What might be a challenge for some people is actually part of many cultures worldwide – eating insects.
You might have seen crickets as garnish on you plate, but today we are talking about insect-based food for our four-legged friends. Dogs are naturally curious and it is not unusual that a little insect lands in their fangs.
There are many benefits to this diet, most imprtantly concerning the enviornement. I talked to Tenetrio, a Potsdam-based company making treats and dog food out of insects as part of my Final Major Project.
This was uploaded at Artefact Magazine. Let’s feature it with a more lemon-y approach, shall we?
Rae Lim is not only incredible with acting as seen in various movies, such as the upcoming James Bond “No Time to Die” or Tom Clancy’s “Without Remorse” with Michael B. Jordan, but also creates amazing music. Her songs mirror her personal experiences while also being very relatable. In this interview, we discuss the importance of emotions in the entertainment industry. Check out @raelimofficial ‘s music. Her songs “If I Were In Love” and “GTFO” are featured in the Interview.
Who do you look up to most in your life? The answer to that question differs from person to person – a parent, friend, singer, actress.
Personally, I used to love One Direction and was also part of the Shawn Mendes fandom as a young teen. My childhood bedroom was filled with posters, CDs and all sorts of merchandise.
I turn twenty this year, and although I continue to listen to these artists, I’m not as captivated by them as before. My focus has shifted throughout the years. Currently, I study BA Journalism at the London College of Communication. Since then, I started to connect with different people from the media industry. One person keeps inspiring me each day in my personal and professional life. Her name is Robin Roberts.
Robin Roberts is an American journalist and co-anchor of ABC’s Good Morning America. Indeed, there are various outstanding professionals in the field of journalism, but Robin Roberts is my role model.
In 2010, I was diagnosed with type one diabetes, a disease that affects my life up to this day. Some people judged and mistreated me because of my diabetes, although it’s not my fault that I got it in the first place. I let their opinions influence me, and I felt anxious about sharing my story. I’m a journalist now. Staying objective to deliver accurate, non-opinion-based news is part of my job. But then, I stumbled across Robin Roberts and her story. On the platform Masterclass, which offers a broad selection of courses led by professionals from many industries, I learned more about her career life and what role her personal experience plays in it.
In 2007, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Robin Roberts explains that it is essential to “Make your mess your message”.
This quote changed my whole perspective. I have a different health issue, different environment and experience than Robin Roberts. Still, her speech cleared my doubts about being a diabetic and my role in speaking to the public. I might have been able to be more confident at some point in my life without Robin Roberts, but she pushed me onto the right mindset.
Her mum motivated her to share the life-changing information with the audience because she was also worried about sharing this personal news.
“You have a good job. You have health benefits. [..] What about people that don’t have these resources? BE THEIR VOICE.”, said Robin Roberts mum, according to the Masterclass lesson “Robin Roberts Teaches Effective and Authentic Communication.”
According to World Health Organisation, breast cancer is the most common cancer, with more than 2.2 million cases in 2020. To talk about it and to raise awareness is so important. Robin Roberts is a public figure and has the advantage of reaching a larger group of people. By sharing her individual story, she also underlines the fact that despite her being a known person in the media industry, she can still suffer from breast cancer like anybody else.
Her message takes another turning point during ABC’s news reportage of the “Breast Cancer Awareness Month” in 2013. A colleague, Amy Robach, was asked to perform a mammogram on the show. Robin Roberts’ encouragement helped Robach perform the detection method. Her breast cancer was diagnosed on live television the same day.
It sounds like a Hollywood movie. That’s because we are not used to seeing these kinds of emotions and personal stories on traditional news.
I love being a journalist and I accept being a diabetic. I have much more to learn, even after I finish my course at university. I’m not behaving like a super hyper fangirl like I did for One Direction and Shawn Mendes. Still, I feel motivated by Robin Roberts to be myself and to not hide behind my disease.
“Venture outside your comfort zone. To stop growing is to stop living.” Robin Roberts in “From the Heart: Seven Rules to Live By”
Showing emotions is not a weakness. It does not matter if you are a doctor, celebrity, train controller, etc. – we are all humans. Roberts continues to share her battle with breast cancer. In 2012, she faced another challenge. As a result of the chemotherapy, she developed a rare blood cancer called MDS – myelodysplastic syndrome. She needed a bone marrow transplant. Around 30% of the matches are from family members, but the majority comes from the registry. As an African American woman, the likelihood to get a match from the registry is lower. Luckily, her sister was a match, and she was able to get a bone marrow transplant. But other people might not have a family member that is a perfect match. What about them? Roberts addresses this issue to raise awareness to help other people fight sickness. I admire that she used every challenge thrown into her life to openly speak about it to save other lives.
“Today, we calculate that 9.3% of adults aged 20–79 years – a staggering 463 million people – are living with diabetes. A further 1.1 million children and adolescents under the age of 20, live with type 1 diabetes.”, states the International Diabetes Federation.
And I’m one of them. Last year, I started my own blog called Citronnade, where I also write about my life with diabetes. I also enable other people who suffer from any health-related issue to share their emotions and stories. I might not be the voice of all diabetics, but I can be a voice that speaks up and raises awareness. I make my mess my message – what about you?
• PERSONAL NEWS• Robin Roberts noticed this article. I'm very honoured and the level of excitement is immaculate!
It is often hard to believe that the sole imagination of a human being leads to creating beautiful artworks. Our ancestors drew on cave walls as a form of belief. And since then, art is seen as communication and cultural, religious and even political “silent messenger”. We don’t need to speak the language of the artist to understand their meaning. Nowadays, galleries feature a variety of works by famous painters like Leonardo Da Vinci, Gustav Klimt, Michelangelo, Van Gogh, and more that spent half their lives on a piece. In modern times, new tools and technology help creatives to spare time and simplify the process. Nevertheless, it is easy to distinguish between traditional art and digital art. Is classic art more valuable? Will it get extinct?
It talked to Amina Adous Bracamonte about the importance of art in our society, and how her art is influenced by the modern approach.
by @/aminamennte on Instagram
“I prefer making art the traditional way, at least for now, it relaxes me in a different way, for me it’s gratifying in another level.”
We have different talents, strengths & weaknesses, and an individual view. That’s what makes us unique. You might not play the flute as good as Lizzo does, but there is always something that makes you stand out from others nonetheless.
Amina has found her passion in her art which she shares on social media. It feels like a new aesthetic to watch the process of her paintings with the beautiful landscape of Spain in the background. What sparked your interest in art, and how long have you drawn?
“I don’t specifically remember, but I think as a kid I wasn’t a big fan of playing with dolls or anything, only drawing, so my mom put me in art class as an alternative.”, says Amina. She is mainly inspired by traditional painting, realism as well as the work of ancient masters.
The beauty of art is undeniable. From an early age on during art class, children learn to adequately express themselves through drawing, paper projects, working with clay and much more. Although most of their artistry is not quite like the work by Picasso, the central importance is to develop language skills, motor skills, and creativity. So why do you think art is important?
“I think its important in two ways: For the artist it’s vital because it’s a window to escape reality in a way, you can express any feeling, any moment in time, free yourself. Also you put a part of yourself in each piece of art that you make so people can observe, reflect and appreciate.
For the observer it’s important because it’s a moment of reflection, a pause, where you are looking at the piece and just making your own opinions about it, thinking of how it was done, what the artist was inspired about, the feelings it’s trying to represent.”
What do you think is most beautiful about traditional art?
“I think it’s beautiful because it’s been done for so long, and you can basically do it with anything, for example people million years ago would paint with animal blood in cave walls, there’s so many ways and techniques to do it.”
There are various advantages for traditional art and digital art. For example, drawing digitally allows you to have a wide range of tools and colours. This not only decreases costs for material but enables better accessibility when you are ready to create. On the other hand, traditional art is much more hands-on. If you make a mistake, you can’t erase it as quickly as for digital drawings. How do you use clay and carving tools? How do you mix colours to get your desired shade? The general understanding of the material and the art methods are broadened, and motor skills are improved.
Have you ever tried to draw digitally?
“Yes! I was really excited to try it out. I feel it being so new and technological it can have a lot of advantages. It’s still something very new for me.”
Here are some pieces of Amina`s digital artwork:
Most of Amina’s work is shared on her Instagram. What are the benefits of sharing art on social media?
“It gives you so much exposure, it’s very easy and free way to share your art comparing it to a gallery or something like that.”
Art is unique, just like the artist that creates it. Style, technique, colour palette and format are often individual to each creator. For example, did you know that Van Gogh was known for using the technique Impasto? Instead of an even and light surface, thickly laid paint covers the canvas, which creates a three-dimensional texture. His most famous work, which was created with Impasto, is “The Starry Night” (1889).
The art industry is constantly evolving. New artists publish their work on the internet and gain publicity through social media, like TikTok and Instagram. The significant styles and individual touches make each creation unique. However, taste differs. What might be beautiful to one person might not be someone else’s cup of tea, but as Shakespeare said: Beauty is bought by judgement of the eye (…)”.
Do you think anyone can draw?
“Absolutely, there’s this false idea that in order for you to be a good artist you have to be born with the talent, have a steady hand or a sharp eye. It obviously helps a lot but the main thing that gets you better it’s practice, making bad art and exploring what works for you and what doesn’t.”
Thank you so much to Amina! Check out her Instagram to stay up to date with her latest creations.
TW: Mental health (depression), beauty standards, selfie dysmorphia, body image, self-criticism
To anyone that needs to hear this today: You are beautiful. You are beautiful the way you are, but many struggle to accept that. Why? Well, the idealised and unrealistic beauty image of today’s society might be a reason. Beauty standards have shaped our perspective of each other as individuals. What is too thin? Too curvy? How much is too much? There is no accurate definition of what is considered beautiful; however, we are pressured to fit into a “template”. This is not a modern issue since these standards have evolved over centuries.
Every culture established their definition of a perfect beauty image over centuries. The short amount of time in which these beauty standards have changed only shows that there is no set definition of what is considered as beautiful.
The ideal women in the Roaring Twenties would need to be very thin with slight curves. The “boyish” body shape was favoured. Moving forward to the thirties up to the fifties, better known as the Golden Age of Hollywood, the focus shifted more to “feminine” appearance. Media Stars was admired for her famous beauty spot, perfect, blonde hair and flawless makeup – she was a product designed by the industry. Nevertheless, Marylin Monroe stood out from the crowd and worked against the beauty beliefs of society. She wore tight clothes to underline her curves and continues to set an example to all women. Perhaps, this was the first step towards a healthier world.
But this was seventy years ago. The critical question is: how does society treat this issue today?
All of a sudden, globalisation opened the gates of broader communication. But most importantly, we are now able to see each other through social media. Beauty standards do not only apply to the individual country anymore. The whole world is the judge. The platforms make it easier to influence young women and men. Various trends, pictures that have been edited to hide any flaw and filters that change your entire appearance lead to a new fakery place. Everyone can pretend to be their imaginary self.
By all means, the usage of filters and face-and body enhancing apps should not be abolished. Still, it is essential to understand that looks can be changed, and reality may look very different. You only see how you look through reflections and cameras. Being called “beautiful” is one thing – feeling beautiful, however, is a different story.
Listen how some Citros answered the questions
What do you consider as beautiful and how has social media changed that definition?
What is your favourite thing about yourself?
Mara, 18, RomaniaSam, 21, United KingdomGleb, 19, Russia
Like Marilyn Monroe in the Golden Age of Hollywood, celebrities like Kylie Jenner significantly impact modern times’ understanding of beauty. Kylie openly exclaims that she did not get any cosmetic enhancements but, later on, admits that the opposite is the case. You may remember the #KylieJennerLipChallenge that used to be quite known in 2015. One might argue that many young people started this to aim for plump lips like those of Kylie Jenner. The peer pressure online and the publicity gained by following this process lead to widespread on social platforms. Suctioning their lips in various objects like bottle openings or shot glasses result in swelling and bruising. In some cases, the final look was somewhat presentable, but the dangers of this new social media trend were underestimated. The object could break because of the pressure created by the vacuum, and the lips could end up seriously injured. This is just another example of how easy it is to be persuaded to take part in these beauty trends. Public figures do not only present themselves and their talents but also have the task of acting as a role model. The younger generations are much more active on social media and use them as an educational resource.
Très Chic! Celebrities being their glamorous self – but what’s in front of the camera does not mean it is the same behind the scenes.
Around 995 pictures are posted on Instagram every second (OmnicoreAgency.com, 2021). The continuous intake of new visual content could affect mental wellbeing dramatically. The study “Social Media Use and Adolescent Mental Health: Findings From the UK Millennium Cohort Study” analyses the correlation between social media and the development of depressive symptoms of young people. The daily usage of social media of more than ten thousand 14-year-olds was examined. “Almost 40% of girls who spend more than five hours a day on social media show symptoms of depression” (Guardian, 2019)
“For example: more social media use linked to poor sleep which in turn was related to depressive symptoms; experiencing online harassment was linked to poor sleep, poor body image and low self-esteem; and that girls and boys with poor body image were more likely to have low self-esteem.”
Many people start to use filters to change or hide their physical features on selfies. The term Selfie Dysmorphia (also Snapchat Dysmorphia) is not very known, although it is pretty relatable. It is believed that the famous Dog Filter on Snapchat highlighted this issue. Once you see your enhanced appearance, you start to pay a greater focus on your natural self. Comparing yourself with others, heavily editing pictures and constantly questioning your looks can all be part of Selfie Dysmorphia. Dr Joshua, an aesthetics doctor in London, joined the discussion about the concept behind Selfie Dysmorphia and the impact of social media on future generations.
On the brighter side, artists like Lizzo act against the fixed imagination of body standards.
“I don’t like it when people think it’s hard for me to see myself as beautiful. I don’t like it when people are shocked that I’m doing it.”
Lizzo on Glamour.com
The audience had the opportunity to participate in a survey. Six people contributed to the survey that was posted on Citronnade’s Instagram page (@/_citronnade.blog)
One question lead to a very diverse discussion:
Social media has changed our perspective on body images. Would you say that it is a positive or a negative change?
Disclaimer: The people that contributed to this project had the option to stay anonymous. If any participant changed their mind regarding their chosen option, don’t hesitate to message me so I can change it.
“I think it’s a positive change because so many content creators motivate people to change their lives.”
Thor, Male, 19
“It’s mixed for me. I have seen more diverse bodies in social media, which is great. However, some of the comments on these images are disgusting. If a model is “too thin”, there are comments telling that person to eat something. If a model is “too big”, the comments tell that person to go exercise. It’s horrible.”
Anonymous, female, 28
“Rather negative. Body positivity is growing, but still, most influencers you see make themselves look like the conventional beauty standard.”
Mary, Female, 30
The remaining participants answered with “Positive” without further reasoning and chose to stay anonymous.
Gen Z, the generation of change, uses the power of social media to shift the image of beauty more than ever. In terms of beauty, personality is much more valued than appearance. Being kind to yourself and the people that surround you is key. And even the trends on different platforms have changed. “Instagram vs. Reality” is one of the trends that is currently flooding social media. It shows the difference between the pictures posted by that person on the Gram and the accurate picture before editing.
Together we can establish a new trend that everyone should be comfortable with. Let’s call it:
“Stand out by being yourself.”
A special thank you to Dr Joshua Van der Aa and Sharon! Make sure to check out Dr Joshua’s website drjoshua.co.uk .
“Keep social distance, wash your hands and don’t contract the virus.” It is easier said than done. In the past year, I stayed at home in Germany. My social interaction has decreased dramatically, and I feel alone, although I’m with my family. The uncertainty and battle against the invisible enemy take a significant toll on mental health – and I’m not alone with it.
Before, we used to go out with friends without worrying. But what happens once we go back to “normal”?
In this video, I interviewed Andreea, a student in London. “Certain areas have improved, but other areas, especially my social anxiety, I think certainly have worsened.” A survey by mind.org called “The mental health emergency- How has the coronavirus impacted our mental health?” demonstrates essential information about the mental wellbeing of young people aged 13-24. Read the complete survey here: https://www.mind.org.uk/media-a/5929/the-mental-health-emergency_a4_final.pdf?
TW: mention of blood, needles, mental health, abuse, death
DISCLAIMER: I’m not a professional health adviser, thus the posts should not be used for a diagnosis. Every person that has been interviewed for this project shares their own personal stories. If you have any worries concerning your own health, you should consult with a doctor.
In the year of my AS studies in May 2018, just after I got back from a school trip to Italy, I was sitting with some friends at a coffee shop. I had a bad cold. My throat was sore, and my voice was not more than a cracked whisper. Still, I left my room and couch potato self behind to enjoy the sunny day with my friends.
After a while, one of my peers from school, that I have briefly met before, asked me about the ‘Walkman’ that is attached to my hip – he meant my insulin pump. “I have diabetes.”, I told him. His puzzled look confirmed my assumption that he had absolutely no clue what diabetes was. Maybe it was quite mean of me to crack a joke with my faint, whisper voice as I said, “I can’t photosynthesise properly.” but I would have never thought that he would believe me. Don’t get me wrong, biology isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it was at that moment, I realised that he wasn’t the one to blame for the lack of understanding society has towards diabetes mellitus as a whole.
I have always been open with sharing my story, but I can’t count how often I had to explain to people that I did not get diabetes by eating too many sweets. The truth is, diabetics need sugar as much as everyone else does to live.
It started in third grade, nine-year-old me on a hospital bed, surrounded by her loving parents that cried into each other’s arms. Nine-year-old me had no clue what exactly was happening. I have never seen my mum and dad that sad before. “Am I dying?“ was the first thing that crossed my mind. The answer: yes and no. I would have died, but I got the diagnosis in time—diabetes mellitus type one. Sounds quite nasty, doesn’t it?
Diabetes comes from the Ancient Greek word for “passing through” and refers to a large amount of urine. Mellitus deprives from the Latin meaning “as sweet as honey”. In other words, diabetes mellitus combined means sweet urine. This actually describes one of the key symptoms of this disease. In the past, doctors tasted their patient’s urine to test if they have diabetes. Now that most definitely sounds nasty. If the urine was sweet, it would have been a death sentence for that person back then. Many different therapy methods were used to treat people with diabetes but one thing was still missing and it’s a hormone called insulin.
Insulin is produced in your pancreas and acts as a key to open up the muscle cells to guide the carbohydrates from your food through in order to make energy. Without insulin, the carbohydrates remain in your blood, and that is toxic for your body which will eventually lead to death. Diabetes is a game of balancing. The glucose levels should not reach hyperglycaemia (high blood sugar) or hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar). For diabetics, insulin needs to be injected externally by needle or, in my case, with an insulin pump.
The insulin pump does look a bit like a Walkman. I can regulate the doses of insulin, and it even calculates the necessary amount from the total of carbohydrates I eat. Insulin is in that little cartilage and is pumped through a tube into my body.
The hormone that is used nowadays was discovered in the 1930s. Before that, insulin from the pancreas of pigs was used as it is pretty similar to a human’s insulin. However, the early version of insulin was often contaminated and not a long-term solution. It is safe to say that I feel lucky in an unlucky fate to live in our modern world of technology and medical treatments.
I spent the summer of 2010 drinking my body weight in water while losing a lot of weight. I was a chubby child, and losing weight wasn’t really my top priority as I loved ice cream and chocolate way too much. But, this was not the reason for my health problems.
The people in school used the disease as another reason to make me feel worthless. Even the parents of my “friends” made comments that still make me tear up. I was not invited to any birthday parties because I would, as those parents pointed out, “ruin the mood by not eating cake”. Children and adults mentally abused me. Nothing excuses this, and there is no way I’m leaving this out in my story. It is not my fault that I got type one diabetes, and it is crucial to raise awareness and talk about the lack of understanding.
Diabetes is also known as “sugar disease” – is that the reason people believe that eating too many sweets causes it? Or is it because the differences between type one diabetes and type two diabetes are unclear?
When the doctor explained to me in a “child-friendly” way what diabetes was, he mentioned, “It’s what your grandmother has, but different.” My grandparents have type two diabetes, and although it affects your diet and insulin production, it is not the same as type one. First of all, it is more common, and mostly older people and individuals that lack physical activity and have a bad diet are at risk. The cause of diabetes type two is insulin resistance. The body does not normally respond to the essential hormone, and the pancreas tries to act against that by producing more insulin. The glucose levels in the blood remain high, and treatment is needed.
No one really knows how and why I got diabetes type one. Often, it is inherited, but no family member has type one diabetes. It remains a mystery to me and doctors as well.
“I kind of look like a cyborg.” is my introduction to my different treatment gadgets. From tubes to transmitters, modern technology makes the monitoring of glucose levels more accessible. I don’t have to prick my finger as often as I used to as a child. My fingertips were full of scars because I had to measure a droplet of blood before every meal. Nowadays, a transmitter, a smartphone and the Freestyle Libre App go hand in hand. The result: continuous checking.
I have to watch this graph regularly to ensure that my glucose levels remain in the green range. You know now that carbohydrates raise the blood sugar levels but did you know that stress, mental health and the hormone adrenaline decrease insulin’s effect?
I used to be scared that my life would depend on computers. Computers make mistakes. I would face the consequences of these mistakes. But over time, my body would alarm me if there is something wrong; although the phone screen would say otherwise. That’s rarely the case. When my blood sugar is low, my body starts to shiver, and I can’t concentrate anymore. I feel hot and cold at the same time, and I crave food much more. It’s not a feeling of hunger but a desire to just grab the next carbohydrate-rich food and stuff it in my mouth. I can kind of relate to the cheesy vampire shows where the vampires smell blood and go all crazy – that’s me just with food at that moment. It’s a mechanism that doesn’t require your thinking.
One of the many things I have learned is that diabetes is a part of me, but it doesn’t define who I am. Despite my health issue, I was able to travel, study and continue to live life to its fullest. Luckily, people do not respond as poorly to my diabetes as I was used to as a child, and many show great interest. I have recently seen people with diabetes on TikTok, showing how the transmitter is injected correctly and also explain the myths behind the disease. It is essential to continue to raise awareness, and I don’t want another child to be in a similar situation and be attacked for something they are not responsible for.
SOURCES
https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/how_diabetes_got_its_name
https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/type2.html
There aren't many sources as I wrote this article from my own knowledge and history. If there is anything that you don't agree with, please let me know.
As a kid, I was obsessed with the movie Ratatouille. It’s fascinating how simple it looked to combine the sweetness of the strawberry with the savoury taste of the cheese and create mouth-watering dishes. It’s all about Anyone can cook, right?
If life would only be that simple. Growing up and embracing independence is a tough challenge, let alone taking care of the everyday chores on your own. From studying the cooking book to burned food and trying to escape the droplets of hot oil from the pan.
The main element is not only to understand cooking but to enjoy what you’re doing. Making food an art itself.
Mathieu Haskins found his passion, and after a career in the cooking industry, he started his own business – Á table Mathieu. The project combines food, music and close interaction with the audience on social media. It doesn’t matter how much experience you have in the kitchen; with Á table Mathieu you get step-by-step instructions from a professional.
Á table Mathieu continues to share exciting content, like its own music. Two songs have been released so far, Deja Vu and Spiral of Life and the team aims to publish an album with 12 songs by the end of the year. A new song dedicated to the NHS will be released soon.
Learn more about the business and the concept behind the influence of music in the latest Vidcast.
Music is not only a way to express yourself but also creates a world you can escape to. Whether you need to cheer up or play your favourite song as motivation to run these extra miles – without music, our lives would be indeed miserable.
Lauren has found her passion in music and shares her talent on social media.
„I have always had a passion for music and there was nothing else I could see myself putting my energy into and making a career out of it.“
Music is like a big cake that satisfies the different taste of anyone. Some might listen to pop music on the radio or move their head to heavy metal songs.
Lauren plays the drums and publishes covers of various songs online. Her talent brings a different perspective to well-known tunes.
At what age did you start to produce music?
“I started playing instruments when I was 7 or 8 years old, but I really prioritised music when I was around 16 and started to have a few instruments under my belt.”
Snippet of @/lozthedrummer ´s cover “Lets Go on the Run” by Chance the Rapper (Instagram)
Growing up with music has many benefits. The ability to play instruments and sing enables young people to strengthen their communication skills as well as emotional wellbeing.
“The piano was the first instrument that I learnt to play, followed by the acoustic guitar and then the drums.”
Which instrument is your favourite to play?
“I definitely think that the drums are my favourite instrument, I love being able to give attitude to my performance and it really allows me to express who I am, how I feel and to have loads of fun with it too.”
Lauren has not always been performing as a solo musician. She used to play with other members from different bands and gained experience during this time.
“I have been in and out of different bands. The most successful band I have been with so far was the Brookes, who are sadly no longer together. But I have also performed with different cover bands across the years.”
Lauren is 21 years old and continues to follow her passion. She studies Professional Music Performance at the Academy of Contemporary Music in London, England.
“Once I have finished my degree, Covid permitting, I’m hoping to be performing regularly and recording with/for bands and for myself. I’d love to be able to get back into a studio and record more songs as soon as possible.”
Snippet of @/lozthedrummer ´s Cover “Figure It Out” by Royal Blood (Instagram)
Being able to play drums is thought to be immensely rewarding. However, you need to invest a lot of time and effort to reach a professional, musical ability. The main component of playing drums is rhythm. The sound of drums does not only provide a solid beat but also provides a unique technique.
On your social media, you post covers of well-known songs like “Shallow” by Bradley Cooper & Lady Gaga. Which one is your favourite cover so far?
“Covers are something I really enjoy doing as I spent a lot of my practice time playing to my favourite tunes.
There’s quite a few songs I’ve been playing for a long time that I know like the back of my hand now and can be quite creative whilst playing them.
I think the favourite of my covers I’ve done so far is my cover of Shallow from A Star is Born. I played all the instruments on this cover; I just had a really good time recording it and so far it’s gotten really good reviews, haha.”
Make sure to check out Lauren’s music on SoundCloud!
Apart from accompanying songs with drums, have you published any self-written songs or is that something you would consider in the future?
“I have released original songs with the bands I was a part of. I’ve never actually released any original solo music, but this is something I’d like to do in the future and something I’m trying to work on during lockdown.”
Coronavirus has made a significant impact on life but also on the creative industry. It is harder to stay focussed and motivated throughout these challenging times. How do you stay motivated?
“Yeah for me too, it has been super hard to stay motivated in lockdown.
I think the key for me was just taking the pressure off the idea that I’m supposed to use this time to be as productive as possible.
I have recently found my flow and what I want to work on whilst I have all this free time. So, I’m just trying to stick to doing what I enjoy and not put myself under pressure. “
What has been your proudest achievement?
“There’s been work I’ve put out in the past that I have put in a lot of time and effort to produce and put in front of as many people as possible that I am super proud of. But, when I was with one of my old bands and we started being recognised in the industry and getting more and more gigs across the UK and making the band more and more full time, I’m super proud of that because it is the closest, I’ve come to achieving what I want to achieve in my career.”
Although, coronavirus puts our lives on hold, Lauren continues to stay productive and shows us what she got!
Follow Lauren on social media and check out her website to support her journey and listen to her amazing talent.
Instagram. @/lozthedrummer
SoundCloud: Lozthedrummer
Website: https://laurentaylor904.wixsite.com/mysite-1
Avamo started her own singer and songwriter career during the coronavirus pandemic. She learned how to play the guitar and how to use different music creation programs by herself.
The interview focuses on Avamo´s story and her achievements as she was also featured on BBC Introducing.
Welcome to the very first podcast episode for Citronnade!
All podcasts will be available on SoundCloud.
Citronnade 