Recent searches
Search options
Hello, I’m a composer who works primarily in theatre. At the start of the pandemic my mom got cancer and the doctors told us she should eat organic to avoid pesticides. Since even organic-labeled produce can contain pesticides I decided to grow an organic garden. My posts here will be my #music #gardening #cooking #organic food. Here are a few pics from my kitchen as a means of #introduction.
@jblue an wonderful thing to do and so much healthier for the whole planet.
@jblue Welcome to Mastodon! Your photos look delicious. Can’t wait to see more and hear your music.
@jblue I took a look at your other posts and the beauty and love in your dishes will undoubtedly be healing for your mom and you no matter the outcome from the cancer. Really lovely and I wish her all the health possible.
@DLF thanks, it really means a lot. Bc I am her primary caretaker and she is immunocompromised, it gets extremely lonely and I feel like I am posting into the void. It’s been difficult with my music career bc most of work blew up in smoke bc of the pandemic. Your comment is really appreciated. I feel seen. 
@jblue And I get some of the the difficulty you feel about your career blowing up. Perhaps though it is simply moving in a new direction?
@DLF I was really at a dead end on the other site. I was living in the UK prior to Covid and still had work there. I had a composer in residence job that was supposed to start here (US) but the guy who was going to hire me got fired during the pandemic and the new director no longer wants to establish this position at the theatre. I’ve been sending out my portfolio to theaters, choreographers, opera houses, etc. Some seem keen but nothing is forthcoming.
@jblue I am confident you will find your path. Sometimes we have found that when things fall through, we have actually been "protected" and something better eventually comes along. Not that it's easy to believe that while you are waiting, but invariably that has been the case. Usually I have to say "fine
, I accept this and will try to bloom where I'm planted", and shortly there after things start to open up. I am a slow and reluctant accepter though!
@DLF I’ve tried to network online but people have tried to get me to work for free. And it seems the only way agencies will take you seriously is if you have a large social media presence, something I never established living in UK/EU. I’ve posted quite a bit of music on the “other site” but would only get maybe 50-100 hits.
@jblue I wish I had some way to help you with that.
@DLF I’m planning on making videos and start a TikTok and YouTube channel for my music. I’m planning on posting the links here so re-blogs are super helpful. Posting actual videos takes up server space for the volunteers who run the site. Again, I really appreciate your response and taking the time to check out my page. Let me know how I can boost your work. 
@jblue Sounds like a good plan! I don't have much of an online presence myself but will do what I can for you. All the best!
And thanks so much for the heads up about posting videos here, I hadn't realized that.
@jblue What gorgeous photos and food! I also have a family member whose doctor told him to eat organic and mostly vegan when he was diagnosed with cancer. What a treat to see you're beautiful creations and concoctions.
@jblue Your dishes are amazing! And knowing they were made from organic home grown produce just makes it so much more special. All the love and care that goes into the process of caring for the garden, harvesting ingredients, cooking and assembling such soul filled food and serving it to someone you love is just so beautiful. Your cooking and all the love in it is inspiring! 
I wish the best for you and your mom. I hope you enjoy every moment together, no matter how long she has ahead of her.
@TropaeolumMajusSnail thank you so much for your kind comment. It really means a lot
@jblue welcome! That looks rather scrump! 
@jblue They look wonderful
@Joletaxi They don’t always taste great. Some are really good, like the willow oak acorn dengaku but some ingredients don’t blend so well. The word count here is a bit too short to go into detail about what worked and what didn’t and why so I was thinking of setting up a tumblr for anyone who might be interested in how things were made. Otherwise, my feed could get a bit too spammy.
@jblue The presentation is rather good even if they don't taste too good.
@Joletaxi yeah, I cook for my mom and give her the plate that shows up in the pics. I can’t really say it’s a good thing chemo destroyed her sense of taste but she is much less critical of my disappointing experiments than I am.
@jblue what kind of music do you compose and what notation software?
@williamfaicher I can imitate any composer and can write in any genre. Most of my professional work is in theatre but a lot has dried up since the pandemic and funding is a problem. I was living in the UK previously and most of my work is/was there. I am writing a Trump opera specifically for social media to showcase my imitating different styles and genres and I’m waiting to get more followers to start posting
@jblue very cool. Keep me posted. FYI I work in music publishing (sheet music).
@williamfaicher awesome, thanks! Can I tag you?
@jblue
#Gardening #Joyofgrowing
#food #foodie
Your presentation is beautiful and immaculate.
I'm sure you could manage to open a restaurant that people would flock to.
I've never heard of some of the ingredients you're using, a lovely surprise.
Does your mother eat all of these?
It takes a lot of work, I know.
You're doing a wonderful job.
@Carole_Bell thanks so much for your kind words.
I give my mom the plates that are pictured, plus a little more bc the portion sizes in the pics are tiny. The ones I give myself are a mess.
I use very different ingredients bc my climate is too hot/buggy for the stuff in the grocery store and I grow stuff that is pest resistant so I don’t have to use insecticides. So no tomatoes. The native physalis tastes like a tomato if you heat it though.
@jblue Hello! I love seeing your commitment to organics and art. Can't wait to see more of your work on here.
@jblue Love the food pics. Very well composed.
@DebErupts thank you
@jblue gorgeous photos, please feel free to come over & style my meals :)
@Spokeswoman I’ll be there in spirit
@jblue delighted to meet another composer for theatre in here.
Hows the gardening going?
@mosgaard nice to meet you too!
How is/was Covid affecting theatre productions where you are?
Garden is going good. All the plants that want to be warm are inside now and adjusted to shock. It was a little touch and go with the moringa but it’s happy now. Outside, the kale is finally recovering from a baby bunny attack this summer and other winter produce isn’t ready. Except hackberries 
@jblue sounds good, it's a lot of planning with all those plants.
Covid resulted in a lot of cancelled productions and tours, but luckily our own productions (we are self producing) could be produced in regards to restrictions when the country was open. A lot of the government culture funds and private funds was very flexible in changing plans, so projects was manageable. So we are quite grateful everything considered.
How about where you are?
@mosgaard I was based in the UK but I am American and moved back to the US. I had a residency job that was supposed to start but then got pushed back bc of administration hang ups. Then Covid happened and my mom got cancer. All of my projects in the UK evaporated and funding has been an ongoing issue. The guy who was hiring me for the residency got fired and the company is no longer interested in opening this position. Everyone I talk to online wants me to work for free.
@mosgaard suffice to say, it’s been rough
@jblue oh wow! I'm sorry hear that! It's simply not fair how it's the artist whos left behind.
I know of lot of people who really felt left behind by what was supposed to be their employers, who suddenly cancelled everything, not even trying to find another solution which the artist could be part of.
@jblue I don’t really know the scene in UK/US, but is there any chance free gigs could become a royalty income or are people just really inconsiderate of your livelihood or economy?
@mosgaard what’s happening is that I get in touch in person or over phone with theatre makers (directors, choreographers, etc) and they want me to do really intensive production for free on the off chance that it might get picked up. In these interviews, I will mention that I really need a contract that will protect my IP and that the music stays in my IP and we can reuse some of my old contracts as a template. They agree but afterwards, I am ghosted. It’s crazy out there.
@jblue that’s extremely depressing and unfair. But you’re doing the right thing demanding a contract and protecting your rights.
Do you have any other artistic projects you can do in the meantime, that bring some value (financially or creatively) to your work as an artist?
@mosgaard I’m finishing up an audio portfolio that showcases my specific talent, I can imitate composers really well and I’m turning into a trump opera that I’ll post online. Maybe someone will hear it and hire me.
Also waiting for more followers bc the bird site has depressingly low impressions whenever I’d post stuff. Of the few who saw it, almost no one played the tracks. And that’s with having a few hundred followers.
@jblue sounds like a very good idea! My experience is, that a good portfolio makes the first talks about a project way easier. Have you thought about using Instagram for music? I have a lot if friends who do that with success, I’m not into it myself though.
@mosgaard yeah, I have an Instagram but mostly I just get reactions from bots or commercial entities. 
@jblue This is all beautiful.
@jblue They are so beautiful <3
@jblue If you're over on Facebook, check out Antman's Hill where you can learn about all the insects in your garden, which are good, which are bad, and how to control them without pesticides. The admins are friendly and folks are helpful there.
@rajett thanks for the suggestion, I’ll have a look tomorrow!
@jblue You're welcome! They've helped a lot of people get over fears of spiders and other insects. :)
@jblue I’m new to gardening and pretty new to mastodon. I look forward to your posts. I hope your mother is doing well.
@janasanchez thank you for your kind words. There are lots of gardeners here so you should feel at home. Be sure to subscribe to the hashtag gardening and others that feel relevant for the feed you want to see.
#gardening #growyourown #permature #flowers #nativeplants etc
@jblue this is lovely. My mom is a 2x cancer survivor and had gone into elective radiation treatment in Feb. 2020, RIGHT as the pandemic started. So I can empathize with you.
I love that your growing your own food for her! Most folks don’t know understand that organic STILL means they can use pesticides, just not synthetic ones. It’s a huge misunderstanding.
@eatthelove thank you for your kind words. I hope your mom is doing better.
@jblue thank you. She's 85, so she has ongoing health issues that come with the age. But she's hanging in there! I drive her to a LOT of doctors appointments. But so far nothing serious has come up since the radiation therapy...