Dear readers,
I’m glad to report that my online workshop, Out of the Box, went very well. At least, I’m quite happy with the outcome, and participants seemed to be genuinely interested in the lectures. Each session would start with a presentation of the main topic, and I would go into detail as minutes went by, engaging with the designed guests and the attendees. One of them (Gioia) commented: This was one of the most profound experiences of my life – music is real when we are real.
What a nice endorsement! Grazie, Gioia. I was concerned at first, that people would put different expectations on the course. It is not strictly technical, as it approaches music from a general point of view (you don’t even have to play an instrument to follow the sessions). Of course, there is always room for improvement, but this has represented a very good start and I gained more confidence.
Summer went fast, it seems. For me, it was pretty much devoted to the preparation of the seminar, and everything else needed to be put on hold. After the lockdown and the emotional stress and confusion it caused, I welcomed that prospect with joy: one big project to focus on, instead of a series of different activities (equally demanding). I guess the hard work paid off.
It’s now time to move on. I have resumed working on the next EchoTest album, which is more or less ready for the mixing stage. I’m making last minute adjustments, recording some vocals, and putting final touches to the songs, coordinating with Julie. Alessandro is arranging his drums parts, and will soon lay the tracks down in a studio in Rome.
I have been cramming some session work (done remotely, of course) in between the refining of the EchoTest album and the preparations for my first online concert ever. On Saturday October 17th, at 4pm EST, I will perform a 45-minutes virtual solo show for the ProgStock Festival. It will be 100% live – this makes me nervous, but it’s worth the trouble! I’m eager to do the experiment and see how it goes. You can grab a ticket through StageIt, the platform that will be hosting the event. There are other awesome artists on the bill; make sure you check them out. Full schedule here.
It’s all very virtual, and the real world seems to be a thing of the past – but I’m glad that such outlets exist, so that we can continue to make music and bring people together. As lockdown restrictions are easing down here in Brussels, I’m hoping to start attending new events and maybe perform some local shows. Let’s see how it all plays out.
Stay well and stay safe.
Marco Machera 