MOMENTS MAGAZINE
COVER
ISSUE 1
RACHEL PLATTEN Alec Chambers, Kalimur, & Alex Morsanutto
ALEC CHAMBERS page 4
MOMENTS MAGAZINE ISSUE ONE - APRIL 2015 CREATOR: PAULA ARAUJO
KALIMUR page 8
EDITORS: PAULA ARAUJO SAMANTHA CAPALDO WRITERS: PAULA ARAUJO RAUL CAMINO BRIDGET FoRnarO PAULA KUNATEE
RACHEL PLATTEN page 12
PHOTOGRAPHER: PAULA ARAUJO
THE GOOD GUYS AND A GIRL TOUR page 18
designer: paula araujo CONTACT: momentszine@gmail.com @MOMENTSZINE
ALEX MORSANUTTO page 24
momentsmagazine moments-magazine
ALEC
CHAMBERS Story by Paula Kunatee Photos by Paula Araujo
WHILE MOST COLLEGE KIDS ARE RUNNING OFF to the next party or struggling to find an extra hour of sleep, Alec Chambers is pouring his heart out on stage. The Connecticut native is following in his father’s footsteps to making music his career. With the support of family and friends, a self taught fifteen-year-old felt the passion for music in his blood. Now at 19, when he is not in class, he is preparing for his next show in the tri-state area; he has regular appearances in venues such as, Rockwood Music Hall and The Bitter End. Striving to be a respected recording artist and song4
writer, he finds inspiration from his successes and failures, and the events around him like a true songwriter. “My favorite part of being in the studio is just watching the feelings I had come to life [in the songs].” According to Chambers himself he admires “the success Ed Sheeran has created for himself with his guitar (and talent, of course), the melodies and rhythms that The Script creates, and the who the band, Tenth Avenue North, are as human beings. I think that you can have the talent and you can have the [fame], but it’s just as important to be a good human being.”
Managing this young prospect is platinum selling song-writer, Sarah Nagourney. Chambers says Nagourney has become more than just a manager and mentor; they have developed a bond that singers and songwriters can have working towards the same goal. At just 19, Chambers has penned over 40 songs with Nagourney. Chambers has had the opportunity to work with a multitude of songwriters who have made their dents in the industry. Lee Groves, who has been behind smash hits for the Black Eyed Peas and Gwen Stefani, refers to Chambers as a “natural and unique talent.” Groves is
always impressed with the effortless way Chambers can pick up an instrument and play. He even called Chambers a pleasant person to work with. The humble teen blushes when he hears these praises, and is just honored to be meeting the caliber of people in the music industry, as well as his fans. He fights through his smile and tells us, “It makes me feel good that [these] producers have a good vibe with me.” Chambers gave some insight on the inspiration behind a track called “Bleecker Street” off his new EP, “Whole Again”. “Bleecker Street” is about getting lost 5
“My favorite part of being in the studio is just watching the feelings I had, come to life.” in a significant other but having everything in your home city. Chambers says his favorite to perform is, “Heart of Gold.” To him this song gives him the opportunity to channel his “inner Ed Sheeran” and shows his vulnerability to perform with just him and his guitar. But even the talented have embarrassing moments. Chambers recollects the memory of his cousin (who is part of Chamber’s live band) walking off stage during a performance and tripping over the wires, which unplugged the sound system. Chambers laughed it off and continued to perform as though nothing had happened. Chambers is currently doing shows in the Northeastern region of the U.S. However, at this rate, it won’t be long until he finds himself touring the whole country. His EP, “Whole Again”, which is also the title of his first single was released earlier this year and has been getting rave reviews from a variety of sources. Like any good craftsman, Chambers wants his fans to know that he will always continue to work on his music, to be better, be greater, and creating work he is proud to share with his fans.
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Story by Bridget Fornaro Photos by Paula Araujo “EVERY MOMENT’S A CHANCE TO LIVE without regret. Every morning you rise to make sense of all the noise.” This is just a taste of some of the beautifully written song lyrics by the band Kalimur, for their single “Shadows.” Based out of Connecticut, the alternative-pop band consists of four members; Brett Steinberg (vocals and piano), Tyler Berkich (vocals and bass), Alex Trouern-Trend (guitar), and Jonah Propfe (live drums, was not present for the interview.) Kalimur has been working hard on constantly creating and releasing songs, for their debut album, “Ghosts We Used to Know”, which hits iTunes on April 21st. With the band being fairly new, the lead singer, Brett, originally had a solo project going on before Kalimur was formed. Tyler had joined Brett on stage as musical support at one of his shows opening for the group Paradise Fears. It was from that moment on, Tyler realized he wanted to perform live music for the rest of his life. “This was one of the best experiences of my life. The crowd was a blast; I played in front of a few hundred people.” explained Tyler. “The response was great; I had never felt that way before. I knew if I had to do this for the rest of my life, I would be happy.” Kalimur was formed shortly after that show. Alex messaged Brett on Facebook asking to jam together, and they did. “We just had chemistry,” recalls Brett. And the rest was history. The name was created through Brett, who was looking to create a band name a long time ago. He had compiled various different words from the dictionary when finally he created the word ‘Kalimur’. “The word itself means nothing, but it’s unique. The name is our own,” said Brett. “The music we create, the experiences we share with the fans puts meaning into the word ‘Kalimur’.” Creating music is the driving force for this band. Everything they do always goes back to 9
“The music we create, the experiences we share with the fans, puts meaning into the word Kalimur.” writing and composing lyrics and melodies. The trio has a lot of different aspects that come together when they create music. “I would say when I’m creating music, it’s a way to create my own atmosphere to have a little bit of control.” said Brett. “You kind of put yourself in your own creative world. It’s the most focused I ever really get.” Alex adds, “The emotional aspect -- pouring emotions on a piece of paper and using that in the music. That comes out of that piece of paper and to connect with others.” The band hopes to see themselves becoming big in the next five years. They all hope to have college degrees, and be working on music full time. Brett explains that he sees the band with a solid fan base, a couple of records out, and touring everywhere. He wants the band to grow as far as he can see. Although, its rather fun to be playing alongside your good friends, it hasn’t always been a smooth ride. Being based in New England has brought its fair share of obstacles for the group when it comes to preparing and performing for gigs. Brett states, “Getting hit with a blizzard for four weeks while trying to prepare for all of our shows was difficult.” The guys had to cancel a few shows here and there. Alex adds, “Its like we had brought the snow wherever we went.” Despite all these challenges, Kalimur have certainly seen a lot more rewards. “Playing shows, when you get to meet people from Twitter, and seeing their faces for the first time,” said Tyler. “Getting to hear that they love your music and your message. It’s what we live for. Every hardship we’ve ever faced vanishes when we play on stage,” Tyler continued on the subject. Kalimur each have their own favorite songs to play live. For Alex he said “Cards Are Dealt Tonight.” Tyler agrees, “ ‘Cards Are Dealt Tonight’, that song is powerful and has so much energy.” When I’m playing it is like Yeah that sounds fun.” As for Brett, his favorite song to perform live is “Fighting for a Will”; “That has a good vibe to it,” he said. As for Tyler he stated,
“ ‘Cards Are Dealt Tonight’, that song is powerful and has so much energy.” When I’m playing it is like Yeah that sounds fun.” Music had always been a huge part in each of the guys’ lives. They all picked up instruments when they were pretty young in life. Brett learned guitar and piano simultaneously in the eighth grade, but the very first instrument he picked up was the recorder in the second grade, he recalls, “I happened to be very average at it”. For Alex, in the fourth grade he picked up the French horn, “I failed miserably at it, I was the worst French horn player ever.” He laughs, but a few years later he picked up the guitar. As for Tyler, it started when he was in kindergarten, he said. “It was instrument day, I picked up the bongos and that was the very first instrument I ever played.” But when he was in elementary school, he was in the schools’ band. He wanted to play the trombone, but his parents stopped him before he went any further, “My mom goes, ‘Tyler you have to pick something cooler than the trombone, come on.” So his parents bought him a bass. To this day, he continues to play that same bass. What to expect from Kalimur is a brand new record called “Ghosts We Used to Know”, out on April 21st. It has twelve brand new songs that will be performed on tour. They are continuing to write a ton of new music on top of everything else. “New music will be released consistently,” said Brett excitedly. “We are a band that loves to write.” Kalimur absolutely adore their fans. Meeting and seeing the fans means the world to them. “Seeing people from Twitter and meeting them for the first time is amazing”, said Tyler. The band loves playing shows for their fans and talking with them on social media, like Twitter and Instagram. Kalimur can be found on actively on social media. Their music is available on various outlets such as SoundCloud, YouTube and iTunes. Be sure to preorder their debut album, ‘Ghosts We Used to Know’ now. 11
RACHEL PLATTEN “ We start our own fires and we don’t try to warm ourselves anywhere else. ”
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Story and Photos by Paula Araujo
SPRING HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN, BUT things are already in full bloom for Rachel Platten as she just wrapped up a slot as an opener for Andy Grammer and Alex & Sierra’s, ‘The Good Guys and a Girl’ tour with Paradise Fears. It is no surprise that this impressive and eclectic line up lead to several sold out dates. It was also just announced that she will be heading out on the road this summer opening for Colbie Caillat and Christina Perrie. Everything is falling into place as her current single, ‘Fight Song’ is now beginning to blossom on the radio. Originally from Boston, but now calling New York City her home, Rachel’s passion and love of music has thrived here. “Being in New York you are surrounded by art and culture. You could feel the energy and pulse of music and art surrounding you wherever you go.” Growing up, Rachel played and studied classical music on the piano and picked up guitar in high school, but it wasn’t until she was in college that she began to find her voice. She spent one semester studying abroad in Trinidad, and it was this adventure that finally brought her on stage. She recalls, “It felt like electricity struck and it was like ‘Oh, this is exactly what I’m suppose to be doing with my life.’” She cites Regina Spektor’s album, ‘Begin to Hope’, as a defining point in discovering herself as an artist and successfully infusing her piano knowledge with catchy hooks and melodies. “I really fell in love with her voice and what she did with piano,” Rachel says. “It excited me to hear how a classical piano could sound pop in a way.” While Rachel has incredible support from her family, friends, and team, she doesn’t forget to credit herself in getting to where she is today. Rachel knows from experience that it isn’t always easy and it can be hard to believe in yourself at times. “Ultimately, it’s me who got past the mean voice [in my head] and remembering my strength.” 15
“When you’re at a concert and you’re looking next to you, you’re all feeling the same thing. Maybe not in the exact same way but you’re all feeling deeply and I’m in love with that idea. I’m in love with the idea of connecting people.” Its this message of self empowerment and hope that radiates through her music and draws such a strong connection to her fans. “I feel like my role with my music is to help people and remember the power that they have inside. Also, there’s a message of hope that you know no matter what you’re going through you can overcome anything.” Throughout this past tour, Rachel utilized social media to connect with her fans on a more personal level. Fans were able to share their own stories about how her single ‘Fight Song’ has helped them in their life by using the hashtag, #myfightsong. Each night of the tour, she would read through public posts using the hashtag, as well as direct messages, to pick a fan to hang out with her at the show. Regardless of how heavy the stories may be, they are all inspiring and have an overall resounding message of not giving up. “I think its incredible when someone feels brave enough to post it publicly, but I also completely understand when its something that they just want to share with me,” she says of her fans sharing their stories. The song has certainly started a movement online but its taken off further than she could have ever predicted. Rachel recalls the process of creating the song and having a small inkling about it. “I did have this tiny seed of encouragement that was running through me, that this might be bigger than me. I know I needed this song but there might be a reason that this song is gonna get out to the world.” Despite the inevitable hardships and obstacles that come with breaking into the industry, its being able to give back that Rachel says makes it all worth while. Rachel works closely with organizations such as, Musicians On Call and the Ryan Seacrest Foundation to visit patients in hospitals, “I think some of those experiences where its just one on one are probably the most rewarding thing.” 16
During this whole journey, Rachel attributes her long time manager, Ben Singer, for giving her some of the best advice she still carries with her today. She remembers when they first met, how concerned she was about several things at the time, and he just looked at her and said, “Stop worrying about warming yourself in anyone else’s fire. Go build your own fire and everyone will come it. Until you do that, you’re not gonna get anywhere.” She has taken that advice to heart, made it her mantra and smiles as she says, “We start our own fires and we don’t try to warm ourselves anywhere else.” Its been quite the ride for Rachel so far and she just wants to stay present and live in the moment. “I’m enjoying it so much right now and I wanna remember to be grateful for every step of it. I’m basically living my dream right now and it took a long time to get here. I just want to soak it in and not worry about what’s next.” Rachel is currently back in the studio working on new music. Though she’s not sure on an exact release for the new material, she is excited for everyone to hear it. She also recently shot the music video for ‘Fight Song’, which will be out soon. No matter where her music takes her next, her goal is the same its always been: To bring people together with music and to connect with others. “I think thats why I’ve been given this chance and given this voice. I think there is so much in the world that is separating us now and so much that is making us forget how connected we are and I hope that I get to be a force that unifies everyone. When you’re at a concert and you’re looking next to you, you’re all feeling the same thing. Maybe not in the exact same way but you’re all feeling deeply and I’m in love with that idea. I’m in love with the idea of connecting people.”
THE GOOD GUYS
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AND A GIRL TOUR
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Photos by Paula Araujo 23
ALEX
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ABANDONING THE PERSONA OF the sports hero to take a less conventional route of life in the arts, 23-yearold Norwalk, Connecticut native, Alex Morsanutto, is currently following his passion for filmmaking. Alex’s filmmaking passion had awakened after making a documentary at Norwalk High. During a film festival at the school, audience members voted his film best, and that validation was just what Alex needed to pursue a life in the medium of film. “I needed someone to say, ‘You’re good at this, keep going.’ And I don’t know if I would be here today if it weren’t for that little film festival,” Alex says. From early on in his life as a filmmaker, Alex approached his work with an uncompromising vision, and an emphasis on stories of humanity. It is also clear that his Norwalk upbringing has shaped Alex’s priorities as a filmmaker. He says of the town, “It’s an awesome place to gather stories cause there’s just so much going on in this mixing pot of a city. Being able to experience all these worlds just gives me that much more stuff to tell stories about.” Human-based narratives, however, are not the only traces of Norwalk that Alex uses to his advantage. In his first publicly released film, titled “Little Lion”, he utilizes scenery from the SoNo (South Norwalk) area, as well as the suburban area that acts as the protagonist’s childhood home. “With this project, and definitely in future projects, I want to shoot in Fairfield County because this is my home. This is where I
MORSANUTTO Story by Raul Camino / Photos by Paula Araujo
grew up in and I feel like it deserves some love,” he says. Within the organism of the film industry, there exist plenty of rogue cells. These are the filmmakers who have succeeded without going to film school. Their independent aesthetic and personality has undeniable charm. However, the film school “trend” has grown in popularity over the years. So much so, that the handful of students who took film as a major in America during the early sixties, has now grown in the tens of thousands. Alex has experienced this institutional route. He has studied at SUNY Purchase and NYU Tisch. Both of which have renowned film programs. Having attended well-regarded schools, Alex’s views on college are enlightening. He has stated that, as a “simple truth,” one doesn’t need college to be a filmmaker. But in college, he was able to immerse himself in an environment that nurtured his creativity and challenged him. While in college, he was exposed to a multitude of like-minded people with whom he could collaborate. He considers having this network of people to connect back to as one of the most important things he has gotten out of film school. With the help of this network, Alex has been able to meet the rigorous deadlines that working on a motion picture requires. These
skills and networks have assisted Alex in completing 13 short films thus far. One film in particular has taken his storytelling beyond Norwalk and into the Czech Republic. According to him, it was shot there and has already won an award at NYU for best cinematography, but it is not available for release, as it is still incomplete. Only his 13th film, “Little Lion”, is available for public viewing. As a general truth, an artist will expose their soul to the world after surviving all types of crises, and will still experience rejection. “Rejection,” Alex wisely asserts, “is a very common thing, and it’s something that’s not gonna go away.” For Alex, to develop strong, thick skin, one has to believe in themselves to make it past all negativity and pessimistic people. Having received harsh criticism for his acting and directing, Alex has developed a shield with a boost of optimism. For him, being optimistic and confident in that what one is trying to achieve is important to be able to go through with the process of creating a film. And at the end of the day, as Alex assures, it will make one stronger. “Perseverance is a skill,” he states. And it was certainly a skill that he employed during the first day of a film shoot. A film shoot, by Alex’s experience, is a high stress environment. The cast and crew work 12 hour days, and some people may grow
to dislike each other as the days roll on. “Day one is really stressful,” Alex said. “It’s when everyone comes and starts to get used to each other. Kind of like the first day of school.” A film set involves a variety of people and their talents. A shoot can be as exciting and as horrible of an experience as any artist can have, and Alex looks fondly again at these moments with the grace of maturity that time has allowed him. With great enthusiasm, Alex talks about how, in retrospect, he can envision himself as a younger, less experienced director and know exactly how to deal with dilemmas. But to “know” ones self is a journey that also affects the rest of a film crew. Crises are not meant to be suffered alone when one works in such a creative and active environment, so Alex stresses the importance of collaboration on all fronts, and the value of hierarchy. “Like all things in life,” Alex says, “experiencing things just makes it easier to deal with when it happens again.” His favorite part of any process occurs when someone gives him a check to actually make a film. Knowing that his brainchild is no longer just at the point of gestation -- that it will actually be birthed -is the most thrilling thing for him. Harkening back to the validation of winning high school film festivals, to be handed a check and being validated in the same way revitalizes 25
his spirit to create the best work he can. “You’re always trying to boost your artist’s ego,” Alex says. “[Being handed a check] gives you confidence to go and make more ambitious projects.” ‘Ambitious’, if there was ever a more proper word, is completely in tune with what Alex’s film, “Little Lion”, is. A large part of what drives the film is its uncompromising attitude. It sets off a chain of events from the very beginning. The story develops constantly, both emotionally and thematically to the point where the end becomes a cathartic experience. With all its twists and turns, one could hardly grasp what it must have been like to carry a story like that in one’s head. While writing the film’s script, Alex knew that if he was going to fail, he wanted to fail in glory, going down with everything he had as to not leave anything undone. Alex began writing “Little Lion” back at SUNY Purchase in 2009 as a feature film. Because of the narrative shifts in the film, Alex would sometimes confuse himself in the process, but his network was always there to help him by way of positive feedback. By the time Alex was ready to shoot the film, he had gone through 23 versions of the script, each varying in narrative structure, page length, and characters. “There are three different stories,” he says. “There is the story you write, the story you shoot, and the story you edit.” Alex likes to write visually stimulating stories, but feels that he can never find his vision when he goes into production. He laments the impossibility of matching brain visuals with real-life situations. On set, the script is shaped according to what is available to shoot, so a director has to visualize it completely from a new point of view, but even that story is lost once the editing process begins. Alex considers finding that third story the most difficult part. Transitioning from scene-to-scene in editing slowly becomes a worldto-world scenario. Having the story make sense was something Alex struggled with in the post-production process. “Being in that dark place was a dark time for me. But making such a dark film, you have to open your soul to it. That’s the only way to make art and move people,” he says. While being only 23, Alex has maintained a certain level of maturity from each of his experiences. He’s learned a lot from “Little Lion” and claims to be happy with the outcome, or else the lesson that he learned at 21 years old might have been pushed later in life. Admittedly, Alex mentions that during the writing 26
process for “Little Lion”, he didn’t believe in himself as an actor; he wrote himself into a hole. He didn’t give himself any interactions to have with other characters because he was afraid of failure. In retrospect, he comments that he should have developed his character, as an actor, for the film’s sake. Alex considers having that knowledge a worthy experience to have; that it makes him a better filmmaker. Informed by this introspection, Alex has the authority to influence younger minds. Minds that mirror how he used to be: a high school kid with a burgeoning passion for storytelling, and an uncertainty about how to move forward. The best thing to do, he advises, is to find people who are interested in the same things. Then, they must put their minds together and make something. For him, the whole idea of collaborating and finding people to work with is the most liberating thing at a young age when trying to make things happen. “Collaborate,” he mentions sternly, “don’t have an ego. Don’t think you have to everything yourself because you don’t. There’s people out there who are looking for you as much as you’re looking for them.” With the knowledge and wisdom Alex has gathered throughout his short time making films, he aims high for the future. As far as directing, Alex hopes to get another film financed. Currently, a project titled, ‘HiGlow Retro’ was just financed and will be shooting in Norwalk in June. He is also running the festival circuit with a few film scripts. As head of Silvermine production, he wants to create a partnership with an ad agency and be head of production. Long term, he wants to be a ‘maverick.’ He wants to be “the guy out of Norwalk that made it,” and eventually build his own studio. His aspirations are to make Norwalk a filmmaking haven. To put it in perspective, Alex would like to be to Norwalk what Ben Affleck is to Boston, or Woody Allen is to New York City. “I want Norwalk to be my grassroots. That’s why I have such pride in Silvermine and just being from Norwalk,” he says. The love Alex has for his city doesn’t just feed his creativity; it also extends to its citizens. More specifically, its future filmmakers. He advises, not only to Norwalk kids, that the only way to represent one’s self truthfully, is to represent one’s home. He advises filmmakers to shoot locally, first and foremost. “Don’t go off to NYC don’t go off to California. Embrace your town. Make stories because there are plenty of stories to be told,” he says.