Today we’d like to introduce you to Beatie Wolfe.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Beatie. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I started writing songs when I was 7 or 8. Since I was a kid, I was completely obsessed with all forms of storytelling and then I discovered I could put my stories to music and that felt like pure magic to me. I would spend hours pouring over my parent’s record collection, reading the vinyls like musical books and entering into the world of the album, imagining what worlds I could create for mine. Music was the language that made sense to me and writing songs just felt like the most natural thing to do. It didn’t really feel like a choice, but something I had to do. By the time my first album was ready to come out it was a very different landscape with the digital replacing the physical and the idea of my first record just existing as a digital download, without the world, the story, the ceremony, the tangible component was not an option for me. So I decided to explore new ways of presenting my music that combined the best of the old with the best of the new.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Every project has been entirely new and uncharted territory and so in that sense, everything was an obstacle! I actually find it easier when something is considered to be “impossible” as there is no real fear of failure as failure is such a big part of it. Living with that as a real possible outcome everyday makes your vision sharper, makes you more alert and much more courageous. So every obstacle has actually been an opportunity to be really creative.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I am a singer-songwriter and I create new formats for albums that bridge the physical and digital and remind people of the magic of music. These have included: a 3D vinyl for the palm of your hand; a wearable record jacket – cut by Bowie/Hendrix’s tailor out of fabric woven with my music; an ‘anti-stream’ from the quietest room on earth and a Space Beam via the Big Bang Horn. My ‘world first’ album designs were recently exhibited in a solo exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London which was a real life highlight for me. I am also the co-founder of a “profound” (The Times) research project looking at the power of music for people living with dementia which was recently turned into a charity that is actively getting music in all care homes in the UK by 2020. For my work, I was appointed a UN Women role model for innovation.
Currently I’m working on a large-scale visualization of the CO2 concentration in the Earth’s atmosphere – it’s part music video, part protest song and entirely interactive. Also a documentary on my work, commissioned by the Barbican Centre, comes out in October directed by Ross Harris (of Elliott Smith / Stones Throw). There are lots of other great projects too, like a new radio show I created and host for dublab, that explores the power of music with some of my favourite people, plus a collaboration with Laraaji for dublab’s 20th and Bedrock.LA’s 10th.”
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I feel like I was very similar to how I am now. I don’t think I have changed that much! I had a wild imagination. As a kid that could be pretty scary but then I realized I could channel it into storytelling. I spent all my time making up stories, worlds, creating art forms. I loved every form of storytelling but then when I discovered I could put my stories to music that was the “ah ha” moment for me. I was an odd mix of being very creative and confident on the one hand, yet very introverted and reflective on the other. I spent a lot of time deep in thought and as a kid would be questioning things, trying to understand them. I also didn’t identify with anything my gender was meant to like. I played football, basketball, rugby, did Ninjutsu (always as the only girl) and had Mighty Max’s instead of Polly Pockets. I guess I had always just felt like “Beatie” and didn’t want that to be coloured one way or the other. I always had a very strong sense of self.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.beatiewolfe.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/beatiewolfe
- Facebook: http://facebook.com/beatiewolfe
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/beatiewolfe
- Other: https://www.dublab.
com/shows/orange-juice-for- the-ears
Suggest a story: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
