BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE
Composition is often described as a solitary activity. And although it’s a process that can indeed be undertaken in isolation, things get a little different when that isolation is enforced by the government at the height of a global pandemic.
In this interview series, we partner up with Australian composers — emerging and established — who are continuing to write music from their home studios while in lockdown.
Rather than taking for granted the independent nature of composition, we’d like to celebrate composers’ abilities to keep creating when they are working in an industry that is facing collapse in this unfamiliar and high-stress environment.
Here, we chat with Jessica Wells. The Australian composer and has worked across mediums from concert to film, theatre to albums. At the moment, she’s working on a piece of music for The Australian Voices’ project Far and Near, commissioned by Gordon Hamilton.
Jessica also runs her own business Jigsaw Music as an orchestrator and arranger. And, as live and screen productions have come to a halt due to COVID-19, Jigsaw Music has experienced the consequences.
Hi there, Jessica. Thank you so much for taking part in our interview series. First up, talk us through your workstation at the moment. What’s your home studio or set-up look like, and how are you navigating it around the physical COVID-19 restrictions?
I have always worked from home, running my business Jigsaw Music from a small home office. I have a room with a desk and midi keyboard; Genelec studio monitors and subwoofer under the desk; a big Konica Minolta printer I’m renting monthly, which is not printing much more than colouring-in sheets and bits of sheet music for my kids; cupboards full of 120gsm paper in A4, B4, and A3; a comb binding machine; shelves of books and audio equipment; and piles of printed scores I need to throw out but cant bring myself to cull!
That’s a full office! Let’s talk about your worklife itself. There has been a lot of pressure in our community to do things while in lockdown. Do you feel there is a bigger expectation placed on composers to create, when considering the way many look at this profession — as with other professions in music and even writing — as a solitary and highly expressive activity to begin with?
I am finding it almost impossible to compose without having much head space. In fact, whilst typing this sentence, I have been interrupted no less than three times by my 11-year-old son wanting me to type in passwords on his computer and also use my computer to create YouTube video intros for his new channel.
Having to homeschool two children — as well as compete for space with a husband who is under pressure to take part in almost non-stop calls and video meetings all day — has been draining and sucks all the creativity out of this old duck. But I’m trying, in small grabs, to let out some creativity onto the page when I can manage it.
So, within this space, how would you describe your workflow? When you can finally sit down to do some work, to when you get up at the end of your day, what do you do and how has it changed since COVID-19?
I pretty much have no time to myself anymore. I used to have six hours a day while the kids were at school to get stuck into commercial work and composing — whatever needed to be done that day — and managing up to seven team members on different projects.
Whilst those commercial projects are all now at a standstill, my time is now drained by family and household matters, some Zoom teaching, and admin. Therefore, finding the time and head space to compose has been difficult.
When I do sit down to write, I do some research on the piece first and then go straight into Sibelius. That has been my method for a long time now. No sketches, no protracted sessions of trial and error. Just write.
Of the compositions you have been able to work on, how would you say these are influenced by today’s external world?
The small amount of music I’ve written in the past six weeks has been somewhat melancholy.
The melody that came to me on this piece for TAV suited the text I was using, so the minor key it starts in was easy to dive into. The piece will have hope, though — and strength — so the harmony has already started to change and develop out of the minor.
Perhaps it’s an indication of my mood? I suppose so.
How did you get involved in this Far and Near lockdown project with TAV?
Gordon Hamilton emailed me out of the blue with this surprise commission! Gordon and I have talked over the years about me writing something for TAV, so this was a lovely email to receive.
What does it mean to you to still be able to work on a project during COVID-19?
This commission from TAV, plus a few others that have thankfully not been cancelled, are a beacon in this dark time. People still want music to be written and performed. That is a lifeline to me as a composer.
Due to the fact that all commercial film and TV projects have stopped due to COVID-19, I am one of the many composers, engineers, musicians, editors, cinematographers, producers, studios in the same boat. We have no work, and don’t know when we will be allowed to resume projects.
The project’s artistic director Gordon Hamilton has said the theme of this project “speaks to the current trauma enveloping the world”. What’s your composition about, and how does it respond to this theme?
My piece is about the sky — the clouds and the sun, in particular. I have been spending some good time outdoors getting some needed air and exercise, and it came to me that no matter what situation you are in around the world, we can still go to a window and look up at the sky. We can share that in common. We can feel the heat of the sun on our faces, thus no matter how far away we have to remain from each other, we are connected by the sky.
It must be a unique situation: you’re composing a work that will one day be performed — but who knows when? So, how do you keep the drive and motivation to keep working on this music, even though it may be quite some time before that live music can be played?
Composers are lucky creatures — we can hear the music in our heads and imagine how we will want it to sound well before the physical performance. In the real world, it can often take a long time to hear a performance of a piece, so we just have to wait a bit longer this time.
It’s not so bad. The ‘delayed gratification’ will be greater, the payoff even sweeter.
What else are you up to at the moment?
Getting slightly more confident riding my bike around the neighbourhood with my family. Getting slightly fatter with eating comfort food and baking more cakes. Giving more attention my cat than he’s ever experienced.
At the end of the day, how do you predict the pandemic will impact the Australian music industry — and what are your hopes for its future?
I am seriously concerned for the arts in general, as it will be a very hard road back to recovery without government support in our sector.
I’m seriously disappointed in our current Liberal leaders for ignoring our pleas for help — for an big industry that galvanises other smaller industries, like tourism and hospitality, and contributes greatly to charities.
Watching the ANZAC dawn service was so moving. How would it have been without the Last Post being played? How would it have looked without the beautiful art on the wall depicting the nurse inside the War Memorial? How would it have been without the poetry of the Ode of Remembrance? Art connects us all and needs to be protected.
If we somehow get through this by the skin of our teeth, I’m hopeful that commercial projects will start up again once restrictions are lifted, and I can get my business Jigsaw Music up and running again quickly.
The government needs to impose better quotas on Australian content for the foreign streaming services that make millions in our country. This will boost local production and jobs in the screen sector, and encourage Australians to love Australian stories as much as foreign content.
Music for the concert halls and theatres may take a longer time to bounce back, as audiences may be reluctant to return immediately. The companies and ensembles that are affected need urgent assistance to keep their staff and continue to exist and thrive until normalcy returns.
One thing that stands out to me is the camaraderie of our artistic community. We will survive, but we also need to work tirelessly to fix the system that is drowning us. We need to continue to make our voices heard to our political leaders. Vote accordingly at elections! Make your local members know how you have suffered. And that you want change.
Find out more about The Australian Voices’ 22-composer initiative Far and Near on the website.
You can also catch up on our Composing under lockdown series with our interview with Jaret Choolun.
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