Artist of the Day | BORROWED THOUGHTS
ARTIST OF THE DAY
30.08.2021
BORROWED THOUGHTS
LOCATION
Waterloo & Toronto, ON, Canada
GENRE
folk pop, baroque pop
CURRENT MEMBERS
Michael Masurkevitch (singer songwriter)
Julian Cassia (Music Producer)
With the current pandemic, the state of the music and touring industry has dramatically changed. Where were you when everything was brought to a halt?
I was actually on set for a commercial (I'm trying to make life work as an actor as well) and I watched as film-professional after film-professional checked their emails and watched their upcoming gigs get cancelled, until it felt like we were the world's last shoot. It was really interesting, and also terrifying.
How has that affected your plans for the coming year? Did you have a tour planned, upcoming album release?
Actually - a lot of acting work got cancelled. But it was in the added time for meditation that I started getting to know myself better and realizing how much I needed time with myself, which actually led to the singing-through-my-tears that was the inception of "Decompress." So in a way, the pandemic was pivotal in pivoting my career to include music, I've written tons of songs but "Decompress" was the one that got me to actually get something produced professionally because it felt so important.
What have you been doing to fill/make the most of your new-found free time at home? How are you supporting your mental health through all of this?
The main thing is that auditions have become self-tapes and zoom auditions, and film networking events have been cancelled - but this has given me more time for writing (songs and screenplays respectively), meditation and yoga. And those two have been huge for me, acting is already a lot of rejection and disappointment even without a pandemic, but taking time to meditate and connect with what's inside me has been huge for my mental health and ability to build a good relationship with loneliness, disappointment and rejection.
That and, I'm also a dad, I live in my parents' basement and my 14 year old lives with my parents upstairs, and the pandemic gave us some time to heal some issues in our relationship that I've only recently realized, were all just me projecting my childhood issues onto his childhood - so its been a lot better.
As things are reopening & restrictions are lifting have you booked any new gigs? Tours? Etc? If your region is still under restriction, how are dealing with the Covid third wave?
Acting wise, yes its picking up a little more again, especially in the low-budget-indie world which is where I do a lot of work while I try to get noticed.
Music wise - "Decompress" is my first professionally produced single, so I'm still new at this and I'm not sure how to set up live performances yet, but Eric Alper is helping me promote "Decompress" (like getting me into Starlite Room and I'm super grateful!!) and Julian and I are working on some new tracks that I'm really excited for.
Favourite Starlite Room Moment?
I love the dynamic between Jeff MacCallum and Carey Newton in the "Inside the Artists' Studio" interviews, especially when they interviewed "The Wet Secrets" who are one of my favorite bands.
Do you have a message for everyone at home reading this?
Your perception is the most powerful thing in the world. It can turn things from harm into a gift, from a terrible day into an adventure or a learning experience. The more time you spend just reflecting on how you perceive things, the more you figure out where the things come from that colour your perception. Then you can start to let go of them, heal from them.... and the eventual result is, a lot more control over your perception - and therefore everything you experience. Good luck. You are loved, exactly the way you are.
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