LOCKDOWN OPERA GOES GLOBAL

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LOCKDOWN OPERA GOES GLOBAL

Ten years ago Pete Wyer won the Best Composer Award for his work with the English National Ballet and London Symphony Orchestra. When his celebration concert was performed in Liverpool, it drew crowds of 60,000. But today, because of Covid restrictions, he can't find a venue anywhere in the world to stage his latest work. SPRING STREET is a new opera, composed, rehearsed and performed during lockdown. The multinational stars and musicians have never even met, except on Zoom. But now they are turning the whole situation to their advantage, and Wyer has decided to release everything for free globally, using social media.

He says, "It's been a very happy experience, and we're reaching out to a world-wide audience far bigger than any performance any of us have ever achieved before." Pete Wyer has teamed up with the Jeeni network, who specialise in putting performers in direct contact with their fans. "If a performer sells one T-shirt to a fan on Jeeni, they can make more in a minute than most performers make in a month from streaming services like Spotify and the rest. Jeeni is run by the artists themselves, and that's what appeals to me."

SPRING STREET stars Japanese Netflix heartthrob Heday Inoue as The Caretaker, and triple-GRAMMY-Award-Winner Maren Montalbano as The Watcher. SPRING STREET will be premièred throughout the day on Saturday 24th July 2021 on jeeni.com/springstreet and simultaneously released across all social media by a network of thirty-four thousand fans of opera, jazz, poetry and rock music.

contact:

Shena Mitchell

FOUNDING DIRECTOR, JEENI

t: +44 7703 567 196
e: shena@jeeni.com

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12
Mar

Patti Smith - Piccadilly Circus Takeover

To celebrate 50 years since Patti Smith's first poetry performance at St Mark’s Church, New York in 1971, January 2021 sees Smith taking over all the light screens at London’s Piccadilly Circus. Being brought to the venue by Circa, curated by the digital artist Josef O’Connor and designed specifically to adhere to social distancing and lockdown restrictions, the installation and Piccadilly Circus takeover, will combine art, music, poetry and prose, and include two recorded performances – one scheduled for midnight on New Year’s Eve and another on the day of the US presidential inauguration on 20 January. Patti Smith in Piccadilly Circus - Photograph Circa Talking to Fiona Sturges from The Guardian, Smith explains, “Some of the work I did in my bedroom, some in a recording studio and some at my desk,” says Smith, 74 this week. “I had to teach myself how to use Photo Booth on my computer and film myself reading a poem. I’m sure there are 14-year-olds who can do this in five minutes but it took me quite a while. But I got there and I’m so proud of myself.” Her favourite piece is a reworked version of Peaceable Kingdom. Written in the aftermath of 9/11, it is a song of solace and hope in the face of catastrophe and, in performing it, Smith will be commemorating 100 NHS workers who have died from Covid. “It’s just so sad when we lose people who work so hard to rebuild our world,” she reflects. She will also read a new poem dedicated to the environmental campaigner Greta Thunberg, who will be 18 in January and who, Smith says, “pretty much sacrificed her childhood for all of us”. Four years under Trump has also taken its toll. “It’s been a terrible atmosphere to live in,” she says. “You try to do your work and not let [politics] permeate your consciousness daily but it does. It’s very insidious.” She notes that she and the outgoing president are about the same age. “I have encountered him in New York through the years and found him a horrible, narcissistic person and just a bad businessman. I’ve seen the debris of his deals. I think the damage he has done is going to be felt for a long time. It’s not going to be so easily healed because globally he has empowered people of a like mind.” Nonetheless she will take “huge psychological relief in the new administration. I’m a natural optimist so I’m not without hope or inspiration. What matters is trying to clean up some of his mess and get some order. I’m doing that in my house. I’m a messy person, and I know that before I can do something creative or exciting I’ve first got to clear everything away.” Circa presents Patti Smith throughout January at 20:21 GMT at Piccadilly Lights, London. A limited-edition print by Smith will be available to buy for £100 from 1 January. Viewers can watch the installation on YouTube from 23:45 GMT on 31 December. Words - Fiona Sturges at The Guardian

06
Jun

DO YOU WANT TO DANCE?

By Sammy Venn, Jeeni's Official Writer Columnist and Blogger. Click HERE to visit or return to jeeni.com Come and join in... Plato said that music and rhythm find a way into your soul; that’s so true! I love music and have an eclectic taste that I think most can’t comprehend. The plethora of suggestions I get is wonderful, so it works for me, as my knowledge of music becomes far more expansive that way. I discovered Fip radio about a couple of months ago. It’s a French radio station; genius in that I can listen to a myriad of tunes and not turn it off or down because of adverts or news that makes me feel sad - it’s all in French! So not only am I picking up a language I adore, my collection of music is expanding. Music really feeds my soul, I thought it might be a fun idea to create a “Musicians and Performers Group" playlist I can create on Jenni for us all to listen too. So please, please add your favourite songs below so we can all share in the delight that music brings to our mind, body and spirit...Many people don’t know this but listening to music is not just something that brings joy, it can also improve your health in a variety of ways and scientists have proven that through many researches. Read on to find how music can make your life more awesome. By Eevee G 1. Helps you sleep better Music contributes for a healthy sleep. Researchers have found that classical music can help us deal with Insomnia, especially college students. This is definitely a healthier and much cheaper fix for your sleeping disorder than taking pills. 2. Fights stress It is no surprise that listening to music helps relieve stress off your shoulders. Studies have found that music stimulates biochemical stress reducers which helps us feel more relaxed. 3. Helps you get in touch with yourself As it puts us in a better mood, music helps us get in touch with our emotions, a 2013 study suggests. The participants marked “self-awareness” as one of the most important advantages of music. 4. It relieves pain Music has the ability to decrease the intensity of the pain. It activates sensory pathways that fight pain pathways and takes a person’s attention away from the pain. 5. Fights anxiety When we are feeling anxious, listening to music can help us fight it as it has the same effect on the brain as a massage has on the body. 6. Acts as a motivator for bikers and runners. College students conducted a research and proved that the people who rode stationary bicycles were able to work harder while they were listening to fast music compared to those who weren’t listening to any music during the experiment. If you are like me and prefer running, listening to your favorite songs can help you beat your personal records and even strengthen your endurance. Long story short, music helps you perform better during your workouts and also makes them a lot more enjoyable. 7. Helps you recover faster after a workout. It’s proven that your body recovers faster after a hard workout when you are listening to your favorite music 8. Fights sadness Researchers have found that music can successfully fight symptoms of depression but the genre is very important. Classical and meditation music can boost your mood when you are feeling down, but listening to heavy metal or techno music won’t help that much with chasing away the bad thoughts. 9. Helps the function of the blood vessels Science has proven that the emotions that people have while listening to music contribute to healthier functions of blood vessels. As music makes you feel happier, it boosts the blood flow in your blood vessels. 10. Helps with stroke recovery A Finnish study found that if stroke patients listened to music for 2 hours a day, they recover faster. Not only their moods improve, but also their verbal abilities and attention span, too. 11. Improves performance in high-pressure experiences Fast music can help you fight stress before a high-pressure experience- an important game, for example. Researches have proven that listening to fast music just before a basketball game helped player relieve the stress and perform better. 12. Makes you mindful while you eat Playing some music in the background is proven to help people slow down and enjoy their feeding process. This makes them more aware of what they are consuming and really tasting the food rather than eating quickly which leaves them feeling hungry and dissatisfied with the meal. 13. Improves cognitive functions Playing background music while working on tasks that need your mental focus can boost your performance. A research has found that music can boost one’s cognitive abilities, but only if it has the same effect on the emotional state. 14. Music can get you into a state similar to meditation Slow music can have effect on the speed of your brainwaves which makes them similar to someone who is in a meditative or hypnotic state. This can have a healing effect as it eases the symptoms of PMS and behavioral issues. 15. Eases patients going through a surgery A research discovered that when patients are played music just before a cardiovascular surgery, they start feeling less worried. Moreover, music reduces the stress after the surgery if it is played while the patients are resting in their beds. It doesn’t matter what the music of your choice is. Click HERE to visit or return to jeeni.com

10
Mar

Daisy Chute – 'Songs of Solace' EP Review

Multifaceted singer/songwriter, Daisy Chute’s newest project, ‘Songs of Solace’ is a warm, comforting collection of acoustic music, powered by sentiment and emotive memories. According to Daisy, The EP walks the listener through the "beginning, middle and end of a relationship”. Cleverly, the EP acts not only as a narrative describing the need for solace during a relationship, but also as the solace itself. The tone and style of ‘Songs of Solace’ couldn’t have been timed better. The soothing instrumentation found in the twinkling guitars, legato strings and tender vocals provide unmistakably autumnal compositions. The burgeoning seasonal blues also coincides well to the comfort that many could find in this project right now. The opening track, ‘Secondhand Heart’ acts as an almost sorrowful prelude to the story Daisy is about to tell, like something you might see at a play to set the audience up for the tragedy they’re about to experience. It’s one of the most effective introductions I’ve ever heard in such a short project. Another highlight on the project is the inviting ‘I’ll Drink for You’ which subtly reveals Daisy’s classical background in music theory and understanding as the melodies and rhythms leap and pause around in unexpected yet totally satisfying and accessible ways. I hope Daisy isn’t sick of hearing the comparison but folk legend Joni Mitchell can’t help but come to mind when Daisy demonstrates her brilliant range in pitch as she does on this track. ‘Meet In The Middle’ holds a certain delicacy and familiarity reminiscent of Laura Marling’s ‘Song For Our Daughter’ album from last year. As a matter of fact, Marling could do with taking a page out of Daisy’s book in terms of expanding her instrumentation. The track ends the project in a similar yet more optimistic tone to the introductory track, ‘Secondhand Heart’. The track swells and features the full band before fizzling out with a spacey hum of the instruments. Perfectly produced, each component shines together to make a well-rounded and polished example of modern indie folk. If you need some warmth this Autumn, Daisy Chute’s ‘Songs of Solace’ is out now. How can Jeeni support artists like Daisy Chute? JEENI is a multi-channel platform for original entertainment on demand. We’re a direct service between creatives and the global audience. • We give creatives, independent artists and performers a showcase for their talent and services. And they keep 100% of everything they make. • We empower our audience and reward them every step of the way. • We promise to treat our members ethically, fairly, honestly and with respect. • Access to artist liaison and a supportive marketing team Check out Daisy Chute’s page on Jeeni: https://jeeni.com/?s=daisy+chute

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