In these extraordinary and uncertain times of COVID-19, with venues closed and live performance at a halt, NiteLife Exchange is reaching out and covering the effect the crisis is having on performing artists.
Singer-pianist, composer Tony DeSare, versatile through a wide range of material, has performed throughout North America and abroad, from jazz clubs to Carnegie Hall to Las Vegas and with major symphony orchestras. He has four top ten Billboard jazz albums under his belt and has been featured on the “CBS Early Show,” NPR, “A Prairie Home Companion,” the “Today Show” and more. As a composer, DeSare has not only won first place in the USA Songwriting Contest, but has written the theme song for the motion picture, My Date With Drew, several broadcast commercials and has composed the full soundtracks for the Hallmark Channel’s Love Always, Santa and Lifetime’s Nanny Nightmare. Lately, in the pandemic lockdown, he’s been posting a daily performance of Quarantine Diary on his Facebook page (see below).
NiteLife Exchange (NLE) asks Tony DeSare (TD) Six Questions:
NLE: You started the “Quarantine Diary” of a live song-a-day on Facebook. Did you ever think that now, more than three weeks into it, that this delightful enterprise would come to mean so much to people?
TD: Well, first of all, when I started on what is now Day 1, I just felt motivated to get in front of the iPhone and record something to share with people. I’ve always had music there for me in tough times and the much of the music I love was written in hard times (Great Depression, WWII) and the songs were there to comfort people. I wanted to do something to help and this is the best way I know how.
I had no idea I would enjoy it as much as I have and definitely no idea I’d have a daily dedicated audience, as well. After about the third day, I decided I would make a video every day while most everyone is stuck at home.
NLE: It’s evident that you understand the power of music. Has this experience taught you more about that? Do
most of us even realize the potential that music has to heal, and more?
TD: As I mentioned above, the fact that the music I love originated in darker days of the past made me realize even more why these songs were so beloved then and still to this day. It made me feel good to sit down and play, “Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams,” for example, and thought why not just turn on the lights and camera and share what I would do at home by myself anyway.
And as far as the healing potential of music goes, I think everyone, myself included, has a newfound appreciation for the balm that music can be. I’m particularly sensitive to hearing any music that’s hard or angry right now. I bet other people feel the same.
NLE: How do you choose your playlist? Is it entirely inspirational or do you plan, or a combination? How much of
the playlist sis determined by the requests you receive?
TD: My morning routine for the past 28 days, plus, has been wake up, get out of bed, get showered and dressed like I’m going to work and then go down and make this daily video. So far, the most I’ve planned ahead is choosing a song the night before and practicing before I go to bed. I always have noticed when I practice something right before bed, I’m way better at it the next day.
Lately it’s settled more into me just sitting down each morning and quickly choosing something that feels right and is different enough from what I’ve done the last couple of days.
I have done some requests and am happy to entertain them, but I know that the best performance will be something that I’m particularly feeling into that day.
NLE: In one segment of Quarantine Diary you speak about anxiety and conclude dealing with it takes acceptance
and adopting a frame of mind. How did you come to this enlightenment?
TD: I had anxiety issues even before I knew what it was. I’ve had a couple particularly tough battles with it over the years, too. The last one being in 2018. I have tried everything to try to help and the only thing I’ve found that truly works is constantly refocusing how you feel at the moment to a feeling of acceptance. Progress is measured in months, not days, but it works and I feel lucky to have found tools to deal with it. It’s such a common issue and really can greatly affect one’s quality of life, so it’s important to talk about.
NLE: What is striking about your daily concert is that it’s about service, not about monetizing your talent and
your gifts, yet you, like every other performing artist with gigs, suffered an instant loss of income. Where’s the
balance between giving of yourself and making a living?
TD: Well it’s certainly true that my busy season of concerts was suddenly canceled and my income has essentially gone to zero for the time being. However, what I’m doing now is truly just to be of service and do a small part to make this time a little easier for whomever is taking time to watch and appreciate. I’m fortunate enough to be ok at least for a few months of this and encourage people to give to those in dire need.
That said, I love the idea of exploring online live concerts and building my Internet audience to a point where I could benefit financially from their support. I think this time period will change how people engage with performers and I’d like to be part of that new frontier. I want to find fun and rewarding ways my audience can support me without asking them directly for donations. At least that’s how I feel about it now.
NLE: On January 8th of this year, your live show from the Strand Theater in Hudson Falls was simultaneously live-
streamed. Now that so much content is virtual/live-streamed, will we be seeing more of this as a consequence
of the current situation of quarantine?
TD: Actually that show was shot and recorded last October and I premiered it live so I could interact with people as they watched. Even though the show wasn’t live, there are certainly many elements of that show that point toward a future where we interact with live music in a different way. First of all, I was able to produce that concert for a fraction of the cost that it would have been even just 10 years ago. Great cameras are relatively inexpensive, I edited all the video myself and also mixed and mastered the recording all at my home studio. Then having the means to broadcast it to the world to anyone that is interested is amazing.
So yes, absolutely this quarantine situation will only accelerate where things were already heading eventually anyway!
Watch and listen to all of Tony DeSare’s Quarantine Diary songs here:
1. You started the “Quarantine Diary” of a live song-a-day on Facebook. Did you ever think that now, more
than three weeks into it, that this delightful enterprise would come to mean so much to people?
Well, first of all, when I started on what is now Day 1, I just felt motivated to get in front of the iPhone and record something to share with people. I’ve always had music there for me in tough times and the much of the music I love was written in hard times (Great Depression, WWII) and the songs were there to comfort people. I wanted to do something to help and this is the best way I know how.
I had no idea I would enjoy it as much as I have and definitely no idea I’d have a daily dedicated audience, as well. After about the third day, I decided I would make a video every day while most everyone is stuck at home.
2. It’s evident that you understand the power of music. Has this experience taught you more about that? Do
most of us even realize the potential that music has to heal, and more?
As I mentioned above, the fact that the music I love originated in darker days of the past made me realize even more why these songs were so beloved then and still to this day. It made me feel good to sit down and play, Wrap Your Troubles I Dreams, for example, and thought why not just turn on the lights and camera and share what I would do at home by myself anyway.
And as far as the healing potential of music goes, I think everyone, myself included, has a newfound appreciation for the balm that music can be. I’m particularly sensitive to hearing any music that’s hard or angry right now. I bet other people feel the same.
3. How do you choose your playlist? Is it entirely inspirational or do you plan, or a combination? How much of
the playlist sis determined by the requests you receive?
My morning routine for the past 28 days has been wake up, get out of bed, get showered and dressed like I’m going to work and then go down and make this daily video. So far, the most I’ve planned ahead is choosing a song the night before and practicing before I go to bed. I always have noticed when I practice something right before bed, I’m way better at it the next day.
Lately it’s settled more into me just sitting down each morning and quickly choosing something that feels right and is different enough from what I’ve done the last couple of days.
I have done some requests and am happy to entertain them, but I know that the best performance will be something that I’m particularly feeling into that day.
4. In one segment of Quarantine Diary you speak about anxiety and conclude dealing with it takes acceptance
and adopting a frame of mind. How did you come to this enlightenment?
I had anxiety issues even before I knew what it was. I’ve had a couple particularly tough battles with it over the years, too. The last one being in 2018. I have tried everything to try to help and the only thing I’ve found that truly works is constantly refocusing how you feel at the moment to a feeling of acceptance. Progress is measured in months, not days, but it works and I feel lucky to have found tools to deal with it. It’s such a common issue and really can greatly affect one’s quality of life, so it’s important to talk about.
5. What is striking about your daily concert is that it’s about service, not about monetizing your talent and
your gifts, yet you, like every other performing artist with gigs, suffered an instant loss of income. Where’s the
balance between giving of yourself and making a living?
Well it’s certainly true that my busy season of concerts was suddenly canceled and my income has essentially gone to zero for the time being. However, what I’m doing now is truly just to be of service and do a small part to make this time a little easier for whomever is taking time to watch and appreciate. I’m fortunate enough to be ok at least for a few months of this and encourage people to give to those in dire need.
That said, I love the idea of exploring online live concerts and building my Internet audience to a point where I could benefit financially from their support. I think this time period will change how people engage with performers and I’d like to be part of that new frontier. I want to find fun and rewarding ways my audience can support me without asking them directly for donations. At least that’s how I feel about it now.
6. On January 8th of this year, your live show from the Strand Theater in Hudson Falls was simultaneously live-
streamed. Now that so much content is virtual/live-streamed, will we be seeing more of this as a consequence
of the current situation of quarantine?
Actually that show was shot and recording last October and I premiered it live so I could interact with people as they watched. Even though the show wasn’t live, there are certainly many elements of that show that point toward a future where we interact with live music in a different way. First of all, I was able to produce that concert for a fraction of the cost that it would have been even just 10 years ago. Great cameras are relatively inexpensive, I edited all the video myself and also mixed and mastered the recording all at my home studio. Then having the means to broadcast it to the world to anyone that is interested is amazing.
So yes, absolutely this quarantine situation will only accelerate where things were already heading eventually anyway!
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