Interview: Kathryn Henzler

Today we’re joined by Kathryn Henzler. Kathryn is a phenomenal musician who plays a number of instruments. Aside from playing music, Kathryn also sings and composes for visual media. When she’s not creating music, Kathryn also dabbles in other arts such as acting and fashion design. She’s clearly a dedicated and passionate artist, as you’ll soon read. My thanks to her for taking the time to participate in this interview.

WORK

Please, tell us about your art.

I dabble in a lot of artistic things, including acting and fashion design, but I’m mainly a musician (vocals, koto, viola, piano, taiko and other percussion, harp) and composer for visual media. I tend to write music that is full of feelings and may be a bit cheesy, but that’s the style that I like to reach people with.

What inspires you?

I’m inspired by nature, emotions, other artists of all types, history, fashion, and intriguing stories.

What got you interested in your field?  Have you always wanted to be an artist?

I always knew I wanted to be involved in music somehow, but I didn’t know what I wanted to do specifically. Eventually when I was in high school I got really into anime, and some of those shows have absolutely beautiful scores. Around the same time I was heavily involved in orchestra and choir, and something just clicked when I was playing a piece with my orchestra from the score to Spiderman by Danny Elfman. At that point I realized I wanted to write music in addition to playing it. I think in particular I was captivated by the idea of music’s ability to completely influence what a person feels in a particular moment or scene.

Do you have any kind of special or unique signature, symbol, or feature you include in your work that you’d be willing to reveal?

I usually incorporate at least one of the instruments I play or my own vocals in each composition, because I like to be both the composer of the score and a performer in it.

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

I would say that you should go for what you want to do, even if lots of people tell you “no” or say you aren’t good enough. I know from experience that it’s hard to ignore them, but you just have to keep doing your best to prove them wrong.

ASEXUALITY

Where on the spectrum do you identify?

I’m a heteroromantic asexual.

Have you encountered any kind of ace prejudice or ignorance in your field?  If so, how do you handle it?

I haven’t encountered ace prejudice per say, but the music and film industry is constantly churning out media that is obsessed with sex, and I’ve had multiple occasions where material that I am supposed to be working on has made me so uncomfortable that I can’t continue. Most people when they hear about that issue tell me I need to grow thicker skin, but I think we just need to make more ace-friendly art and media. It’s hard when there is literally no ace representation in the films and shows you are trying to write music for. I guess I don’t really “handle,” it, I just kind of try to avoid having to write for media which I can’t feel comfortable putting my musical stamp on. I’m hoping in the future I’ll be able to help produce films that I write music for so that I can bring an ace perspective to them.

What’s the most common misconception about asexuality that you’ve encountered?

A lot of people think that asexual people are “prudes,” or that they just “haven’t met the right person yet.” It’s not about that, and it’s hard to explain it in a way that they’ll understand. I’ve also had some ace friends deal with some nasty blowback at Pride Parades from people who say they have no right to be there because asexuality isn’t “a sexual minority,” which is of course absolutely not true.

What advice would you give to any asexual individuals out there who might be struggling with their orientation?

It might be hard for me to give advice since it’s only been a year since I fully realized my own asexual identity, but I would say that the best thing you can do is to embrace who you are and try to find a support network of fellow aces. It is always super-helpful to have people who you can ask questions of.

Finally, where can people find out more about your work?

You can check out my music for visual media and some of my performance information at https://kvhenzler.wixsite.com/music. I also have a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/KathrynHenzlerArtist/.

Thank you, Kathryn, for participating in this interview and this project. It’s very much appreciated.

Interview: Brian

Today we’re joined by Brian, who also goes by Adipsia. Brian is a phenomenal musician who plays with multiple bands. He also makes ambient music on his own. He uses synths and field recordings to create slow meditational music. It’s very clear that he has an enormous amount of passion, as you’ll soon read. My thanks to him for taking the time to participate in this interview.

WORK

Please, tell us about your art.

I compose experimental ambient music under the Moniker Adipsia! It’s slow, meditational music made with synths and field recordings, and occasionally percussion and other random instruments. I explore themes a lot with my music, and most of my releases have been concept albums that tell a larger story. But it’s mostly instrumental, so you can glean whatever meaning you want from it.

What inspires you?

Almost everything! I manage to find inspiration just about everywhere; sitting in a restaurant listening to silverware and the din of the other people, taking a walk and hearing the sounds of the city mixing with the birds in the trees, or just watching an interesting movie or reading a book. Since the art I make is very nebulous and open, ideas can spring forth out of just about anywhere. Listening to other really talented musicians also gets my mind working, it’s fun to dismantle the elements of their music and guess their creative process.

What got you interested in your field?  Have you always wanted to be an artist?

It was probably my parents; neither of them are very musical, but they got me involved in music since I was 6 years old. I’ve always been very creative, and my parents, even though I grew up poor, really tried to provide good outlets for my creativity. I don’t think as a child I ever really thought about what I wanted to be when I grew up, other than an X-Wing pilot, haha. But music has been a large part of my life for so long, it just feels natural to be doing it.

Do you have any kind of special or unique signature, symbol, or feature you include in your work that you’d be willing to reveal?

I guess there is a very echo-y delayed electric piano patch that I throw in quite a few songs. It’s usually in the background, and it fills up a lot of space in a delicate fun way, so I end up utilizing it a lot. Other than that, I don’t really think there’s any kind of signature to my music, other than it all being pretty chill music.

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

My recommendation is to ingest as much art as you can. Find artists you enjoy, and just take in their work and really listen/look closely. Find out what you enjoy about their work, what you don’t like, and what you’d do differently. Then go do it!

ASEXUALITY

Where on the spectrum do you identify?

Heteroromantic Asexual. I’m married, and there was some rocky patches to get over during our relationship, but she’s very accepting of my sexuality.

Have you encountered any kind of ace prejudice or ignorance in your field?  If so, how do you handle it?

Not too much, I don’t really talk that much about sex outside of close relationships, so it doesn’t come up that often. If I ever do mention it, I either get approval and understanding, or I have to explain what it is.

What’s the most common misconception about asexuality that you’ve encountered?

That it’s just low libido, and that it can be fixed with testosterone treatment. I do have a low libido, but I can recognize it as something separate from sexual attraction.

What advice would you give to any asexual individuals out there who might be struggling with their orientation?

I would say ‘own it!’ There’s no reason to be ashamed of who you are. Your sexuality is a small part of your whole being, and it’s part of what makes you a unique individual.

Finally, where can people find out more about your work?

If you want to check out my work, you can find it on Bandcamp, (adipsia.bandcamp.com) where I release my full albums, and on my Soundcloud (soundcloud.com/adipsiasa) where I usually post little demos, meditations, and things I’ve been working on recently. Of course there’s Facebook too, but I am really bad at social media, so I end up not posting for weeks at a time.

Thank you, Brian, for participating in this interview and this project. It’s very much appreciated.