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Parties4Peace presents a special mix by our guest artist Lauren Ritter for our second podcast series ! We invited Lauren to play for Parties4Peace in New York City and she joined us for our 15 Year Anniversary in Japan at Contact Tokyo. Read below for our exclusive interview with Lauren just before our tour :
>> Parties4Peace is celebrating our 15 year anniversary! What motivates you to play for Parties4Peace ?
Emilie McGlone's long-standing commitment to using music as a tool to initiate social change is admirable, and this is what inspires me to play for her. Whether it's in New York, Tokyo, Chile, or on the Peace Boat, she's constantly exploring new ways to bridge musical cultures, and I'm thrilled to have been invited to celebrate this milestone anniversary with her.
>> How would you say that the Music & Art Peace Academy project to educate youth can contribute to creating a culture of peace in the world ?
Learning an instrument at a young age has so many positive benefits. As an individual, it cultivates a strong work ethic & a deep sense of self worth. Playing with other musicians (orchestra, band, choir, etc) teaches you to respect & value the talent of others. More importantly, playing music exposes you to other cultures & teaches you about their role in the history of music. Realizing that you’re a part of a tradition that spans back centuries and across continents humbles you and puts your own place in the world into perspective.
>> What inspired you to start playing music at a young age and what inspires you now ?
Funnily enough, I only wanted to join my school’s orchestra because all my friends were joining too. I was in first grade, very curious, and wanted to be involved in as many creative group projects as humanly possible. Most of my friends quit within the first month but I had already fallen in love with being on stage & playing the violin and it soon became the most important thing in my life. I played throughout college, picking up viola (my true musical love) and piano along the way. Now I draw inspiration from different sources, from the music I hear out in Brooklyn warehouses, to subways musicians, to the fashion design projects I'm involved in, and sometimes still from the classical music I grew up with.
>> Tell us about your experience in Berlin. How did it shape your musical style ?
I moved to Berlin right after I finished school, so it was a period of personal freedom, exploration, and risk-taking. I chopped off all my hair, traveled around Europe, and tried to soak up as much of the electronic music scene as I could. Experiencing the club culture in Berlin made me want to bring some of that aesthetic to Brooklyn, which was the spark I needed to move back and to seek out working with a collective like ReSolute.
>> What is your favorite part about playing music for the ReSolute collective in New York City ?
ReSolute events have a strong focus on cutting-edge music coupled with an avant-garde attitude, which is what I think makes them so appealing to the Brooklyn underground crowd. Being a ReSolute resident for 6 years has been hands-down what's taught me the most about DJing... how to read a room, how to build energy on the dance floor, and everything in-between. Stylistically, there's a lot of freedom as to what you can play, but you always need to be on your A Game..... The underground crowd is very discerning and expects the best!
>> You recently started playing with All Day I Dream and have released some beautiful tracks on their label, tell us about the music.
Releasing an EP on ADID was a special moment for me. It was my first full release and it spanned from the first track I had ever finished 7 years ago to my most recent work. Lee Burridge and Matt Dekay have been wonderfully supportive of me, both as a producer & a DJ.
>> What does Peace mean to you ?
To me, Peace is respecting and loving others, which starts with respecting and loving yourself.
- Genre
- Deep House