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CREDIT: Kimberly Reid
Final Thoughts?
MD: While the industry itself will keep chugging along, I feel COVID has severely affected the artists that are still honing their acts and cutting their teeth. The ones that have yet to break into the industry, the independent artists that have protected themselves from unreasonable contracts with labels or brands, are now without the real-world school of music, meaning live performing. We have lost too many talented artists and small venues due to COVID. Even with all the online capabilities and marketing, almost all of my bookings had been from performing in person. A brief interaction while busking once got us a gig in Italy, so I feel I owe everything to the street playing. I just don’t see digital busking providing that same emotional connection you get in person.
4:57
Nick Spitzer: You know, I kind of had a question for the two of you. I mean, I know you do other things; Tom, you are off playing piano, researching, and Meschiya, I know you’ve got the band, The Little Big Horns, but when did you first hear Tom and what was your impression of him?
Meschiya Lake: I think that must’ve been 2007. I was singing with a street band back then called The Loose Marbles, and the band leader at that time Michael Magro had befriended Tom; I mean I’d heard his name around town, but when I finally saw him play and met him, I was just blown away. You were a god to me, Tom. I was like, “Tom McDermott’s playing with us? Oh my god I’ve made it!”