Interview with Johnny Chapman, January 8, 2021

Partial Transcript: Okay, I think we're recording now. My name is Kopana Terry and it is January 8th, 2021 and I'm talking with John Chapman. Hi, Johnny!

Segment Synopsis: Chapman runs a recording studio, Rook House Recording. He does video editing of music videos, podcasts, and corporate videos. He also works for companies that do setups for major shows and talks about how one of the venues was supposed to host The Who before the show was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: BB&T Arena; Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); Day jobs; Gear; Gigs; Podcasts; Recording studios; Rook House Recording; Set up; Shows; Shutdowns; Side jobs; Side work; Stage technicians; Technicians; The Who (Artist); Video editing

Subjects: Bands (Music); COVID-19 (Disease); COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020-; Careers.; Cincinnati (Ohio); Clubs.; Communicable diseases.; Concerts; Digital video--Editing.; Editing.; Epidemics.; Gig economy.; Music; Music trade.; Music videos.; Music--Editing.; Music--Performance.; Musical performance; Musicians.; Northern Kentucky University; Occupations.; Pandemics and COVID-19; Professions.; Sound studios.; Video recordings.; Vocation.; Who (Musical group); Work.

Partial Transcript: So were you sti--you were still, uh, playing clubs, too, weren't you?

Segment Synopsis: Chapman says he plays both solo acoustic music and in a band with his parents called Crooked Rook. He had just started a new band with friends before the pandemic. He talks about his initial expectations when lockdown occurred. He set up a mixing room at home to mix an entire album as well as other projects at home. He did live Facebook events in a recording setup in his house, but got tired of social media. He talks about earning income from the online shows. He discusses unemployment and PPP loans.

Keywords: Albums; Contract workers; Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); Crooked Rook (Artist); Donations; Gig workers; Income; Live music; Live performance; Live performances; Live shows; Lockdowns; Mental health; Online shows; Parents; Paycheck Protection Program (PPP); Playing live; Projects; Remote events; Remote shows; Unemployment insurance; Virtual events; Virtual shows

Subjects: Bands (Music); COVID-19 (Disease); COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020-; Careers.; Clubs.; Communicable diseases.; Concerts; Digital video--Editing.; Editing.; Epidemics.; Facebook (Electronic resource); Gig economy.; Music; Music trade.; Music videos.; Music--Editing.; Music--Performance.; Musical performance; Musicians.; Occupations.; Pandemics and COVID-19; Professions.; Progressive rock (Music); Progressive rock music.; Social media.; Sound studios.; Unemployment insurance.; Unemployment.; Video recordings.; Vocation.; Work.

Partial Transcript: Well, talk to me about, about the studio. How was it doing up, uh--you know, you had--you just said that you had a couple of projects going but, um, you know it was a, a relatively new endeavor for you.

Segment Synopsis: Chapman discusses his studio. In the first few years, he wasn't making a lot of money, but he thinks he would have been making an okay living by 2020. There were consistent artists, but not a lot of big artists. He had to close for the pandemic except for a few solo projects.

Keywords: Clients; Closed; Closing; Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); Finances; Income; Lockdowns; Making a living; Money; Recording studios; Reopening; Shutdowns; Small businesses; Solo artists; Solo projects; Success

Subjects: Albums; Arrangements (Music); Bands (Music); COVID-19 (Disease); COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020-; Communicable diseases.; Composition (Music); Digital video--Editing.; Editing.; Epidemics.; Instrumentation and orchestration.; Music; Music trade.; Music videos.; Music--Editing.; Music--Performance.; Musical performance; Musicians.; Pandemics and COVID-19; Songs.; Sound studios.; Sound--Recording and reproducing.; Video recordings.; Voice.

Partial Transcript: So, you know, right around this same time you, um, had been working on a solo, um, CD.

Segment Synopsis: Chapman released his solo album during the beginning of the pandemic. He got sick during the pandemic and imagined a video for the project in his head and shot the video in his house when he recovered. He discusses the differences between YouTube and Facebook. He talks about how his original plans for the album and music video had to be adapted due to the pandemic.

Keywords: Adaptations; Adjustments; Changes; Content; Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); Cover songs; Facebook (Online social network); Feedback; Green screens; Guidelines; Illnesses; Lovesick (Album); Lyric videos; Music styles; Physical media; Plans; Reactions; Recording studios; Releases; Rules; Sickness; Singles; Social media; Solo projects; Songwriters; Songwriting; Video shoots; Views; YouTube

Subjects: Albums; Arrangements (Music); Bands (Music); COVID-19 (Disease); COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020-; Communicable diseases.; Composition (Music); Concerts; Diseases.; Epidemics.; Instrumentation and orchestration.; Music; Music trade.; Music videos.; Music--Editing.; Music--Performance.; Musical performance; Musicians.; Pandemics and COVID-19; Popular music--Writing and publishing.; Sick.; Songs.; Sound studios.; Sound--Recording and reproducing.; Video recordings.; Voice.

Partial Transcript: Well, I mean, you're, uh--one of the things that we haven't talked about is how versatile you are.

Segment Synopsis: Chapman plays guitar, piano, and drums, and sings. He has channeled his bursts of musical inspiration into redoing his studio and building new stuff for his studio. He has been inspired by funk and retro '80s styles for his own music. He discusses revising his songs. He mentions being inspired by sounds in general. He talks about trying to use the time the pandemic has provided wisely. He discusses recording from an engineering and producing perspective and how that influences his own songs. He mentions being inspired by other people he works with.

Keywords: Changes; Crooked Rook (Artist); Examples; Experimentation; Influences; Inspiration; Learning; Molly Morris (Artist); Multi-instrumentalists; Music studios; Music styles; Producing; Productive; Progressive rock (Music); Progressive rock music; Recording studios; Set up; Song writing; Songwriters; Songwriting; Sounds; Synthesizers; Versatile; Versatility

Subjects: Albums; Arrangements (Music); Composition (Music); Drum--Performance.; Drummers (Musicians); Drums (Musical instruments); Funk (Music); Guitar.; Inspiration in art; Inspiration.; Instrumentation and orchestration.; Music; Music rehearsals.; Music trade.; Musical instruments.; Musicians.; Piano.; Popular music--Writing and publishing.; Practicing (Music); Singing.; Songs.; Sound studios.; Sound--Recording and reproducing.; Voice.

Partial Transcript: Have you had other people, uh, approach you and, and, and want to get started on projects despite the rising numbers?

Segment Synopsis: Chapman talks about the number of clients who are currently using his studio. He talks about not feeling safe enough at this time to return to his job at BB&T Arena. He says he doesn't think the music industry will look the same after the COVID-19 pandemic. In the past, he thinks music has come through crises with something new as a result. He references live-streaming as something new that has come about and gives his opinion on the trend. He mentions not knowing what to do with the music he has made during pandemic. He also discusses how awkward it is for rock bands to perform to a crowd sitting down. He also says it will be a while before he will be comfortable attending live music.

Keywords: Audiences; BB&T Arena; Bars; Changes; Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); Crews; Crowds; Going out; Impact; Income; Live music; Live performance; Live performances; Live shows; Live streaming; Money; Music business; Music industry; Normal; Online shows; Precautions; Projects; Recording studios; Remote events; Remote shows; Safety; Social distancing; Southgate House (Venue); Technology; Venues; Virtual events; Virtual shows

Subjects: Albums; Bands (Music); COVID-19 (Disease); COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020-; Careers.; Communicable diseases.; Concerts; Epidemics.; Music; Music trade.; Music--Performance.; Musical performance; Musicians.; Occupations.; Pandemics and COVID-19; Popular music--Writing and publishing.; Professions.; Songs.; Sound studios.; Sound--Recording and reproducing.; Technological innovations; Vocation.; Voice.; Work.

Partial Transcript: So you're not playing as much as you were.

Segment Synopsis: Chapman talks about how his body has changed during the pandemic. He talks about the preparation he had to do before his live stream shows.

Keywords: Body; Cover songs; Drums; Learning; Live music; Live performance; Live performances; Live shows; Live streams; Muscles; Playing styles; Practice; Preparation; Remote events; Remote shows; Virtual events; Virtual shows

Subjects: Bands (Music); COVID-19 (Disease); COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020-; Careers.; Communicable diseases.; Concerts; Epidemics.; Music; Music rehearsals; Music trade.; Music--Performance.; Musical performance; Musicians.; Occupations.; Pandemics and COVID-19; Practicing (Music); Professions.; Songs.; Sound studios.; Sound--Recording and reproducing.; Vocation.; Work.

Partial Transcript: Uh, yeah I've, I've been consistently playing through the whole thing and for me, more importantly, I've been working on my own project.

Segment Synopsis: Chapman discusses how marketing a band has changed over the years. He says you have to spend multiple hours a day connecting to others and using social media. He jokes that he is handing out fewer flyers to people in cars.

Keywords: Album artwork; Changes; Details; Internet; Marketing strategies; Marketing strategy; Music videos; Networking; Projects; Promotion; Solo projects; Success

Subjects: Advertisements.; Advertising fliers; Advertising.; Albums; Bands (Music); Branding (Marketing); Business networks.; COVID-19 (Disease); COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020-; Communicable diseases.; Digital video--Editing.; Editing.; Epidemics.; Marketing.; Music; Music trade.; Music videos.; Music--Editing.; Musicians.; Pandemics and COVID-19; Popular music--Writing and publishing.; Public relations.; Publicity.; Social media.; Songs.; Sound studios.; Sound--Recording and reproducing.; Video recordings.

Partial Transcript: Let's talk about, um, your--the video work that you're doing for the corporate stuff.

Segment Synopsis: Chapman says his video editing work from corporate sources comes and goes. He discusses the types of videos he edits and his process. He talks about how the volume of work has changed due to COVID-19.

Keywords: Clients; Companies; Corporate; Corporations; Day jobs; Gig work; Gigs; Programs; Side jobs; Side work; Tutorial videos

Subjects: Business networks.; COVID-19 (Disease); COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020-; Careers.; Communicable diseases.; Digital video--Editing.; Editing.; Epidemics.; Gig economy.; Occupations.; Pandemics and COVID-19; Professions.; Sound studios.; Uncertainty.; Video recordings.; Vocation.; Work.

Partial Transcript: Everything's so crazy right now.

Segment Synopsis: Chapman discusses his expectations for 2021. He states that his house is really clean because he doesn't know what else to do with his time. He says it is important to not dwell on uncertainty and the pandemic.

Keywords: Attitudes; Better; Cleaning; Daily life; Expectations; Facebook (Online social network); Future; Hope; Jobs; Mental health; Mentality; News; Opportunity; Optimism; Outlook; Productive; Schedules; Solo projects; Worrying

Subjects: Albums; Bands (Music); COVID-19 (Disease); COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020-; Cleanliness; Communicable diseases.; Composition (Music); Epidemics.; Music; Music trade.; Music--Performance.; Musical performance; Musicians.; Pandemics and COVID-19; Popular music--Writing and publishing.; Social media.; Songs.; Uncertainty.