Reflections on April and new rituals

Greetings and Happy Friday! April came and went, and now May is here. For me, April was about taking action and risks and advocating for what I want. Sometimes things didn’t turn out as I had hoped or envisioned, but I was grateful to have at least tried and to trust that more will be revealed in time. Closed mouths don’t get fed, right?

Sung Neung-kyung, Apple, 1976. Hammer Museum’s Only the Young: Experimental art of Korea in 1960s-70s

Experimental Korean art exhibit featured at Hammer Museum

Hammer Museum’s Only the Young: Experimental art of Korea in 1960s-70s exhibit wraps up next weekend, May 12. The exhibit features artists of the generation who challenged status quo and boundaries while also moving through the intense transitions, cultural changes and oppression following the Korean War (1950-1953). I particularly enjoyed learning about artist Park Hyun-ki, a pioneer of video art who incorporated natural and artificial stones throughout his sculptural installations as an approach to spirituality and ancestry.

Park Hyun-ki, Video Inclining Water, 1979

Park Hyun-ki, Untitled (TV Stone Tower), 1982

I decided to approach “our” perspectives by broadly categorizing them first as visible, and second as spiritual. And the stone tombs, menhirs, temples, mortuaries, danggol (shamans), uncanny experiences, and many historical ruins and villages that I organically experienced as a child, the spiritual consciousness of the village elders who once lived in them, the thoughts that our forbearers had, and especially their aesthetic consciousness: it was, above all, enjoyable to find the spirit that I had previously failed to acknowledge and its visible manifestations.”- Park Hyun-ki

New matcha ritual

Perfecting my matcha lattes. Apologies in advance for those with trypophobia.

I found out yesterday (May 2) was National Matcha Day which is exciting as I’ve now become a daily matcha drinker since I am pausing my consumption of coffee while I have braces to avoid further staining my teeth. I am currently trying out different kinds of matcha, and every morning, I look forward to making it as part of my morning ritual. It’s a relaxing and peaceful process. My lovely friend Chrystal recommended and sent me Ippodo Tea’s Ikuyo recently which is a medium-bodied matcha that strikes a bright balance between bitter and sweet. I’m also excited to try Marukyu Koyamaen’s matcha as I came across it online as one of the most popular matcha brands in Japan. Are you also a matcha lover and have any other ones you’d recommend?

April Gems in rotation
Here’s my short stack of April gems that have been on rotation for me. Listen to the playlist here.

Tommy Richman - MILLION DOLLAR BABY
Hailing from Woodbridge, VA, Tommy Richman has been making and sharing music since 2016. He is the first artist on Brent Faiyaz’s label ISO Supremacy. “MILLION DOLLAR BABY” is quite simply a hella catchy hit song that I’ve been listening to on repeat and is making its way to debuting in the Top 10 of Billboard Hot 100 next week. This song just puts me in a good mood, and it makes driving extra fun. 

Concrete Boys ft. Lil Yachty, Karrahbooo - NOT DA 2 
Fronted by Lil Yachty, Concrete Boys is a collective consisting of rappers Camo!, Draft Day, Karrahbooo, and Dc2trill. “NOT DA 2” is from Concrete Boys’s It’s Us Vol. 1 album, a song I dig largely because of Karrahbooo’s nonchalant, laid-back rap style and cunning punchlines. In this Essence feature, she says “I like when I sound like I’m really unbothered and just talking my sh*t.” Hell yeah! I first came across Karrahbooo on her song with Anycia (another favorite) called “Splash Brothers.” I dig her overall tomboy style and am excited to hear more from her this year. 

Damar Davis - Bend
Damar Davis is a LA-based house music producer and DJ who also runs Salon Recordings, a label he started in 2019 which he says is “where dance holds the utmost importance. There is no need for words, just move.” I proudly rep his great merch as well. I first learned of Damar through my great friend Natalie. I love the thoughtfulness around Damar’s selection of samples and beats and his compositions across all of his projects. “Bend” from his self-titled EP is no exception. The beautifully composed jazz chords and groovy synths get me excited for the weather to get warmer and summer to begin. “There is no need for words, just move” indeed.

Nation of Language - September Again
Formed in Brooklyn in 2016, Nation of Language’s music transports one to ‘80s new wave. My dear friend Anahid recommended me their music as I hadn’t heard of them before. I dove further into their catalog and have to say, “September Again” is a song I’ve repeatedly listened to this past month even thought it released in 2020 from their album Introduction, Presence. I’m excited to catch them live with one of my favorite bands Blonde Redhead in October. 

Eyedress ft. Rico Nasty - It’s All in Your Head
This collaboration between Eyedress and Rico Nasty makes me happy, and it’s cool to hear Rico sing in this fun, alternative style I hadn’t heard from her before. “It’s All In Your Head” is from Eyedress’s latest mixtape Vampire in Beverly Hills and just as the title suggests, the two serve up some important reminders to knock down self-doubt with lyrics like “You’re not as weak as you think / Just keep moving along / Don’t get stuck on the pain / They won’t pity for long / They don’t know how you feel / Don’t worry what they want.”

Baby Rose and BADBADNOTGOOD ft. Mereba - Caroline
Baby Rose and BADBADNOTGOOD have come together to release their joint EP Slow Burn. Baby Rose’s soulful voice and BADBADNOTGOOD’s excellent production make this a comforting, lush EP to carry you through. “Caroline” is a favorite from it, especially with the feature from the ever talented Mereba. Fun fact: I helped book Baby Rose and Mereba along with Baby Tate for a special women in music camp in Atlanta in 2019 where they got to spend a week recording and collaborating together. You can also watch our panel conversation I hosted here. Baby Rose was also a guest on my podcast Progression which you can revisit here.

Happy Spring

It’s officially Spring. Happy Spring!

Photos from some of my walks in March.

I hope you’re bringing in the new season with openness, creativity and peace for yourself. As new things begin to emerge and momentum starts to build for me especially in the area of work, I remind myself to enjoy the process and stay in gratitude for the learnings and lessons that are helping me continue to grow. 

Here’s my round-up of March gems. You can listen to the playlist here.

Future, Metro Boomin, Kendrick Lamar - Like That
No brainer for “Like That” to kick off my March Gems list. The amount of discourse and memes around this song and moment are certainly something that makes me grateful to be a rap fan. I enjoyed reading this write-up by Vulture music critic Craig Jenkins, “What is Kendrick thinking?” 

SiR, Ab-Soul- I’m Not Perfect
SiR’s new album Heavy dropped last week. There are several standouts, but for me I’ve listened to “I’m Not Perfect” the most on repeat. This is just one of those songs that upon the first five seconds of listening, I knew I loved it immediately. “One step up and then two steps back / might slip up but I’m still on track…” The collab between SiR and Ab-Soul is effortless, melded well by production from Rascal & WU10.

iivrson - Nocturnal
I met rapper iivrson in Atlanta in 2018 while on a work trip for a shoot. He was great to connect with and at the time had just started to work on music and eventually put out his first single “Money Callin’,” a debut hit in 2019. “Nocturnal” is his latest single in his signature whisper style that has me excited for his journey ahead and is testament of how much new talent and sounds Atlanta continues to boast.

The Marías - Run Your Mouth
I’ve been impressed by and excited about The Marías announcement and rollout of their forthcoming sophomore album Submarine which is out May 31. “Run Your Mouth” is a catchy bop, and it definitely feels prime for Spring. Singer María Zardoya said “dance while you can, the next ones might make you cry.” I’m very excited to hear the rest of the album.

Better, Soft Glas - Lukewarm
Better is artist Soft Glas’s new band fronted by artist, multi-instrumentalist and producer Joao Gonzalez. This month they released “Lukewarm,” and I love the instrumentation throughout the song. It stirred up some nostalgia for me in that it reminded me of past bands like Mineral I listened to growing up whose instrumentation and production I particularly loved. 

Crumb - AMAMA
Crumb just released the title track from their forthcoming third full-length album AMAMA which will be out May 17. In their post, singer Lila Ramani said the track is dedicated to her namesake, her grandmother who had sent her a video of herself singing via WhatsApp that inspired the melody and foundation of the song. Her grandmother’s voice is sampled throughout this beautiful, glitchy number Lila calls a love song, and I love the representation of Lila’s Indian heritage. I’m excited to hear the new album in a few months.

Pedazo De Carne Con Ojo - Still 
Pedazo De Carne Con Ojo is the artistry of Florida native, Philadelphia based artist Steven Perez who creates electronic music inspired by punk, rap and his Dominican roots growing up listening to merengue, salsa and bachata which he samples in his music. His experimental, eclectic music creates space for reflection and opens up new perspectives for me. “Still” is a song from his latest EP Again that just dropped. I first listened to this on my way to work as a calm breeze flowed through and the trees looked more green and vibrant than ever. I first heard of Pedazo via drummer Malcolm Martin, featured percussionist on this EP. I had met Malcolm through the lovely band Sales (side note: Sales was a featured guest on my podcast a few years ago). I’ve been blessed to connect with so much musical talent over the years and be introduced to more. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.

Other bits from March:

• I finally started and finished watching The Bear in March. It had taken me a while as I’m quite slow to watch some shows. I fully understand the praise received and awards they sweeped because the show hits the heart so deep. Every single cast member was phenomenal, and I love the storyline and the complex themes around trauma, family, relationships and mental health that the show covers, inspired largely by creator Christopher Storer’s own personal story. It’s a great reminder that telling and owning our stories matters. On a lighter note, I’ve been inspired to cook more. I can’t wait for Season 3 which is set to release this June.

• I caught two wonderful concerts in March: Annahstasia at the Masonic Lodge, which was my first time seeing a show there. I love the ambience and acoustics in the space, perhaps energized by the fact that the venue is located within the Hollywood Forever cemetery. I look forward to seeing another show there. If you haven’t heard of Annahstasia, I recommend giving her a listen. Her soulful voice and folk music inspired by artists like Bill Withers, Nina Simone and Joni Mitchell may put you in a trance. I also caught TiaCorine at the Echoplex last weekend. She is the sweetest and put on an incredible performance and show which included fan audience participation which is always fun. It was entertaining, and I’m excited to hear more from her this year. I highlighted her song “Olive” featuring Detroit rapper Zelooperz in my February gems playlist, so I was happy to hear the song live as he joined her on stage.

• I enjoyed coming across this encouraging reminder from a tweet shared via readswithravi, an excerpt from Paulo Coelho’s book Maktub: “If you want to have a better understanding of your role in the world, write. Try to put your whole soul into writing, even if no one else will ever read it… the word is power.”

What are you looking forward to in April?

Best wishes for the Spring,
Jane

Summertime musings

Happy July and Eclipse season,

The first half of 2018 is over. I hope you're enjoying your summer. As I parse through old journal entries from earlier this year, I reflect on the following things:

• What themes and learnings continue to arise since the start of the year?
• What seeds am I ready to plant?
• What old narratives must I let go?
• How am I continuing to honor my voice and speak my truth?

Updates

• I turned 30 in June and celebrated this special milestone in Kauai with my best friends. Called The Garden Isle, Kauai is the perfect getaway, serene and lush. More pictures on my IG. I don’t take my youthfulness for granted, but I’m always happy to clear up confusion about how old I actually am and have no shame in sharing my age. I'm a mature, grown woman, thank you very much.
• This year is already turning out to be a year where major shifts are occurring–more exploration of shadows, more growth illuminated, more meditation, prayer, pausing, breathing. Check out my mental health resources I've written about.

• I’m hosting my first music showcase on August 9. I’ll be bringing out April + VISTA for their first headlining show in LA, along with Philly’s Ivy Sole and Brookyln band Bathe at Forecast Recordings in Arts District, DTLA. Tickets are available at https://hiddensoundsaprilvista.splashthat.com/. If you're in the LA area, please come through and support these amazing independent artists.

Great reads

• My talented friend and writer Tasbeeh Herwees' The Fader cover story of rapper Rico Nasty. Rico is an incredible force from the DMV, and I can't stop listening to her music. "G-g-g-goodness gracious, I might give a fuck on a rare occasion..."

• The Creative Independent is a "growing resource of emotional and practical guidance for creative people." Lots of learnings and nuggets of wisdom shared through excellent interviews with all kinds of creative people across the board. This resource is also available in Japanese, French, German, Japanese, Portuguese and Spanish translations.

Jane Shin's favorites in rotation

Here are my favorite, recent tunes in rotation as of late. I'll be continuing to update this playlist on the regular:

International Women’s Day 2018: Women in Music & Film Panel recap

One of my goals in 2018 has been to create events in the community for people, especially women, to come together to connect, speak, and share space.

Successfully putting an event together in honor of International Women’s Day last Thursday was powerful and reminded me that courage can invite so many great things into my own life and into the lives of others. 

Photos taken by Génesis Ahtty

At the end of 2017, Jean Edelstein, an extraordinary writer and former colleague, tipped me to the “Women@Spotify” group, an employee-run group at Spotify for those who self-identify as a woman. The group’s mission is to celebrate, support and elevate members through initiatives and events. I thank Jean for planting the seed for me to explore resources to plan events in LA on behalf of and for women in music.

Months later, I’m proud that I launched the first official Women@Spotify LA event on International Women’s Day this year: Women in Music & Film: Panel and Networking Mixer.

In thinking about the themes of the event, I wanted to specifically invite Women of Color to speak. Intersectionality, a theory on race and gender, coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw, is important to raise awareness of and talk about–black women and other Women of Color have different experiences and challenges compared to white women.

I was also inspired to invite women filmmakers in music and film because as I’ve entered into the field of video through writing video content for RapCaviar, I wanted to connect with more women in these spaces.

Video by Génesis Ahtty

I invited Evita Castine and Jaimie Sanchez to join me as featured panelists. These two incredible women have interesting backgrounds that have led them on their paths where music and film collide:

Jaimie Sanchez is a Dominican-American documentary producer and director hailing from Brooklyn, NY. She has helped produce films for the ESPN 30 FOR 30 series and was most recently a senior producer at VICE. She currently directs video content for Spotify. She has worked with brands like NIKE, CASIO, Pyer Moss and GoPro to showcase documentary filmmaking as a valuable medium.

Evita M. Castine is a writer, director, editor, cinematographer and photographer. She is Warner Brothers Emerging Director Finalist, Emmy winner and took home the audience award at the Diversity in Cannes Showcase in Cannes, France for her film “Only Light.” She is heavily influenced by black anthropologists and writers like James Weldon Johnson and Zora Neale Hurston who inspired her to look at the soul’s expression through the simple acts of everyday life using sound and images. She has directed videos and photographed artists Cody ChesnuTT, SZA, Dej Loaf, Raphael Saadiq, A Tribe Called Quest, Lalah Hathaway, Common and more.

It was an affirming, healing and inspiring evening of conversation and connection. Listen to the full conversation and Q&A below about the strides and learnings in Evita and Jaimie's careers and the importance of recognizing and owning your power as a woman and more.

Key moments throughout the conversation and Q&A: 

• 5 min: The moment Evita realized she was committing herself to filmmaking when she started making films with friends which is what filmmaking is at its core

• 5:40 min: Jaimie on being the first out of her siblings to go to college, graduating with a biology degree but realizing that something creative was calling her and taking a chance on herself

• 7:30 min: Catalyzing things for a man that Jaimie didn’t quite understand herself at first but realizing her power that she could things for herself: "This would not have happened if I weren’t in the equation...I could do this for myself instead of just empowering someone"

• 8:34 min-~14:00 min how Evita’s identity as a black woman and Jaimie’s identity as a Dominican-American woman influence their work and the way they work with people behind the scenes

• 14:38 min: Evita on the most important thing you can do for yourself is hold space for yourself. The only way you know it is because you know it.

• 16 min: we all live on the internet, there are no boundaries or conventions of anything. It’s about the work at the end of the day.

• 20 min: All you need to say is "I am a director, I am XYZ," avoid saying "I'm an aspiring XYZ"

• 21 min: Building confidence through persistence

• 22 min: Putting yourself in the position with the right people and being selective about your opportunities to build resources, even if you have to pay your dues sometimes

• 23 min: Biggest lessons throughout Evita and Jaimie's careers that stick with them

• 26 min: Trusting your gut and being resourceful on your own

• 27 min: Investing in your personal life, don’t isolate into one narrow path

• 29 min: Proudest moments and highlights in Evita and Jaimie's careers so far

• 33 min: Importance of empowering women, putting other women on and spreading positivity because it will come back to you

• 38 min: Q&A: How do you deal with men in the industry who only want to help you after you date them?

• 40 min: Importance of boundaries

• 42:16 min: Evita on "Your intellectual property is important, especially for Women of Color"

• 43:26 min: Act and walk around with the confidence of a man

• 45 min: Awareness of pay and challenges women face with negotiating pay

• 48 min: Q&A: How do Evita and Jaimie collaborate with music composers as filmmakers?

• 52 min: Q&A: Where do you find the line to pause and use better judgment from difficult situations where you feel immediate emotional responses like anger or crying?

• 58 min: Q&A: How to deal with competition among fellow women?

• 1:00 hr: Love yourself no matter what and everyone has their own "bucket of magic"

• 1:02 hr: Your peace of mind is all you have

• 1:03 hr: Insecurities and vulnerabilities

• 1:04:38 hr: Q&A: How do you establish your identity when you're getting feedback from people on how to be?

• 1:12:20 hr: Q&A: What advice do you have for me to expand beyond just being a producer-singer-songwriter to share my music in film?

Additional links and resources that came up from the talk:

• One of the pieces that Jaimie was especially proud to lead in creating and producing was The Rise of Demon Exorcism in Mexico.

• Evita’s experience has ranged from documentary filmmaking and more. Watch her directing reel.

• Jaimie recommended the movie Everything is Copy, a look into the life of writer and filmmaker Nora Ephron, embodying the trials and tribulations that women go through in their personal and professional lives

• I recommended the book Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less when the topic of boundaries came up. I’ve written about this book before. Read my takeaways on Essentialism.

• Meditation came up often. If you’re new to it, apps like Calm and Headspace are great resources to start your practice.

Personal key takeaways:

• My voice as Jane Shin matters. I am not defined by where I work. I’m Jane Shin in the end. My dreams have no bounds, my identity has no bounds.  

• Evita mentioned, “I’d rather be scared and free-falling and be free instead of wondering what if?” I had moments where I questioned how things would go with the event, but in the end, it all worked out. Taking that step, no matter how things turn out, can open doors and spark more ideas and connections.

• Challenges are inevitable on this journey. When things don’t go my way, stepping back to remember that my peace of mind is what’s crucial to protect and uphold will help me learn and grow.

• I am grateful for all the amazing women in my life who came out to support me or shared their support for me from afar. Thank you everyone who took the time out of their evenings to make it all the way out to Century City. I felt so honored, loved, and heard. I also want to share a special thank you to Génesis Ahtty. The last large-scale event I planned was the SoundCloud Artist Forum back in 2015. Génesis was my first intern at the time and was a massive part of the planning and execution of the event. She came in clutch again, on her birthday no less, to be the official photographer and videographer for the International Women's Day event. Look to uplift and support those around you.