EP14: Sondheim & Rollercoasters ft Eamonn O'Dwyer

Let us introduce you to Eamonn O'Dwyer who joined us for a conversation on innate talent, criticism and rollercoaster theme music!

Eamonn O’Dwyer is an award-winning composer-lyricist of Guyanese-Irish descent. His work spans genres from live orchestral to electronica, contemporary musical theatre, films & video games. He is an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music, and to date his works have been performed in the US, Russia, Australia and Japan.  

Find & follow Eamonn:

www.eamonnodwyer.com

Songs on Spotify

@eamonnodwyer

Other artists mentioned:

Vivaldi; Sondheim; Tupac; Big Money 😉

Key Takeaways

1. Next time you’re in a theme park, try and notice the music: You might hear the tension, thrill and eventually calming effect of the soundtracks around you, all curated to enhance your experience. This is a concept that you can pull into your own art and visual practices!

2. Getting paid and having a deadline for your artistic work means that you can’t wait for the romantic idea of inspiration to strike, you just need to get it done.

3. Create your own jumping-off points for your art. Whether it be creating art parts or prompts before you paint, to help you get into the work when ideas are thin on the ground.

4. How you feel about your work doesn’t always correlate to the subject matter. The work you make can be raw or dark, but that might not spill into how you feel as you create or how you feel about the work after it’s done.

5.Theatre is a collaborative art form. Like all collaborative work, it means there could be feedback which could sting IF taken negatively. Alternative ways to think about the experience of feedback is I understood a different thing compared to the person I was working with. AND nothing is ever wasted! You’re always learning and honing your craft.

6. It’s okay to recycle and be inspired by your own work.

7. Sondheim, the composer, and playwright, once said, that if he could bottle any element from the theatre, it would be the element of surprise!

8. Innate talent might get you to a certain point, but work and learning on your own OR with other people, will get you the rest of the way.

9. Primary education, positive reinforcement and encouragement in the child is extremely important. And it’s a social responsibility for us to cultivate those access points and spaces for them, and ourselves.

10. As teachers in this vulnerable space which is art making, we have power and influence that must always come WITH RESPONSIBILTY.

11. The difference between Gatekeeping and Teaching is massive. Actively encourage and educate those who want to grow and learn. Using gentleness and empathy as your mode vs. degradation and shame.

Thank you for listening to the NOT a real artist podcast! Have you had any insights during this episode? Let us know on [email protected]. If you haven’t already, please follow this podcast or rate it and share it with everyone who wants to listen to good shows!

Iris | IG: https://www.instagram.com/iris.impressions.art/

Tamara | IG: https://www.instagram.com/ruskea_art/

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