Pete Lockett in Lockdown - extra bij hoofdartikel SWK 219

Gelukkig ben ik een echte introvert

Lockdown 13-08-2020 12:08

Het volledige verhaal van Pete Lockett. Voor het hoofdartikel 'Drummers in Lockdown' in Slagwerkkrant 219 (september-oktober 2020) lieten we 39 nationale en internationale slagwerkers vertellen over hun (muziek)leven van de afgelopen maanden: Hoe doorstaan zij deze gigloze tijd? Hoe houden zij hun techniek op peil? Hoe houden zij contact met mede-muzikanten en publiek? Zijn online lessen en livestreams een uitkomst? Hoe zien zij de nabije toekomst, en tot welke diepere inzichten zijn ze gekomen… We kregen 39 uitgebreide en opvallend openhartige epistels met antwoorden. Dat konden we lang niet altijd allemaal kwijt in de 20 pagina’s (!) die we voor dit artikel uittrokken. Daarom lees je hier op Slagwerkkrant.nl het het ongecensureerde, welbespraakte betoog van Pete als antwoord op onze vragenlijst, en nog een aantal van Lockett’s Lockdown video’s.

Hier op Slagwerkkrant.nl lees je de volledige verhalen die de drummers voor ons schreven en zie je de video's en foto's die zij in hun reacties mee stuurden. 
Je vindt deze artikelen in een speciale sectie op de website, onder de knop LOCKDOWN.

Pete Lockett met kanjira

Did you go online to continue performing/play with others/promote your music?
I was never keen on ‘playfromhome’ video collaborations before the crisis but, felt that this was a positive way to keep connections active over those initial few months.  I started with a few just to keep in touch with people but, it mushroomed into over forty quite detailed 90 second collaborations with percussionists and drummers from all over the world.  Collaboration and musical exchange has always been a vital part of my DNA and when the chemistry is right, there is always a magical outcome. I feel that we embraced some of that magic in these videos. Of course, nothing can replace being on stage or in the same room with people creating and generating that musical force.  I finally had to conclude the series because it was literally taking up all my time.  Multi tracking, video editing, composing.  Interestingly in terms of longevity, there are a few of these collaborations that will now develop into full album recordings at a later date.

In de volgende YouTube vind je alle 38 Lockett Lockdown video's bij elkaar in een lange video (bijna een uur percussiemuziek!)

 

 

Slagwerkkrant 219 (september-oktober 2020) 


Regarding performing on line.  Honestly, for me, a live audience are a massive and vital part of the experience.  Existentially, without that physical presence, the engine is not fully engaged.  Staring at a zoom window on the computer or a camera lens definitely does not completely do it for me.  Also, the physical nature of the sound in the room, the bass in your stomach, the impact of the music around you, the VIBE. It is a precious spiritual scenario that looses significance digitally, as do eggs when replaced with a powdered version.  That said, I may well ‘need’ to present one project in this format.  My duo with Peter John Vettese was due to showcase in February. It’s painful to have it on ice for so long. A mixed media live stream is one possibility that we are considering.

Did you use the lockdown to pick up or intensify your drum studies?
Well, so far I have been so involved with producing stuff that I have not really had much free time.  When lockdown started I began on my Kanjira book for Hudson music.  Besides writing it and composing all the musical examples, it involved recording over 1350 audio examples at two different tempos.  The book has now been released on hudson.  Then, I got deep into the video collaborations.  That was a big commitment as each video, on average was between two to three days to complete.  The final week of the series I had eight consecutive days in a row so that was pretty intense.  Along side this I am developing a percussion plug in for Kontakt with a great British company ‘Rattly and Raw’.  We have got to the testing stage for that, having recorded all the audio.  Now, I am just near the end of completing a huge audio update for my IOS App, DrumJam.  Again, this has involved recording thousands of loops and dozens of multi velocity percussion instruments.  When that's delivered, work starts on a new drum and perc app. I wish I had time to sit down and practice.  At the moment though, I am grabbing an hour here and there.
This is a link to the KANJIRA BOOK

Did you teach online during lockdown?
My intention is to put out some free video stuff, but, with everything going on, I have not been able to get around to this.  I have done a few ‘zoom’ group classes but, honestly, it feels completely abstract to me. As much as the live performance scenario, the personal cycle of feedback is important to me.  Being in the room you can feel how people are engaged, you can read their body language and access their enthusiasm.  You can adjust what and how you are teaching to cater for different individuals of differing abilities. All this becomes much harder to gauge in the digital group scenario, esp when their mics have to be turned off to prevent the dreaded latency.  It becomes more of a ‘lecture’ than a flexible group scenario.  This is fine, and I have done some but, as with performance, you cannot replicate being in the same room.  With both these scenarios, it feels more natural to put out pre recorded performance or lecture videos.   That is very much on my TO DO list.  When I do, it will be a free resource. 


Did the lockdown in a way also have a positive effect on your creativity?
Absolutely.  Luckily, I am an introvert and like staying at home so lockdown has not been so tough for me.  It actually engages my creative side a massive amount. I am happy doing endless ten hour days in my little studio with the blackout curtains closed and my mind focused on the task at hand.  In terms of creative output, the Kanjira book and the video series was massive for me. Both had their own compositional challenges, the book with words and the educational narrative and each of the videos to make a listenable story in ninety seconds.  I now have thirty or forty new themes to develop for my live performances when they start up again.   Regarding being ‘introspective’. Philosophy has always been a vital part of my being. Knowing ‘why’ you do ‘what’ you do ‘when’ you do it, or at least get a basic understanding of how you got there. It is an under valued component in education and skill development. I have gone through periods of intense study of philosophy over the years.  In particular, Immanuel Kant really struck a chord with his ‘critique of pure reason’.  This really helps me to zoom out and look objectively, even anonymously, at any situation. With regards the current scenario, it helps me to be realistic in how I see my personal situation in the pandemic.  Firstly, I am thankful that my loved ones and I are safe.  The sorrow and sympathy I have for all those who are not that lucky is deeply felt.  Then, I count myself very lucky to be able to focus in isolation and to be able to remain motivated and inspired to create.  That said, it would instead be entirely possible for me to be completely despairing about everything that has fallen through, the drum fest in Bermuda, performance at the Olympics in Japan, ten date UK tour and much other stuff.  Dwelling on that will not help me.  Instead, I try and live in the ‘NOW’ and look at what I can have direct control of - NOW?   One positive here for all musicians is that underneath it all, we are true believers.  If you have spent decades making music then you would have had so many disappointments and rejections along the way.  We battle through them, just like we battle through the character building necessary to continually face the challenges of learning an instrument.  Continually seeing people with much better facility and virtuosity than ourselves but always fighting through it with our knowledge that music is ours, as much as it is anyone's.  We persevere and we get 'home' to the music.  We are all believers and we are all survivors.  Sometimes it’s hard to hold onto that belief but, we must.  Now is the time to double down with that.

Did you find a way to keep on earning money during lockdown?
I have always been committed to adding a wide variety of parts to my musical portfolio.  The percussion app, library music, products with drum companies, royalties. Besides these being works of passion, they have also been put in place knowing they would be a vital lifeline in any ‘doomsday’ or personal injury scenario.  I always mention this in clinics.  Get writing credits. Expand your horizons beyond just the gigs and recordings.  Think outside the box.  Anyway, for all these things I feel lucky. 

How do you see the near future?
I am not looking at the near future.  I am looking at the present, the exact ‘here and now’ and I am looking at the distant future.  As soon as this virus hit, I said to my wife that will negate most stuff up until spring 2021 at the earliest.  Now, I think thats an optimistic assessment.  Even with a cure and / or vaccine, that would be the earliest turn around. In my mind, the earliest I will travel would be well into 2021. Even then, countries borders will remain extremely restricted, even if we get rid of the virus in Europe. International gigs will be impacted for the next few years at least. Sadly, thats the reality of the situation.  Then there is the massive impact on venues, management companies, the music industry and drum companies. There is no way of knowing what will be left when this is all over.  What we can say, getting back onto the philosophy, is that WE will be there when this is all over.  Together we will build our wonderful world of music back up again because we are music, we are the passion and the vision.  Our desire to make music, share and collaborate, get inspired, practice, work, educate and perform can never be quashed.  We will be there and we will do it. 
Pete Lockett - London 2020

 


Lees het volledige Hoofdartikel met 39 persoonlijke verhalen in 
Slagwerkkrant 219 (september-oktober 2020) 
Vanaf 14 augustus 2020 in de winkel, of bestel 'm bij ons via Muziekmagazines.nl

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