that avoids being overwhelmed. You know, if I go to the theater, I get there two hours early.
317
00:35:21,600 --> 00:35:28,000
I do a warmup for an hour. And then I spend, you know, 30 minutes doing like hair and makeup.
318
00:35:28,000 --> 00:35:32,880
And I do all these things. And I spend 30 minutes just breathing and waiting and like focusing on
319
00:35:32,880 --> 00:35:37,760
Montrez. And I don't think of anything else. My phone is off. Everything is put away. I come to
320
00:35:37,760 --> 00:35:44,800
the theater with an egg timer, my book of warmups that I have. And I just focus on that. And
321
00:35:46,160 --> 00:35:48,880
it's so nice to just be in a moment where
322
00:35:51,600 --> 00:35:58,320
nothing is like more important than what I'm doing. And I think about that. Like,
323
00:35:58,960 --> 00:36:04,320
when I don't have a project on the go, my mind immediately pivots to like another creative outlet.
324
00:36:04,320 --> 00:36:08,800
Right. I'm like, Oh, I'm not doing much theater right now. Oh, well, music is fun again.
325
00:36:08,800 --> 00:36:12,800
When I'm doing theater so often, like for a long period of time concentrated,
326
00:36:12,800 --> 00:36:18,400
I don't seek out new music. I don't, you know, I don't do a lot of visual art. I don't do a lot
327
00:36:18,400 --> 00:36:22,720
of other things because my mind is so wrapped in this present moment of doing this one thing
328
00:36:23,280 --> 00:36:27,120
that I want to do really well that I want to focus on. And when I'm not doing that, it's like,
329
00:36:27,120 --> 00:36:35,120
okay, well, oh, theater's fun. Oh, music is fun. I love singing all of a sudden. It's like,
330
00:36:35,120 --> 00:36:44,080
again, yeah, it's, it's, it's, it's really just being overwhelmed is
331
00:36:46,080 --> 00:36:51,440
Oh, it's having too much of the same thing going on at once. Right. Yeah. If I had four
332
00:36:51,440 --> 00:36:55,920
theater projects on the go, and I'm constantly thinking about theater in so many different
333
00:36:55,920 --> 00:37:03,920
avenues, that's when I get overwhelmed and tired. But if I have a music project, a theater project,
334
00:37:03,920 --> 00:37:09,680
a visual art project, and they're in their own separate categories. And then on top of that,
335
00:37:09,680 --> 00:37:17,760
I have my own kind of private downtime at home that is hopefully unaffected by those. And I can
336
00:37:17,760 --> 00:37:22,720
go to a space where that's either focused on or I can like make the most out of it in those places.
337
00:37:22,720 --> 00:37:29,120
I think having that work life balance. Yes.
338
00:37:29,120 --> 00:37:38,400
Buzzword indeed is is is realer than just the buzzword itself, right? And it's not just
339
00:37:38,400 --> 00:37:41,280
yeah, it's not just the balance, but it's also the separation.
340
00:37:42,480 --> 00:37:50,160
Yes. Yeah, very important. I want to ask you about any artists or works that have had a
341
00:37:50,160 --> 00:37:54,000
profound impact on your approach to creativity?
342
00:37:56,560 --> 00:38:04,640
Everyone, I don't know. Yes. Right. Right. Yes. Like, I don't know. I we work in such
343
00:38:04,640 --> 00:38:11,120
collaborative industries and fields and, you know, we work, we grew up in the Franco-Ontarian
344
00:38:11,120 --> 00:38:18,240
kind of workforce, creative workforce, where everyone kind of works together. And everyone
345
00:38:18,240 --> 00:38:26,000
is it's a small community. Everyone is so connected. If you're not collaborating with someone,
346
00:38:26,000 --> 00:38:31,040
and I what are you doing? Like, you're not going to get anywhere.
347
00:38:31,040 --> 00:38:36,640
Yes, it's like burning bridges as well, collaborating and burning bridges.
348
00:38:36,640 --> 00:38:45,600
Oh my God. So kind of everyone found impact on my approach to creativity is everyone
349
00:38:45,600 --> 00:38:50,640
because I'm a thief and I take everything from everyone and that's kind of how you're expected
350
00:38:50,640 --> 00:38:57,120
to grow as an artist, I feel. Or yeah, it's one way to do it. But you should be working with
351
00:38:57,120 --> 00:39:02,080
everyone and you should see how everyone's working. So you can say, I like that. I'm going to work
352
00:39:02,080 --> 00:39:06,080
on that. I'm going to use that the next time I have to do this. Oh, what the hell is that person
353
00:39:06,080 --> 00:39:11,280
doing? That doesn't go with what I've learned that feels like wrong. But I'll give it a chance.
354
00:39:11,280 --> 00:39:17,520
And then you see if it works. And if it doesn't, well, I don't know, it's 15 minutes of your time
355
00:39:17,520 --> 00:39:24,400
when you have a whole lifetime to go and you can just move on to other things. I think the people
356
00:39:24,400 --> 00:39:31,280
have had the most impact are the people who have kind of sat with me and taught me these
357
00:39:31,280 --> 00:39:37,680
fundamental things. I think of someone like from a young age, Miriam Cuson, shout out.
358
00:39:37,680 --> 00:39:44,080
Love of my life, who is the program director, who is now the program director at my theater
359
00:39:44,080 --> 00:39:50,960
conservatory, which is fantastic. She invited me to go and just a shout out because it's the
360
00:39:50,960 --> 00:40:02,560
roots are deep here. It was my mother on TV. Exactly. So I think of someone like her who
361
00:40:02,560 --> 00:40:11,440
kind of just planted this seed of like, oh, you're an actor. And she was so nurturing with that.
362
00:40:11,440 --> 00:40:16,080
And she was so sure and confident with it. And she taught me so many things. And of course,
363
00:40:16,080 --> 00:40:23,520
so many other theater mentors in my life that I can only think about in such grand gratitude and
364
00:40:23,520 --> 00:40:30,480
appreciation and respect. And it's like, I can't nail down one thing that I'm not sure
365
00:40:30,480 --> 00:40:39,040
I can't nail down one thing from one person, right? Because it's such a web. And it's it's
366
00:40:39,040 --> 00:40:46,400
it's it's cool to have that kind of like the village. Yes, the village is such an important
367
00:40:46,400 --> 00:40:55,600
word. Yeah. Yeah. Because it do take a village. It do be taking a village. Do be taking a village.
368
00:40:55,600 --> 00:41:02,080
So yeah, it's it's everyone. Everyone has had an impact. Everyone has had a ground impact. Even
369
00:41:02,080 --> 00:41:09,040
the people who are I saw once and I said, I like that person. And it's just like their energy. I
370
00:41:09,040 --> 00:41:14,560
don't know. Like for for acting, for acting, everyone is everything, right? My references
371
00:41:14,560 --> 00:41:19,760
people who are real in the world. So it's like, Oh, I saw that person one time. Cool, let's go.
372
00:41:19,760 --> 00:41:25,040
So let's play that. That is fantastic. That is really fantastic. Yeah. And
373
00:41:27,440 --> 00:41:33,360
yeah, yeah. I mean, I'm sure I don't know. I'm predicting that you have a list of people that
374
00:41:33,360 --> 00:41:39,040
you want to shout out here. But I just want to give you space to do that if you needed to.
375
00:41:39,600 --> 00:41:46,080
Oh my gosh. But also, I but also, I wanted to ask you because you mentioned it early on.
376
00:41:46,080 --> 00:41:53,760
What does authenticity mean to you as an artist and how do you ensure that your work stays authentic
377
00:41:54,320 --> 00:42:00,480
to your vision, to your own personal vision, right? Because for myself as well, every everybody that
378
00:42:00,480 --> 00:42:07,040
I see, I can pull inspiration from. Yeah. How do how do you how do you stay true to your unique
379
00:42:07,040 --> 00:42:15,520
voice while still ensuring? Sorry, how do you how do you seek inspiration? How do you how do you
380
00:42:15,520 --> 00:42:21,680
like sponge information and influences while still being true to your unique voice and authenticity?
381
00:42:22,720 --> 00:42:28,080
I'm gonna I'm gonna say it again, but it's it's it's really a matter of presence. And it's being
382
00:42:28,080 --> 00:42:34,000
able to take in all this information. And sometimes this is a process that takes like
383
00:42:35,440 --> 00:42:42,240
very long time to develop, you know, opinions and like values that are like new to you and that
384
00:42:42,240 --> 00:42:48,080
are not just brought on by your parents, for example. But to really like hone in on what these
385
00:42:48,080 --> 00:42:53,520
values mean to you and what these references mean to you and how to use them properly and how to
386
00:42:53,520 --> 00:43:00,880
build on them. I think that authenticity comes from. I have a teacher that says this.
387
00:43:03,440 --> 00:43:09,920
They consider like all of your references and yourself to be like a huge like nebula of stars.
388
00:43:09,920 --> 00:43:14,480
And everything you learn kind of gets added to that nebula and you're able to pull inspiration from
389
00:43:14,480 --> 00:43:20,400
those. But it's that kind of unique set of information that you have. And not just that,
390
00:43:20,400 --> 00:43:28,000
but also like the depth of your opinions and how you know, deep you've reached and researched
391
00:43:28,000 --> 00:43:34,320
these things. I think being able to like, I don't know, this is a weird analogy, but like have a
392
00:43:34,320 --> 00:43:41,120
sucker punch of just like being yourself and just like relying on what you know and what you feel
393
00:43:41,120 --> 00:43:46,800
is correct in having those values developed. I think that's what authenticity is. And just being
394
00:43:46,800 --> 00:43:50,960
in the moment and trusting that you know what's good for you and not only for you, but for your
395
00:43:50,960 --> 00:43:58,000
craft for, I don't know, even just interacting with people socially on the regular, I feel,
396
00:43:58,000 --> 00:44:03,760
if I'm not being myself, what am I trying to do? What are we accomplishing here? There's nothing
397
00:44:03,760 --> 00:44:14,000
happening. So yeah, it's kind of just research and being able to dig into yourself. And for others,
398
00:44:14,000 --> 00:44:20,240
it'll be unexpected. But for you, it's just to exist in your own kind of bubble in your own kind
399
00:44:20,240 --> 00:44:26,480
of sphere where everything makes sense for you. And it's also being open to new things and processing
400
00:44:26,480 --> 00:44:33,360
that and researching that and like consistently growing and growing and growing. And it's a fun
401
00:44:33,360 --> 00:44:42,240
world we live in where that's possible. And on that as well, do you find that one medium influences
402
00:44:42,240 --> 00:44:49,600
another in your creative process? For example, like does your work in theater influence your drawing
403
00:44:49,600 --> 00:44:54,800
and vice versa? Or like, you know, things like that. You know, you're talking about this nebula
404
00:44:54,800 --> 00:45:01,760
of stars. Does it sometimes influence or is it or is it, you know, there's a part of this nebula
405
00:45:01,760 --> 00:45:07,280
that's theater and then there's a part of this nebula that's music, for instance. I think the
406
00:45:07,280 --> 00:45:20,160
biggest part of the nebula is storytelling. And I think that's the main art, I would say. I think
407
00:45:20,160 --> 00:45:29,760
the artist telling stories, the mediums is theater music, visual art, I think that's the bridge.
408
00:45:31,360 --> 00:45:40,240
I think, yeah, everything in my life is about telling stories. And, you know, there's everything
409
00:45:40,240 --> 00:45:47,840
in that. It has the theatricality to it. It has the musicality to it. It has the visual parts to
410
00:45:47,840 --> 00:45:54,080
it. It has the movement, the dance part to it, right? It has like all these different aspects.
411
00:45:54,080 --> 00:45:58,560
People often tell me when I'm doing music, oh, you're very theatrical. Oh, you're very like
412
00:45:58,560 --> 00:46:03,360
image based. And when I'm doing theater, they're always like, you're so musical and you're so like
413
00:46:03,360 --> 00:46:11,760
dancey and it's so cool. And I'm like, yeah, that's you're so dancey. So it's it's it's it's
414
00:46:11,760 --> 00:46:16,960
channeling all those things, right? The question, yeah, it's the influence of everything. Like I
415
00:46:16,960 --> 00:46:23,040
I can't go into a space and be expected to be only one thing. I think that's pointless. I think
416
00:46:23,040 --> 00:46:31,360
that's stupid. Because I am everything. And I am everything. Look at me. I'm everything.
417
00:46:32,960 --> 00:46:42,640
It's it's I represent everything that I am. And I think not choosing to not let something influence
418
00:46:42,640 --> 00:46:49,040
the other is a total loss. And I think it's an extreme disservice to the self that you've cultivated
419
00:46:49,040 --> 00:46:53,840
and grown over such a long time. And even if it's not a long time, it's your entire existence,
420
00:46:53,840 --> 00:46:59,840
which is everything. You are everything. I think it's fantastic.
421
00:47:01,760 --> 00:47:07,520
I want to ask you in that same vein, how your perspective on the creative process of different
422
00:47:07,520 --> 00:47:13,040
mediums has have evolved, you know, because I obviously I know your most of your life.
423
00:47:14,400 --> 00:47:21,040
Yeah. In regards to, you know, going into theater as a very young child, you know,
424
00:47:21,760 --> 00:47:27,600
being a very musical and artistic household, you know, high school, all that stuff,
425
00:47:28,640 --> 00:47:33,680
you know, all of your various experiences, but also references and influences.
426
00:47:33,680 --> 00:47:37,680
Go ahead. Yeah.
427
00:47:44,880 --> 00:47:51,600
Yeah. Specifically, I wanted to ask you how your creativity and, you know, maybe your creative
428
00:47:51,600 --> 00:48:00,080
self has evolved over time, especially as you've gained more experiences and influences. And,
429
00:48:00,080 --> 00:48:08,560
you know, especially in the past few years being in theater, like 24 seven and now in
430
00:48:08,560 --> 00:48:18,400
post-secondary education. Yeah. I don't often say this, but I did do a year of music,
431
00:48:18,400 --> 00:48:34,880
professional music at TMU. It was really interesting to like hone a kind of different
432
00:48:34,880 --> 00:48:40,960
creative process during that seven months that I was there. I kind of logged out for the next
433
00:48:40,960 --> 00:48:49,760
for the last month and a half, I want to say. But as a whole, I think the creative process is
434
00:48:53,360 --> 00:49:00,320
it's a sham. I think it depends on what you're working on. I think it depends on who you are
435
00:49:00,320 --> 00:49:04,880
at the moment. I think it depends on what your influences are at the time. I think it depends on
436
00:49:05,760 --> 00:49:09,600
one thing because it's never a set thing. I've had people try to tell me that, oh, the creative
437
00:49:09,600 --> 00:49:15,440
process is trying to, it's like this five step thing that you have to follow. And I'm like, no,
438
00:49:15,440 --> 00:49:19,280
it's not because sometimes you start with the final product and you're like, oh, wait, hold on,
439
00:49:19,280 --> 00:49:22,480
does this make sense? And you have to kind of like work it back to work it forward again.
440
00:49:22,480 --> 00:49:30,080
So it's this kind of iterative kind of multi-layered process of like, oh, what does this look like?
441
00:49:30,080 --> 00:49:34,880
How can I fix it? How do I go back? It's this kind of like ever constructing
442
00:49:34,880 --> 00:49:42,560
a path. Like I have songs that I wrote six years ago that I'm still kind of like trying to figure
443
00:49:42,560 --> 00:49:47,600
out and working on them. Like, okay, well, I love this. This is kind of solidified. Oh, I hate
444
00:49:47,600 --> 00:49:52,240
that lyric. Why did I ever write that? I'm like, okay, I can keep it. Maybe I'll rewrite it
445
00:49:53,600 --> 00:49:59,040
for a performance, a theater performance. It's like, okay, who are my kind of character
446
00:49:59,040 --> 00:50:02,640
inspirations for this role? Do I care about that right now? Do I just want to find out what's true
447
00:50:02,640 --> 00:50:08,000
to me? And then I can like, if I feel stuck, do I find a supplementary information to like,
448
00:50:08,000 --> 00:50:14,560
come round this out? I think as it evolves, my creative process has just been
449
00:50:16,080 --> 00:50:21,040
what feels better now and acknowledging when I'm stuck or acknowledging when I need to go back
450
00:50:21,040 --> 00:50:26,960
or acknowledging when I need to like, fix things. Because right now for my current performance in
451
00:50:26,960 --> 00:50:33,280
the curious incident of the dog in the nighttime, I was like kind of just feeling stuck with myself
452
00:50:33,280 --> 00:50:38,880
for a while. And I was like, okay, this is getting really lame, boring for myself. And I've been
453
00:50:38,880 --> 00:50:44,160
watching a lot of Dr. Who and specifically Matt Smith, who is an amazing actor in that role. I
454
00:50:44,160 --> 00:50:48,720
was like, that is exactly the energy that I need for this. And I've been channeling parts of his
455
00:50:48,720 --> 00:50:55,520
acting in that show. And it's just been satisfying to and it's always satisfying to find something
456
00:50:55,520 --> 00:51:02,800
that's real that you can ground yourself on. You can just embrace. And that's part of the creative
457
00:51:02,800 --> 00:51:07,520
process is just continuously building and expanding upon what already exists.
458
00:51:10,640 --> 00:51:17,040
There you go. Fantastic. You mentioned theater, mentioned acting. How do you approach preparing
459
00:51:17,040 --> 00:51:26,400
for a role? And how does that process differ from different mediums of yours? Well,
460
00:51:28,080 --> 00:51:33,520
for a role in particular for theater, you're often working with, you know, a script, a set
461
00:51:33,520 --> 00:51:40,160
play that exists, right? So there's a lot of research and dissection that has to go with that.
462
00:51:40,160 --> 00:51:46,640
Right? You have to analyze the script. You have to do all the beats. You have to, you have to,
463
00:51:47,600 --> 00:51:51,840
you know, for this, there's a book that goes with it. So I've read the book many times. I've
464
00:51:51,840 --> 00:51:56,000
like cross referenced it to make sure like, okay, what's coming from the book? What's added? What is
465
00:51:56,000 --> 00:52:01,120
like, what are like the time jumps that are under the script? What am I like? I hate this word.
466
00:52:01,120 --> 00:52:05,200
Sure. But like, what are like my, what are the character beats? What's what's happening? What is
467
00:52:05,200 --> 00:52:12,160
real? So there's that. There's also like another whole part, which is like discovering the character
468
00:52:12,160 --> 00:52:19,200
physically, emotionally in the voice in the, in the body. How does it feel like where, what are
469
00:52:19,200 --> 00:52:24,640
the emotions that are happening? Where are the settings? What's happening? Where are we? There's
470
00:52:24,640 --> 00:52:30,000
all those questions. And then there's obviously memorizing a script, which takes, I mean, let's
471
00:52:30,000 --> 00:52:34,640
be honest, I'm still memorizing some parts now when we open tomorrow by the time that this
472
00:52:34,640 --> 00:52:44,080
podcast comes out. But I'm pretty solid on everything now, but there's the few little
473
00:52:44,080 --> 00:52:50,080
rates here and there that are important. Always. Yeah, of course. But also it changes. If I say
474
00:52:50,080 --> 00:52:54,480
something wrong in the moment, it kind of just feels right and it doesn't remove from anything.
475
00:52:54,480 --> 00:53:04,640
But don't tell my stage manager that. But comparatively to, I want to say like,
476
00:53:06,480 --> 00:53:10,400
so that's the same when you're doing kind of any repertoire work, right? So when you're like
477
00:53:10,400 --> 00:53:15,360
doing a cover of a song, that's kind of the same thing, right? So like, that's kind of similar
478
00:53:15,360 --> 00:53:18,560
in that sense, you're analyzing what's going on and you're like memorizing and you're rehearsing
479
00:53:18,560 --> 00:53:21,520
and you're doing all these things and you're figuring out all these different things, your
480
00:53:21,520 --> 00:53:26,320
track, your set list, how do you navigate from one thing to the other? What are the, I don't know,
481
00:53:26,320 --> 00:53:30,640
what instruments are you using at this time? What's the next like preset for your synths?
482
00:53:30,640 --> 00:53:36,240
I don't know. Something like that. But it's different when it's, you know,
483
00:53:37,360 --> 00:53:45,360
repertoire versus like writing something, like doing a piece of visual art or writing a song,
484
00:53:45,360 --> 00:53:53,920
that stems very much from, well, nothing. You start from nothing. You start from maybe
485
00:53:53,920 --> 00:53:58,880
an idea you have, you start from maybe something you read in a book or an image you saw or some,
486
00:53:58,880 --> 00:54:04,320
an interaction that you saw on the street and you want to say like, oh, how do I capture that?
487
00:54:05,440 --> 00:54:12,160
Right. And it's different because, well, it's different in the sense that it's your own work
488
00:54:12,160 --> 00:54:17,360
that you have to create from the ground up and for theater, it's like, okay, I have to create my
489
00:54:17,360 --> 00:54:21,760
performance, but it's already based on something that's very real and in place and there's a director
490
00:54:21,760 --> 00:54:25,680
and there's a team around me that's like making sure that everything happens. But when you're
491
00:54:25,680 --> 00:54:33,520
doing like a solo project, it's like, oh, well, here we are. Let's write something. Yes. And it
492
00:54:33,520 --> 00:54:43,600
might not work. Yeah. Yeah, there's always that. But yeah, for me, I think it's in theater and acting
493
00:54:43,600 --> 00:54:53,440
and all that stuff. It's quite different because you're oftentimes asked to restart from zero
494
00:54:53,440 --> 00:54:59,600
and bring that tool bag that you have built. But it is your job to sort of discover
495
00:54:59,600 --> 00:55:08,720
who that character is within yourself. Let's talk about that. It's quite different. Yeah, please.
496
00:55:08,720 --> 00:55:14,640
Yeah. Yeah. What is that tool bag? What does that mean for you? It's, I mean, it's everything. It's
497
00:55:14,640 --> 00:55:19,680
like, it's it's knowing what to do when to do it when no one else is telling you what to do.
498
00:55:20,320 --> 00:55:25,520
Right. Yeah. It's like, how do I rely on like my years of experience working on different
499
00:55:25,520 --> 00:55:32,480
productions and shows? And how do I know that like, okay, we're arriving at a point where
500
00:55:33,440 --> 00:55:38,960
I have to, you know, show up on stage and, okay, there's so many things I have to be
501
00:55:39,920 --> 00:55:44,160
aware of. Okay. I have to be open to the audience. I have to be, you have to have
502
00:55:44,160 --> 00:55:47,600
good diction. I have to have like all these different things going on. I have to be aware
503
00:55:47,600 --> 00:55:50,560
of what's happening. I have to be in the moment. I have to know all these things when you're in
504
00:55:50,560 --> 00:55:54,320
rehearsal. It's like, okay, how do we get this from point A to point B?
505
00:55:54,320 --> 00:56:00,560
Okay. I have ideas how to do that because I've done so much. The toolkit is like
506
00:56:02,080 --> 00:56:10,560
knowing how the medium works. It's knowing how the, how things are supposed to go normally,
507
00:56:10,560 --> 00:56:14,000
right? And when that doesn't happen, you feel like kind of uneasy because you're like, oh,
508
00:56:14,000 --> 00:56:18,240
I've never seen this happen before. Do I have anything that I can like bring to like either
509
00:56:18,240 --> 00:56:23,680
resolve this or make this better for everyone? Sometimes that's not your place. But sometimes
510
00:56:23,680 --> 00:56:28,400
it's nice to like, to raise your hand and be like, okay, I'm feeling really worried. Is there
511
00:56:28,400 --> 00:56:32,960
something we can do about this? And if they don't know, it can be like, okay, we did this thing
512
00:56:32,960 --> 00:56:38,560
once and like you can kind of like try to show what's, what a kind of possible solution. I think
513
00:56:38,560 --> 00:56:45,760
that comes from collaboration and problem solving, which is the sport of creating art with people,
514
00:56:45,760 --> 00:56:53,440
right? And it comes from references and experience, right? And, and, and, and being able to
515
00:56:53,440 --> 00:56:59,200
reference those past experiences and say, okay, what happened, what happened? It's very important.
516
00:56:59,200 --> 00:57:04,000
And that tool bag, maybe, maybe a lot of people have similar tool bags. But what's important
517
00:57:04,720 --> 00:57:10,800
is that is the uniqueness of your tool bag and the quirks that your tool bag has and the stickers
518
00:57:10,800 --> 00:57:14,560
that you put on your tool bag or the patches or, oh, the zipper doesn't work on this.
519
00:57:14,560 --> 00:57:18,160
Yeah, the charisma uniqueness, urban talent of your tool bag.
520
00:57:18,160 --> 00:57:23,520
Whoa, there you go. Can you repeat that? The charisma, uniqueness,
521
00:57:23,520 --> 00:57:29,280
nerve and talent of your tool bag. That's a, that's the Rupal reference.
522
00:57:29,280 --> 00:57:36,000
Okay, yes. Okay, okay. I was like, okay, wait, what does that spell out? Yeah. Yeah, of course.
523
00:57:40,080 --> 00:57:45,680
Fantastic. I want to, I want to ask you, what's the biggest lesson you've learned from performing
524
00:57:45,680 --> 00:57:57,360
live in front of an audience? Oh, um, they're there for you. And you, yeah, you are entitled to
525
00:57:58,240 --> 00:58:08,160
take your time and not rush and give them something that is focused, that is in the moment. And you
526
00:58:08,160 --> 00:58:14,720
have space and you have time to breathe and just like take a moment for yourself so that you can
527
00:58:14,720 --> 00:58:20,880
present the best. Right? If you're kind of just trying to rush through everything and you're like,
528
00:58:21,680 --> 00:58:25,200
what's happening? What's this? What's this? What's this? Oh God, oh God, there's an audience. Oh my
529
00:58:25,200 --> 00:58:30,800
God. Oh my God, I'm panicking. You are allowed and you should have moments in the show where you're
530
00:58:30,800 --> 00:58:38,320
allowed to just rest and take a deep breath and have the moment go a bit longer than you have to,
531
00:58:38,320 --> 00:58:47,680
but it's necessary. And then you can come back stronger and more connected, which like also goes
532
00:58:47,680 --> 00:58:58,640
with like nothing is real, but everything matters. Right? Like your, your kind of health and
533
00:58:58,640 --> 00:59:05,200
self-assuredness in this moment matters. And the audience matters and what they feel matters and
534
00:59:05,200 --> 00:59:10,240
their participation matters. Everyone on stage, everything that's happening on stage matters.
535
00:59:12,080 --> 00:59:20,000
And that just goes to real life too. If you're not kind of taking moments for yourself to like
536
00:59:21,680 --> 00:59:25,760
breathe and bring your best self or maybe not even in your best self, but you're most like
537
00:59:25,760 --> 00:59:34,160
together, self at that point, whatever it may be, you're kind of losing opportunities to just
538
00:59:34,560 --> 00:59:44,880
feel good about everything that you're able to bring. And on stage, those stakes are always higher.
539
00:59:45,760 --> 00:59:51,680
Like everything is always higher and you have to be able to accept and acknowledge that and be like,
540
00:59:51,680 --> 00:59:58,960
I don't know, for me, it's like having mantras or like taking those moments really quick to like,
541
01:00:02,080 --> 01:00:09,120
okay, next line. Right? It's being able to like, not even break character, but just acknowledge
542
01:00:09,120 --> 01:00:12,640
the fact that like you're a human being and that you have limits and that you have like
543
01:00:14,320 --> 01:00:18,720
a capacity and whether that's high capacity at that moment, or if it's low, or if you're not
544
01:00:18,720 --> 01:00:25,600
feeling entirely connected, you have the time and you have the time to build into that connection
545
01:00:25,600 --> 01:00:30,160
just because you start off the show feeling like shit and you feel like you're not able to connect
546
01:00:30,160 --> 01:00:34,640
to yourself doesn't mean that for the first five to 10 minutes, you're not able to like
547
01:00:35,520 --> 01:00:40,320
regain that momentum again and then find fun in it again. I had that happen yesterday at a
548
01:00:40,320 --> 01:00:45,520
rehearsal. The first five minutes of the show, I felt literally nothing. I was able to rely on
549
01:00:45,520 --> 01:00:50,880
technique and like what I know about the show to like get me through it and then memory and
550
01:00:51,440 --> 01:00:56,400
it's I'm still giving a really good performance, but it's not a connected performance and
551
01:00:57,040 --> 01:01:02,720
the audience won't see that, but I will feel that and once I start feeling it, the audience will
552
01:01:02,720 --> 01:01:11,520
feel it even bigger. So I gave myself the time to just breathe and like tap into that like,
553
01:01:11,520 --> 01:01:15,920
that fire that you get when there's a performance and you're able to just like do things off the
554
01:01:15,920 --> 01:01:24,000
cup and trust off the cuff and trust your impulse and your intuition and just go for it to the
555
01:01:24,000 --> 01:01:32,240
max, right? And it's something that's really special to me as a live performer that not every
556
01:01:32,240 --> 01:01:39,600
night will be the same. We're not every night will have the same problems and I don't
557
01:01:39,600 --> 01:01:47,200
that's that's what's fun about it too. Yeah. And I already don't remember what I did last night.
558
01:01:47,200 --> 01:01:52,080
I remember kind of the feeling, but if I try to replicate that feeling, it won't be authentic.
559
01:01:52,960 --> 01:01:58,800
It won't be authentic to what I'm doing right now. So yeah, the biggest lesson is just breathe
560
01:01:59,520 --> 01:02:04,400
and take time for yourself so you can be authentic regardless of these kind of stakes
561
01:02:04,400 --> 01:02:09,520
that are so high around you and like that pressure that might be there and that will be there.
562
01:02:10,720 --> 01:02:16,800
And it's your stage. You own it. You have time. People are there to see you and you are the person
563
01:02:16,800 --> 01:02:22,000
who takes their time and make sure that they're comfortable and confident. That's great.
564
01:02:23,120 --> 01:02:30,480
Can you share a memorable performance experience that significantly shaped your career this far,
565
01:02:30,480 --> 01:02:43,120
Simo? Oh my gosh. Well, I'm going to take it back to the very beginning because I
566
01:02:43,120 --> 01:02:48,080
there you go. I think without that one moment that I actually shared with you,
567
01:02:49,920 --> 01:02:56,720
I would I don't think I would be doing what I'm doing now. And it's the first play I did.
568
01:02:56,720 --> 01:03:04,160
I think it was also maybe your first play, too. I don't know. Was it? Yeah. The Pirates. Yes.
569
01:03:08,240 --> 01:03:16,000
I had one line during that entire play and it was to you and it was you came on stage with
570
01:03:16,640 --> 01:03:21,120
the goggles down and you couldn't see anything and your character didn't know what was going on.
571
01:03:21,120 --> 01:03:27,920
And I reach up and I flick it open and you say, thank you. And I say, there you go. And just
572
01:03:28,720 --> 01:03:37,040
that one moment has just stuck with me because in many ways it's such like a meta moment. It's
573
01:03:37,040 --> 01:03:41,040
like for theater, it's like, oh, you have a costume piece that's like not working properly,
574
01:03:41,040 --> 01:03:47,040
but it's scripted. It's funny. It's like in the moment, it's kind of like breaking this like
575
01:03:47,040 --> 01:03:52,320
theater wall that we have with an audience. It's like this collaboration between the two of us.
576
01:03:53,120 --> 01:03:58,880
And it's like, I don't know. I think back on that. And it's like, it's always been a moment that sticks
577
01:03:58,880 --> 01:04:04,800
out to me is like the first time where I felt like, oh my God, I'm doing theater right now.
578
01:04:05,520 --> 01:04:10,240
And it's like, right, right. And it's it's moments like that where I'm like, oh,
579
01:04:10,240 --> 01:04:17,120
okay, I just found it. And I was what five years old. And I found it. And it's and it's and
580
01:04:18,320 --> 01:04:25,280
Miriam always tells me this story about that show in particular, that there was a flamingo on the
581
01:04:25,280 --> 01:04:31,040
ship. And so in part, we're through the show, I just ripped it off and started running around with it.
582
01:04:31,040 --> 01:04:36,240
And she said it was one of the most like, powerful moments she's ever seen in theater,
583
01:04:36,240 --> 01:04:41,200
because it was just a kid having fun on stage doing whatever the fuck he felt like doing.
584
01:04:41,760 --> 01:04:46,960
And it's right, I think from there on, and like, through collaborating with
585
01:04:48,480 --> 01:04:53,520
not only you, but like our small cast and just that entire show has stuck in my mind,
586
01:04:53,520 --> 01:05:00,320
everything about that show, I can still see it very vividly. And when I for years and years,
587
01:05:00,320 --> 01:05:06,080
when I went to the TNO, I would see like, sometimes they would just
588
01:05:06,080 --> 01:05:10,640
leave out some of those caution pieces and I would get so like, yes, that is why I'm here.
589
01:05:10,640 --> 01:05:22,000
That is why I am that is my purpose in life is to be here now. And doing this here now,
590
01:05:22,640 --> 01:05:27,280
be here now when all the current starts to ship.
591
01:05:27,280 --> 01:05:37,120
But it's like, obviously, there are so many moments that have shaped it. But
592
01:05:38,640 --> 01:05:48,160
like, as like the just that moment in particular, and the filming moment and seeing that show,
593
01:05:48,160 --> 01:05:56,160
I was like, okay, people are telling stories. It's funny. It makes sense to me. We're being free.
594
01:05:56,160 --> 01:06:02,320
We're having fun. People are here for us. They love what we're doing. We're creating something
595
01:06:02,320 --> 01:06:08,320
that literally hasn't been done before. We finished it in two weeks. Yep. Everything just
596
01:06:09,120 --> 01:06:15,040
clicked and I nothing would have made sense for me unless we had that.
597
01:06:16,720 --> 01:06:23,440
So that's the that's the thing. It's a great answer. And I'm very happy,
598
01:06:23,440 --> 01:06:29,200
very grateful to have shared those first few moments with you. Yeah, there you go.
599
01:06:31,200 --> 01:06:39,280
I want to ask you what's next in your artistic journey? Any upcoming projects or goal that you're
600
01:06:39,280 --> 01:06:46,240
excited about? Yes. Well, by the time this comes out, I've said it, I open a show tomorrow
601
01:06:46,240 --> 01:06:50,880
in Ottawa at the Ottawa Little Theatre. The show is the curious incident of the dog in the
602
01:06:50,880 --> 01:06:58,000
night time. I play the role of Christopher, who is a neurodivergent boy who is discovering,
603
01:06:59,120 --> 01:07:03,120
who's trying to figure out who killed his neighbor's dog Wellington, and it takes him
604
01:07:03,120 --> 01:07:10,720
through this whole journey of figuring it out and it kind of makes him find hidden dark
605
01:07:10,720 --> 01:07:17,920
truths about his family and it makes him reconsider his entire life. So that's one thing. And also,
606
01:07:17,920 --> 01:07:22,240
by the time this comes out yesterday, I will have started my second year of theatre school, which is
607
01:07:23,680 --> 01:07:30,960
so exciting. And I'm so happy to be there all the time. And I just can't wait to work with my
608
01:07:30,960 --> 01:07:37,280
group again and work on projects and shows again. And we're doing projects together. And it's,
609
01:07:38,080 --> 01:07:45,280
it's really fun. Aside from that, things I'm looking forward to, I'm always kind of writing
610
01:07:45,280 --> 01:07:52,800
by myself. Eventually, I want to, you know, write, record, publish things that I, it's not in my,
611
01:07:53,920 --> 01:07:59,120
it's not in my short term goals right now. It's very much long term. But everyone will know
612
01:07:59,120 --> 01:08:05,920
when that time comes, I'm sure of it. Yes, it does. How do you see, how do you see yourself
613
01:08:05,920 --> 01:08:11,120
evolving as an artist in the coming years, any particular direction you'd like to explore
614
01:08:11,120 --> 01:08:19,040
more, more deeply? Right. Well, a huge part of theatre school right now is honing what I was
615
01:08:19,040 --> 01:08:24,640
saying, those, that technical craft and that like, becoming a better actor and a more like,
616
01:08:24,640 --> 01:08:30,160
controlled and like, well rounded performer. So that's kind of like my goal for the next
617
01:08:30,720 --> 01:08:35,040
two years until it's over. And then after that, obviously doing projects that work more like
618
01:08:35,040 --> 01:08:42,160
professionally and things like that. But also just getting back into full swing.
619
01:08:43,920 --> 01:08:48,720
Before the pandemic, I was on the go, so many projects at the same time. And I don't want to
620
01:08:49,360 --> 01:08:54,400
go back into that and like be overwhelmed again or face burnout like that again. But I want to do
621
01:08:55,520 --> 01:08:58,880
more and more and bigger and bigger and better and better. And I want to do all those kinds of
622
01:08:58,880 --> 01:09:06,640
different things that really inspire me. And evolving as an artist, I just, I want to keep
623
01:09:06,640 --> 01:09:12,960
becoming more true to myself. I want to keep bringing myself to the table. I want to keep
624
01:09:14,400 --> 01:09:20,880
yeah, just discovering who I am. Because, and everyone tells this to me and I am so aware of
625
01:09:20,880 --> 01:09:27,280
it. And I see everyone, you know, discovering their passions that they never knew they would have had
626
01:09:27,280 --> 01:09:30,880
so much later on in their life. I think of famous painters who only discovered that they
627
01:09:30,880 --> 01:09:34,880
loved painting at 81 and they're one of the most celebrated painters of all time, you know.
628
01:09:34,880 --> 01:09:43,040
Yeah. I always keep myself open to those developments. And I recognize that theater has been,
629
01:09:43,040 --> 01:09:48,560
since I was five years old with you, has always been that like guiding force in my life. And I've
630
01:09:48,560 --> 01:09:54,080
discovered other things along the way that are also important to me. And I just want to keep
631
01:09:54,080 --> 01:09:59,120
discovering things that are important. And whether or not it's in the same vein as theater or not,
632
01:09:59,680 --> 01:10:06,880
I'm always open. And I think that's the kind of lesson that I want to impart on people.
633
01:10:07,600 --> 01:10:15,360
And what's kind of my dream is that not only for myself, that's the next question. What is the
634
01:10:15,360 --> 01:10:23,680
dream? Yeah, the dream is not only for me, but also for everyone is that everyone keeps growing
635
01:10:23,680 --> 01:10:28,160
and everyone keeps developing things that are important to them and finding things that are
636
01:10:29,120 --> 01:10:37,200
true and authentic and reflect back what feels correct. And whether or not that's
637
01:10:40,800 --> 01:10:47,680
you know, finding a life at peace with what you have or continuing to grow and develop and
638
01:10:47,680 --> 01:10:51,920
search for things or I don't know travel the world or open a restaurant or write a book
639
01:10:51,920 --> 01:11:02,640
or be a per athlete or be a coach, a trainer, a professional movie critic. I don't know. Do what
640
01:11:02,640 --> 01:11:09,440
makes you happy and what keeps you fueled and enriched in that moment. That's the dream. That's
641
01:11:09,440 --> 01:11:13,360
my dream for humanity that people don't feel stuck like they have to do this one thing forever
642
01:11:13,360 --> 01:11:17,840
and ever because that's boring and it's unrealistic. And you'll just feel trapped in something that
643
01:11:17,840 --> 01:11:26,640
doesn't feel true to you. So that's the dream. Beautiful, beautiful stuff. I wanted to ask you
644
01:11:27,200 --> 01:11:32,480
something, a few different, a couple of fun things here that is very specific to theater.
645
01:11:33,840 --> 01:11:41,680
I wanted to ask you if you had a dream role, a dream, maybe a theater, maybe a theater company
646
01:11:41,680 --> 01:11:55,040
to work with or even a venue to work at. Oh, my gosh. Honestly, I've always considered myself to be
647
01:11:56,800 --> 01:12:06,560
a local performer. And I see myself, I see it possible working on bigger stages and with
648
01:12:06,560 --> 01:12:13,520
bigger companies if the chance arises. But I have always been perfectly content working with the
649
01:12:13,520 --> 01:12:19,840
people that I love that are important to my community that are important to where I grew up.
650
01:12:21,120 --> 01:12:26,320
I say this to everyone who asks me, like, well, what's your plan? It's like, my plan is to
651
01:12:27,120 --> 01:12:33,200
invest back into my community and work with those companies that have brought me up and that have
652
01:12:33,200 --> 01:12:39,200
given me the chance to succeed personally and professionally. I want to work with those. And
653
01:12:39,200 --> 01:12:46,320
I'm sure that I'll find connections and be brought to things that are bigger than those things. And
654
01:12:46,320 --> 01:12:53,760
maybe I'll do that for a while. But my goal is always that I just want to live my life being
655
01:12:53,760 --> 01:12:57,920
with the people who I love always and who I've always loved and who have always been there for
656
01:12:57,920 --> 01:13:04,640
me. And I think that's like just the kind of karmic balance that I want to keep happening in
657
01:13:04,640 --> 01:13:16,960
the world. But dream rolls, that's a different question. And that's always kind of a hard
658
01:13:16,960 --> 01:13:23,600
question. I think I have a list on my notes somewhere. Hold on. Let me just look that up
659
01:13:23,600 --> 01:13:34,480
real quick, because I never remember them in a moment. Let's see. Oh, well, you know what?
660
01:13:34,480 --> 01:13:39,680
No, this is one that I've always wanted. Sorry, all of these are...
661
01:13:44,000 --> 01:13:48,560
Little Shop of Horrors, the role of Seymour, that's always been one that I've always gravitated to.
662
01:13:48,560 --> 01:13:55,280
And for so many different reasons, I just love the character and it's always fun. The music is so
663
01:13:55,280 --> 01:14:05,600
great. I've also been thinking a lot recently about playing gender-bent roles and doing adaptations
664
01:14:05,600 --> 01:14:13,440
of shows that have that in them. Not to take roles away from women, but... That's not what I want to
665
01:14:13,440 --> 01:14:23,760
say. Sorry. But I find a lot of power in those roles that feel a lot more closer to me than a lot of
666
01:14:25,600 --> 01:14:28,560
typically male roles. And I think they can be written in ways that are
667
01:14:30,320 --> 01:14:35,680
theatrically interesting and tell maybe a different story, maybe from a queer perspective.
668
01:14:35,680 --> 01:14:44,720
Right? I want to create theatre that is inherently queer as fuck. And I want to bring that to the
669
01:14:44,720 --> 01:14:52,080
stage in any way possible. So my dream role is things that explore that and allow me to explore
670
01:14:52,080 --> 01:15:02,240
different avenues of myself that are still always very authentic. Yeah. Fantastic. I want to conclude
671
01:15:02,240 --> 01:15:10,240
this 81st episode of the Come on Machine podcast with the Dreamfest game. Now, for those who have
672
01:15:10,240 --> 01:15:16,000
been listening for a while, we play a few games on the podcast, one being the Dreamfest game, which
673
01:15:16,000 --> 01:15:24,400
basically allows our guest or allows me to question my guest on their dream festival. Yes. From the
674
01:15:24,400 --> 01:15:31,520
executive chairs, from the festival programmers chair, for this week, I have put Simo in the
675
01:15:31,520 --> 01:15:39,920
creative directors chair, basically asking them who the headline middle act and opener of
676
01:15:40,640 --> 01:15:48,960
is of this festival, where it is the venue, when, as in time of year, era, as in what decade, does
677
01:15:48,960 --> 01:15:56,000
this festival have a theme? How would you put how he would put his signature on the festival as a
678
01:15:56,000 --> 01:16:01,600
creative director? And if there is one food or beverage that would be served that would best
679
01:16:01,600 --> 01:16:09,280
represent Simo, what would it be? So I would please go at your own pace, whatever you want to start.
680
01:16:09,280 --> 01:16:22,160
Okay. So to start, this is a very queer festival, let's just say. It can't be anything else in
681
01:16:22,160 --> 01:16:29,440
my mind if I'm being a creative director. It's very queer. It has very theatrical interventions,
682
01:16:29,440 --> 01:16:38,000
let's just say. I think it would be a very multi-stage kind of thing, where lots of
683
01:16:38,000 --> 01:16:48,320
different things are going on. But I think if we stick to the concert type of area with
684
01:16:48,960 --> 01:16:55,360
theater throughout, I think that would be the kind of thing for me. I think the main headliner,
685
01:16:57,440 --> 01:17:03,280
Cher, come back to her, 20, 30s. It has to be kind of like...
686
01:17:03,280 --> 01:17:13,440
It does. She just released a new hit, obviously, number one. She's touring with that.
687
01:17:16,720 --> 01:17:21,040
I don't know how old Cher is, and that doesn't really matter because Cher is timeless, of course.
688
01:17:22,880 --> 01:17:27,280
So anyway, it's 20, 30s Cher. She just released a new hit. She has a new look,
689
01:17:27,280 --> 01:17:31,120
sort of new comeback tour. She's developed a new technology for everyone to see.
690
01:17:31,120 --> 01:17:39,040
She's looking beautiful. Opening for her. Let's see. Modern influence. Why not? Let's get the
691
01:17:39,040 --> 01:17:44,240
party started. Charli XCX. She's just released something new. She's getting the party going
692
01:17:44,240 --> 01:17:47,920
for everyone who wants to have that moment. Yes, the Rat Cup indeed.
693
01:17:48,960 --> 01:17:54,960
Brat six. Oh, it's 2034, the 10-year anniversary of Rat, of course.
694
01:17:54,960 --> 01:18:03,760
Cher is the headliner. Oh, my gosh. Where is it happening? It's happening...
695
01:18:10,400 --> 01:18:14,960
Honestly, why not? Some national park somewhere. They still exist by then.
696
01:18:16,240 --> 01:18:24,640
It's in the woods. There's an audience of wildlife. They all come together.
697
01:18:24,640 --> 01:18:31,760
They congregate like Snow White. Oh, yes. Cher gets picked up.
698
01:18:32,400 --> 01:18:45,520
Yes. Okay. So to elaborate on the theme, it's queer. It's in the woods. It's a come back. It's a
699
01:18:47,360 --> 01:18:52,800
reunion tour for so many different artists. Maybe it's a bunch of different artists that have
700
01:18:52,800 --> 01:18:58,400
maybe retired by then. Who knows? Who knows that they have? Maybe Madonna will have retired by
701
01:18:58,400 --> 01:19:05,200
then. Maybe she is going to come. Maybe Adele will have been focusing more on her family for a while.
702
01:19:05,200 --> 01:19:08,880
She's been doing such fantastic concerts recently, by the way. Those videos are insane. The T-shirt
703
01:19:08,880 --> 01:19:22,720
Canon. Maybe it's pink and we install it. So that she can do ziplining maybe through the woods.
704
01:19:24,480 --> 01:19:28,880
The zipline is already installed. It's tree ziplines.
705
01:19:28,880 --> 01:19:37,440
It's like, yeah. Just attach Cher. Cher to the... Oh, Lady Gaga. Sorry, I meant take.
706
01:19:38,640 --> 01:19:46,800
But maybe Cher. Maybe Cher comes in on... Oh, she gets like... Not airlifted, but air dropped
707
01:19:47,680 --> 01:19:50,000
with a helicopter. A helicopter.
708
01:19:50,000 --> 01:19:57,040
Into the woods and it kind of creates this huge draft through the trees.
709
01:20:00,160 --> 01:20:06,400
I don't know. Nearby is Heidi Lepone doing a solo set of her best theater hits throughout the
710
01:20:06,400 --> 01:20:12,880
years and she's delivering monologues or whatever. And there's Bernadette Peters doing something.
711
01:20:12,880 --> 01:20:19,760
And it's all these people who have had this really long careers that have to be celebrated once again.
712
01:20:20,320 --> 01:20:24,800
And Charlie X's there as an opener to bring in the younger crowd, of course.
713
01:20:28,320 --> 01:20:37,200
And I think the signature would be these kind of like this festival, because that's one of the
714
01:20:37,200 --> 01:20:44,160
points is there would be like every now and then between sets, I would want people to come in and
715
01:20:44,160 --> 01:20:49,520
around the stage and there's like these kind of like hidden kind of areas throughout like the woods
716
01:20:49,520 --> 01:20:56,560
where there's paths, of course, but it's like you can kind of go to like hidden kind of like theatrical
717
01:20:56,560 --> 01:21:01,520
performances or like either like short players or like performance art kind of things
718
01:21:01,520 --> 01:21:08,480
hidden around here and there. I think it would just make for like a very like hype hyped up like
719
01:21:08,480 --> 01:21:15,440
performance kind of venue kind of space. But also that would cater to like more extroverted people
720
01:21:15,440 --> 01:21:19,840
and things like that. And then it would have like these kind of quieter areas that it's like more
721
01:21:19,840 --> 01:21:25,520
expected to be like respectful to the space and like quiet and like these kind of down areas that
722
01:21:25,520 --> 01:21:30,240
have more like theatrical elements that are more for the introverted people. And that's where I would
723
01:21:30,240 --> 01:21:41,120
be most of the time, I must say. But it would be just just this like calm in the woods nature.
724
01:21:41,120 --> 01:21:45,600
I think that's what's missing from a lot of festivals too. It's like we often go to like these
725
01:21:45,600 --> 01:21:50,960
very open areas. I see photos of like, I don't know, Coachella or like whatever these big concerts
726
01:21:50,960 --> 01:21:55,280
are that are like in huge flat areas. And it's like, where are the mountains? Where are the trees?
727
01:21:55,280 --> 01:21:59,360
Where are the woods? Where are the well, of course, like noise pollution. So maybe you don't
728
01:21:59,360 --> 01:22:07,440
want that. But ideally, ideally, it would just be this, oh, maybe it's all like acoustic sets.
729
01:22:09,440 --> 01:22:14,320
Who knows? Yeah, who knows, but there's a lot of ideas there. There's so many ideas.
730
01:22:14,320 --> 01:22:22,960
2034. We have until 2034. So it's fantastic. Yes. Just the last one, Samo. Oh, yes.
731
01:22:22,960 --> 01:22:26,800
One food or beverage that you'd serve that would best represent you.
732
01:22:26,800 --> 01:22:30,640
Oh, what would it be grapes? Grapes on the vine.
733
01:22:36,160 --> 01:22:44,000
As a as a as a dramatic person and as a a follower of Greek God Dionysus, who is the God of wine
734
01:22:44,000 --> 01:22:50,400
and theater and many other things you can look them up. He has a lot of imagery of wine and grapes.
735
01:22:50,400 --> 01:22:58,080
And I think, oh, it's happening in a vineyard, of course. And then in the woods.
736
01:22:59,600 --> 01:23:06,880
And yeah, so just grapes on the vine and there's maybe like fruit and like fresh gardens everywhere.
737
01:23:06,880 --> 01:23:14,640
And you can just like go pick some things and beverage. Water. I don't know. I don't know.
738
01:23:14,640 --> 01:23:18,400
I don't know. I don't know. Yes.
739
01:23:22,080 --> 01:23:28,400
Yeah, I don't. I'm not. I'm not a drinker. So I think it would represent me would be water,
740
01:23:28,400 --> 01:23:34,480
maybe tea. Maybe there's like an area for that. I don't know. Maybe I'll maybe I'll plot it out.
741
01:23:34,480 --> 01:23:36,720
Send it to you. You can add a visual. Yes.
742
01:23:36,720 --> 01:23:46,640
Well, this has been a fantastic, fantastic episode of the Clumsy Podcast. Honestly,
743
01:23:46,640 --> 01:23:53,920
one of my probably one of my favorite episodes so far and cherished moments. It's so great to
744
01:23:53,920 --> 01:24:00,640
be able to speak with you in this context. And, you know, I want to have more of these
745
01:24:00,640 --> 01:24:06,560
conversations off of the air. Yeah, me too. Thank you for coming. Thank you, Matt. It's been
746
01:24:06,560 --> 01:24:10,240
truly lovely. I love talking about this and I love talking with you.
747
01:24:14,320 --> 01:24:22,000
Cool. Thank you very much. And, you know, we'll chat after. Yes. Yes.
748
01:24:23,360 --> 01:24:29,120
This weekend, the absolute pleasure of having my brother Simon on the podcast. Honestly,
749
01:24:29,120 --> 01:24:39,200
probably one of my favorite podcasts of the entire cloud machine era of my life. It was so great to
750
01:24:39,200 --> 01:24:46,320
connect with him because he is an auto and I'm currently living in Toronto. And it was such a
751
01:24:46,320 --> 01:24:53,360
great I had such a great time talking about his creative nebula, his process, his day to day and
752
01:24:53,360 --> 01:25:02,480
in the theater, how he thinks about just the creativity sort of aspect of his life, the theater,
753
01:25:02,480 --> 01:25:10,080
music, visual arts, the whole balancing of that. And for me, it was very special to see that we're
754
01:25:10,080 --> 01:25:16,240
going through the same things while maybe not necessarily see each other all the time. It was
755
01:25:16,240 --> 01:25:23,040
such a fantastic episode to dive into the performing arts with my brother Simon.
756
01:25:23,040 --> 01:25:30,880
To keep up with him and his latest projects and shenanigans, please follow him on social media
757
01:25:30,880 --> 01:25:41,600
at race. That's rys.simon on Instagram. Thanks for tuning in, everybody. Don't forget to like,
758
01:25:41,600 --> 01:25:46,640
comment, subscribe and share this episode with others who could benefit from these creative
759
01:25:46,640 --> 01:25:53,680
insights. Maybe you want to share it with somebody, a family member. For me, it was so special to
760
01:25:54,320 --> 01:25:59,040
connect with an individual that has been a part of my entire life and we've shared all these
761
01:25:59,040 --> 01:26:06,000
moments and I hope you just sort of see that and connect with that as well. Also be sure to join
762
01:26:06,000 --> 01:26:11,920
our new community at the 8th Network Discord, whether you're a musician, industry professional,
763
01:26:11,920 --> 01:26:17,120
or music enthusiast. It's a perfect place to connect with like-minded individuals, gain
764
01:26:17,120 --> 01:26:24,080
valuable insights and access, exclusive discussions and content. Visit the link in the description
765
01:26:24,080 --> 01:26:42,240
below to join today. Thanks everybody. Stay safe and see you next week. Bye.