Author Archives: bsingh83

About bsingh83

A musician and media professional: I play guitar in a punk rock/north indian classical band; I work in the events and media and non-profit community sector.
Jan6

The El Mocambo and Me

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The El Mocambo and Me

What a lovely break I had over the holidays – a whole week off from the 9-5pm.  It was simply fantastic!In that time I ate, drank, danced and booked a show!

Thursday Jan 13th at the El Mocambo in Toronto - It seems to be a very enigmatic place.

I always like doing shows/events in unusual places – now El Mo (as it is lovingly called in Toronto) is not an unusual place per say – it is a licensed bar that hosts live music.  BUT – it’s been around FOREVER! It was the first bar to get a liquor license in Toronto!

The history of the building goes back to 1850!  This is crazy for a city that is infamous for having very few historic buildings. Oh – and you know a little band called The Rolling Stones played and recorded Love You Live at the El Mocambo back in 1977.  No biggie. :)

But what I find most intriguing is the current owner.

Now – I’m getting all of this information from the El Mocambo website, Wikipedia and newspaper articles – so take it as you will.  Abbas Jahangiri, the owner of the El Mo is a serial entrepreneur who has taken a vow of poverty.   His previous professional history includes leading an engineering team, CEO of a real estate development company as well as being a principal for a national dance company  (when you are on the El Mo site – click on History and Owner).  In 2003 he took a vow of poverty and has dedicated his life to helping the most vulnerable in society.  Including daily 2am-6am service and distribution of food and survival needs for hundreds of Toronto’s homeless. Very intriguing no?

I’m most intrigued by his conviction in his change of lifestyle.

Rock n’Roll isn’t a selfless industry – it is fueled by narcissism and vanity……..

Shameless Self Promotion

 

…..so it’s super interesting to come across people who try to find balance with the rock n’roll attitude and the gravest societal needs around them.  These are two extremes and Mr. Jahangiri seems to live at both ends.

I wonder if he will be at the show?  It would be awesome to grab a conversation with him – what couldn’t you talk about?!

Music is about great stories – I have a feeling that the El Mo has more than a few good tales to tell.

—–

Sing Bandana Singh performs Thursday January 13th at the El Mocambo (464 Spadina Ave. Toronto).  Performance at 7:30pm  $10.  19+.
Music: http://myspace.com/singbandanasingh
Twitter: http://twitter.com/bandbandana
A Heroic Entertainment Production.
.
Dec7

I’ve been bad. Here’s a story.

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I’ve been bad. Here’s a story.

I’ve been down and out and under inspired recently – it’s a bad habit to get into!

I’ve been letting the things I can’t control, overwhelm me – so instead – here is a little short story that’s been in my books but hasn’t gone anywhere – if you want to add to it, change it, insert characters – please feel free to do so (just link back here please!):

————–

There are nights when you remember things long forgotten. What is this sensation of remembering? It is not always regret, nor fondness. Memories run away with us occasionally and take us to a time that never actually existed; we forget how memories can be hyper-complete: hyper-coloured, hyper-emotional, hyper-beautiful, hyper-real. But no – they are only memories. He has only memories and they are rotting his mind. If he were to let go and make new memories he would be sure to regret them. The future merely becomes the past – the past merely interrupts the future. What is a mind to do?

Oct14

Discipline, Determination and other dreadful words that start with the letter D

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Discipline, Determination and other dreadful words that start with the letter D

Art is exhausting.

Let me tell you – art is exhausting.

 

http://gprovitolatc.wikispaces.com/Exhaustion+-+Kiiko+Matsumoto+Japanese+Style

 

To be an artist you need to think and feel with intense emotion and dedication and then translate your heart and soul to the average non-artist who is too preoccupied with why your art doesn’t make sense – they think about the works instead of experiencing the works.

Do you know why, so many people fantasize but never actually become artists? Because it’s damn scary that’s why! We don’t idolize cocaine fueled rockstars,  famously suicidal painters or happily hedonistic hip hop artists because of their celebrity and scandalous lifestyles (at least not in the beginning); we idolize them because they have balls.  They get up there and they command, not demand respect.  They have presence, they have sexual charm, they have courage.

But without discipline and drive and determination (oh my!) artists can implode and ironically by being so open, so giving, so vulnerable – by being the very things they need to be in order to fulfill the sense of esteem and meaning in their lives – they lose themselves.

Artists need incredible discipline and self restraint balanced with freedom of self expression and experimentation.  This is no easy task.  To make things more interesting, many artists have supplementary jobs (what the non-artist would refer to as a “day job” although we artists do work, in the afternoon, mid morning, evenings and even wee morning hours as well).  Attempt to do all of this mentally and emotionally fulfilling/draining work and work a full time job at the same time – it can be an energy sucker.

Quil4 has done a lovely job of having a single post every month – I’m trying to get back on the 1 post every 2 weeks band wagon.  It’s not the frequency of the activity – it’s the persistence and doggedness of seeing something through.

I’ve been working on a 5 song - a  5 song EP for 2 years now - I’m almost done….so close! But the closer you get to completing it you start to wonder – what the hell am I doing?!  Why has this taken so long? What is the point again?  That’s when determination kicks in and the questions morph into: Why have I pushed through for so long? What compels me to continue forward? What is the next step?  Artists – we need to have that discipline, that determination, that drive:  whether a project takes two days, or twenty years as long as you complete it and do so with some intention – you will find success.  Now granted – there is of course the little business voice in the background also saying – so….2 years eh….at some point you’ll want to see a return on your investment and possibly start generating some revenue from your works specifically in the hopes of becoming independent of your supplementary job. Well – duh – of course silly.  Seeing a project through to completion also means being flexible – it’s taken me 2 years to get to where I am because I didn’t want to be sitting in a pool of debt to see my works come to life.  A rational decision – balanced by the experimentation and freedom of the works themselves.

Everyone is working hard these days regardless of what they do.  But if you think your artist friends are just dreaming madly into the night sky – hopefully you’ll think twice about that and possibly offer them a cupcake and some tea. Be kind to your artist friends! And Artists – be kind to yourselves! Remember – every little step helps -every blurry photo – every wrong note – every writer’s block – with every mistake, you learn -  with every mistake you are moving forward.

Sep6

B is for Blog is now ‘The Workrooms’

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B is for Blog is now ‘The Workrooms’

Hi Guys!

Hope you have all had a great long weekend (if you’re in Canada you’ve been enjoying a lovely Monday off!)

This image is from my phone

Tomorrow people will be going back to school, back to work, back to the grind – and yet – it will be new; a new school year, a new work week after a long break; a bit of a fresh start.

We at B is for Blog are thinking about doing the same – September is a great time to make change! We have changed the name of this blog to simply:

THE WORKROOMS

This is happening for several reasons:

a) This space is a workroom – there are bits and pieces of stories, ideas, essays, conversations; this space is being used as a working studio not as a publishable magazine
b) It’s not really about just B anymore (to be honest it was kinda creeping me out)
c) We hope the change in name will also make it more appealing for everyone to join in the creation of the page! It’s a work in progress and always will be – this is a testing ground, a playground, a stomping ground for all!

I personally love September – it feels more like a meaningful change than New Years to me. The season’s are changing, the weather is changing, we get new chances at things we’ve tried before; we get second chances at the things we’ve tried again and again – there’s just something really lovely and fresh about September.

You can now find us directly at http://theworkrooms.com

(The old address -http://bsingh83.wordpress.com -will automatically re-direct you to the correct place too! – there’s no missing out!)

Isn’t it just a lovely time to make change?

Your pal,

B

Aug24

Value$

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Value$

We’ve had a couple of very interesting and diverse posts recently – however I do think there are some convergent ideas.

Quil4 had just written her first blog post ever (hooray!) and had mentioned the difficulty in defining ‘self-expression’ and the differences in the utility of different types of writing (how the skills of some arts will be used in non-art endeavours – for instance writing for academia vs. creative writing)

Micpen2 has made a great  point on the Artists and Entrepreneurs post about how artists should do not need to feel insecure about being paid for our work – all professionals are paid for their time, talent and skill.

Self-expression is absolutely necessary - I firmly believe that self-expression and the ability to self-express in a safe environment can play an important role in our overall attitude towards life as well as our physical and mental health. But we generally have a tendency to express when something has made an emotional or intellectual impact: new loves, new loss, old love, old loss, haunting, happiness, pain, sadness, joy – you get the idea.

Artists – and those who consider themselves professional artists – differentiate ourselves by being able to create and produce even when there isn’t a gut wrenching emotional response to a particularly intense period or set of events. Of course, professional artists are also moved by such great and tempest like times in our own lives – that was what made us want to initiate in art to begin with!  However, professional artists will also learn aspects of the craft or forms that are related to their own vision or art that allow the overall quality and intention of the message be delivered clearly to the audience.  Also – professional artists are willing to exhibit, perform, publish – they are willing to share.

Many people suggest that in order to be truly considered a professional artist, you must be paid for your works. I’m not sure if I buy that entirely (no pun intended – hahahaha).  I do agree with MicPen2 – if we are going to make our art and works available to others for sale, we need to learn to appreciate our own skill sets! We sometimes forget that not everyone has the ability to do what we do – even if they had the capacity they haven’t put in the time.  Our works have monetary value and we should slowly understand that our audiences (aka consumers) are willing to pay fair market prices for our works (you pay unfair market prices on things everyday and don’t even think twice about it!).

However -the quickest way to lose your passion is to start getting paid to do it! There comes this bizarro veil of resentment once you attach monetary value to work that has inherent intrinsic value.  Scott Belsky (CEO of the Behance Network) puts it brilliantly, “ Your challenge is to maintain an organic relationship with the craft that you love.  The expectations and rewards imposed by others will only compromise your passion if you rely on them as the source of your interests…..stay motivated by the means rather than the ends.” (Making Ideas Happen, Penguin Group).

Money makes it SEEM as if the value of the work is tied directly to the amount of dollars someone external to the artist is willing to pay – that is not the real value of the work;  the real value of the work and subsequently the value of the artist is the consistent, persistent and determined way in which we love, love, love the process of creating.

Money and Value are not synonymous – however both have their place in the life of the artist – it’s just a matter of you creating the right balance between the two – what works for you? what fits? what feels right? There are no right answers and fortunately there are no wrong answers either.

Aug3

Peas in a Pod us Artists and Entrepreneurs

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Peas in a Pod us Artists and Entrepreneurs

In my last few posts I’ve been obviously obsessed with combining the ideas of art and business.

Do art and business always go hand in hand? Of course not!  But there are times when they do.  Everyone should have the ability and a safe space to self-express and business has little to do with that.  (Self-expression is not exactly the same as being an artist or creating art – if you want to argue with this please feel free). Business is really an exchange of goods or services – forget the dollar sign if it makes you uncomfortable.  Think of business as a way to fulfill a need that you have (instead of a want which is what we do in consumerist culture). Cool?  Cool.

Artists and entrepreneurs share similar characteristics and our work has similar properties:

  • We both have great passion
  • We move from initial concept through stages of development to a final product or work
  • We are constantly looking to explore and learn
  • We have to deal with a lot of constructive (and not so constructive) criticism
  • Financing or Funding our dreams is a hefty aspect of our work
  • We find what we do very satisfying
  • We are willing to invest emotionally, physically and financially into our projects
  • If we fail (or deem something a failure) we will eventually get back up and try again or try something new
  • We are risk takers (even if the risks seem small)

If you are a CEO or a COO or a HR Manager or a Team Lead (essentially someone who is allowed to make final decisions) you should consider hiring more artistically inclined people to your teams.   Artists aren’t sensitive – we are critical and analytical. We synthesize great amounts of information and see patterns and themes in disparate ideas.  Business leaders always tell their teams to think outside of the box and then put them in a closed bare walled boardroom to brainstorm.    I have no idea why so many brainstorming sessions (even in creative industries) take place inside of board rooms – this is brainstorming not contract negotiation.  You would actually have to be a very skilled artist to make use of a blank space like a boardroom to create  brilliant ideas without external inspiration- and let’s be honest the vast majority of your staff are not creatively inclined.  Alternatively you could provide time or encouragement for your team members to express their creative sides or propose ideas which are tangent to your business.

Artists – we need to be more business saavy – the world of the record label, large gallery, movie studio or television network, essentially the idea of big media business currently is in pieces and in future will be replaced by the Apples’, Googles’ and Yahoos’ of the world. These companies are not made for artists – they are entrepreneurs – they use art, music, literature to further their businesses – but they are not in the business of art. Google is not really interested in meaning – they are interested in information – these are very very different ideas. And in practice Apple is not interested in creativity – they are interested in facilitating creativity.  Now of course, inherent in the Apple process are aspects of art and design – but they use these as tools for their software business (as discussed by Colin Gibbs in the post “As Always Mobile Music faces Uncertain Future” Jul 17 2010 on GigaOm.com).

The profitable and meaningful media future will require a hybrid  in the media industry.   A hybrid company that has the brains of a technology based corporation and the heart and soul of a community based artistic organization.    Any thoughts on building the foundations or staples of the a sustainable new media ecosystem or the real ticket – the business model to support that ecosystem?  If you have the monetization aspect down – I’d love to treat you out to coffee ;) .

Jul26

Ah! Fresh Start Monday! Try Something New!

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Ah! Fresh Start Monday! Try Something New!

What a glorious weekend in Toronto! The weather was just beautiful and I had the pleasure of spending my entire weekend outdoors and with people I actually really really like. Isn’t that always so lovely?  It was my best friend’s Emily’s birthday so  went to glow in the dark mini-putting and then had dinner together and then saw a movie all together – it was soo awesome to spend a whole day with your pals.

Flowers in the Summer Sun!

Sunday was also so totally amazing. I went back to my favourite space in Toronto right now- the Toronto Islands with a dear friend (Nima Shams -who is also a musician and just a lovely human being).   It was his first time to the Island and so I introduced him to our humble parks and beaches. We then walked up through downtown and enjoyed the man-made loveliness of the city lights against the summer sky.

BUT today is Monday.  And can I say - IT IS A GOREGOUS MONDAY so  I thought I’d do something fresh today – I’m fasting as it’s a full moon don’t you know.  I find it helps me center and focus every once in a while.  On that note – why not take this Monday to do something new?

Here are some links to people or places or things I think might just inspire you!

  1. Issu: a really slick online magazine publishing platform.  So many bloggers really want a slick uber produced glossy magazine face -I know you do – there’s no shame in it! :)
  2. Tenielle Design: a jewelry designer originally from Toronto but now moving to Paris! (with my drummer! sigh!) I have several of her pieces and LOVE them.
  3. Art Starts: Great inspiring community based art projects and one of my personal favourite organizations EVER.
  4. Trendhunter.com:  Not entirely certain how I feel about this site – interface is not my favourite as it’s a little too busy – but it’s a great site to see what’s going on in many different areas of art, music, pop culture – seems like a good resource for advertising/marketing types.
  5. Slim Twig: I would refer to Slim Twig as an avant-garde musician with punk, country, electronica,  and many many other influences- He has several shows coming up on Toronto through July and Aug – you have to experience Slim Twig – you simply must. (To be fair though – I have yet to see him play live – BUT I hope to this summer!!)

If Mondays suck (which I’m sure they do for many people ), go out (or stay in) – try something new. It doesn’t have to be HUGE.  You could start just with little things no? Like writing with crayons for a day – and then move up to something like finger painting. You might be surprised that the  little steps you take actually have a big impact on how you think or feel throughout the day.

Keep it fresh! Happy Monday!

Jul26

Updates!

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Updates!

Corrections: I wanted to bring your attention to an update I’ve made on the Natural Capital Project interview. I’ve removed about 30seconds of the interview regarding funding.  Really this came out of follow up conversations I’ve had with the project members.  There was some information provided that needed some flushing out – so I decided to remove the funding information currently but will follow up with the project to get correct and confirmed information shortly!  Everything else has remained entirely intact!

Bloggers: A NEW BLOGGER! Quil4 will be joining us this week! A little bit about Quil4 in her own words:

I majored in International Relations with a minor in English literature, as part of my BA studies, and recently graduated with an MA in International Affairs, focusing on human security and development. Residing in Vancouver, I’m currently contemplating law school and searching for gainful employment. Creative writing has always been a hobby(though my readership has been mostly limited to myself), and though somewhat technologically illiterate, I’m truly excited to learn more about the world of blogging.

Exciting blogging times ahead for Quil4 – keep an eye out!

Jul18

What’s a post about environmental capital have to do with Art?

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What’s a post about environmental capital have to do with Art?

Finally here is the interview that I had with Manu Sharma from the Natural Capital Project!

Disclaimer:  I have known Manu for a very long time.  We’ve been friends since we were kids.  When we were little we always said that we wanted to do good in the world.  He recently moved from Toronto to Paolo Alto to work on this project with Stanford.  When I learned what the project was all about – I had questions.  This is not a random encounter – nor was I approached to do this interview by the project.  I was just sincerely intrigued.  I still have questions and will likely have a follow up post.

This interview in total lasts about 15mins. It’s been split into 3 pieces for easier consumption.  The 1st and 3rd part are audio only.  The 2nd part integrates the video desktop recording I’ve always been so curious about.     Also note that ‘B is for Blog’  is a work room so our contributors like to muck about with new ideas and new ways of presenting ideas.  Like, Social Return on Investment,  natural capital and trying to capture value in processes that have traditionally not been valued,  is a very tricky business.   It’s a project with huge scope, great hope and amazing minds working behind the scenes. (The first post we did was titled “The Natural Capital Project – What is that Forest Really Worth?”)

Part 1: The Basics (6.5 mins)

http://naturalcapitalproject.com

Part 2: The Model (6 mins)

Part 3: Why Manu is a part of this project (2 mins)

Now back to the question posed in the post….What does a post about environmental capital have to do with art?

Lots really  – if you think about it.

Something that’s always bothered me about many disciplines, (in particular, art,  science or engineering based disciplines) is the weird way we compartmentalize what we do and keep it far away from those whom we deem simply too inept to understand what we are all about.

That was so 1990.  Welcome to the new age and the world of the ‘interdisciplinary.’  These interviews with amazing people I’ve met are a way to stimulate discussion in and between the disciplines we, artists or otherwise, belong to.

The environment is what we all live within.  FStop10, our resident photog, has utilized the landscape around us, animals and their natural and not so natural habitats as inspiration and muses for her work.  Edward Burtynsky, one of the world’s most influential photographers, utilizes his perspective and use of the lens to bring  us into a part of our world that is so daily and yet so hidden. (You totally need to see this video that describes his collection titled ‘Oil.’)

The beauty of having an interview with an environmentalist or learning about a discipline outside of your own is that integration aspect – that integration aspect is what I think has been missing from problem solving and addressing the world’s most devastating issues. The world is three dimensional – there is no single discipline that will save us.

Artists are amazing critical and creative thinkers.  We can bring a completely different or complimentary point of view to any issue.  Moving from compartmentalized disciplines to interdisciplinary thinking is like moving from 2d to 3d in the films;  it helps to make the picture fuller and more detailed – it brings life to the perspective.

Jul13

Interview Delay

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Interview Delay

Hey guys!

I was really hoping to have the interview completed for last night but there are a couple of elements that need some flushing out.

What I’m trying to do is create a video of my desktop that we used throughout the interview as well as edit the interview into a manageable piece.  This week I want to have it out the door!