Who I interviewed including their roles and responsibilities:

I decided to interview Michelle Helene Mackenzie who is an artist and musician who is also currently a graduate student doing a PhD in Music at the University of California, San Diego. Being at this University comes with a lot of responsibilities such as her research, creative production, teaching and her role as the studio tech assistant in her production studios. She also shares her music and art on social media so she has other responsibilities there such as using social media as a tool to spread her passions. She uses it to feature projects, events and also research.

Why I chose to interview that individual:

I chose to interview Michelle Helene Mackenzie because I find what she does very inspiring as I also love art and music, so we share the same interests. Her style, art and music is all very unique which I find very interesting and inspiring for myself. That also ties in with why I chose to interview her because I want to learn more about her personally through these questions. She is also working incredibly hard in University and staying dedicated to what she has to do which I believe is a hard working person to look up to.

Michelle Helene Mackenzie Instagram – michellehelenemackenzie

The Interview:

1. Can you explain your roles and responsibilities where you are right now?

I’m currently a graduate student doing a PhD in Music at the University of California, San Diego, so my roles and responsibilities revolve largely around research, creative production, teaching, and my role as the studio tech assistant in our production studios. I’m also a practicing artist and musician, and so if you’re meaning my roles and responsibilities regarding social media, I suppose I’d say I use social media to feature projects, events, and research that I am undertaking, as well as the events and projects of my friends and peers within the larger arts and music community.

2. What obstacles have you faced to get where you are today?

Maintaining drive, purpose and confidence would be some of the obstaclesthat I have faced. It is difficult to sustain a creative practice when so much of the process is self-driven. It’s difficult to ‘turn on’ ideas if they aren’t arriving naturally or intuitively. It can also be challenging to maintain the confidence that is necessary to perform and produce work. While most people tend to be supportive, it can be difficult to receive criticism and maintain drive thereafter. The art/music scene in Vancouver is small community, with limited opportunities for grants, funding and institutional support; this at times produces a competitive environment which can be stifling (though I know some find ways to have this become a motivating force). Getting out of Vancouver and experiencing music and arts communities within the US and internationally has helped with this, and gives a lot of perspective.

3. What advice would you pass on to someone interested in what you are doing?

I would say try to remain true to your interests and passions. A lot of people will give you advice about how to do things, and around what genres, styles and topics you should be focusing on. The best thing in my experience is to stay true to what is genuinely interesting to you, and focus on what drives you creatively, emotionally, and spiritually because most other things (and following trends) quickly becomes stale and boring. It is important in trying to produce good work to know what’s going on around you, both locally and internationally, and to do research around the music and art that has come before you historically. That said, it’s going to feel dull very quickly if the research isn’t coming from a genuine place of interest, so don’t be afraid to follow your intuitions. If there’s something you’re seeing or hearing that appeals to you, it’s probably for a reason!

4. Why are you passionate about what you do?
I love the kinds of feeling, thinking and communication with others that art and music making produces. I’ve historically been passionate about collaborating with people, and the arts and music provide a unique means of engaging with others. It often involves communication without language, or in a different kind of language that allows you to access different parts of yourself and others. It’s always interesting and refreshing to learn from others, from their approaches to creation, improvisation, and research, and this seems to give what I’m doing a lot of meaning. As far as research goes, I’m passionate about learning about what creative people have been doing throughout history, the ways that people have managed to express themselves and the structures of feelings of their communities/historical moments despite all the difficulties that one faces in making a life in the arts.

5. What inspires you?

My friends in the arts and music inspire me the most. Having done this now for over a decade, it’s been inspiring to see people’s music and arts practices transform and develop over time. It’s been wonderful to see a lot of friends really take off in terms of their careers and practice. I’m also inspired by the work of people who’ve clearly dedicated so much to their art, and who come at it from a place of vulnerability and true feeling.

6. What’s one of your proudest achievements in your music career and why?
I would say that my proudest moment in my music career was after a recent performance in Paris. I partially came to this program at UCSD to study an experimental music institution in Paris called INA-GRM, and the work of a composer who worked there named Eliane Radigue in the 1950’s and 1960’s. I felt really honoured to be curated to perform at GRM this year but was concerned about my nerves and ability to perform in front of a large audience. Despite incredible nervousness and difficulties getting there, I felt really proud and relieved about being able to pull through and actually enjoy the performance, as well as be offered a record deal with the institution after the performance.

What I learned from the interview and how it connects to my passions/interests:

From her responses, I learnt a lot more about her journey including the obstacles she had to overcome which is very inspiring when you are ever facing difficulties because you know that you have to never give up. I learnt that once Michelle was able to overcome those obstacles, for example confidence, she made many amazing accomplishments so it is very inspiring for me and I learnt a lot more about never giving up and to stay passionate with what you love.

 

Opportunities this interview opened up for me:

Michelle’s answers to my questions have shown me what its like to be hardworking and to be passionate about what you do, I believe that this will push my to always try my hardest and to wait for the amazing achievment’s that will come out of it in the end. As far as opportunities, I believe that this interview has given me experience to connect with others and learn more about my passions, being able to connect and have a proper conversation is a great communication skill that I will need in the future so this interview was a great help.

Image links: 

“Mixed Media Painting Work-in-Progress inside Dean Russo’s Studio / Dumbo Arts Center: Art Under the Bridge Festival 2009 / 20090926.10D.54887.P1.L1 / SML” by See-ming Lee (SML) is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

“File:Royce Hall, University of California, Los Angeles (23-09-2003).jpg” is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

“Music” by FunGi_ (Trading) is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.