We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Roni Dot . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Roni below.
Hi Roni , thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
Being an enthusiastic environment supporter, I constantly try to find ways to connect creation and environmental values.
During the Corona crisis I initiated and produced a unique project featuring 33 vegan musicians (singers and instrumentalists) from all around the world singing a cover version of Bob Dylan’s “Times they are a changing’ “. All creation team members were also vegan (musical producer, video editor etc)!
The project was meant to raise attention to climate change and the human contribution to it, and received much media attention including TV interviews, radio plays and blog features.
Roni , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My name is Roni Dot. I am an indiepop musician.
From a young age I have been attracted to the art world and it was crystal clear to me that I will be an artist.
From the age of 5 I have been performing on stages in different disciplines – dance, piano, singing. I even presented two paintings in an exibition once!
I have studied performing arts in college and have been working as an actress/singer in Isarel until moving to The Netherlands 3 years ago. Now I focus on my own musical creation and also organize music events in The Hague, where i currently live.
My last album, called “Flamingo pink”, was recorded just when COVID started. it inspired from indierock, electronic pop and even a bit jazz. Nowadays I’m working on 2 different EPs (at the same time!) that have shifted more to the sonic world of layered dark synthpop and electronic instruments (inspiration refrences would be Susanne Sundfør, Woodkid and Röyksopp).
I combine pensive lyrics, sometimes existential, with lighter melodies. Maybe that’s a thing you can say defines my music or differs it- I write (and sing) what really is on my mind. At the moment it’s our influence as humans on the world around us and what’s the meaning of our chosen actions in this life in oppose too the “greater” things happening around us (like climate change, unexpected natural disasters, wars…).
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
Yes. Resilience.
The “show biz” world and mainly commercial TV give a very bad example for Indie creators. It can almost seem like all the time unknown singers or musicians are discovered by mega-big shows like “X factor” and so. Statistically – that’s not true; and it gives the wrong impression about how a musician life usually looks like. It’s a long road, sometimes a very lonley road, it’s full of frustrations and disappointements. I think No one has ever really portrayed that well for me. In the “buble” of music studies (or performing arts studies) students are occupied with learning, discovering, understanding themselves.
I feel like there’s more preparation needed for the amount of resilience you will actually need as an artist in the “real world” out there.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
As an audience- Support, support, support.
If you want to help smaller scaled/Indie artists to keep creation happening- don’t settle for listening to pre-made spotify lists, headliner concerts and whatever is playing on the radio. Try. explore. look on spotify (or whatever streaming platform you use) for genres similar to what you like- but made by new artists yoou don’t know yet. You hear something you like?… give it a follow, a like. We cannot create a fanbase without the help of the fans:) If you can- buy music from smaller artists. Big records companies sell enough as is… For us, it makes an actual difference.
My wish is that the system itself implements a mindset change with supporting a bigger variety of artists, not only potential “money makers”. Of course any industry is based on earning, but I do feel like it is way stronger than the artistic sense of the music industry, and that’s a real shame.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ronidot.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roni.dot/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ronrondot
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5VEuNdwO6sqsPPGquS2xQA
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-252193613
- Other: https://ronidot.bandcamp.com/album/flamingo-pink
(bandcamp – listen online+buy album)
Image Credits
Photography credits mentioned on the specific photo files (there are few differeny photographers).
If nothing mentioned- The photo was taken from the audience and can be used (no rights restriction).