Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Choices and Change

While taking a broadcast course in college I did a project which analyzed two individuals in my life: my dad, Louis Gilbert, and my boyfriend, Trevor Hochman.

I've decided to post it here for several reasons. Most obviously, because this piece is in part about Trevor and here's a collection of his work. However, I realized only recently that I named this radio piece "Change" back when I first made it (unaware of Trevor's song called "The Change"). How very coincidental... or not.

As few outside my family and close friends know, I am interested in creating audio/radio/podcast-like pieces that tell stories (think "This American Life," but Sara-style) and so I would really love to hear feedback. I wanna hear positive comments, negative ones, cheers, sounds of snoring, de-friendings, you name it...

Thanks! Hope you enjoy.
--Sara Gilbert



Some background on the story:

What gave me the idea was that their backgrounds, their stories, were so similar. But only up to a point.

Both were A+ students, straight-arrows, are smart, funny and went to Yale. (I might not be the most unbiased individual in this case, but that's all true.)

The stories vary here as Louis goes into performing arts after college, mostly mime. He has a show with his partner Renee, joins Mummenschanz (in the first U.S. cast) and teaches performing arts in Manhattan... until marrying my mother, Barbara.

Trevor, on the other hand, goes to Columbia Law School, becomes a corporate tax lawyer and works for "white shoe" law firms before deciding to make his own change.

Louis decided to marry Barbara and have a family, and leave the show he was in. He went to law school and became, yes, a tax lawyer.

Trevor decided he'd had enough, he left the law world and for about ten years ran an arts collective in Astoria, Queens called Wonderland. There 17 or so artists lived and worked, including Trevor. He played and toured with a band named SisterMonk for over two years. And almost a year ago Wonderland closed up. The space is now a dance studio.

Now Trevor hopes to make his third career making music. And that's what he's doing.

The choices we make, the lives we live, all it really boils down to is this question: "Are you happy?" And if you can answer yes, even if you have to think about it, you're on the right track. If not, then maybe a Change is what you need.