Photo credit: Francis Ford
Steve Cohen
Rather than take the pandemic lying down, local harmonica ace Steve Cohen has been sitting. At a pottery wheel, that is. He talked about creativity in these times of COVID-19.
Are you making plans for when you can resume playing in front of people again?
In a broad sense, it’s taking creativity to make sense of the world we live in now. My wife and I have created a new way of going about our lives that offers a fresh perspective that is not mired down in gloom. The current changes are more radical than usual, but life has always been about change. Nothing new there.
I am feeling more creative than ever artistically. Yes, it’s a drag to be unable to interact with other musicians in front of a live audience, but this situation has led me to start shooting short, spontaneous music videos in a variety of formats. I can play acoustic guitar and/or harmonica, with or without vocals in performances of whatever songs I feel inspired to play at any given moment. I also have many pre-recorded tracks of blues, jazz and funk where I can shoot video of myself—acoustic or electric, harp and or guitar, with or without vocals over the tracks.
I try to make them all a little different, so I'm reaching into my bag of tricks to cover all the bases I can. There are about two dozen videos so far. These videos get posted on Facebook and YouTube. I recently started on Instagram and the videos typically are getting between 1,000-20,000 views. Needless to say, I seem to be reaching a larger audience than I ever have before, with a global audience, instead of playing at smaller local venues.
Also, I apprenticed with Abe Cohn, an iconic Wisconsin based master potter in 1978. After a 40-year hiatus, I started making functional ceramic art again about two years ago. I work at Murray Hill Pottery Works. The studio is a very stimulating artistic environment with several excellent potters working there as well as a growing membership of aspiring potters. I am getting a ton of creative satisfaction working there; it is very timely bit of synchronicity for my creative juices.
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Do you have a routine or schedule for staying in practice or working on new material?
I am revisiting many songs that I love playing, so while I'm not exactly wood shedding, I am playing almost every day. I still love playing music and I hope to play as long as I live.
How has the lockdown affected your creativity?
My feeling is that there is no end in sight to this shutdown. I am still in the process of cancelling gigs, not booking new ones. Even before the pandemic, I had started being more selective about when and where I performed, so in a way, necessity has of affirmed the direction in which I was already heading.
To read more stories of Milwaukee musicians dealing with lockdowns, sheltering in place and more, click here.
To read more stories by Blaine Schultz, click here.
