Elise Eystad
One thing that signifies the holiday season to me each year is the assortment of holiday programs that we have here in Eau Claire. Whether it be a performance of the Nutcracker Ballet or a Big Band jazz concert of beloved Christmas tunes, I have always loved the creativity and entertainment that comes along with the month of December. With Covid impacting our ability to have and attend these programs, local artists and musicians have had to get creative with how to celebrate this season in 2020. Luckily, on December 17th, the Chippewa Valley Writers Guild is teaming up with The Nunnery—alongside storytellers Max Garland, Kaia Simon, Dang Yang, and Sarah Jayne Johnson—to create a charming and cozy night of wintry entertainment. Eau Claire’s annual “Joy to the Word” program will take place virtually, featuring a seasonal array of music, art, and stories.
This year’s Joy to the Word event features The Nunnery, which is the solo act of Sarah Elstran, based out of Minneapolis. The Nunnery is known for creating lush soundscapes through the use of layered vocals and looping effects. Unique to The Nunnery’s live performances are her use of visual projections and improvisation, which she hopes will communicate a “a thought without words.”
I recently asked Sarah a few questions about the Joy to the Word event and The Nunnery’s music. Read on to learn more!
Elise Eystad: With the Joy to the World event, it looks like you will be collaborating with other authors and storytellers. How does cross collaboration, with artists, musicians, writers, and others, impact music? What is special/beneficial about a performance with this kind of collaboration?
Sarah Elstran (The Nunnery): Collaborating live is such an exciting way to create music; it's always so different based on the artist. You have to pay attention and adapt in real time without overthinking what you're playing while you create. For this show, all the collaboration will be improvised without any knowledge of what the readers will be saying or how they will say it. I hope to just add enough to enhance the artists and not overpower them.
EE: How do live projections and other visuals add to your performances? Are they specific to the song you’re performing? Tell me more about what goes into choosing the visuals for a performance,
SE: My projections are done by Erik Elstran. He projects all kinds of visuals of things he's filmed such as a foggy field to a kaleidoscope of plants. Because each song has its own feeling, the visuals usually represent that in an abstract and ethereal way. I like my music to be up for interpretation and the visuals can convey a different perspective to the music.
EE: You hope that the listener will experience “a sense of peace, a space to understand your own heart.” Can you elaborate more on what that means to you? What is your experience with music that communicates these things?
“Music is a form of expression that can translate feelings without saying much at all. I’ve experienced times at shows where I close my eyes and all of a sudden, I’m transported into this place of the song. ”
SE: Everyone experiences music differently. Music is a form of expression that can translate feelings without saying much at all. I’ve experienced times at shows where I close my eyes and all of a sudden, I’m transported into this place of the song. In that place I feel, and I can identify with the song. I think few can say that music doesn’t affect them in one way or another.
EE: Listening to your discography, I notice a lot of looping effects (which are awesome!). What draws you to utilizing looping in your music? What other effects or techniques do you tend to use or be drawn towards?
SE: Thank you, it’s fun to experiment with pedals and effects. It’s a huge tool in creating new soundscapes. I like to think my music will continue evolving and incorporating new effects. Another thing that helps me create is just a change of location. For instance, writing in a cabin near a lake versus writing in a car while driving through the desert makes for different inspirations to create.
EE: Tell me about your songwriting process! As a fellow songwriter, I’m so interested in hearing others’ processes. What comes first for you: lyrics or instrumentation?
“Looping requires layering, it’s like I have the option to take a different route with each layer. I’ve had people during shows give me a random word and base a song around that. It’s fun to improvise on the fly...”
SE: Typically, the melody comes first. I don’t always hear the song as a whole before I begin. Looping requires layering, it’s like I have the option to take a different route with each layer. I’ve had people during shows give me a random word and base a song around that. It’s fun to improvise on the fly because I don’t know what’s going to happen while it’s happening.
EE: Finally, tell me any other details about the Joy to the World event that you have! Anything you’re particularly looking forward to with this performance?
SE: Just excited to be playing a show with humans in all honesty. It’s been a long time and I’ve missed the connection through performances.
Be sure to check out The Nunnery on Spotify, Bandcamp, or anywhere else you stream music. You can also support her on her website, follow her on Instagram, and check out her new music video for “Proud.”
This year’s Joy to the Word event is free and open to the public. Check out the Pablo Center’s website or CVWG for more information on the event. Keep an eye out for future Guild articles on the Joy to the Word’s featured writers and speakers, and mark your calendar for December 17th at 6:30pm to celebrate with us!