Musicians in Conversation

In this episode Natalia speaks with harpist and composer, Kety Fusco backstage at one of her gigs and after her sold out concert in London’s Royal Albert Hall. We discuss changing the reputation of the harp, Kety shares her thoughts on music conservatories and making the harp more accessible to young people.

Kety Fusco, graduate in Classical Harp at the Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana, specialized in Master of Arts in Music Performance, has embarked on a revolution in the harp world. Two years after her graduation, she released her debut album DAZED under Caterina Caselli's Sugar Music label and she was nominated for three categories at the last Swiss Live Talents Awards (CH) and played her compositions in the hall of the Federal Parliament in Bern.

Kety spoke about her album DAZED 'This album is the result of my instinct to make the harp do a voice. Each composition in fact has a main harp voice, which tells a musical story, enriched by violent, mostly digital electronics. I started like this, trying to use a harp as if it belonged to a woman's voice. In DAZED my harp sings...".

Thanks to her instinct and willingness to change the connotation and reputation of the harp, Kety has been invited to prestigious festivals and venues, such as Locarno Film Festival (CH), Vision Du Reel Film Festival in Nyon (CH), Arena di Verona (IT), Rockomotives Festival (FR), Kino Siska (SL) Paleo Festival, La Notte della Taranta, Montreux Jazz Festival, Waves Festival (AT), Mama Festival (FR), for the President of the Swiss Confederation etc. She was also invited in summer 2022 to open the French tour of the well-known musician Agnes Obel.

Kety Fusco reached one of the most important milestones of her career in 2021, when she was invited by the United Nations to the SDG Global Festival of Action, virtually sharing the stage with Patti Smith and Ben Harper.

Currently, Kety Fusco is continuing her sound research work, she has published a Horror soundtrack made solely with Harp sounds that she has collected in a personal digital database called Beyond The Harp, and declared as the best library of the month by Musitech magazine; Fusco is also making a soundtrack for Swiss TV and completing her new album THE HARP, Chapter 1 which will be released on the international label Floating Notes Records: Using the materials of which a classical harp is made (wood, metal and gut), Kety Fusco produces sounds and ambiences that suggest its deconstruction, manipulates its sound with electronic pedals, scratches and destroys the bow on the low strings of the harp, screams inside the sound box. With the composition of the record, Kety is designing a new harp, with which she wants to change the reputation and alter the vision of this magical instrument.

The album THE HARP will be part of a trilogy, and will be performed live in its entirety starting in March 2023.

If you have a question for the musicians in conversation, simply send a DM to Helvetiarockt on insta!

In this episode Natalia speaks with Anya Della Croce who is the Executive manager of the french speaking office of Petzi, and a production and tour manager. We discuss the difference between the roles of a production manager and tour manager, the importance of grass-root venues for the music industry and what we can do to support them. We also talk about the subject of ticketing systems causing extortionate prices for fans of music.

Anya has been active in the music business for over 20 years. She has worked in many different positions such as booking agent, press officer or production manager before becoming the head of booking at For Noise Festival in 2008 and at Fri-Son between 2014 and 2018. In 2011 she started her own company PASS PASS offering communication and production services in different cultural fields. She has been working with The Young Gods for many years as a production manager and tour manager. Since 2019, she runs the french speaking office of PETZI, the swiss federation of nonprofit music venues and festivals. PETZI represents over 200 clubs and festivals in Switzerland.

Backline - refers to amplifiers, speakers, and all other instruments and equipment that are positioned behind the band or the rhythm section on stage during a concert.

Nightliners -  Large tour bus or coach for bands. Capable of accommodating 30 to 40 people and driving large distances at one time.

DIVERSITY ROADMAP

LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER - TICKETS

If you have a question for the musicians in conversation, simply send a DM to Helvetiarockt on insta!

In this episode Natalia speaks with Jackie Brutsche (aka Jack Torera) who is a musician, filmmaker, visual artist and performer.  Her band The Jackets also provide the music for this season’s podcast!  We discuss the loss of her mother during childhood and how that inspired the personal documentary film, ‘Las Toreras’, the importance of creativity in her life and her experiences as a fully independent artist.

Trigger Warning: Brief mentions of mental illness and suicide.

Swiss-Spanish artist Jackie Brutsche (aka Jack Torera) grew up in Zurich and now lives in Bern. She works cross-disciplinarily as a filmmaker, artist, designer, performer and musician. In 2001 she graduated from the Zurich University of the Arts with a degree in fashion design in 2001 and in film directing in 2006. She produces her own films, theatre pieces, art and music projects in which she deals with the topic of happiness in life in the broadest sense and in various forms. As a singer, guitarist and songwriter, she has been playing in multiple bands releasing recordings and music videos.

She is currently working on her documentary film about her mother with the working title "Las Toreras" (RECYCLED TV, RECK Filmproduktion Zurich).

If you have a question for the musicians in conversation, simply send a DM to Helvetiarockt on insta!

In this episode Natalia speaks with Aline Bianchi who is the founder and Product Manager of Norma Music! We talk about royalties, copyright, licensing and synchronisation and Aline also gives advice to artists planning a release. We talk about setting up her company Norma Music and discuss some of the unique challenges of working in the Swiss Music Industry.

Aline is one of the two Co-founders of Norma Music, an artist and label services company based in Ticino serving and collaborating with independent musicians within Switzerland.

Her music experience lies within marketing, manufacturing, distribution and royalties. Prior to that she studied hospitality management in Lausanne. She has always worked in the indie world, starting with leading indie distributor PIAS in London in 2014 where she gained insights into the “scary” world of copyright by reporting Continental Europe royalties for PIAS’s distributed labels such as Ninja Tune, City Slang, Full Time Hoppy and Sub Pop.

In 2016 she left PIAS and moved to a much less analytical role: Marketing for indie Label Distiller. There she ran all campaigns alongside the department’s head and personally managed the production process of physical releases, took care of digital & d2c distribution, coordinated the creation of marketing and creative assets for campaigns with collaboration of external creatives, UK radio and the in-house press team.

She strongly believes in originality, creativity and risk-taking. For me, the best part about working with independent artists is being able to create something personal and unique to them, while being able to make decisions together. Technology and the evolution of the music business model today allows for artists to be more in control and build trusted teams around them that can help them grow and connect with the industry without giving away any rights.

She relocated back from the UK and founded Norma Music in 2021 together with her partner. It has been operating officially since early 2022.

If you have a question for the musicians in conversation, simply send a DM to Helvetiarockt on insta!

In this episode Natalia speaks with Helvetiarockt beatmaking coach, Cégiu. She is a musician, producer and composer and also managing director of Music Box Entertainment, co-manager of Other Music Lucerne and board member of SONART.  We discuss capturing insect sounds in field recordings, starting your own company as a musician and the importance of social security. Cégiu also gives advice for people wanting to begin activism.

Cégiu (Céline-Giulia Voser) is the managing director and owner of musicbox entertainment gmbh. She is also involved in the concerns of Lucerne's musicians as co-director of Other Music Lucerne, a networking and promotion centre for Lucerne musicians, is a board member of SONART – the Swiss association for musicians - and is currently setting up the Ableton FINTA user group in Switzerland. She works as a mentor for Pop-Büro Stuttgart and Ableton among others, for the latter at the School of Popular Art in Berlin.

DAW - Digital Audio Workstation. A software program for making music: recording, editing, mixing, and manipulating sound.

If you have a question for the musicians in conversation, simply send a DM to Helvetiarockt on insta!

In this episode Natalia speaks with Agent, Artist Manager and Artistic Director of Le Port Franc in Sion, Nadia Mitic.  We discuss how the skills she learned as a teacher, helps in her music career today, the importance of building relationships and networking in the music industry.  Nadia also gives practical advice to people wanting to work in the music industry and to artists and bands, when it comes to planning a release and building a career.

After a short stint as a teacher, followed by a master's degree in geography, Nadia Mitic has dedicated herself to contemporary music since 2009. She has been an artist agent for 10 years, founder and partner of the Swiss booking agency Glad We Met, artist manager in actual music and press officer for various Swiss and foreign artists. Since 2020, Nadia Mitic is also a programmer at the Port Franc in Sion. With more than 10 years of experience and a solid network in Switzerland and abroad, she regularly shares her experience and professional knowledge during trainings, expertise or round tables for the FCMA (The Fondation CMA is the most important institution in French-speaking Switzerland for advice, networking and further education courses for musicians in French-speaking Switzerland), the CAS in management in the fields of actual music, the HEMU (Haute École de Musique), the SAE Institute, the EJMA-VS, Culture Valais or the city of Neuchatel.

If you have a question for the musicians in conversation, simply send a DM to Helvetiarockt on insta!

In this episode Natalia speaks with Evita Koné who is a Singer, Rapper, Songwriter and Teacher.  We discuss how to find your unique voice and sound as an artist, the importance of collectives and communities to your growth, and the reason why she performs.  Stay tuned to hear Evita teaching Nat how to freestyle with a fun back to back!

She won SwissLiveTalents best “urban hip-hop groove reggae” artist and the Montreux Jazz Festival rising talent prize in 2022.

A singer who raps or a rapper who sings, Evita Koné is an American-Swiss-Chadian songwriter, composer and performer actively involved in the Geneva neosoul-hip-hop-r'n'b music scene, particularly with her group Captains of The Imagination and the Herd Culture Kids collective.

After studying in the UK and USA, Evita released her debut EP “Break” in May 2022, produced by the wizardly Swiss Music Prize laureate Christophe Calpini (STADE, Erik Truffaz, OY).

Evita, among the new talents of the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival since last autumn, has already trodden the stages of Cully Jazz, JVAL, Les Créatives, Thelonica festivals, not to mention local stages such as the Epicentre, Usine or the legendary Chat Noir.

TRACK 1: Moment / composer: Christophe Calpini / lyricist: Evelyn Haettenschwiller / 006454 086 40 / T- 311421408-9

TRACK 2: Shoot Your Shot / composer: Christophe Calpini / lyricist: Evelyn Haettenschwiller / 006454 088 36 / T-311421829-6

If you have a question for the musicians in conversation, simply send a DM to Helvetiarockt on insta!

In this episode Natalia speaks with CEO at Irascible Music & Irascible Records, Fabienne Schmuki.  We discuss the relationship between artist and label, when to invest in physical copies of your music and Fabienne shares how she was able to overcome self doubt to take on the role of CEO of Irascible. We also discuss why labels might see less FINTA folk in leadership roles and we ask what can be done to improve this.

Initially building her career in music journalism, Fabienne started working as a PR agent for Irascible Music in 2009. Since 2015, she’s co-directing the company which is operating as an independent distributor, a promotion agency and a record label out of Zurich and Lausanne, Switzerland. Additionally, she’s a founding & board member of Switzerland’s independent label association IndieSuisse and a member of the producer’s board at Swissperform. Fabienne has two children and lives in Zurich with her family. Privately, she loves music in most forms and shapes – preferably live!

If you have a question for the musicians in conversation, simply send a DM to Helvetiarockt on insta!

In this episode Natalia talks with Jennifer Jans who is an Arts Manager, Promoter and Musician.  We discuss the difference between programming and booking, how to develop the skill of programming bands/artists and learning from failure.  We also get into the perspective of artists by talking about how and when to contact bookers.

Jennifer Jans is firmly rooted in the national and international music scene through her many years of experience and her professional activities. As a qualified cultural manager and committed musician, she has a large network throughout Switzerland. At audiopool gmbh she was able to gain years of experience in the field of event technology, and as an assistant in the PR & Booking department of Kuppel Basel in the event and live department.

Since 2012 she has been in charge of the event series "Mitten In Der Woche", a meeting place for the music scene in Basel, which takes place every two months. She was responsible for programming at the BScene Clubfestival from 2012- 2016 and the president of the association from 2013-2017. From 2015 to 2019 Jennifer was director of the Lucerne music festival B-Sides and since 2015 she has been the project manager of their networking and exchange platform SAY HI! In 2021, she also took over the co-programming of the festival. Since 2019, she has been responsible for the Demotape Clinic at the Swiss network festival m4music. Since 2022 she has been co-responsible for the programming of the Label Suisse Festival in Lausanne.

In addition to her work as a musician with her band BLEU ROI, her other activities include projects, such as the mediation programme Soundkomplizen, which she launched in 2015 together with the Kaserne Basel or working as a coach for Helvetiarockt Music Lab.

If you have a question for the musicians in conversation, simply send a DM to Helvetiarockt on insta!

In this episode Natalia speaks with Live Sound Engineer, Lena Brechbühl. We discuss the positives and negatives of the profession. The relationship between live sound engineer and artist and the importance of vocabulary to express how you want your sound to be.  We also talk about the emotional labour when opposing sexism and sexual harassment in the industry and what more can done to combat it.

Lena Brechbühl is a live sound engineer and has worked with artists such as BrandãoFaberHunger, caruso+avila, Faber, Film2, Gina Été, Jonas Albrecht, Odd Beholder to name but a few. She has mixed sound at clubs and festivals all over Switzerland. She is responsible for the technical management and training young sound engineers at Treibhaus in Lucerne. Lena also plays guitar, has an incredibly powerful voice and studies music.

In-ears - In-ear monitors are devices used by musicians, audio engineers and audiophiles to listen to music or to hear a personal mix of vocals and stage instrumentation for live performance or recording studio mixing.

Wedges - Performer-facing loudspeakers called monitor speakers, stage monitors, floor monitors, wedges, or foldbacks on stage during live music performances. The monitor system allows musicians to hear themselves and fellow band members clearly.

Stereo - Stereophonic sound, or more commonly stereo, is a method of sound reproduction that recreates a multi-directional, 3-dimensional audible perspective.

Mono - Monaural or monophonic sound reproduction (often shortened to mono) is sound intended to be heard as if it were emanating from one position. This contrasts with stereophonic sound or stereo, which uses two separate audio channels to reproduce sound from two microphones on the right and left side, which is reproduced with two separate loudspeakers to give a sense of the direction of sound sources.

If you have a question for the musicians in conversation, simply send a DM to Helvetiarockt on insta!