Looking back at the “bones of summer” how have you engaged or created art? If you haven’t engaged or created art, please describe why.

When I look back at the bones of this past summer I reflect on my emotional state during my quarantine. Nearing the end of phase 1, restrictions were being lifted and my feelings of loneliness and anxiety were at their peak. I decided to confront those feelings head on by writing a song with my fellow bandmates. Through various email chains and demos sent back and forth we ended up writing a “quarantine song” about a fictional girl unable to go to her high-school prom due to COVID-19.  This culminated in us recording the song together in a bandmate’s basement and promptly releasing on Spotify in August. This single was a beautiful outlet for the feelings of us as band members during the waning summer months. Our band goes by Poncho + The Rain on Spotify and the single is titled “No Place To Go.” If you want to check it out a link to the song is below. https://open.spotify.com/track/2PEdcFRVz6pWDY6lHpsBUw.

What things, if any, surround you that you consider powerful?

I consider relationships between people to be among the most powerful things in this world. They are quite literally what brings us together as human beings. Relationships can influence our psyche making us feel powerful emotions.  Love and hate, frustration and satisfaction, sadness and joy, all of these are examples of feelings that are influenced and nurtured by the relationships we amass over our time here on earth. This idea of relationships holding great power even extends to the art we as artists create. We will create art that reflects our own experiences with the world and the people that inhabit it.

Over the next couple of days, take note of the dominant sounds in areas that you consistently walk. What are the sounds you notice most of all? Be specific.

I have become hyper-aware of the sound of rain outside my window after months without it. Returning to my room after a meal and being welcomed with the notion of rain droplets on the pavement brings me into a mood of reflection. I have also started to notice the ever-present chatter of people throughout my suburban neighborhood. Never loud enough to be intelligible but just enough to be perceived as human speech. I have noticed it can almost be recognized as a hum that accompanies any modern community of people. This hum is something that tends to fall into the background if one isn’t listening for the indication of human life.

How do you relate to the phrase “free time only works if you steal it?”

I can’t say I agree with the phrase entirely. I understand the meaning behind it, but I think the message is confused. As a university student I have a rather packed schedule and less free time than I would like.  But that being said it doesn’t mean when I do have free time that I necessarily have to “steal” it. The idea of stealing free time implies that free time in and of itself is unproductive. This couldn’t be further from the truth because as artists we can’t always be inspired. It’s in the time where you aren’t actively working on something that you can find things about life to motivate yourself. Without free time you can often find yourself in burn out, productivity cannot come from constant work. For that reason I believe that free time isn’t stolen, it must be planned into your day in order to be a successful artist and a successful human being.

Do you have any other takeaways from the film?

I found the film really inspiring. Seeing someone so experienced in life still so passionate about his art made me excited to be an artist. I want to be able to be his age and still create art of any sort from what inspires me. The part of the film about him painting the burnt piece of metal spoke to me. It really shows how an artist can find inspiration in the most mundane parts of life and make it into something beautiful.