FALL 2020 REAL CREATIVE MAGAZINE

Too OLD?

Just My Opinion by Lon Levin

old[ ohld ] /kä(l)m/

adjective

adjective, old·er, old·est or eld·er, eld·est.

far advanced in the years of one’s or its life: an old man; an old horse; an old tree. of or relating to the latter part of the life or term of existence of a person or thing:

Am I too old to become an artist? Can I make money being an artist?

I like these questions because I have asked this question of myself quite a few times over the years.

First of all, it’s never too late. I trained to become an illustrator and couldn’t find enough work to continue down that path. Back then I thought I may not be good enough so I turned to art direction which I thought suited me better.

After 23 years of successfully working in the entertainment industry as an art director, creative director and an art department head, I still had the desire to be an illustrator. So, I prepared myself and my finances after a long stint at Warner Bros to depart when my pension became activated. However not everything goes as planned and my department was disbanded few months before that was set to happen. I was out of job before I wanted to be. I had a very thin portfolio of 7 pieces but I had passion, a little money and a burning desire to succeed.

I soon found out that I was an older artist amongst younger upcoming and established pros. My wife at the time discouraged me and said I was wasting my time and I should find another position in the industry.

I didn’t care I was determined to find out if I had had the chops to be a working illustator. I chose to focus on the

children’s book area as I had a lot of experience with children’s products and TV shows. I traveled to trade shows in New York, Chicago, Washington and Bologna for the Children’s Book Fair. I aggressively made connections and in some cases friends. After a few months I landed projects. The pay was low or non-existent but it gave me a chance to work on projects and spread my artistic wings.

For most of you there are many artists who are much older than you are, and there are also artists who found success at twice your age. That being said there are a few qualities you need to possess in order to start a career in art after a prior career or in midlife. First of all you need to have some degree of talent. That means you need to be brutally honest with yourself. If you don’t feel you can judge yourself then ask art teachers, gallery directors or creative directors. If you don’t know any contact those whose work you admire. I find most pros will talk with you especially via social media.

Next know the area of the market you’re interested in well. If it’s children’s books then read as many books as you can that are contemporary. Study what the subject matter is and the styles that are being used now. Classic older books may be great but they may be seriously outdated in style and substance.

Be patient. It takes a while to establish yourself, find your own style and voice and to be consistently great at what you do. Remember this, the industry doesn’t need you… it doesn’t need any of us. There is no shortage of capable artsts and illustrators. Strive to be skillful and unique and you’ll rise in the ranks of artists.

You’ll never know when success might happen if at all, so you must be passionate. The true test of that is would you keep creating if you never made any money or never got recognized for your work. If that discourages you then find something else to do.

If that energizes you and challenges you then forge ahead regardless of how old you are. The fact is your experiences as an adult have enriched your perspective, your discipline and your knowledge and in the end that is all that matters.

“Age is a case of mind over matter.

If you don’t mind, it don’t matter.”

— Satchel Paige, baseball player

Photography by Lon Levin Photo: Lon Levin

ina Sina Sina

Sina Doering is a YouTube sensation. Every time she drops a video it get’s massive response...into the millions of views.

She was born in Marburg, Germany, back in 1999. Her mother is an amateur Piano player and she sings all the time. Her dad is a professional Live & Studio musician. He started touring Europe with a Beatles Tribute Show some 20 years ago which he continued doing for the next 10 years before he concentrated on his studio work.

When Sina was 2 years old she joined him for the first time on tour. The rest is as you can guess... history.

When did you first think about music as something you wanted to do? Were you encouraged or discouraged by family, friends, teachers, mentors?

When I first started my YouTube channel in 2013 I had no idea that this might become a profession for me. When I finished school in 2016, the channel was really taking off and I realized there was an option to keep doing this for a living. I wasn’t sure though if I actually wanted to do this, so I decided to keep going for a while and see where this would take me. My family has always been very encouraging and supportive and of course it didn’t hurt that my dad is a professional musician.

What kind of kid were you? Where did you grow up? What were your influences?

I grew up in a small village. I was more like the introverted, shy kid that didn’t get noticed by anyone. My sister and I were heavily influenced by the music that my dad was playing for a living, mainly Beatles. As a child, I loved listening to Abba. A few years later, I became a huge Toto and Michael Jackson fan.

“Sensational”

How has the background you got at Krefeld Drumming school and your dad’s influence helped you achieve the level of development you have now?

Those experiences taught me that hard work and practice made me a better drummer. Before that, I never practiced for several hours a day. Playing drums every day, even if it’s only for 20 minutes, helped a lot feeling confident at the drumkit.

How do you decide which songs you cover? Has your taste evolved from when you started?

First, I tried to cover technically difficult songs in order to make my videos interesting and impressive. I later realised that it’s more about the quality and popularity of the songs, not so much about technical difficulties. Today, I try to provide a mix of different degrees of technical difficulties and genres and I also mix drum covers with collaborations, which means that I team up with other players to record a song from scratch, both covers and originals. The most important thing for me is that I enjoy the music I play.

“I grew up in a small village. I was more like the introverted, shy kid that didn’t get noticed by anyone.”

Continued/

Is it hard to work so closely with your dad on the music and the video productions?

No, my dad is the most affable person I know. It’s impossible to argue with him. We don’t always have the same opinion about everything, but no matter what I decide, he tries to support me to the best of his abilities.

I know that “Sultans of Swing” is one of your most followed videos. Have you very been contacted by any of the band members or gotten comments from them?

Below the video you can find a very nice comment

of Terry Williams, who was Dire Straits’ drummer through the 80s and who created that kind of high energy Live drum part that I covered. I was told that Pick Withers, the original drummer, also approved my version but I can’t really tell if it’s true.


What do you recommend to younger aspiring musicians and music producers who are just developing?



Just go for it, don’t be afraid of trial and error. If you enjoy what you do, shift gears, otherwise find something else!

I watched your 15 minutes on Ringo and it was fascinating. I love the Beatles and always wondered what was so great about Ringo? Now I know. Do you plan on doing more videos like that. Say Ginger Baker, Keith Moon, Charlie Watts, Dave Clark?

It takes a lot of time to do a video like that properly. I was allowed to use backing tracks of a Beatles Tribute Band

my dad was involved in. It would have been very hard for me to achieve this under different circumstances. So I don’t think I will have a chance to do another tribute video to any other drummer anytime soon. .

Can you explain what the experience of working with Gas onstage is all about? Do you plan to formalize your band and start touring?

The Gäs is not ‘my band’. I was asked some years ago by our lead guitarist and main songwriter if I was interested in joining the band. I joined after I turned 18, otherwise it would have been impossible for me to get to the gigs and rehearsals. We have recorded an original album since and we played plenty of gigs which came to a sharp stop due to Covid-19. Playing live with The Gäs is very different to recording in a studio and it was an important experience for me to play in front of different crowds. We played in front of thousands and we played gigs in front of only a dozen people. Without that experience I wouldn’t have dared to play live with Donovan in front of TV cameras. Who if anyone influences your work?

Your video of One Girl band is incredible. Was it complicated to put that together? Do you plan to do more of that type of video? I love the cowbell solo and the orange tennis shoes!



Thanks a lot!! Those kind of songs take a lot more time to get right than a regular drum cover of course. I can’t come up with something like that every week (without repeating myself). But hopefully, I can launch another multi-instrument piece later this summer.

Who if anyone influences your work?

That keeps changing. If the music that I listen to at the moment inspires me, so do the musicians who created that music. Currently, I love listening to Vulfpeck, they just float my boat!

What do you do to promote yourself, Gas and your music outside of YouTube?

Very little. I never aimed for fame or attention, so I kinda picked the wrong job, I know. However, I try to handle all that YouTube madness in a professional way, but I don’t strive for additional attention by contacting magazines, radio or TV promotors.

What’s the future hold for you? Any ultimate goal?

I think it’s a good thing that we can’t foresee our own future. I’m going to study music in Arnhem, Netherlands, in September and hopefully I’ll be a better drummer in a future that allows musicians to perform in front of real people again!

If you could meet anyone in the field you’re in who would it be and why?

I would love to meet ALL my musician heroes in a way but at the same time I would be far too shy, so most likely it wouldn’t happen, no matter who!

What’s going on in your head when you start playing one of these classic tunes like In-a-gadda-da-Vida?

I approach every drum cover in a different way. In the case of In-a-Gadda-da-Vida I was aware that this is an iconic solo. I knew I had to get every hit right. So I transcribed the solo note-by-note (which is also a good exercise) and then learned it by heart. There are other covers that I do less exact, more like ‘in-the-style-of.’ An example for this are my Keith Moon (The Who) covers. It’s just impossible to recreate everything Keith Moon did, so I don’t even try.

“I team up with other players to record a song from scratch, both covers and originals. The most important thing for me is that I enjoy the music I play.”

Brigitte Perrault

a bright

Light

Interview with

Lon Levin

Brigitte Perreault is a social entrepreneur, a human rights advocate and environmental activist. She is the founder, publisher and editor-in-chief of Perreault Magazine, a global digital publication launched in 2014. Inspired by her vision to actively participate in making a difference, her cause-driven publication rapidly became a platform for education, advocacy and activism. The magazine covers humanitarian causes and global campaigns, educating readers on environmental issues, wildlife and ocean conservancy, as well as global health.

When did you first think about helping others as something you wanted to do? Were you encouraged or discouraged by family, friends, teachers, mentors?

My father was a collector of the National Geographic magazine. I remember two huge walls of yellow magazine spines, where I would frequently grab one and start looking at the incredibly beautiful photography and read articles about other cultures and our Earth. In addition, having lived in a cosmopolitan city such as Montreal, I was exposed to many cultures and new philosophies. It sparked my curiosity and my parents always supported my relentless desire to travel. So I did, and so did my vision of the world expand.

Fast forward to a relaxing Sunday afternoon at my house

in Los Angeles, I stumbled upon an article about the life of refugees in refugee camps, and their lives once they are resettled. That article moved me to my core. The families, friends, activities, as well as how heart-wrenching – albeit joyful – it is when they are being resettled to other countries. They leave everyone behind, with the certainty that they will never see each other again.

At the end of the article, the author indicated that 10,400 Somalia refugees were coming to the US. And I HAD to do something. I wanted to get involved. The first thing I did that Monday morning was to call the Washington State Department and ask ‘how can I help?’ I was then referred to a resettlement agency in Los Angeles where I reside and began a lifelong engagement. Volunteering changed my life. I wanted to be there – at the bottom of the escalator at the airport. I wanted them to know they were expected. I wanted to give them hope and security. In return, throughout the years, they all taught me so much about resilience, humanity, courage, love, and hope. Without hope, there’s nothing. They are my family and I am theirs.

What kind of kid were you? Where did you grow up? What were your influences?

When I tell childhood stories to my friends, they say I should make a short film. I was born and grew up on the South Shore of the St-Lawrence River, in Matane, Quebec.