Fate and a Little Hard Work
Serendipity. That is the only word I can think of that describes my world right now. I do not believe in fate, if I did I would probably substitute it here. I look at the opportunities I have been given, circumstances I have found myself in and I just have to smile. I consider the friends I have surrounded myself with and I feel proud. When I was younger, even as young as grade school, I dreamed of being where I am today. I recently found and watched my 8th grade graduation video in which we were asked to announce our hopes for our future. I said, “I want to be a director of photography.” In a few weeks I will be flying out to the midwest, as a director of photography, to film a rock show in a barn.
This will be my third trip to this barn in Iowa, known as Codfish Hollow and I will be heading out with Dave Kluger and Andrew Keating. We have formed ourselves into a crew that has become an integral part of Daytrotter’s Barnstormer tours, a relationship we highly value and hope to expand upon. These tours pair incredible indie bands with some of the midwest’s most impressive and historic barns, a seemingly unlikely relationship that, in reality, is anything but. It can feel as though the two were made for each other. Our role is to light the shows as well as film them and capture audio. Beyond that we shoot B-roll and acoustic performances of each band. Throughout these tours we have developed strong relationships with many people that will benefit not only our souls but our art.
Before we were even invited on these tours we have talked about and dreamed of involving ourselves with great bands. Andrew has been recording since we were in 8th grade and both his studio and his skills have grown exponentially since. Both Dave and I have honed our video prowess both independently and occasionally together. It seems that our development has been leading us here, but I don’t believe in fate. Right?
Then there is Samapalooza, the property and the barn. I played my first show in that barn, a kind of barnstorming of my own. I was 14 then. While we no longer use the barn for parties or performances, we have developed the upper flat of the property into a far superior venue where we host what we hope will be a staple of the local scene. This years lineup is amazing and our stock is clearly on the rise. It’s all fitting into place. By no means are Andrew, Dave and I alone here. Our cast is fully diversified to a scale that is truly remarkable. Merideth Aleandri, Dave’s lady friend, books and manages bands for a living, Ryan Reyfeld is a handyman and electrician, we have a civil engineer, a few lawyers, amazing artists, a web developer and just about every other profession and skill in our toolbag, all willing and eager to help.
I can’t wait to see what happens next and I’m even more excited for the eventual further amalgamation of all these skills, talents, events and groups. My life rules.