Mailbag

From: Sandra Charamba
Re: Quote Of The Day

Hi Bob,

Thank you for shining a light on reality!

I am the wife of an artist..and I can confirm - there is NOTHING that comes before an artist and his first love - music.
(Pavlo, (my husband)'s 1st love is the guitar) - www.pavlo.net

Although we actually DO live on a "mansion in Florida" - the ONLY thing his mind is on is the next tune.
We have a beautiful life, built on Pavlo's divine talent for playing the guitar like you've never seen; entertaining his audience AND creating beautiful original melodies. (an obvious art that is often forgotten in today's music industry)
While it sounds glamorous - the truth is that my husband is rarely home; and (you're right) he doesn't get to spend much time with our daughter; and we revolve our entire world around PAVLO - and if it were NOT this way - it just could not work. My option is to be "with him or against him" - this really is the way of an artist.

Every "vacation" is typically revolved around work.
Every dinner conversation is about him (his career).
Try putting YOUR child into a school system where you know we just won't be around for more than half the year!!!!

And if I were to complain; criticize or question his ideas or ambitions - I would find myself, along with our 3 year old daughter, on the curb. Being the wife to an artist means you will never be his 1st love/priority.

Now, as YOU know, Bob, this is not to say that Pavlo is an asshole - nothing could be further from the truth!
It's simple - an artist has a calling and they are to fulfill it - sacrificing anything that gets in the way of what their are meant to do - wives, managers and children alike.

One time, Pavlo spent every cent of what could have paid for our new home (I was very pregnant), instead, on his 1st PBS television special - ("Pavlo: Mediterranean Nights") Although it did well - for an artist - it's never enough...we are currently looking toward PBS Special #2.
And you know what? I was right behind him! I believe that his gift IS divine and it is meant to be shared - by EVERY means!

My point is that a real artist is not an asshole - he is simply focused - but like, FOCUSED on steroids. =)

Thanks Bob!!


Sandra Charamba
Director of Operations and Publicity
Hejaz Entertainment, Inc.

__________________________________________

From: Jen Chapin
Re: Quote Of The Day

"If an artist has kids, he doesn't spend much time with them."

Please, please! Please. - I am an artist and since 2005, my art is inextricably connected with my being a parent. We leave on a two week tour tomorrow, Jen Chapin Trio (featuring Stephan Crump on acoustic bass and Jamie Fox on electric guitar) in the minivan, packed with amps, acoustic bass, guitars, and two car seats in the back - one securing almost-7 year old Maceo; one with almost-3 year old Van. One or both have accompanied us on tours from Des Moines to Birmingham AL; Reno to Tumacacori, New York to Nova Scotia, NPR tapings, 9 hour drives, glory and degradation. No DVD or video games in the car, by the way, these boys listen to music, whine, get bored, daydream, snack (occasionally vomit) and giggle together on our rides.

I have written and performed amidst breastfeeding and PTA meetings, all the while spending much of my work time doing more of the hustle than the music, like all musicians nowadays. I am also a food justice activist so my time gets pulled there as well, but it's all connected and increasingly synergistic for me.

Perhaps my art is compromised by the time I spend with my kids, perhaps not. But I can say clearly that my bassist husband Stephan Crump is an uncompromising as an artist can be, while also being a hugely involved parent. His work with the Grammy-nominated Vijay Iyer Trio may take him away for 3 weeks at a time here and there, but today was a more typical day: he made the boys breakfast and packed their lunches, took them to camp and babysitter, and picked them up 5 1/2 hours later. In the meantime he noodled at the Rhodes with some composition ideas, practiced his instrument for 2+ hours, listened and relayed tweaks to the engineer of a master of his forthcoming album, reviewed photos from a shoot he did for another new album (an improvised set of duo pieces with guitarist Mary Halvorson that is both completely noncommercial in intent and utterly compelling) and did any number of other tasks. Now he's sitting down to oversee piano practice with Maceo and will probably make dinner for us. I'll take over for bath and bedtime and we'll both work for a couple hours after that before convening for a little relaxation.

I dunno, but I think we are both pretty trustworthy too. But damn opinionated and very clear on what is great and what sucks. I know that I am great, and that I suck. Isn't that part of the definition of an artist, too?

Jen


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