Sounds of Joyful Resilience

Gordon McIntyre-Lee

Designer

“I started plinking on the piano a few months before the start of the pandemic, and found that it was oddly therapeutic, to the point that I would often lose track of time and spend several hours messing around seeing what sounded good. I'm still not very technically good, but I enjoy playing and have found that it's helped keep me sane as the rest of the world has changed.”

Anna Evenson

Producer

“This isn't my original composition but it is my version of a dance tune I learned from my teacher. Norwegian dance/fiddle tunes like this are passed down and taught by ear only, there isn't any sheet music to learn from. So while the core of the tune remains, it can evolve over time as it's passed from teacher to student, each person adding their own style. I started learning hardanger fiddle (pronounced har-dung-er, also called hardingfele in Norwegian) this last summer although I've played the violin for years. The hardingfele is a stringed instrument from Norway that is traditionally used to accompany dancers. There are four top strings like a violin and then 4-5 sympathetic strings underneath the main strings that resonate when the top 4 are played. It's also tuned differently than a violin. To me joyful resilience is more than just the sound I hear—on the surface this is an upbeat folk dance tune. When I'm playing, joyful resilience comes through in the connection I feel to my instrument and my heritage, the healing and relaxation music brings me and enjoyment I feel when I have a chance to share with others.”

Dustin Studelska

Strategist

“I've played guitar for a long time, but have slowly begun the journey towards electronic music production relatively recently. It is a whole new world that has so many nooks and crannies to explore that I'm always hearing new possibilities I didn't even know existed. That exploratory element brings me a lot of joy. But to me resilience has a bit of an edge to it. Even if it is joyful, there's still an aspect of learning that is non-trivial. So my joyful resilience is less about being cheery and playful and more about breaking through the clouds to experiencing things that change your perspective. Joy gives this journey a sort of ascending feeling. It doesn't erase our struggles, but it builds our confidence and conviction that we can live life on our terms even if we don't always get it right.”

Christian Erickson

CEO, Creative, Partner

“During the early days of the pandemic, I got very into generative music—which is typically music generated by machines from a set of instructions. A lot of people at Zeus know I have a deep love for ambient music, and usually listen to spacey, minimal things while working which helps me stay calm and focused. So each morning in mid-2020 I would set up a new generative music setup—which involved feeding riffs, chords and melodies into various randomizing or algorithmic tools, setting up sounds and instruments to play what comes out, and setting up a mix to make it sound the way I wanted. And once I had done that I would press play and let the computer entertain me for hours with dreamy (sometimes dreary) random music. When I heard stuff I thought was particularly cool I would press record, and I've since released some of those recordings on Spotify. But others I just kept for myself. I think of it as almost like a highly custom windchime—something that you don't quite have control over, but if you've set it up right it will sound pleasing in most conditions. And they were a good creative outlet for me and also created a great atmosphere in my home office as I was getting used to the idea of being remote.”

Sarah Youngquist

Designer

“Getting a car wash has always been a healing, reset moment for me, and something I've found myself relying on even more since the pandemic began. When I'm having a particularly stressful week, I will make a point to drive through the car wash alone, just to have a moment. I'll close my eyes and let everything (quite literally) wash over me—the loud whoosh of the jets. The smell of the tri-color foam (!!!). The sprinkle of the spot-free rinse. And eventually, the whir of the dryers ushering me back into the world, feeling a little less stressed and a little more joyful.”